Shenzhen

The earliest known recorded mention of the name chen could date from 1410, during the Ming dynasty. Locals call the drains in paddy fields "Zhen" (Chinese: 圳; lit. 'ditch', 'drain'). Shenzhen was named after a deep (Chinese: 深; lit. 'deep') drain that was located within the area." The name "Shenzhen" was picked in 1978 by Xi Zhongxun, the father of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who was the Party Secretary of Guangdong at the time.

The oldest evidence of humans in the area on which Shenzhen was established dates back during the mid-Neolithic period. Humans have inhabited the area throughout the past 6,700 years. Historic counties were first established in the area 1,700 years ago. The historic towns of Nantou and Dapeng, were built on the area that is now Shenzhen over 600 years ago. The Hakka people also have a history in Shenzhen since 300 years ago when they first immigrated. In 214 BC, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China under the Qin dynasty, the area was submitted to the jurisdiction of the established Nanhai Commandery, one of the three commanderies that were set up in Lingnan, and was assimilated into Zhongyuan culture. In 331 AD, the Eastern Jin administration split up Nanhai and established a new Dongguan Commandery (东官郡). …

Shenzhen roughly follows the administrative boundaries of the historical Bao'an County. The southern portion of Bao'an County became part of British Hong Kong after the Opium Wars, while the village of Shenzhen was on the border. Shenzhen railway station was the last stop on the mainland Chinese section of the Kowloon–Canton Railway, and Shenzhen's economy grew and it became a city by 1979. Shenzhen is located within the Pearl River Delta, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Huizhou to the north and northeast, Dongguan to the north and northwest, Lingdingyang and Pearl River to the west, and Mirs Bay to the east, and roughly 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of the provincial capital, Guangzhou. As of the end of 2017, the resident population of Shenzhen was 12,528,300, of which the registered population was 4,472,200, the actual administrative population was over 20 million. …

As Shenzhen is located in Guangdong, the city historically had a Cantonese culture before its transition to a SEZ. The competitive culture that the city promotes among the youth have also used the term "Shenzhen speed", which resulted from the fast construction of the tallest building in Shenzhen. The term also describes a period of constant competition, quick changes, and high-efficiency. In 2003 the municipal government announced plans to turned Shenzhen into a cultural city by promoting design, animation, and library construction. The municipal government also intends to develop the city's cultural industry in accordance to the 13th Five-Year Plan, establishing the Shenzhen Fashion Creative Industry Association and the 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8 sq mi) Dalang Fashion Valley. …

The main cuisine of Shenzhen is Cantonese. Due to the recent growth of migrants to the city, Shenzhen also hosts a diverse array of cuisines, including Teochew cuisine, Hakka cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, and Hunan cuisine. The Yantian District is known for its Teochew-based and Hakka-based seafood, with restaurants lined up along the coastline. Street food such as Xinjiang cuisine, and black sesame soups, can be found in Xijie Street and the urban village of Baishizhou. Shekou area in Nanshsan District is the first opening up area in China, which has a lot of local restaurants that opened for many years, that you can eat Desserts, Chicken Pot, Goose, Sea food, also western food. In regard to food chains, the first McDonald's restaurant in mainland China opened for business in Shenzhen Luohu District on 8 October 1990 providing the city American fast food. …

Shenzhen was the first of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) to be established by then paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. Back to Apr 1979, Shenzhen was reformed as a Special Export Zone to create a favorable investment environment and introduce advanced technology and management experience, later renamed to Special Economic Zone in May 1980. As of 2022, Shenzhen has a nominal GDP of 3.24 trillion RMB (HK$2.87 trillion), which surpassed neighboring Hong Kong's GDP of HK$2.11 trillion and Guangzhou's GDP of 2.88 trillion RMB (HK$2.68 trillion), making the economic output of Shenzhen the 3rd largest out of Chinese cities, trailing behind Shanghai and Beijing. In addition, Shenzhen's GDP growth between 2016 and 2017 of 8.8% surpassed that of Hong Kong and Singapore, with 3.7% and 2.5% respectively. With a market capitalization of US$2. …