Shenzhen

Shenzhen shĕnˈjŭnˈ [key], city (1994 est. pop. 695,600) and port, S Guangdong prov., China, on the South China Sea, N of Hong Kong. Designated a special economic zone in 1979 when it was undeveloped farming and fishing area with a small population, the city's spectacular economic and physical growth led China to create over a dozen more similar areas. Benefiting from its strategic position next to Hong Kong, Shenzhen has the largest per capita income of any city in China, and is home to one of China's two stock exchanges. Its growth also has led to a forest of skyscrapers and highrises, dominated by the 1,965-ft-high (599-m) Ping An Finance Center. The city's manufactures include electronic and computer equipment, appliances, chemicals, processed foods, textiles, construction materials, and pharmaceuticals. Ports at Yantian, in E Shenzhen, and at Shekou and Chiwan, in W Shenzhen, serve the special economic zone. A major airport is located there and a superhighway connecting Shenzhen with Guangzhou was completed in 1994.

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