Shenzhen City, also known as "Pengcheng", is located on the east coast of the Pearl River Delta in southern China and belongs to Guangdong Province, the Republic of China. It is China's first special economic zone and was approved by the State Council in 1980. It was officially established on August 26, 2016. The city's total land area is 1,953 square kilometers, of which the special economic zone area is 395.81 square kilometers. After 29 years of construction and development, Shenzhen has developed from a former border town into an emerging modern city with certain international influence, creating the world-renowned "Shenzhen Speed". The "2009 China's Urban Competitiveness Blue Book: China's Urban Competitiveness Report" released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ranked the 2008 comprehensive competitiveness of 294 cities at or above the prefecture level across the country, with Shenzhen ranking second.
Origin of the place name
The place name "Shenzhen" first appeared in historical records in 1410 (the eighth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty), and the ruins were built in the early years of the Qing Dynasty. The local dialect Hakka commonly calls the ditches in the fields "Zhen" or "Yong". Shenzhen is named after its dense marshes and a deep ditch next to the village. Shenzhen is also called Pengcheng. Baiyue Tribe (Prehistory - 214 BC) During the Xia and Shang Dynasties, Shenzhen was a stopping point for the Baiyue Tribe's expedition to the ocean. The people living in the dune valley area along the coast of Shenzhen are a branch of the Baiyue tribe - the "Nanyue tribe". They make a living by fishing and sailing, with little farming. Emperor Qin set up counties (214 BC - AD 331) After Qin Shihuang unified China, he established three counties in Lingnan: Nanhai, Guilin and Xiangjun in 214 BC, and relocated 500,000 people for development. Shenzhen, which was part of Nanhai County at that time, was integrated into the Central Plains culture. County establishment in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 331-1573) The earliest predecessor of Shenzhen City was Bao'an County. Bao'an was established as a county in AD 331 (the sixth year of Xianhe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty). The imperial court established Dongguan County, which governed six counties, and its jurisdiction roughly included today's Shenzhen City, Dongguan City and Hong Kong. The county seat is in Bao'an County (Nantou). During the Song Dynasty, Shenzhen was an important hub for southern sea trade and was rich in salt and spices. By the Yuan Dynasty, it was also famous for its pearl production. In 1394 AD (the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty), Dongguan Shouyu Qianhu Station and Dapeng Shouyu Qianhu Station were established in present-day Shenzhen. Nantou Ancient City, with a history of more than 600 years, was the political center of Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao before the late Qing Dynasty. Xin'an Ancient City (1573-1841 AD) The predecessor of Shenzhen City was also called Xin'an County. In 1573 AD, the Chinese Ming Dynasty government expanded the Dongguan Shouyu Qianhu Base, established Xin'an County, and established the county government in Nantou, with jurisdiction including today's Shenzhen City and Hong Kong. The economy is mainly based on the production of salt, tea, spices and rice. County Division (1842-1898 AD) From July 1842 to April 1898, the Qing government of China and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Beijing and the Special Treaty to Expand the Boundary Site of Hong Kong. , Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories were ceded and leased to Britain. So far, 1,055.61 square kilometers of the 3,076 square kilometers of land that originally belonged to Xin'an County have been separated from its jurisdiction, and Shenzhen and Hong Kong have been separated from each other. Renamed Bao'an (1913-1979) In 1913 (the second year of the Republic of China), Xin'an County, Guangdong Province was renamed Bao'an County, and its current location is still in Nantou. County government relocation (AD 1938-1953) During the Anti-Japanese War, Nantou fell, and the Baoan County government temporarily moved to Dongguan County. In 1953, because Shenzhen was connected to the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway and had a large population and prosperous industry and commerce, Baoan County was moved eastward to Shenzhen Market, 10 kilometers away from Nantou.
Shenzhen was established as a city (1979 AD)
In March 1979, the central government and Guangdong Province decided to change Baoan County to Shenzhen City, under the dual leadership of Guangdong Province and Huiyang Region; 11 In March, the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to change Shenzhen into a provincial-level municipality at the regional level. On August 26, 1980, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approved the establishment of a special economic zone in Shenzhen. Today, this day is also affectionately known as "Shenzhen's birthday". In March 1981, Shenzhen was upgraded to a sub-provincial city.
In November 1988, the State Council approved Shenzhen to be listed separately in the national plan and granted it economic management authority equivalent to the provincial level. In February 1992, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress granted the Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress, its Standing Committee, and the municipal government the power to formulate local laws and regulations. In 2004, Shenzhen became a city without rural areas.