Shenzhen Government Online
Why Shenzhen?
From: Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality
Updated: 2024-01-24 15:01

Asia-Pacific Hub


Adjoining Hong Kong, Shenzhen is endowed with geographical advantages. It serves as a crucial node for the Belt and Road Initiative and is a significant transport hub in the Asia-Pacific region. Shenzhen has an international deep-water port, an international airport, and the largest land boundary control point in Asia, as well as expressways and freight and passenger railways of national importance.


The Pearl River Delta, where Shenzhen is situated, has an incomparable infrastructure. Within a one-hour drive from anywhere in Shenzhen, you can procure any main product parts or accessories for any industry. This help to rapidly translate scientific research into innovative products. Shenzhen is within an arm's reach of the most developed market in the world. You can travel from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at the drop of a hat, reaching Hong Kong's urban center in only 23 minutes, or reach the Hong Kong International Airport with just a one-hour drive. Within an hour, products can be transported from local factories via the Shenzhen-Hong Kong boundary control points to every corner of the globe.


Shenzhen was named one of the Top 10 Asia-Pacific Cities of the Future by FDI.


In 2022, Shenzhen's container throughput reached 30 million TEUs for the first time, consistently ranking among the top four in the world for 10 consecutive years.


The total import and export volume of goods in 2022 stood at 3.7 trillion yuan, with the total export volume ranking first among large and medium-sized mainland cities for the 30th consecutive year.


In 2022, Shenzhen's rail length reached 559 km, with the highest route density in China. Further, the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport cargo throughput ranked third among all Chinese airports, with domestic throughput ranking first.


Hothouse of Innovation


Innovation is a part of Shenzhen's DNA. Shenzhen is the first National Innovation Demonstration City in China. The city is developing itself into an international technology center and an industrial innovation center, as it plays a leading role in electronic information, internet, biology and new energy industries. It is home to a large number of high-tech companies such as Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, BYD, and DJI. Shenzhen is truly a hothouse of innovation.


Shenzhen has been dubbed as "Silicon Delta" by The Economist.


Shenzhen has been rated as the Best City for Innovation and Start-ups.


In 2022, Shenzhen brought in 275 national "little giant" enterprises, bringing the total to 442, ranking third nationally.


In 2022, Shenzhen ranked first among Chinese cities by the number of PCT patent applications.


In the 2022 National Innovative City Innovation Capability Evaluation Report released by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Shenzhen's innovation capability ranked first.


In 2022, the city added 2,043 new national high-tech firms, bringing the total number to 23,000.


Two Shenzhen companies, WeBank and Tencent, were named among the Forbes Blockchain Top 50 2023.


An Open and Inclusive City


Shenzhen is a window for China's reform and opening up and a city of migrants. Attracting a great number of talents, it is a vibrant, fascinating city. "Once you come to Shenzhen, you are a Shenzhener." Shenzhen's unique demographic structure vitalizes the local market with a big talent pool and has given rise to a unique city culture that is open, inclusive, innovative and interactive. Here, different cultures from all over the world meet, producing all kinds of innovative and creative ideas that help to make Shenzhen a modern global hub of makers.


UNESCO named Shenzhen the Global Model for the Promotion of Reading among the General Public.


Shenzhen was awarded the title of National Demonstration City for Harmonious Community Construction.


By the end of 2022, the number of registered volunteers in Shenzhen had reached 3.51 million, which means one out of every five people in Shenzhen is a volunteer.


Shenzhen was named a National Civilized City for six years in a row.


The average age of Shenzhen citizens is around 32.5 years old.


According to the China Innovative Talents Index 2022, Shenzhen ranked first in China in terms of the talent skill structure.


A Vibrant Market


As the first special economic zone in China, Shenzhen is the most market-oriented Chinese mainland city with a robust market economy. The city gives a fair playing field for all businesses. In 2022, Shenzhen's GDP exceeded 3.24 trillion yuan, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Shenzhen has transformed itself from a border town into one of the most developed cities in China.


Shenzhen was rated by The Economist as the most successful special economic zone among its 4,300 counterparts globally.


Nearly 300 Fortune Global 500 companies have invested in Shenzhen.


In 2022, Shenzhen's GDP was 3.24 trillion yuan.


Shenzhen has more than 3.94 million commercial entities, ranking first nationwide by entrepreneurial density for eight consecutive years.


In the Chinese Cities of Opportunity 2022 report, jointly released by the China Development Research Foundation and PwC, Shenzhen ranked top in China for its favorable business environment.


Shenzhen was ranked first in the 2022 SME Development Environment Assessment Report.


In 2022, 10 Shenzhen-based firms were listed in the Fortune Global 500.


An Efficient Government


The Shenzhen Municipal People's Government is one of the most efficient local governments in China, advocating the construction of a law-abiding government, a service-oriented government and a clean government. Leveraging its SEZ legislative power, Shenzhen has created a fair, transparent and relaxed environment for businesses. It is a pilot area and a window for China's reform and opening up.


With the goals of marketization, legalization, internationalization and facilitation, Shenzhen has vigorously introduced a number of reforms, streamlined administration and delegated powers, and optimized business processes. It has taken the lead in the country in reforming the commercial registration system, and simplified the process for establishing a company to stimulate entrepreneurship. The time required to register a company has been shortened from 20 working days to just one working day.


In 2022, Shenzhen ranked first for four consecutive years in the assessment of integrated government service capabilities of key cities across the country.


In the 2021 China City Comprehensive Competitiveness Ranking, Shenzhen ranked first.


In the China Government Transparency Index Report (2021), Shenzhen had the highest government transparency score among large city governments.


A Wonderful Coastal Ecosystem


Shenzhen is a beautiful city located south of the Tropic of Cancer and at the junction of the tropics and subtropics, with a moderate and pleasant climate. It boasts a 260km coastline along which there are attractive and charming sceneries and views. The city is proud to have an excellent ecological environment as it is vigorously developing a green and low-carbon economy under the principle of utilizing resources and energy efficiently to achieve high-quality development. Green and low carbon have become new hallmarks of Shenzhen's development.


Shenzhen is included on the UNEP Global 500 Roll of Honor and is the first "International Garden City" in China.


The International Talent magazine rated Shenzhen as one of the three most favorable Chinese mainland cities among expatriates.


Shenzhen boasts one of China's Eight Most Beautiful Coastlines.


Shenzhen has 1,238 parks and is renowned as the "City of a Thousand Parks."


It was named one of the world's 31 must-see tourist destinations by The New York Times.


The energy and water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP is the lowest among Chinese mainland cities.


It was named one of the top 10 cities and countries worth visiting by Lonely Planet.


The air quality is one of the best among Chinese mainland cities.


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