I have been thinking recently about where I would like to live if I decide to go teach in China next fall and, although I love Shanghai, the city of Shenzhen is looking pretty likely right now.
It is a big city, with a booming economy and a population of somewhere around 10 million people. The crazy part is how the city has exploded from a small fishing village in only the past 30 years. It started out as one of China's "special economic zones," an experimental province with more liberal business/trade regulations, meant to increase foreign investment. Now it is the economic center for southern China, has several universities, and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The population is split between intellectuals (the most PhD's of any city in China) and migrant workers from rural China. Also, the average age is 28, which is pretty cool.
I found a relevant article that discusses how different Chinese people view the city: the migrant workers, the business people, the young students... The article brings up an interesting point about the "culture" of Shenzhen. Relative to the rest of China, this city is still an infant that is growing at an unbelievable rate. Thus it is much less rooted in Chinese tradition and history. While some take a critical stance on this divergence, calling it a lack of culture, many young Chinese people find it liberating.
I have a friend who is living there now and she highly recommends this program. Something to think about...
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