In a series of articles, we're taking a look at how four key ares of Shenzhen have changed since the city became a Special Economic Zone, transforming into a megacity in less than 30 years. This section takes a look at Shekou.
Oil companies and China Merchants Holdings shaped much of Shekou’s present identity. People from other nations working in the petroleum industry started turning up in the 1980s, though Chinese fishermen had lived there long before their arrival. The new residents worked for Texaco, BP or other companies with offshore rigs in the South China Sea. These oilmen and their families started Shekou International School, the Shekou Hash House Harriers and the area's first expat members club and bar, the Snake Pit.
Back then (and even now), China Merchants owned much of the land, as well as the port. They capitalized on Shekou’s status as a special industrial zone by bringing in and investing in many foreign businesses to appeal to the already-growing international population.
Shekou is one of the oldest expat communities in all of China. Through the 90s, it eventually developed into a haven where citizens of other countries could find their national food, fresh ocean breezes, wide roads and a booming bar street – it was more of an oil town oasis than ‘real’ China. A good 20 kilometers of highway separated it from Shenzhen, while Hong Kong and Macau were just a quick ferry ride away. Though liminal and separate, Shekou flourished and expanded.
Photo courtesy of The Nanhai Hotel
Part of that expansion came from land reclamation. This enlarged the physical area of Shekou and left the Minghua ship landlocked. In 1992, Deng Xiaoping looked out from its deck and christened the area “Sea World.” It was there on the Minghau that he also gave the famous “To get rich is glorious” speech. Today, that deck houses Lowenburg, and people eat pork knuckle and drink beer in the spot where the former paramount leader stood.
More restaurants and bars opened around the vessel, making it the center of a food and entertainment scene. However, the flood of 2007 destroyed much of the commercial development and greatly hurt many small business owners who did not have insurance. Over the following seven years, China Merchants would spend RMB60 billion on its reconstruction, though the area still continued to thrive and develop despite the flood losses.
Photo courtesy of Rose Symotiuk
After the orange line of the MTR connected Shekou with the rest of Shenzhen for the Universiade in 2010, many Shenzhen-based foreigners started to come in more frequently for specialty food stores, international medical care, fine dining, and even yoga classes and church services given in English. Now, many run along the bay without even realizing that not so long ago the ground beneath their feet was ocean.
With its grand reopening in 2014, Shekou continues to draw foreigners as well as many Chinese to its shores. Quality of living keeps improving in terms of medical, gastronomic and residential options – the ritziest of complexes is just begging for a Real Housewives of Shenzhen series.
Fishermen still cast their nets in Shekou’s waters, and old three-wheelers zip down the street alongside Mercedes and Land Rovers. Rich and poor, Chinese and expat, co-exist here, just as they did in the oil boom days.
Land Reclamation
Graphic courtesy of Mary Ann O'Donnell
Shenzhen has reclaimed 69 square kilometers of coastline, with 25 square meters being on the Shekou peninsula alone. Between 1983 and 2004, this process lead to drastic changes in the Shenzhen coastline. Land reclamation might have significant environmental consequences, especially on groundwater systems, but the full effects are unknown yet, and Shekou remains a case study in this field.
The Shenzhen Flood
In the early morning hours of June 10, 2007, a flash flood immersed the square in Sea World. Flood water swirled with sand and soil from Nanshan Mountain, and the rainstorm soon turned the bar street into a 3-meter-deep swamp. Rescuers had to use rafts when they got to the site. Divers broke venue windows searching for customers trapped inside. Over 20 establishments were flooded, and the economic losses totaled more than RMB20 million. All the shops were closed when the rains came, and people on the streets and in bars were able to escape. The cause was attributed to poor planning, especially of the water pump system and lack of diesel generators.
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