This is the Chinese mega city of Shenzhen
a gleaming monument to China’s economic miracle.
In 1980 it was a town with around 60,000 residents.
Now it’s China’s technological hub,
with a population of over 12 million.
Entrepreneurs, high-flying tech graduates
and international companies flock here to
join the tech revolution.
Welcome to Shenzhen
Shenzhen sits north of Hong Kong in the
Pearl River Delta.
One of the most densely urbanised
regions in the world.
The area has an estimated population of 120 million people
In 1980 Shenzhen was dedicated a Free Economic
Zone - an experiment in market capitalism
in Communist China.
The effects were explosive. Shenzhen’s population
skyrocketed in just over 30 years.
The city has a massive migrant workforce.
Over 4 million residents staying during the
week and then returning home on the weekend.
But, it’s tech hardware that has put this
city on the map.
If Silicon Valley dreams it up, then this
is where it’s made.
This is Huaqiangbei market - arguably the
world’s largest electronics market.
Filming here is banned…..
but here’s a sneaky peak.
The market’s neon lit corridors stretch
across multiple buildings and many floors.
The stalls sell everything from the latest
gadgets, to the tiniest screws and many items
are rips off, Chinese fakes of US products.
But if you wanted to, you could buy all you
need to build your own smartphone, or 100,000 of them
Because Shenzhen draws in workers from across
China, its foods scene is just as varied as
its population.
If you’re looking for the full banquet experience,
Shang Palace in the Shangri-La Hotel has got you covered.
Their Dim Sum lunch is a feast for the eyes
and the mouth.
It’s a showcases of authentic Cantonese cuisine.
Or try something a little more casual, such
as Chinese Hot Pot.
A simmering pot of soup stock is kept on your
table
and you put your choice of ingredients in.
One of the most famous variations is flavoured
which Sichuan pepper
so watch out, it can pack a serious spicy punch.
When you get the bill you’ll notice QR codes.
Here in Shenzhen they’re used by locals
to pay for just about everything.
Simply scan the code and the money is transferred.
Sound great but there’s a hitch.
You can’t use them unless you have a Chinese
bank account.
So a technology to make life easier only works
if you're a local.
Finally, why not enjoy some sport...
Shenzhen style.
This is Robomaster. A competition put on by
local drone and tech company DJI.
Students teams from around the world compete
using a variety of self made robots to shoot
each other and destroy the opposition base.
The competition aims to foster engineering
and programming and keep Shenzhen at the
forefront of the tech revolution.
