There is a Shenzhen speed called Longgang

Shenzhen speed is the most brilliant legend since the reform and opening up. It symbolizes "speed". A city can be transformed from a small fishing village in just a few decades.

Longgang Maosheng Shiju, a Hakka walled house built in the Qing Dynasty | Image source @Visual China

Transformed into an international metropolis——

Longgang City Scenery | Photographer @陈硕明

It symbolizes "efficiency", completing the most efficient transformation in the shortest time. In the northeast of Shenzhen, Longgang was once a remote place, but now high-rise buildings are rising one after another.

Shenzhen Galaxy Twin Towers, located in Longgang, is the tallest twin tower in China, with Ping An Financial Building in the distance | Photographer @陈硕明

Longgang used to have a backward economy, but now it has become one of the fastest-growing districts in Shenzhen.

GDP comparison of Shenzhen districts | Map by @Daxiong/Planet Research Institute

However, more than 40 years have passed, is Shenzhen speed still just "fast" and "efficient"?

Longgang gave a new answer.

01The Speed ​​of Mountains and Rivers

Shenzhen used to be very slow. Before the reform and opening up, Shenzhen was just an ordinary coastal area in the southern part of Guangdong Province, covering an area of ​​1,997.47 square kilometers, more than 70% of which was mountainous and hilly.

Please view the Shenzhen topography map in horizontal mode. Before 2017, Pingshan District and Dapeng New District were administratively affiliated to Longgang District, generally known as Greater Longgang District. | Map by Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute

Wutong Mountain , the highest peak in Shenzhen, stands in the central part of the city at an altitude of 944 meters. According to legend, in ancient times a divine dragon took off from here, then landed on the hill, and turned into green smoke and ascended to the sky. This place was then named "Longgang".

Please view Wutong Mountain in horizontal mode | Photographer @柏源

If Longgang is taken as the center, Shenzhen's terrain is like a roc spreading its wings over the bay, as its nickname "Pengcheng" suggests, with the overall terrain being high in the east and low in the west. The southwest region is mostly coastal plains, where large tracts of fertile marine plains have been formed by the erosion of sea waves.

The Shenzhen River slowly flows into the Shenzhen Bay. The buildings in Luohu District are lined up one after another, and on the other side are the fields of Hong Kong | Photographer @潘学郭

The east is a mountainous area. Mountains such as Bijia Mountain, Qiniang Mountain and Paiya Mountain with an average altitude of 800 meters form a mountain wall here, intercepting the South China Sea typhoons and Pacific typhoons from the sea every year, turning storms into rivers and lakes.

The windward slope of Xichong Strait on Dapeng Peninsula at the easternmost end of Shenzhen . The top of the cliff on the east side is the Shenzhen Observatory | Image source @Visual China

All the major rivers in Shenzhen originate from the mountains. In the central part of Shenzhen, two major rivers originating from Wutong Mountain are distributed diagonally: one runs across the southwest coast, marking the boundary between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, namely the Shenzhen River; the other flows through the eastern mountains and forests - the Longgang River, and turns into 43 tributaries that nourish all things.

Before the city was built, life here was as slow as flowing water. This was the earliest "Shenzhen speed" - the speed of mountains and rivers.

Longgang River | Image source @Longgang District Water Affairs Bureau

In 1980, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was established, and the southwestern plain, mainly the Shenzhen River Basin, was designated as a special zone, and the economy developed rapidly, commonly known as "inside the customs". In contrast, the Longgang River Basin was "outside the customs" and developed slowly.

Longgang Qiushuishan Park, located between Longgang and Luohu | Image source @Visual China

However, as the economy of the Special Administrative Region developed rapidly, industrial and urban water consumption also doubled, and Shenzhen and Hong Kong began to experience serious freshwater shortage problems.

At that time, the largest sources of fresh water were distributed "outside the Great Wall". The mountains intercepted a large amount of rainwater, and rivers and lakes of all sizes became natural reservoirs. The overall rainfall decreased from southeast to northwest.

The Tuokeng Reservoir in Xuezhujing Park in the northwest of Longgang has a water area of ​​6.96 hectares. As of now, there are 40 reservoirs in Longgang District | Photographer @陈硕明

Longgang River is the river with the largest catchment area in Shenzhen. It is 39.3 kilometers long and flows northward into Xizhi River, becoming part of Dongjiang River, the largest river in Huizhou.

In 1964, the Guangdong Provincial Government decided to divert water from the Dongjiang River to alleviate Shenzhen's freshwater shortage. The Dongjiang River water was introduced into the Special Economic Zone through 6 dams, 8 pumping stations, 2 regulating reservoirs and 16 kilometers of artificial channels. Many lakes in Longgang were gradually converted into reservoirs to store water, and the Eastern Water Supply Project was developed to divert fresh water to the water-deficient areas in the southwest.

Shenzhen water supply project route diagram | Map by @Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute

The Sichuan water flows slowly through the mountains and enters the "forest". For a long time, people's attention has been focused on the glory of the Special Economic Zone, while Longgang has silently supported the operation of the city with water supply.

The speed of the mountains and rivers is like the dormant Longgang, but little did people know that in history, a glorious legend was born here.

02Speed ​​of climbing mountains

Shenzhen was not built in a day. Most people are familiar with Shenzhen’s sudden rise after the reform and opening up, but few people know that in ancient times, Shenzhen also experienced countless ups and downs, the most typical one being in the Qing Dynasty.

Hakka walled house "Hehu New Residence", built by Hakka people in the Qing Dynasty | Photographer @邓飞

During the Qianlong period, a Hakka named Luo Ruifeng moved from Meizhou to Longgang.

One hundred years before he arrived, Shenzhen was still called Xin'an County . In 1661, the Qing court implemented a 20-year-long policy of "relocation of borders and ban on sea travel" to prevent the forces of anti-Qing and restoration of Ming. The original residents were driven away, and Xin'an County became a deserted wasteland.

Dapeng Fortress, in the Ming Dynasty, Xin'an County was established with the intention of "reforming the old and establishing the new, and getting rid of danger for safety", and it was a place for coastal defense | Image source @图虫创意

After the sea ban policy was lifted, the Guangdong local government began to recruit and encourage farming. It was in this context that Luo Ruifeng came to Longgang.

Due to rampant piracy along the coast of Xin'an County, Hakka immigrants such as Luo Ruifeng mostly settled in Longgang. Wutong Mountain and Meilin Mountain formed a natural mountain wall at the southeast end of Longgang, and inside the mountain wall was a vast hill. Hakka immigrants built huge fortresses here - Hakka walled houses.

Please view the schematic diagram of the Hakka walled house in horizontal mode. This is the new residence of Hehu in Longgang, known as the "First Hakka Walled House", covering an area of ​​22,000 square meters | Map by @Daxiong/Planet Research Institute

The life of the Hakka people revolves around the walled house. Throughout the ages, they have attached great importance to "farming and reading". The outside of the walled house has been reclaimed as fields to grow crops such as rice, while private schools are set up inside for their children and grandchildren to go to school. Major clan festivals such as sacrifices, weddings and funerals are all held in the walled house.

Bantian Yongsheng Hakka Qilin Dance, photographed at Hehu Xinju during the Year of the Tiger Lantern Festival. Today, some Hakka traditional culture has been preserved as an intangible cultural heritage | Photographer @郭保全

However, such a life was very closed, so the Hakka people chose to cross the mountains and forests to explore a bigger world. Luo Ruifeng was one of them. According to the "Luo Family Tree", when Luo Ruifeng first arrived in Longgang, he farmed and did business in the streets, and later expanded his business scope to the entire Xin'an County.

The Hakka people established markets in various places by selling daily necessities such as oil and rice, and set up sugar factories, wineries, oil presses, etc.

The Hakka ancient town of Gankeng in Longgang with connected houses and alleys | Image source @ Visual China

By developing commerce, the Hakka people broke the old tradition of "farming and studying" and, with Longgang as the core, spread across mountains and rivers to the coast. Wherever they went, large areas of Hakka dialect gradually formed.

Before the wave of modernization hit, people climbed over mountains and crossed rivers to measure the land with their feet. This was the ancient "Shenzhen speed" - the speed of climbing mountains. The pioneering Hakka people injected vitality into this wilderness with their own footsteps.

Shenzhen dialect distribution map | Map by Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute

With the footsteps of the Hakka people, this long-silent city gradually awakened. According to historical records, in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the population of Xin'an County had increased to 230,000 in 150 years, and the number of villages had increased to 865. The once desolate scene is no longer there, with enclosures, shops, and markets scattered in the mountain forests, and the salt industry and fishery in the coastal areas have also returned to their prosperity before the ban on sea trade.

Thus, the wasteland became a town.

Please watch the panoramic view of Shenzhen Bay in horizontal mode . During the Jiaqing period, Xin'an County was located on the east bank of the Pearl River Estuary, and Nantou, the county seat, became the gateway to the Pearl River. All ships going to Guangzhou had to take the west coast channel of Xin'an County to reach the Pearl River. | Photographer @黄晓楠

A foreign land becomes my homeland——

The Spring Flower Festival held in Gankeng Hakka Town | Image source @Visual China

More immigrants from all over the world immediately entered Xin'an County. Their footsteps were like sparks, constantly promoting the development of this land. In the future, they will usher in greater changes and completely change the face of this city.

03Speed ​​of Take-off

Entering the 21st century, Shenzhen's economy has developed rapidly and has become one of the most successful experimental fields of reform and opening up. However, the special economic zone is small in area, with a population of 10.3579 million on 396 square kilometers, and the population is highly dense.

Please watch the dense urban cluster in Futian in horizontal mode. The population density in the 1990s was already highly saturated | Image source @Visual China

In 2010, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was expanded and Longgang was officially included in the zone. Thus, Longgang, which had been dormant for a long time, ushered in the moment of rapid development - it became the eastern heart of Shenzhen.

Universiade Hub "Bay Area Dance", the largest transportation hub in eastern Shenzhen | Photographer @潘学郭

As early as the 1990s, Longgang laid the foundation for its industry by attracting investment, especially the electronics and communications equipment manufacturing industry, which has a strong momentum of development. A number of high-quality companies such as Huawei, BYD, Zhongyuan Electronics, and Yuebao Electronics have successively settled in Longgang.

After the integration of the special economic zone, Longgang has embarked on the road of innovation and research and development based on its superior industrial foundation.

Schematic diagram of the changes in Longgang's industrial structure. The secondary industry, which is mainly based on industry, has been the core industry of Longgang for decades | Map by @Daxiong/Planet Research Institute

Huawei was initially just an electronic communication equipment supplier in Longgang. In the late 1990s, it began to develop chip research and development and became the industry leader. It then attracted a large number of related technology companies to gather in Longgang, forming an electronic information industry cluster ranked third in the world.

This is a typical "Shenzhen speed". Although it was unknown outside the Great Wall in the early days, Longgang has now jumped to the top of the list of top 100 industrial areas in the country, and its GDP has grown from 5.218 billion yuan in 1993 to 475.906 billion yuan in 2022.

Longgang Banxuegang Science and Technology City gathers national high-tech enterprises such as Huawei and Kangguan. Longgang has now ranked first in the list of the top 100 industrial districts in China for five consecutive years | Photographer @陈硕明

The economic boom has also brought about a huge change in the city’s appearance. In 2011, the 26th World University Games was held in Shenzhen, with the main venue located in Longgang. A number of international A-level sports venues and urban facilities were built immediately, accelerating Longgang’s modernization.

More than 4,000 athletes from more than 150 countries and regions gathered here, pushing Longgang to another starting point of development - Shenzhen International Cultural and Sports Activities Exchange Center.

Please slide to view Longgang Universiade Center | Photographer @林宇先&胡潇

The opportunity brought by the Universiade has made Longgang a window to the world. International events such as the NBA preseason, the International Champions Cup, the Women's World Ice Hockey Championship, and major leagues such as the Chinese Super League and League of Legends are held here. The national track and field team and the chess team also use Longgang as a training base.

Please slide to view Longgang sports events | Image source @Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star Hockey Club & Visual China & Shenzhen Football Club & Longgang District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau

The Universiade also brought Metro Line 3 to Longgang, accelerating the overall development of Longgang's transportation. Internally, Longgang connects various districts in Shenzhen; externally, the Xiamen-Shenzhen High-Speed ​​Railway, Shenzhen-Shantou Railway, and Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway pass through the area, and the "Bay Area" international train goes from Longgang to the world.

Schematic diagram of the main transportation in Longgang District. Now, Metro Lines 3, 5, 10, 14, and 16 are open for operation | Map by @Chen Jingyi/Planet Research Institute

With the changes of the times, Shenzhen Speed ​​has a new connotation: no longer blindly pursuing "time" and "efficiency", but cherishing "life" and "quality" more. At this time, Longgang is "full of books" -

The Universiade Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Science and Education City brings together Shenzhen’s important international higher education resources: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen University of Science and Technology of China and Moscow State University, etc. It has attracted 15 full-time academicians and 3 laboratories of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, making it one of the regions with the most international cooperative education in the country.

Please slide to view Shenzhen University of Science and Technology of China and Moscow State University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology | Image source @Visual China & Ye Zhiwei

In addition, Longgang is literary and vibrant, with diverse cultural and entertainment activities, including oil painting, stage plays, comedy, live singing, and various sports events, all taking place in Longgang.

Dafen Art Museum, in the 1990s, Dafen started a rare oil painting processing and export industry in China, and has become one of the largest commercial oil painting production and trading bases in China. | Photographer @李琼

Thus, Longgang has created a new Shenzhen speed, which alternates between fast and slow and switches freely. High-rise buildings and green natural environment are intertwined, allowing people to switch freely between busy urban life and quiet leisure life.

Longtan Park, now there are 271 parks in Longgang, 564 kilometers of greenways, and you can see greenery when you open the window and stroll into the park every day | Image source @Visual China

This is a brand new Longgang speed , which is sometimes fast and sometimes slow, allowing people to travel thousands of miles a day or stroll leisurely.

Longyuan Park | Photographer @Wang Jin

Because Longgang was once as quiet as a river, and has seen the mountainous and forested background before the city was built, it knows how to build up momentum and move forward rather than just rushing forward at high speed.

Shenzhen International Low Carbon City, located in the northwest of Longgang | Image source @Visual China

Because Longgang once overcame the obstacles of high mountains and experienced ups and downs before the development of the special zone, it pays more attention to steady progress and pursues efficiency but never forgets its roots.

Longyuan Park , the illuminated ancient bridge overlooks the high-rise buildings in the distance, and the Longgang River flows by | Photographer @李玉龙

Such a Longgang has taken a fast and slow pace. Now, more than 40 years have passed since the legendary "Shenzhen Speed", and a new speed has quietly emerged, which can both fly over mountains and seas and lie down safely.

Please view the panoramic view of Longgang city in horizontal screen | Photographer @李玉龙

- This article was created by the team -

Written by | Xia Ya

Photo | Long Shijie

Map | Chen Jingyi

Design | Daxiong

Proofreading | Qingliu & Li Eryan & Gao Liqian

【References】You can scroll up and down to view

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