Overseas Chinese Town

Overseas Chinese Town (华侨城; Huáqiáochéng) is a name you’ll come across again and again in Shenzhen.

But what is it? OCT is a wealthy, leafy area of Nanshan encompassing the city’s theme parks, swanky housing developments and industry.

In the 1980s, the area – then a series of farms – was developed by the Overseas Chinese Commission, which was put in place to harness the wealth and technical know-how of Chinese communities living overseas into helping in China’s development. Industrial sites were established, along with themed tourist attractions and housing estates.

OCT Group, a state-owned company established in 1985, now operates theme parks all over Shenzhen and other cities in

China. OCT Group is also the largest shareholder of electronics company Konka, Shenzhen’s first Sino-foreign joint venture (then known as Guangming Overseas Chinese Electronics Factory), whose former factory buildings now house OCT

Loft.