China’s first capitalist experiment has gone beyond its original mission to become a city of art and cool. Margie T Logarta examines this new phase of Shenzhen’s evolution
It was that ambivalent time of the day when the crowd had not yet streamed in to fill up the lounge chairs and tables which lined the neat patios of café row. A few early birds though were in subdued conversation over coffee and smokes.
Just about to leave Shenzhen after a full day of appointments, I was told the area was a must-see – a totally unexpected side of China’s cradle of modernisation.
Indeed it was, and yet, this former factory complex in Nanshan District, now transformed into an über-stylish entertainment hub – dubbed OCT (Overseas Chinese Town) Loft – seemed perfectly in sync with the ever-evolving face and fortunes of Shenzhen.
“After people have made their money, they want the good things in life – art, time to relax with friends, fine dining,” observes the young manager of a design shop we had wandered into, attracted by the contemporary tweaking of traditional Chinese furniture. “We are not cheap, but we have customers who come in and pay cash.”
Among the objects of desire in his showroom were a pair of horseshoe-shaped chairs, made out of cherry wood, which would set someone back by CNY12,000 (US$1,757). And these was just one of the collection’s many best sellers.
After decades of being associated with the cheerless and the cheap, Shenzhen has finally found its groove through developments
such as the Loft. It is spearheaded by OCT Holding, the same group that promoted Shenzhen’s theme park image with kitschy yet popular attractions such as Splendid China, Windows of the World, Happy Kingdom, China Folk Culture Villages and the picturesque Interlaken Hotel, occupying prime mountainside in Dameisha, Yantian District.
The Loft emerged in early 2008, from the CNY30 million (US$4.3 million) renovation of a block of industrial buildings built in the ’80s and were abandoned in the ’90s.
Unlike its Hongkong counterparts, OCT decided to forego the beaten path of tearing down the derelict structures and putting a shiny tower block-cum-retail (it already owned several of these across the city) in their place, but instead chose to create an enclave, patterned after Vancouver’s loft zone, at least in spirit.
OCT may have done the sprucing up, but left most of the spaces free for the renters to fix them up themselves. Design firms, lifestyle boutiques, art galleries and restaurants dominate the tenant directory, the only exception being gym equipment supplier Kenneth Ko. (We had to take a double look at this establishment with no tables or chairs, just extremely large portraits of buffed men.)
Shenzhen has come a long way from the city envisioned by the late Chinese supremo Deng Xiaoping in 1979 to blaze the trail for China’s great foray into capitalism as the country’s first Special Economic Zone. It succeeded, surpassing Deng’s wildest dreams, but also became a victim of its achievements as the cost of living went up through the years due to prosperity.
A per capita GDP of US$10,628 in 2007 and an average individual disposable income of CNY25,000 (US$3,661) made Shenzhen among the wealthiest cities in China.
With rising affluence undercutting profit margins, a paradigm shift was inevitable, and low-tech manufacturers increasingly transferred production to cheaper locations, in either the poorer provinces in the west or to cheaper neighbours such as Indonesia or Vietnam. A dearth in the local labour pool also emerged as more workers found jobs closer to home.
In recent years, the buzzword has been “flexibility”, leading to start-up ventures and innovative enterprises, a move up the value chain.
Perhaps, sharing the border with business-savvy Hongkong has created a “can do” work ethic, which now plays an even greater role against the backdrop of the relentless financial tsunami.
“The fact that everyone comes from somewhere and they have to work together makes for a dynamic society,” says Eggert Muus, general manager of Kempinski Shenzhen. “This is the place where people react quickly and get things done without too much beating around the bush.”
Architect Shami Tara Chauhan, who comes from Germany, believes that with her particular skills, “Shenzhen is the right place to be. The design possibilities are far greater here than in Hongkong.”
When Chauhan began working in her company, CHSPAI design consultants, in 2007, she hardly spoke any Mandarin, and none of her colleagues spoke English. She recalls: “My learning curve started from zero. At first, I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.”
Her understanding of Mandarin has now bloomed as did the English vocabulary of the locals, thanks to the twice-weekly language classes that she conducts “strictly for architectural needs”.
“But I’m lucky to have met such helpful and cooperative people,” Chauhan adds.
You know a city has “arrived” when it gets flooded with information guides, both print and online, and none could be a more reliable and oft-quoted source than Shenzhenparty.com. Set up nine years ago as a hobby by American businessman Brad Deverman, just fresh out of college, the site has grown from pointing night owls to the hottest watering holes (hence the name “Shenzhen party”) to offering myriad services such as flat leasing, schools, car rental and Mandarin lessons among others.
Says Deverman: “People from all over China (and elsewhere) come to Shenzhen, and since everyone is new to the city, they have the same problems any expat has: finding the right services, restaurants, bars and the like. What started out as a personal interest has become a business. They’re intertwined.”
Explaining why he continued to stay, he says: “Shenzhen was where I found my first job (he worked for one of the largest producers of disposable cameras until he decided to go on his own). I prefer it to other Chinese cities like Beijing because of the weather, and it has less traffic and pollution.
“It keeps improving and is becoming more liveable year after year. There are more high-end supermarkets and products that we used to buy in Hongkong.”
The dine and drink scene, however, still pales in comparison with Hongkong, he believes, which means regular trips for him across the border to check out the latest night spots and see friends.
But Shenzhen, he says, was a very comfortable place and while the cost of living had gone up significantly, “it was still much less than Hongkong”.
With new CBDs rising in Futian and Nanshan, complementing the first CBD in Luohu, Shenzhen is growing in leaps and bounds day by day. Plans by the tourism promotion bureau are even afoot to turn the Dapeng Bay (30 minutes by car from the city), made up of Dameisha and Xiomeisha beaches, into the Riviera of South China. The futuristic Sheraton Dameisha Resort has been receiving a mostly domestic traffic as well as Hongkong groups for some time already. But the best is yet to come, local officials promise.
Shenzhen, a Riviera?
Even Deng Xiaoping wouldn’t have imagined that.
2007
INTERLAKEN OCT HOTEL
Why go to Switzerland when there is Interlaken? Within the Interlaken Village in OCT East, the 308-room property, which includes 61 suites, reflects old-style European details, rarely seen in today’s hotels. Guests billetted in the Premier Club enjoy 24-hour butler service. Views of the lake and surrounding hills set the stage for a relaxing getaway. For a more intimate experience, there are nine duplex Pool Villas, set at the foot of a mountain.
CONTACT: OCT East, Dameisha, Yantian District, tel 86 755 8888 3333, www.interlakenocthotel.com
SHERATON SHENZHEN FUTIAN HOTEL
With a metro station beneath it, connecting to Hongkong’s Lok Ma Chau border, this 328-room hotel is becoming the favourite address of repeat Shenzhen visitors. Rooms occupy two towers, each 28 storeys. Dining options include The Exchange open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all buffet style; Mezzo for Italian prepared in a show kitchen; and Chiuchow Garden for dim sum and Cantonese cuisine. Sheraton’s latest business aide, the Link@Sheraton is on the second floor and comes equipped with state-of-the-art workstations, newspapers and snacks to order.
CONTACT: Great China International Exchange Square, Fuhua Road, Futian District, tel 86 755 8383 8888, www.sheraton.com
2008
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS LUOHU
The first Holiday Inn Express brand in Mainland China offers comfortable and uncomplicated accommodation with value-added perks such as free breakfast, high-speed broadband connection, wireless internet in the “Great Room” and use of the business centre. It is located close to Hun Hing Square, Grand Theater metro station and MixC Mall.
CONTACT: No. 6 Guiyuan North Road, Luohu District, tel 86 755 2559 6999, www.holidayinnexpress.com.cn
FUTIAN SHANGRI-LA
Adding a 40-storey building to Shenzhen’s skyline, it offers 498 rooms, 50 suites and 53 serviced apartments – where internet access is provided free – as well as two ballrooms, an auditorium, function rooms, gym, business centre and range of restaurants and bars. Wi-Fi internet access is available in all public areas.
CONTACT: 4088 Yi Tian Road, Futian District, tel 86 755 8828 4088, www.shangri-la.com
2009
JW MARRIOTT
With 411 guestrooms and suites, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, the chain’s first foray into the Shenzhen market is bound to impress. Event planners especially will find a range of innovative meeting spaces to play around with, especially because of the 600sqm ballroom, four function rooms and a boardroom and the versatile lobby lounge. A Quan Spa is due.
CONTACT: 6005 Shennan Boulevard, Futian District, tel 86 755 2269 8888, www.jwmarriottshenzhen.com
RITZ-CARTON
This newly opened 273-room property is contemporary in design, yet supremely elegant in the famous Ritz-Carlton style. It includes 43 suites, nine of which feature balconies. All come with big picture windows. Guests of the Ritz-Carlton Club level will be the only ones allowed to access the facility and enjoy 24-hour refreshment in the Club Lounge. The fifth floor features a landscaped roof garden, outdoor heated swimming pool, terrace and Jacuzzi with sundeck, components that strengthen the hotel’s claim to be an urban oasis.
CONTACT: 116 Fuhua San Road, Futian District, tel 86 755 2222 2222, www.ritzcarlton.com
THE WESTIN SHENZHEN NANSHAN (Opening August)
Part of the Holiday Plaza Complex, which includes retail shopping, a movie theatre and skating rink, the 353-room property will offer the signature Heavenly Bed and Bath, along with the WestinWORKOUT guestroom. Its meeting and function facilities take up 1,100sqm of space.
CONTACT: Shennan Road, Nanshan District, tel 86 755 2698 8868, www.westin.com
TIP OFF: Smart Travel Intelligence
Even if it claims to be an international hub with all the foreign investment channelled into it, Shenzhen is still foremost a Chinese city. In fact, it’s only been lately that more bilingual signs have been cropping up, making it easier for foreigners to move around on their own
THE METRO
The Shenzhen Metro (tel 86 755 8896 0600) has two lines so far, with Metro Line 1 starting from Luohu Station to Window of the World (the theme park) station. The starting price is CNY2 (29 cents) and the whole journey costs CNY5 (73 cents). Token, not tickets are given at the vending machines. If it’s your first time to try this mode of transport, travel with a Mandarin speaker as all the signs above the concourse are in Chinese, but strangely becomes bilingual once you’re down on the train level (go figure). Trains run from 6.30am to 11pm.
BORDER ENTRIES
One can arrive in Shenzhen through land, port and airport. By land from Hongkong, the checkpoints are Luohu (open 6.30am to 12am), Huanggang (24 hours), Shenzhen Bay (6.30am to 12am), Wenjingdu (7am to 10pm), Shatoujiao (7am to 8pm) and Futian (6.30am-10.30pm). The seaports are located in Shekou (7am-8.30pm) and Fuyong (7.30am-11pm), while Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (24 hours; tel 86 755 9500 0666, www.szairport.com) hosts Air Asia, Air Macau, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Heli Express, Korean Air, SilkAir and Tiger Airways as well as all the major Chinese carriers for their domestic routes. Visa-on-arrival services are available at the Luohu and Shekou borders, but unfortunately, US and UK passport holders need to apply at their home embassies.
TAXI
These come in red, yellow and green. The yellow taxis can only run within the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone; the greens only outside of the area; and the reds can run both in and out of the zone. As always, get the concierge to write down the Chinese name of your destination to show the cabbie. Charges start from CNY12.50 (US$1.83) for the first 3km and CNY2.40 (35 cents) for each additional mile. Fares are higher during the late evening hours. Need a receipt? Just say: “Fapyau”.
WI-FI
Good-old Starbucks offers the service for free, and thank goodness there are a lot of them in this coffee-loving city. Just make sure to have your belongings near you where you can see them. Apparently from the way the servers at the swanky Century Mall (where we had parked ourselves) kept reminding us to be careful, petty thieves abound.
HOTLINES
May you never have to call these numbers to complain:
Consumers Association 86 755 8210 2315
Prices 86 755 12358
Transport 86 755 8322 8000
Travel service 86 755 8232 3045
Theft 110 122
