This City Went From Fishing to Iconic Metropolis Only 40 Years

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As a gleaming manifestation of China's booming economic miracle, Shenzhen has risen from the marshy Pearl River Delta into one of the world's most “mega” megacities in less time than it took London's St Paul's Cathedral to be built. 

Millions of migrants have been drawn to its golden gates from the Chinese countryside since the 1980s; now, Shenzhen attracts high-flying tech graduates and global corporations. A city of 11 million within an increasingly urbanized region of more than 60 million people in the Pearl River Delta, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone celebrates its 40th anniversary today, August 26. 

Premier Deng Xiaoping first-named Shenzhen a Special Economic Zone in 1979, thereby giving it special immunity from the strict Communist regime governing the rest of the country, and thus allowing the city to pursue a private enterprise model.

This article takes us back in time with a series of stunning photos that depict Shenzhen’s unparalleled economic growth from a collective of fishing villages to one of the most iconic metropolises in the world.

In the early 1980s, Shenzhen Railway Station gathered water due to typhoon and rain, thereby affecting people's travel. The Shenzhen Railway Station is separated from Hong Kong by a river and is the main channel of the Shenzhen and Hong Kong railways.

Nanao Fishing Village, located in Dapeng Peninsula in the east of Shenzhen, was a remote fishing village in the early 1980s.

Nanao Fishing Village, located in Dapeng Peninsula in the east of Shenzhen, was a remote and draggled fishing village in the early 1980s.

The Hengmugang Military Hospital in 1992. (the predecessor of Shenzhen Second People's Hospital)

In 1982, after the infrastructure engineering troops went south to Shenzhen, they camped in the barren hills and dug the wells for a shower.

Photograph of a fisherman’s family sharing a meal in Shekou, 1982.

A little girl visited her parents who worked in the troops and split the housework with her parents.

In 1983, although the living conditions in the troops were difficult, their morale remained high. After work, the soldiers would play basketball in the barracks.

Bagua Ling Industrial Zone, 1983.

Shenzhen Dongmen Old Street in 1983. It was a small town close to Hong Kong, with a population of less than 30,000, and the street appears to be almost empty here. Here is the intersection of Renmin Road and Jiefang Road.

In 1984, the Luohu Caiwuwei area of Shenzhen, the ground-breaking construction site shows red soil upon which a brand new city is about to rise.

In the early summer of 1984, a mother brings her son to a night class she is taking.

In 1984, the construction site of Shenzhen Hongling Building.

In 1985, the Baishaling area under the Beacon Hill in Shenzhen was the home to the construction army.

Shenzhen Laojie in 1985. With the advancement of reforms and opening up, the entry of the immigrant population, the increase of merchants, and street advertising have also been established.

Shenzhen 10th Anniversary Celebration Party was held on the newly-built Hongli Road. Known as the 100,000 people, waltzing on the road.

Photo credit: Ian Berry/Magnum 

A Disney-like theme park emerges from the green fields surrounding Shenzhen in 1992.

In 1992, Shenzhen issued shares. At that time, it set off a wave of stock purchases. The picture shows investors snapping up new stocks.

In 1996, the original appearance of Shenzhen Futian Central District.

In 1998, Shenzhen Railway Station was a transportation hub integrating railway, subway and public transportation. In order to improve Shenzhen's transportation and facilitate, the Shenzhen Municipal Government has repeatedly invested in the reconstruction of the railway station project, creating an excellent investment environment for “inviting foreign investment”.

1998, Mid-Autumn Festival night.

In 1998, the Luohu Caiwuwei area of Shenzhen, covered by the Financial center and Diwang Mansion.

In 1999, at the intersection of Hung Hom Road and Huaqiang Road, five-star hotels and high-rise buildings have fully covered shanty towns.

In 2001, the 9th National Games of China.

After the reform and opening up, this fishing village has undergone earth-shaking changes. In 2003, it was awarded the provincial ecological demonstration town and the national health town. In 2005, it was rated as one of the most beautiful eight coasts in China.

In 2006, Shenzhen Yantian Port under construction.

In 2006, all the farmers in the Longgang Hezhen New Village in Shenzhen lived in villas. More than 3,000 villagers owned 32 square kilometers of land. The housing and farmland planning was neat. Become a model village.

In 2009, Dongmen Old street became a lively place with high-rise buildings and crowded people. It is a must-see for shopping and tourism in Shenzhen.

In the Shenzhen New District in 2009, the high-rise buildings have sprung up over this land.

Students taking part in off-campus activities.

The residence of the indigenous Hakka people in Shenzhen. Women entertaining themselves at home.

Shenzhen is very hot in summer, and such drinking scenes are often found on the construction site.

Shenzhen Guanlanhu Golf Course is the only 72-hole golf course in China and the largest golf course in Asia. 

Shenzhen Lianhua Mountain viewing platform.

Shenzhen in 2012. It is said that 90 percent of the world’s electronics are made in Shenzhen. With tens of thousands of factories, 5,000 product integrators, and thousands of design houses, this city has become a one-stop-shop for anything consisting of circuits, chips, LEDs, and touchscreens. Shenzhen is also home to 20% of China’s P.h.Ds, has the country’s highest rate of business owners, and has produced more billionaires than anywhere else in China. 

In 2014, The Economist declared Shenzhan to be the best place in the world for a hardware innovator to be.

In 2015, Reforming has turned the city into a staging ground for large high-tech companies, rising startups, and independent innovators from all over the world looking to get their stuff made as efficiently as possible. 

In 2018, Shenzhen has risen to become the predominant epicenter of high-tech design and manufacturing in the world. Variously called the “world’s factory,” “the new Silicon Valley,” and the “maker’s dream city,” Shenzhen has a complete ecosystem that contains everything needed for all stages of electronics production all in one place. 

In 2019, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)  and the State Council issued a statement detailing how the country will support Shenzhen in building a socialist demonstration area.

Nowadays in 2020, there are more and more landmark buildings in Shenzhen.

Chinese cities are getting cleaner and more environmentally conscious about their footprint, ensuring that its seemingly unstoppable urbanization process remains on par with the planetary stewardship that China aspires to embrace.

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By the end of 2020, Shenzhen is expected to achieve a forest coverage rate of 50 percent – an incredible feat in only a matter of a few decades.

Today marks a special occasion to celebrate the city’s – and region’s – economic growth and significance on both China and the world, with many of the top tech regions of Western countries looking up to Shenzhen as an innovative powerhouse.

Happy birthday, Shenzhen!

Editor: Crystal H-AD

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