Shenzhen at the heart of China’s early reform and opening-up
With an influx of international business, Shenzhen attracted several world leading hotel brands. Western fast food, almost unheard of elsewhere, started appearing. As a clear sign of growing disposable income, in 1990 McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in China, beyond Hong Kong. Fascinating theme parks were created including "Window of the World" and "Splendid China". I visited the latter not realizing that over the coming years I would actually travel to many of its scenic attractions. Interesting how in the early days of opening-up Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta attracted many Hong Kong visitors often on shopping trips. Today a huge influx of shopping tourists now go in the opposite direction from across China to Hong Kong!
In the early 1990's Shenzhen with its international lifestyle and business-focused acumen seemed worlds apart from much of interior China, indeed I would even say at that time from Shanghai, but over the years I have seen what was first developed in Shenzhen spreading nationwide to lift China into the major economic player it is today. It has been an incredible achievement in a relatively short time.
Of course there were many challenges, problems and difficulties in turning China around, but look at Shenzhen today, for example. A city where visitors and residents feel there is so much going on. Its residents generate a youthfulness seen in its vibrant cafe and craft beer scene. It boasts an increasingly famed art district, is a destination for major sporting events and much, much more. A city growing from around 30,000 people in 1980 to around 13 million, or more, today. It has become a "melting pot" of people from across China with its slogan "Shenzhen is home to all who resides".
Amazing for me to have first seen the city on that tropical July morning in 1987. Today still going around China by train, I see a very different country compared to 31 years previously. Now I am transported in sleek 350 km/hr units moving me efficiently between modern cities of which Shenzhen was a precursor. Shenzhen itself has evolved into a world leading metropolis, its skyline testimony to the rapid inward investment following the reform and opening-up launched in 1978.
