THE city’s first Global Communication Ambassador · Shenzhen Story Club was inaugurated in Longhua District yesterday.

The inauguration ceremony was held during the Chinese New Year Global Festival held in the district’s Baishilong Music Park. The launch of the Shenzhen Story Club initiative represents a significant stride towards improving the city’s global communication capabilities.

Expats and locals hold a handwritten Chinese calligraphy banner that reads “May Chinese-foreign friendly ties prosper in the Year of the Dragon” during the Chinese New Year Global Festival held at Baishilong Music Park in Longhua District yesterday. Photos by Wang Haolan

The Shenzhen Story Club, jointly set up by the EyeShenzhen multilanguage website and Longhua District at the Longhua International Cooperation Center (LICC), will be the city’s largest district-level international cooperation and exchange center. The space will foster the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and opinions among local and expat residents. At its core, this initiative aims to cultivate richer storytelling that will aid in the global promotion and elevation of Shenzhen’s profile.

The festival also celebrated the addition of five expats residing in Longhua into the Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador lineup. They hail from the U.S., the U.K., the Republic of Moldova, Pakistan, and Georgia, and include an international school principal, an actress, an event organizer, and a university student.

The five new Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassadors (2nd L to 2nd R) receive their appointment certificates at the inauguration ceremony of Shenzhen Story Club in Longhua District yesterday.

“I think anything that helps people from one country get to know another country is absolutely wonderful,” said Marion Muetzelfeldt from the U.K., principal of Merchiston International School (MIS) in Longhua. Muetzelfeldt expressed her enthusiasm about becoming a Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador, adding that “Shenzhen is a vibrant city with remarkable and unique stories. You should encourage more people to visit Shenzhen.”

Muetzelfeldt emphasized that both she and the students at MIS are committed to sharing the stories of Shenzhen with the world. They plan to do so by attending universities worldwide after graduation.

Gabriela Cojocaru of Moldova, a Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador, talks to local media at the inauguration ceremony. 

Yang Hanson Xiaohan from the U.S. is an active organizer of expat-related events and has been serving as a consultant for LICC. “I have been serving as an active participant in the cause of the city’s internationalization over the past three years, through organizing hundreds of international community events and operating a WeChat account publishing information on Shenzhen’s local higher education resources,” Yang said. “It is an honor for me to become a Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador. I hope in the future I can leverage my strength to tell Shenzhen and Longhua stories well to the world.”

A view of the inauguration ceremony and the Chinese New Year Global Festival in Longhua yesterday.

Last May, Moldovan actress Gabriela Cojocaru relocated to Longhua after living in Chongqing in Southwest China for nine years and becoming fluent in the Chongqing dialect. Cojocaru said she was surprised to find three Chongqing-style hotpot eateries near her residence, which helped her adapt to life in Shenzhen.

“I opened a travel agency in Moldova,” Cojocaru explained when asked why she chose to move to Shenzhen. “Shenzhen is a city with great connectivity and accessibility, with many international flights. I hope to contribute more to strengthening the ties between China and Moldova in the future.”

The Shenzhen Global Communication Ambassador Program, initiated by EyeShenzhen and the Shenzhen Daily, was officially launched last June with the goal of building a community of storytellers who excel at highlighting Shenzhen’s uniqueness.

The program invites expat professionals living in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to share their own stories and observations on domestic and international social media platforms. Over 30 individuals have joined the program to date.