Shenzhen's largest esports hub launches in Longhua

A 250,000-square-meter-industrial park — the first dedicated esports and cultural creative industries park in Shenzhen — recently opened in Dalang Fashion Town, Longhua District.

An aerial view of the Guanlan area in Longhua District. File photos

The park will host the finals of the 2nd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Youth Esports League, which kicked off in the district recently.

The launch ceremony of the Second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Youth Esports League.

Spanning over 23,800 square meters of industrial space, the facility will support esports competitions, livestreaming, and talent development. Its cultural and creative arm will focus on the design, production, and global distribution of IP products tied to esports teams and events.

The operator of the industrial park has introduced a range of preferential policies to attract more esports enterprises. Key incentives include:

● A rent-free period of up to 12 months to ease the financial pressure on businesses during their early stages.

● Free use of event venues and support facilities within the park for organizers of national or international esports events.

● An innovative rental model for large-scale headquarters (over 3,000 square meters), featuring a discounted base rent combined with a revenue-sharing mechanism.

● Assistance in connecting enterprises with low-interest loans and startup funds to address financing challenges

So far, the park has reached cooperation agreements with Tencent Games, China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE), and Renren Sports.

A scene of Shenzhen's first esports industrial park in Dalang Fashion Town, Longhua District.

Longhua has beefed up its support for the development of the esports sector and its related industrial chain by attracting more enterprises that specialize in software and hardware R&D, event planning, and IP design for video and mobile games. There has also been a steady increase in the number of esports hotels and arenas in the district.

To date, it has hosted several renowned esports events, including the 7th Honor of Kings National Championship, the Honor of Kings International Championship (KIC), and the QQ Speed Annual Grand Finals.

Looking ahead, Longhua aims to increase the number of high-level esports clubs through talent introduction and incubation. It will also continue supporting enterprises, event organizers, and clubs in building more professional esports arenas.

Efforts will also be made to strengthen the production and dissemination of esports content, driving the growth of related industries such as livestreaming, talent management, media, training, and equipment.

The district will support the hosting of international and national top-tier esports tournaments, foster the development of distinctive homegrown event brands, and establish an IP-driven tournament system. Enterprises and institutions are encouraged to organize esports exhibitions, forums, and fairs.

Moreover, esports elements will be integrated into public spaces to create new scenarios that blend competitions, entertainment, shopping, leisure tourism, and food and beverage experiences.