Wang Yuanyuan

HUANG GUOQIANG, vice secretary general of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, said Shenzhen, the melting pot of China, had created a new kind of culture during its three decades of development.

Speaking on CCTV 9’s “Up Close” program telecast yesterday, Huang said Shenzhen had made great progress in all aspects over the past 30 years and had become a “cultural oasis.”

Huang, who has lived in Shenzhen for more than 10 years, was invited to the program hosted by Eyee Hsu as part of its special series titled “30th Anniversary of China’s Opening-up Drive.”

In the episode broadcast yesterday, Huang, along with Helen Xu, director of Shenzhen Helen English Working House Co., and Jiang Daochao, professor and associate dean of School of Languages of Shenzhen University, talked about their own experiences in the city, which grew from a small fishing village into an economic boomtown.

“Shenzhen is a combination and a link of Western and Chinese culture. Residents from all over the world share their different cultures here, which make it different and unique, compared with other cities which have abundant cultural and historical relics,” said Huang.

“When I first visited the city in the early 1980s, the city was like a construction site. The construction of the International Trade Center in 1984, at around one story every three days, helped create a catch phrase for Shenzhen efficiency, Shenzhen Speed, and the slogan ‘efficiency is life’ is still widely used in the country,” he added.

“I think it is wrong for some people to call Shenzhen a ‘cultural desert.’ The government has paid great attention to culture. A great number of cultural events are held here, along with academic and social activities,” Huang said.

Shenzhen has developed its unique culture which is young, energetic and competitive, according to Huang. It is a culture of self-improvement through persistent learning and hard work.

“Shenzhen residents are young and eager to learn. The competitive environment in the city has forced many young people to go to night schools after work to continue their studies and the government has also built a lifelong-learning system to meet their needs,” Huang said.

“Everything in Shenzhen goes fast. People walk fast, drive fast and eat fast. The city is very competitive. Everyone has to work and study hard all the time to keep up, which can be very stressful,” said Xu, another guest.

“The 2011 Universiade is important for the city to become more famous and gain global recognition. We’d like more and more people to know about Shenzhen and to invest in it and enjoy city life,” said Huang, who is also first vice director general of the Executive Office for the 26th Summer Universiade.