Today, Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
It has its own stock market...
One of the largest and most important ports in Asia...
And the first ever Foxconn plant opened there.
It wasn't always this way...
The 'dusty town of Shenzhen.' Has any urban area on earth ever grown so rapidly and changed so dramatically in such a short time as Shenzhen.
The tour assembled at Hung Hom station which was then the southern terminal of the Kowloon Canton Railway, British section. We traveled to Lo Wu station passed through Hong Kong immigration then proceeded to the bridge on foot.
"In Shenzhen just north of the Lo Wu Bridge. Shadows suggest that i was facing south the first thing I noted china drives on the right."
Railway crossing. Not a motor vehicle in sight.
"Restaurant near reservoir. Notes state that the tour group had a good multi course Chinese meal."
This area was the closest thing I saw to a main square in Shenzhen.
"This photo was taken near the busiest part of town."
Transportation was by foot and bicycle. Because of this this part of town was remarkably quiet. The loudest sounds were those made by bicycle bells.
Clothes and luggage suggest that the two men in the foreground are from Hong Kong.
A shop. I quickly gave up the idea of buying anything when I realized that there was nothing suitable to buy — no postcards, and I did not understand the currency. Buying a soda provided a lesson in Renminbi. I resolved to re-exchange it.
Painting of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, Shenzhen 1980.
'Look at all those foreigners!' The kids did talk with each other but they did not make much effort to attract attention from us visitors.
The lesson. The man in the portrait to the right of ???, Máo Zédong, is ???, Huà Guófeng, Máo's designated successor. He was known as ???????, Yingmíng lingxiù Huá Zhuxí, Wise leader Chairman Hua.
Yes that is me at far right. I posed for this photo to show my coworkers proving that the proud banner of Kit Carson School, Lawndale, California a Los Angeles suburb had been displayed in the People's Republic.
Imagine what a story each of these kids might tell today about the amazing transformation of their city.
Outside of Shenzhen Town, 1980.
The Shenzhen special economic zone had not been approved but it was in the works this was one of the very few construction sites that I saw.
Three years later, Demery returned to Shenzhen, after it had been designated special economic zone. "Note high rise towers under construction in the background Shenzhen was not the same place I had visited three years before."
I am no automobile expert but some of the vehicles in this photograph have a distinctly American look.
It appears that much had changed in Shenzhen during just three years it would have been very interesting to walk around once again camera in hand.
Private sector passenger transport if i remember correctly one could hire an automobile and driver for transportation to guangzhou and certainly other destinations in southern Guangdong Province.
