Shenzhen Marks 45 Years Of Transformation With Photo Exhibition

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ), an international photography exhibition was unveiled both online and offline on Aug 24, capturing the city’s remarkable evolution from a fishing village to a global innovation powerhouse.

Divided into six thematic sections, including "From a Small Backward Border Town to an International Metropolis", the exhibition features over 100 photographs spanning from the 1980s and 1990s to the present day, chronicling Shenzhen’s 45-year transformative journey.

Shenzhen Photographers Association Chairman, Zhao Qing highlighted photography’s role in telling the human stories behind the city’s success — stories of unwavering commitment, perseverance, and pioneering spirit.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen resident Li Wei praised the exhibition for capturing the spirit and progress of Shenzhen, noting it reflects not just economic growth but a thriving, forward-looking urban culture.

Shenzhen has been a “miracle model” of China’s reform and opening-up over the past 45 years, with the city’s regional gross domestic product (GDP) soaring from 270 million Chinese yuan in 1980 to 3.68 trillion Chinese yuan in 2024. (100 Chinese yuan = RM59.17)

Since 2024, the city has leveraged economic system reforms to drive the development of emerging, future, and traditional industries while supporting key industries, products, clusters, and enterprises to achieve accelerated and even extraordinary growth, according to a statement.

As the first National Demonstration City of Innovation in China, Shenzhen has nurtured a large number of high-tech enterprises, such as Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, BYD, and DJI, earning it the reputation of the “City of Innovation”.

-- BERNAMA