A visit to the Shenzhen Museum

Today I went with some friends to visit the Shenzhen Museum. It was a fascinating experience. The museum is inside the Shenzhen Civic Centre, which is a stunning piece of architecture. The museum has three floors, each exhibiting a different aspect of Shenzhen's history. The 3rd floor showcases the past 30 years - Shenzhen's establishment as a Special Economic Zone by Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's Reform and Opening-up. It is impossible to relay in words just how much this city has grown and developed over the past thirty years. The city seemed to bloom overnight. In 1978 Deng Xiaoping decided that Shenzhen would be the first of China's special economic zones, the window to China, and in 1980 the city was opened. People were sent to the city to help build it, and the mass construction is unfathomable. Friends of mine who have lived here for just five years or more have been witness to the speedy transition of sky rises popping up and landscapes changing. And friends who have been here for over 15 years have witnessed farmland turning into urban landscapes, and reclaimed land expanding the shoreline. I had heard the stories of the changes friends have seen, but going to the museum really clarified this. Seeing the before and after photos was mind-boggling.

Another interesting aspect of the museum was the displays of the first electronic and household items that were manufactured in China for the western world. Seeing the first Epson printer I owned made me feel old, let me tell ya! There were cell phones and compact discs, telephones and computers, kitchen appliances and irons, all of which are so familiar to the western world. I took it all for granted, and now here I am seeing these items in a museum, demonstrating the economic explosion that was China in the 80's.

When you step outside the Civic Centre and look around, you can see that Shenzhen is far from finished! Everywhere you look there are skyscrapers and complexes being built. Still, after 30 years, it is expanding. It really is a fascinating place to be.

Shenzhen Civic Centre

The Shenzhen Museum in the Civic Centre

Before and after shots of 'Nanshan District' which is the part of Shenzhen I live in.

Shenzhen in the 50's.

Topographical display of the city, in the entrance of the museum.

A new mall under construction near the Civic Centre.

Soon to be the tallest building in Shenzhen.

Construction everywhere!

Snapshots from the day-to-day

Here are some snapshots of things that have caught my eye in my day-to-day living...

Playing video games on the street.

Good times with friends :)

Cameras everywhere.

Eating out on the corner.

Morning prep time for the veggie shop keepers.

My new (2nd hand) bicycle!

McDonalds delivery boys taking a break.

Down by the sea.

Chinese herons? (I need to google these!)

Xìn nián kuài lè! (Happy New Year!)

Happy New Year in China! It is the first day of the year of the goat and, despite the frequent explosion of firecrackers (meant to scare off evil spirits), it is the quietest day I've experienced in my neighbourhood yet. The busy market across the road is closed, so the daily noises of cars and bikes honking, the voices of shoppers and shopkeepers bartering and mingling, the butchers slamming their cleavers into their giant round chopping blocks, and the repetitive drone of the beggar's music is silent today. Most of the shops are closed, and the shop owners have travelled to their home towns to visit family, as is tradition here in China. It is a much different atmosphere in the city today. When the norm of never a dull or quiet moment transforms into empty streets with closed up shops, and the only sounds are explosive crackers, it tends to feel a bit like armageddon! 

Up until yesterday, the streets were humming with excitement, much like the lead up to Christmas in western countries. Temporary shops and street stalls popped up to sell spring flowers, red new year decorations, and red underwear! Extra vegetable stands filled the already busy streets outside the market, and the roads and sidewalks became more and more crowded every day. I really enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere and excitement in the air. 

Here are some photos leading up to the New Year. It is tradition in China to give red envelopes of money. This is mostly for kids and unwed women.

Mandarin orange trees are a tradition of good luck for Chinese New Year, so there were seas of orange trees for sale on the streets, available in different sizes. It is unlucky to eat the mandarin oranges, so people keep the trees until the fruit grows old.

Beautiful red and gold lanterns line the streets...

A stroll through residential alleyways was stunning with all the colourful flags and red lanterns everywhere...

It is a very relaxing morning here in China, and now that I finally have some time off from my new full-time teaching job, I am devoting some time to catching up on the neglected aspects of my life, such as blogging, freelance design projects, and responding to the mountain of emails from friends and family that have been piling up over the last several weeks. (I'll do my best to get back to you all!)

In the neighbourhood

The 'Peninsula' - a neighbourhood of condos close by.

One sunny day I went for a walkabout. I wandered into areas I hadn't been before. There is still plenty of exploring to do! I ended up going for a walk around 'Shekou Mountain' which is the little mountain you see in the second picture below. On the other side of the mountain from where I live, I reached the sea and the bridge and border crossing to Hong Kong.  

Beautiful weather, trees, and flowering bushes along this path.

Shekou Mountain

I still have to pinch myself to believe I live in a climate where palm trees can grow.

Liveaboards

The bridge to Hong Kong

Another walking path, heading towards the 'Peninsula' residential area.

The roof of my building! Great place to bask in the sun, hang out laundry, and dry fish!

Inside my building. My apartment is the closest door on the right on the top floor.

The bright red mat three doors down on the right is my place.

Down below is a communal social area. People eat meals together here, play board games, etc. 

Taking a break.