Blog
Notes from the city.
What we learn working here every day — fair weeks, factory floors, getting across the border, and the things that changed since the last time you came.
PLACEHOLDER — nothing below is published writing. Every post is scaffolding for the layout and must be replaced with real articles before launch. See lib/posts.ts.
The Shenzhen International Museum of Art in Guangming
Fifteen halls in two hull-shaped buildings, out in Guangming Science City. It opened in May 2026, it is a long way from where you are staying, and the opening exhibitions have already come down.
The Shenzhen robot street in Longgang
Bantian, in Longgang, has a block where robots make the coffee, run the restaurant and direct the traffic outside. It is a showroom rather than a theme park, and that is the interesting part.
How to pay in China as a foreigner
Three layers, set up before you fly. What actually works at a till in China, what quietly fails, and the invoice rule that decides whether your company reimburses the trip.
Why Hong Kong people spend their money in Shenzhen
Fifty-three million trips north in a single year, for dinner, dentistry and groceries. Here is what drives the traffic, and what is different if you are crossing on a foreign passport.
Why Shenzhen is China's tech capital
Shenzhen sits at the top of the world's innovation cluster rankings, ahead of Tokyo and Silicon Valley. Here is what the public numbers actually say, and what they mean for anyone visiting.
Shenzhen before and after, and where the old city survives
The fishing village was real. It was not the whole story. Bao'an County had about 330,000 people, a walled seat founded in 331 AD and a railway station from 1911. Here is what replaced it, and what survived.
Top 5 high-tech places to visit in Shenzhen
Huaqiangbei, the deck on floor 116, a robotaxi, drone-delivered lunch at Talent Park, and DJI Sky City. Three of the five sit in one corridor, so two days covers it.
PLACEHOLDER — getting around Shenzhen without a Chinese phone
PLACEHOLDER — a post about metro cards, ride-hailing and what actually works for a visitor whose apps do not. Replace with something the guides have tested this month.
PLACEHOLDER — what a fair week in Shenzhen actually costs you
PLACEHOLDER — hotels, taxis and the hours lost between halls during CHTF or CIOE. Replace with figures the business has seen, not figures from a listing site.
PLACEHOLDER — questions to ask on a first factory visit
PLACEHOLDER — what to look at on the floor, and which answers to write down. Replace with what the guides ask when they are in the room.
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