New expat cultural exchange hub opens in Nanshan

Expats in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen now have a dedicated Cultural Exchange hub to help them adjust to living in the Chinese city.

The opening of a valuable new resource aimed at expatriates living and working in Shenzhen took place last Saturday as a celebration in its own right. The new Nanshan Cultural Exchange and Service Centre – to be known forthwith as just ‘The Centre’ – is intended to help expatriates to adjust to their new lives and get to know the city, its residents and its culture. Invited to the celebration event and the centre’s Grand Opening Ceremony were representatives of the city’s growing expat community along with foreign companies’ senior managers, representatives of foreign students and English teachers and a selection of high-level expat talents.

The celebration began at the headquarters of the Nanshan District Government, visited the TenCent tech company’s headquarters for a tour of its latest amazing products and went on to explore the city’s recently-opened Talent Park. The next stop was the very first expat service centre, based in Shekou, opened since 2017 and now celebrating its second anniversary. Nanshan holds the largest expat community in Shenzhen city, with its district government putting a great deal of effort into making its international community feel welcome and at home. Some 28,000 expats from 155 diverse countries live in Nanshan and comprise 44 per cent of Shenzhen city’s expatriate population.

The Centre itself is found in Zhaoshang sub-district’s Imperial Park area, along with a resident foreign population of around 6,000 from 45 world countries. The opening ceremony was packed with high-profile guests in the traditional Chinese manner, all of whom are looking forward to the facility’s success as a centre for both innovation and friendship between Chinese and foreigners. Nanshan is well on the way to being a model international hub for technology and industry, with all involved in the Centre hoping it will create a shining multinational family and help make the district a world-class innovative coastal centre for internationalisation.