My story with Shenzhen - where the journey starts

If you ask most of the people around you, 2020 without question has been an extraordinary year, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing almost everyone on the planet to change somehow in their workplace, at home, at school and on the road. But another buzzword for 2020 recently is no doubt "Shenzhen", as this year marks the 40-year anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. For a human being, the 40th birthday is especially worthy of celebration, as it is the threshold for the stage (period) of life wherein one is already wise enough to have no more doubts about the world, as Confucius famously asserted. It got me nostalgic, as I have led a life in the twin cities - Shenzhen and Hong Kong - for a decade now. Deep down in my mind, I always have a soft spot for Shenzhen, where my dream sprouted and carried me to where I am now.

Eleven years ago, I set my feet on the land of Shenzhen for the first time. I came to the southern coastal city for one thing - the International English Language Testing System exam, a ticket for me to go abroad for my postgraduate program. I was young and hankering for hands-on experience on exotic land.

The world-renowned innovation and technology powerhouse was not quite what it looks like now.

It had only one subway line at that time, which had 15 stops. And there was no Shenzhen North high-speech rail station and Futian rail station, but only the Hexiehao bullet train connecting Guangzhou and Shenzhen via its famous Luohu station. In 15 years, the Shenzhen metro, which started operation in 2004, spiraled into a network of 383 kilometers in 10 subway lines, stretching over seven districts of the city, carrying an average of over 5.5 million passengers on a daily basis. In December 2011, the Shenzhen North high-speed rail station was put into service, docking the city to almost every corner of the nation eventually through a broader high-speed rail network. In 2018, Hong Kong became part of the picture in the network, with the high-speed rail link connecting Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

But Shenzhen will not slow down its pace. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, spanning across the Pearl River Delta, will link the west bank of the estuary and the east bank, weaving a tighter travel web inside the 11-city cluster that comprises the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Those who claimed themselves as Shenzhen people would definitely come across a welcoming remark at the subway on their way to work or from work: Shenzhen is your home if you come. It's tempting and warm. The offer came with bona fides to many flocking to the city. Most of them got what they came for: a home, a career, a dream, a family and a future. Sadly, some left for unspecified reasons.

And I was able to study in Hong Kong, with the ticket to my master's degree. From there, I have traveled back and forth between Shenzhen and Hong Kong since 2010 and eventually settled down in Shenzhen and traveled to Hong Kong to work every day before the pandemic struck in January.

The Shenzhen I live in today is totally different, with its ever-changing skyline dotted by its highest landmark skyscraper, which has changed hands already since I arrived. New subway stations are springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. People come and go. New brands took hold in the city now and then.

What's never changed for the past 10 years is Shenzhen's ever-changing features, exemplifying the saying: Change is the only constant in life.

But, from another point of view, it is the same city I used to know - a city of vitality that pumps up hopes for newcomers. That's maybe why it has an appeal to the young, eager faces around the world.

That's maybe what Hong Kong should look up to: stay hungry and stay inclusive. Same for the young generation in Hong Kong.