In China now there is a saying: "If you want to see the past of the Celestial Empire - go to Beijing, the present - to Shanghai, and the city of the future - is Shenzhen.
This is - Silicon Valley of China, a former rival of Hong Kong, which has now become his economic brother and is considered one of the most high-tech cities in the world. Rich and carefully planned, it continues to be built, new parks are broken down, houses and production facilities are growing. This is where the campuses of the techno giants are located (some of them are larger than the small European countries), almost all of your gadgets are gathered, and all public transport operates on electricity.
Shenzhen - a unique city, which, as if by magic wand, from a small village "grew" to a city where all the latest world technology is concentrated.
Previously, this seemed possible only in movies. But such things are also quite real in everyday life. Back in the 1930s, Shenzhen did not differ from a typical Chinese village. There were only 30 thousand inhabitants, whose main occupation was salt mining.
Wonderful "transformation" was possible thanks to two main factors: the policy, in which the residents were set the highest goals, but also was created the so-called Institute of Urban Development. Initially, it was composed of more than 100 specialists, including scientists, who literally thought through and proposed ideas for the development of Shenzhen.
However, the "local craftsmen" started as a small group. The main stake was made on the production of small but mass-produced products: the turnover was constantly increasing, and at a low cost they managed to make money even on small things. Many entrepreneurs who came to Shenzhen quickly realized that income could be earned by simply... making replicas of well-known brands and selling them at an affordable price.
Today, it is a city of 13 million (!) people, and the production of global companies is concentrated. Say, here you can buy all the components and assemble the iPhone for just... 100 dollars, while the prices of basic models will start from 400 dollars
In the world media, the Chinese city of Shenzhen is usually mentioned in connection with the Foxcon factory located here. Mega factory with half a million employees produces smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles for Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Sony and other companies.
Foxcon is the largest and most famous factory in Shenzhen. But few people know that it is only one of several hundred factories located in the city and around the "Chinese Silicon Valley". According to some estimates, it produces 90% of all consumer electronics in the world, and most of it is not as glamorous as iPhones or Playstation.
Shenzhen - a kind of experiment, the first free economic zone in China, open to the outside world, where freely allowed Western investment. The experiment has clearly shown how phenomenal the effect of such freedom is, especially in the conditions of low taxes and cheap labor. The whole city was built almost from scratch to become an assembly plant for the world market.
To attract to the city of high-tech industries and modern services in Shenzhen, there are tax benefits: a reduced rate of corporate income tax, exemption from taxes on new businesses, as well as reimbursement of tax on personal income for foreign specialists. Special privileges and exemptions are provided for large international companies that establish regional headquarters in Shenzhen.
Over the past thirty years, Shenzhen's gross domestic product has increased on average by 25% annually and exceeded 230 billion U.S. dollars. Nominal GDP per capita in Shenzhen exceeded 26 thousand U.S. dollars - more than in Spain, Taiwan and almost twice as much as in Moscow.
The best experts from all over China are coming to Shenzhen, because it is a city of great opportunities that just hover in the air. The city is developing very rapidly and wants to do it together with it. There are so many young people here. The average age of locals is below 30 years, which is a very bright indicator for aging China. For the sake of experiment, go down to the subway in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and you will understand everything.
They say that due to rising wages and property prices in Shenzhen factories will soon have to change their residence permits. Many will move inland, and Shenzhen itself will be a prestigious and rich business center. Not as an assembly shop for the whole world, but as an innovative technological hub. Now 100 new companies are registered here daily. In the past, the fishing town has already overtaken Hong Kong in economic growth.
Experts agree that the production of household appliances and electronics will not stop here. Moreover, there are opinions that this city is undergoing revolutionary new developments and even created a plan to "raise" other provinces to the level of Shenzhen, recognized as the most technologically advanced city in the world.
Very interesting