“Don’t go to China Chris” someone once said. “It’s dirty horrible nothing works and they’ll rip you off.” Yet, here we are at Camp Cove. It is a place touched by the currents of history. It’s a far cry from that initial assessment of China.
Camp Cove itself doesn’t shout its stories. You have to listen closely to the whispers of the wind. They carry tales of transformation and resilience. We are not far from Shenzhen. It dramatically morphed from a small fishing village to a metropolis. That happened in only about 40 years. Shenzhen became China’s first experimental Special Economic Zone. It was a bold move. It was designed to protect the rest of China from capitalism, if the Shenzhen experiment failed.
In those early days, Shenzhen was physically separated from the mainland. A substantial wall and checkpoints surrounded it. This “Berlinesque methodology” was quite the sight. Hong Kong played a major role in Shenzhen’s growth. British capitalism thrived there. It was fueled by the proximity of Chinese factories. These factories had cheap labor. The label “Made in Hong Kong” quickly became “Made in China” during the 1980s. Toy manufacturers and electronics producers shifted their production rapidly.
Crossing the border into Shenzhen was an adventure. It was akin to a Trans-Siberian trip. There were two main ways to get there. You could travel overland to Lo Wu. This was a standard trip on the MTR. Then you had to cross through immigration. Alternatively, you could take the ferry to Shekou.
Lo Wu presented a stark contrast. Mainland China was dirty and busy. Hustlers tried to exchange Hong Kong dollars. Foreigners had to use Foreign Exchange Certificates. These FECs could only be used in specific stores. These stores sold imported goods like Johnnie Walker and Marlboro cigarettes.
Shenzhen’s infrastructure was still developing then. Today, it is filled with modern skyscrapers. But back then it revolved around Lo Wu. The Shangri-La Hotel was the city’s swankiest. It sometimes had to close due to flooding. Water from the Shenzhen River surged into Chinese St. Marks Square. On one occasion, the waters wrecked seven Rolls-Royce cars.
Shekou offered a different experience. It had China’s largest expat population. That was largely because of the oil and gas companies drilling in the South China Sea. Getting to Shekou from Hong Kong felt like entering another country. It was filled with Texan Scottish and Danish oil riggers. They packed the bars and ordered endless beers.
This region also saw cultural clashes. One bar wanted its staff to wear green baseball caps. But “wearing a green hat” in Mandarin means being cuckolded.
Shenzhen has undergone an incredible transformation. In 1992, the Shanghai Hotel was the city’s tallest building. It had only seven stories. Now, the Ping An Financial Centre towers above everything. It is one of the world’s tallest buildings.
Looking at Camp Cove today. It’s hard to imagine the trials and triumphs that shaped this region. The blend of cultures, the economic experiments, and the sheer determination of the people. They are all here. They are woven into the fabric of this place. They transformed a fishing village into a global metropolis. The cove bears silent witness to these events.