Shenzhen stories captivate audiences in Beijing

Video by Lin Jianping

Nearly 200 Chinese and foreign guests and journalists, including over 40 diplomats from 29 countries and representatives from international organizations in China, gathered in Beijing today for a themed promotion event presented by Shenzhen on its remarkable growth over the past 40 years as a miracle in the world development history.

Jointly hosted by the Beijing Service Bureau of Diplomatic Missions and the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, the event consisted of three parts: Dragon Boat Festival cultural experience, a “Shenzhen Stories” themed exhibition and performance of the Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun.”

Some foreign guests pose for a photo while attending Shenzhen’s promotion event in Beijing today. Photos by Lin Jianping

The exhibition featured some 20 famous Shenzhen brands such as Huawei, BYD and UBTECH, aiming to tell “Shenzhen Stories” by creating an immersive atmosphere with Shenzhen elements and integrating the application scenarios of Shenzhen products.

In a speech, Zhang Ling, member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and head of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, said over the past four decades, Shenzhen has transformed from a small remote border town to the core engine city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a global capital of design and a global model city for reading.

Guests enjoy the fashion show.

She shared inspiring stories of three Shenzhen residents — Chang Hongji, a dancer and the leading male performer of dance drama “Wing Chun;” Wang Chuanfu, founder of auto maker BYD, and Yi Qunlin, a 57-year-old construction worker who became famous for playing the piano on the streets during his leisure time. On May 1 this year, the city authorities invited Yi to perform at a concert hall he had participated in building, as a respect to workers like him.

“These dream chasers from all over the country have contributed to the miraculous development of Shenzhen over the past 40 years,” she said. 

She pointed out that “Shenzhen stories”are the embodiment of how dreams can be realized in the city. Shenzhen is a window on China and Shenzhen stories reflect the success of the Chinese path to modernization and the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Shenzhen looks forward to exchanging and learning from other cities and friends around the world, joining hands to answer the call of the Global Civilization Initiative and achieving common values for humanity.

A girl has an immersive experience of Shenzhen at a themed promotion event presented by the city on its remarkable growth over the past 40 years as a miracle in the world development history. 

Marc Hübsch, Luxembourg ambassador to China, said he felt the city’s vitality and unlimited potential at the event. According to him, as the forefront of China’s reform and opening up, Shenzhen epitomizes China’s rapid development. From the progress of Shenzhen, one can experience the city’s spirit of openness and the strong driving force behind China’s economic growth.

He has visited Shenzhen multiple times and believes it is a city where humans coexist harmoniously with nature, a perfect example of integrating modern development with ecological preservation. Shenzhen, though a young city, possesses a rich cultural heritage and has a unique charm that intertwines modernity and tradition, where residents traditionally celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

Models walk the runway at a fashion show of Shenzhen designs prior to the promotion event. 

“The ‘Shenzhen Stories’ exhibition features Shenzhen’s remarkable achievements in modernization, and the historical narrative of the ‘Wing Chun’ drama showcases the connotation and denotation of the Chinese path to modernization from different perspectives,” Li Li, director of the Beijing Service Bureau of Diplomatic Missions, said. “We sincerely hope that this event will enhance foreign diplomats’ understanding of the exploration and exemplary experience of Chinese-style modernization in Shenzhen.”

“I would say that it [Shenzhen] is a place which is constantly changing, which is good because it keeps you interested,” Emmanuel Stantzos, Greek ambassador to China, told Shenzhen Daily during an on-site interview. “I suggest people to visit Shenzhen and to experience this change.

Guests have a small talk.

“I think it’s always good to come to these sorts of activities to learn more about Shenzhen to understand the industries, the growth of this awesome city. And we want to be able to continue our relationship with Shenzhen and to be able to foster future relationships, to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that come out of Shenzhen. Because after all, the digital economy is where the future lies,” Mona Mato, trade commissioner of Pacific Trade Invest China, said.

Later that night, the guests watched the Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun” at the Beijing Poly Theater and gave the thumbs-up to the performance. The drama was produced by the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, and created and performed by Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater (SZODT).

Audience wait for the start of the dance drama "Wing Chun" at the Beijing Poly Theater tonight.

Integrating national intangible cultural heritages with Lingnan folk culture, the dance drama takes two intangible cultural heritages – Wing Chun and gambiered Canton gauze, the only silk fabric hand-dyed using plants – as its main topics, and reveal the spirit of Shenzhen’s boldness and innovativeness.