A group of expats who went on a field trip to Minzhi International Block in Longhua District on Saturday found the trip fun and rewarding, giving them firsthand observation and better understanding of the city.

Invited by Hongshan International Service Center at Minzhi Subdistrict in Longhua, the expats living and working in the district gathered at the center Saturday afternoon before setting foot on two of the district’s landmark sites, namely the Longhua Urban Hall and the Talent Greenway. Organizers asked the participants to split into groups for the contest at the end of the trip, adding more fun and excitement.

Expats pose for a photo at the Longhua Urban Hall during a tour to the Minzhi International Block in Longhua District. Courtesy of the organizer

At the Longhua Urban Hall, visitors marveled at the tech-enabled exhibition hall, which used creative ways to tell Longhua’s past and present development stories. While strolling through the hall, visitors used interactive screens to gather information and immerse themselves in the district’s smart city scenarios through a 3D movie, drones, robots and other high-tech devices made by Longhua companies. They also had fun playing with a so-called Metaverse parallel box, which allows users to create hyper realistic and life-size parallel image of themselves in the box.

“It’s not only all high-tech, but also built so fast, no wonder people say ‘Shenzhen Speed,’” said one of the participants, Teodora Pesic, an art teacher from Serbia who also runs a food and beverage company with a few partners in Shenzhen.

Pesic knows many Chinese catchphrases about Shenzhen like “深圳速度” (Shenzhen Speed) and “来了就是深圳人” (You’re a Shenzhener once you come to Shenzhen). She lauded the district government for having an international service center. “I really think it’s great to have this kind of center for foreigners who are interested in developing themselves so they can take more opportunities,” she said.

Sadulaeva Feruza from Uzbekistan said she was greatly impressed by the Longhua Urban Hall and thought such a visit was an eye-opener for her 9-year-old son David, who accompanied her.

“I want to thank the organizers for holding such a great activity. It allowed expats living in Minzhi to learn more about the international block, feel the city’s charms and enhance their sense of belonging to Minzhi International Block,” she added. “This helps us know more about China and its culture. We had a lot of fun.”

Expats pose for a photo at the doorstep of Hongshan International Center in Longhua District during the tour.

Minzhi International Block was one of the two designated international blocks in Longhua when Shenzhen unveiled its first batch of 20 international blocks in 2019. Shenzhen was the country’s first to release measures about building international blocks across the city in a bid to make the city more international.

On Sept. 28, the city announced that it aimed to have 38 international blocks by 2035. Longhua District, which was established in January 2017, is tasked to build two more international blocks by then. The district, which saw its gross domestic product grow by 10.2% to 282.85 billion yuan (US$41 billion) last year, ranks fifth among all the city’s districts in terms of economic prowess. It’s home to 752 digital companies.