Shenzhen

Shenzhen transformed from a fishing village to a metropolis of 17+ million people in four decades, serving as China's first Special Economic Zone (1980). This unprecedented growth demonstrates how policy experimentation in designated zones can catalyze national transformation. Shenzhen is now China's technology and innovation hub, home to Huawei, Tencent, BYD, and thousands of hardware startups.

The 'Shenzhen speed' of development became shorthand for rapid execution. The city's electronics manufacturing ecosystem - with supply chains enabling prototype-to-production in days - created a unique innovation environment that attracted global entrepreneurs and reshaped hardware development worldwide.