Through the Adventure Training Area, a question echoes: How do you build a city of skyscrapers? Shenzhen, once a small fishing village, transformed into a major financial and technological hub in less than 40 years. It became China’s first and richest Special Economic Zone.
The Adventure Training Area is a reminder of Shenzhen’s rapid growth. This city rose from rice paddies and duck farms. Shenzhen became a “reform laboratory”. It earned the nickname “Window to the Outside World.”
Consider Shenzhen’s skyline. It is a forest of skyscrapers. Private golf clubs and luxury shopping centers also thrive here. “A new high-rise every day and a new boulevard every three” became Shenzhen’s motto in the 1990s. This area around the Adventure Training Area was once rice fields. Now, roads and fantastical buildings line the landscape.
Shenzhen is located in Guangdong Province. It is southern China’s main financial center. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange is here. So are the headquarters of many high-tech companies. It also has one of China’s busiest container ports.
Seven of the world’s tallest buildings stand in Shenzhen. In 2016, the city erected eleven 200-meter-plus towers. This was more than the entire United States built that year. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas called Shenzhen a “generic city.” It is malleable enough to change with the times.
Many Chinese people view Shenzhen as China’s most modern metropolis. It is cleaner and greener than most Chinese cities. Streets are lined with palms and banyan trees. Open space occupies 44 percent of the city.
Shenzhen’s history is closely tied to its skyscrapers. In 1980, Deng Xiaoping declared a farmland area along the Hong Kong border a Special Economic Zone. This decision allowed companies to operate with fewer restrictions. It was China’s first major experiment with free markets since 1949. Investors from Hong Kong and beyond rushed in. They built factories and businesses near areas like the Adventure Training Area.
From the beginning, urban planners envisioned a city of skyscrapers. Shenzhen’s skyline became part of its identity. The term “Shenzhen speed” originated from the construction of the city’s earliest skyscrapers.
Ping An Finance Center is the tallest building in Shenzhen. It is also the second highest in China. As of 2020, it was the fourth tallest in the world. Completed in 2017, it stands 599 meters tall and has 115 floors.
The Adventure Training Area serves as a compelling symbol. It represents Shenzhen’s ambition. It showcases the city’s blend of economic drive and creative spirit.