The gleaming manifestation of China's economic miracle, Shenzehn has risen from the marshy Pearl River Delta into one of the world's most mega of megacities in less time than it took London's St Paul's Cathedral to be built. This free-spirited, forward-looking metropolis has thriving arts, nightlife and music scenes, multicultural dining and oodles of shopping. And when you step away from the skyscrapers and malls you'll discover fascinating 'urban villages', communities that were once clan villages before the city swallowed them up.
 
Shenzhen, a former fishing village located in southeastern China, grew overnight into a modern metropolis that links Hong Kong to China’s mainland. It's known for its shopping destinations, including Luohu Commercial City, a massive mall with a vast array of wares, from tailors’ custom clothing to faux designer bags. The city also features contemporary buildings, such as the 600m-tall skyscraper Ping An International Finance Centre, and a number of amusement parks.
 
Shenzhen officially became a city in 1979, taking its name from the former county town, whose train station was the last stop on the Mainland Chinese section of therailway between Canton and Kowloon. In 1980, Shenzhen was established as China's first special economic zone. Shenzhen's registered population as of 2017 was estimated at 12,905,000. However, the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee estimates that the population of Shenzhen is about 20 million, due to the large unregistered floating migrant population living in the city. Shenzhen was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world in the 1990s and the 2000s and has been ranked second on the list of ‘top 10 cities to visit in 2019.
 
Shenzhen's cityscape results from its vibrant economy - made possible by rapid foreign investment following the institution of the policy of "reform and opening-up" in 1979. The city is a leading global technology hub, dubbed by media as the next Silicon Valley.
 
Shenzhen hosts the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as the headquarters of numerousmultinational companies such as JXD, Vanke, Hytera, CIMC, SF Express, Shenzhen Airlines, Nepstar, Hasee, Ping An Bank, Ping An Insurance, China Merchants Bank, Tencent, ZTE, Huawei and BYD. Shenzhen ranks 12th in the 2018 Global Financial Centres Index. It has one of the busiest container ports in the world.