How I set foot in Shenzhen

Before setting foot in Shenzhen, I had been captivated by this bustling metropolis with my mind brimming with visions of a futuristic utopia I had glimpsed in online documentaries. I was captured by the city of robots, green landscapes, and electronic wonders in Huaqiangbei, where even the notion of flying cars seemed within reach.

My China adventure began through a program between my French alma mater and Shanghai Normal University. After graduation, I secured an internship at the French Chamber of Commerce in South China, which has an office in Shenzhen. It was an opportunity for me to go to Shanghai, but I already knew I wanted to go to Shenzhen.

In January 2019, I arrived in Shenzhen. The onset of COVID-19, however, brought unexpected challenges. Stranded in France, I was separated from my partner in Shenzhen for three years while I worked at the Bank of China’s Paris branch, gaining valuable legal and compliance knowledge that would later fuel my entrepreneurial endeavors.

With my partner, I launched a business in 2023, acting as an intermediary between foreign companies and Chinese factories. In spring 2024, I returned to Shenzhen, ready to turn my dreams into reality.