The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen is known for many "firsts" in the country's economic history: the first land auctioned, the first stock issued and the first export industrial zone set up after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
The trailblazing spirit has made the city a window for China observers from the very first day it was designated as the first special economic zone (SEZ) in 1980, paving the way for China's growth through reform and opening up.