Exhibition documents SZSEZ's 45-year achievements

A photo exhibition marking the 45th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is on display at Shenzhen Civic Center. Featuring roughly 150 photographs taken over the past 45 years, it documents the city' s development across many sectors and tells the stories behind its achievements. The exhibition runs through Sept. 7.

A historical picture shows foreign tourists visit Shenzhen. China permitted foreign group tourists in Hong Kong to visit Shenzhen Special Economic Zone through designated travel agencies for a 72-hour visa-free sightseeing since Dec. 1, 1994. Photos by Lin Songtao

Attendees recite poems at the first Shenzhen Reading Month on Nov. 1, 2000.

The opening ceremony of the first China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair on Nov. 18, 2024.

Passengers pose for a group photo at the railway carriage of G5736 train on 6:44 a.m., Sept. 23, 2018. It was the first high-speed train to leave from Shenzhen North Railway Station to West Kowloon Railway Station in Hong Kong. The journey took 19 minutes.

Chinese internet giant Tencent receives its first license to test intelligent connected vehicles on designated roads on May 14, 2018, marking a step toward application level for its automotive driving technology research. The license was issued by the Shenzhen government and it was also the city's first and only license of its kind.

A dynamic drone formation leaps through the sky at Shenzhen Talent Park in 2024 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Artists give performances at the 2019 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival. The Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival is a national event held in Shenzhen, which aims to create a broad platform for convergence, integration, exchange and interaction, and to showcase the musical art of countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2nd R) pays a visit to Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. (SSMR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens Healthineers, on May 25, 2018.

Citizens take an autonomous sightseeing bus at Qianhai Park. Shenzhen started allowing fully autonomous vehicles to run on certain roads as a local regulation on intelligent connected vehicles went into effect on Aug. 1, 2022.

An aerial view of Qianhai Bay 2015 (above) and the views of developed Qianhai Bay in 2025.