Shenzhen is a city full of legends, vitality and creativity.

In 1980, a small frontier town on the South Sea coast in China named Shenzhen was fortunate enough to become China's first special economic zone. This had been advocated by Deng Xiaoping and it was the first mainland city to open up to the outside world.

Since then, the city has made great strides to join the list of modern, metropolitan cities within only 28 years and enjoyed fame as an "Overnight City" home and abroad.

Just 28 years ago, Shenzhen was a tiny fishing village with only one street and a population of 30,000. Today, it is a modern metropolis with more than 10 million residents and a beautiful environment. It was awarded by the UNEP’s affiliate as a city of "Nations in Bloom."

The GDP of Shenzhen 28 years ago was less than 200 million yuan. But the figure soared to 676.54 billion in 2007, an increase of more than 3,000 times. An average annual growth rate of 26.9 percent in 27 years is a miracle in the history of the world's modernization and industrialization. "Shenzhen Speed" has become a catchphrase and is known in every household in China.

Just 28 years ago, Shenzhen was a place known to few on the map of China. But today, it is a city with the most comprehensive competitiveness on the Chinese mainland and the first city to have a per capita GDP of more than US$10,000. More importantly, the city has made full use of its status of being a "window" and "test field" for bold and active research in the fields of democracy, the legal system, environmental protection and sustainable development and offered guidance for other inland cities.

Just 28 years ago, Shenzhen was a small link between the mainland and Hong Kong. Today, the city has already paralleled Hong Kong, a world-famous financial, commercial and logistics hub. The two cities have reached agreement to combine to build themselves into an international metropolis.

Just 28 years ago, Shenzhen was a name rarely heard in international society. Today, it is a modern city. It is open to the outside world. Shenzhen-made products have entered major global markets. More than 60,000 foreigners work and live in Shenzhen. The New York Times published an article exclaiming: "Shenzhen stands for the future of China!"

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Just as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out not long ago: "The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is a flagship in China." Growing at an amazing speed, the city has become a vivid example of China's success in its opening-up process and a window to showcase China's dream and future.

This is a dynamic city, with innovation and creativity as its character.

Being the youngest city in China populated mostly by immigrants, the city has a population with an average age of 30.8 with 98 percent coming from different parts of China as well as foreign countries, resulting in a typical migrant culture that features pursuit of innovation and excellence and tolerance of failures.

The capacity for innovation is strong in Shenzhen. The city is now recognized by the Chinese Government as one of the national comprehensive bases for high-tech industries and one of the national demonstration cities of intellectual property rights (IPR). In 2007, 35,808 patents had been granted to Shenzhen enterprises, among which 19,198 were innovative designs, the highest in China for the second consecutive year.

Shenzhen enjoys a good reputation around the world as a manufacturing center. The city is home to 80 Chinese brand-name products, and tops other mainland cities by creating 30 percent of China's world labels.

Shenzhen enterprises, especially high-tech enterprises, are vibrant and high achievers, owning more than 70,000 home-grown labels. The city is home to international heavyweight high-tech enterprises like Huawei, ZTE, Skyworth and Tencent. China's insurance giant, Ping An Insurance Company of China which is also based in Shenzhen, is now one of Fortune 500 companies.