Bridging the Gap
By Prof. Henry Funtecha

Shenzhen, China's show-window of capitalism

(Note: The writer was in China during the second week of April 2005)

Shenzhen, mainland China's growing industrial and commercial pride, is a neighboring city of Hongkong. In fact, the only landmark that separates the two is a narrow river that is reinforced by a high fence on both sides.

Shenzhen means "deep river" because of a wide and deep river that meanders along it. It is a booming city with a very high skyline because of the tall buildings all over its face. While tiny Hongkong has a bursting population of 6.5 million, Shenzhen already has 7 million and is still rapidly rising. Nevertheless, it is not confronted with the problem of acute space because of its wide area.. In fact, wealthy Hongkong residents are buying premium real property in Shenzhen and have put up their business enterprises and even their second residences in it. Even overseas Chinese or repatriates have established themselves in the city.

Shenzhen is really undergoing a remarkable growth as China's second industrial city, next to Shanghai in the north. Shanghai, however already has a long head start, while Shenzhen is just an infant. Although it is much younger because it started to attract investments only in the late 1980s, yet it has already rivaled Shanghai in the number of local and foreign companies that have opened up their operations in the city. This is especially significant considering that in the early 1980s, Shenzhen was just inhabited by a few fishermen and families of individuals working in neighboring Hongkong.

As one goes around Shenzhen, he is impressed by the modernity of the city. Practically, all the buildings are high-rise, many of them soaring more than fifty storeys up and are of the latest architectural designs. There are many hotels of international standards, including names of famous hotel-chains, a testimony to the dynamism of Shenzhen 's tourism industry. Also, as a sign of the new-found economic affluence of the residents of Shenzhen, the wide and well-paved city streets and highways are full of expensive cars and other vehicle types representing practically all the noted car brands of the world. Car brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW, Citroen, Audi, Peugot, GM, Ford, and Japanese-made ones are seen all over. Interestingly, one can also see Chinese-made cars like Jinbei and King Long in the thoroughfares.

Income-wise, Shenzhen is narrowing down the gap between her and Hongkong. While the average income in the former British colony is HK$ 3,000 monthly, Shenzhen now has HK$ 2,500. In the final analysis, Shenzhen residents are better off because the standard of living in it is lower than in Hongkong. For example, the average rent of a two-room apartment in Hongkong is HK$1,500 but in Shenzhen, it is only HK$ 1,000.

Shenzhen is also a shopping paradise for tourists, especially coming from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. It has a number of shopping malls offering all famous brand names of goods, ranging from watches, shoes and clothing to cellphones, television sets, and other electronic gadgets. And, they are definitely cheaper than their counterparts sold in Hongkong. Of course, it is common knowledge that these items of popular brand names are cheap because they are manufactured in Shenzhen. But, these are generally the same products that are sold in the more expensive boutiques and department stores in Hongkong. In fact, interestingly, Hongkong residents prefer to do their shopping in Shenzhen now than in Hongkong. If one is budget-conscious, one popular shopping destination in Shenzhen is Dongmen, popularly known to tourists as the "Night Market" where everything is sold at give-away prices. The name "Night Market" is actually a misnomer because one can do her shopping in the place from morning till night

But Shenzhen is more than just business, industries and shopping. It also has its own cultural and historical attractions. Among the must-see interesting points in the city are the Lotus Park, the Shenzhen Tea Ho use, the Subway system, the Lianhua Mountain Park, and the Shenzhen Cultural Center. The most famous, however, is the Window of the World, where one can have a view of the spectacular and beautiful sights of the world in one contagious area. Also worth noting is the fact that Shenzhen is also famous for its lychees, considered to be the best in China. Thus, as one travels around Shenzhen, which is a very large city, he finds a lot of lychee plantations.