SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 28, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the exhibition titled "Metamorphosis: International Photography Exhibition for the 45th Anniversary of the SEZ" was unveiled both online and offline on August 24.
The exhibition is divided into six thematic sections, including "From a Small Backward Border Town to an International Metropolis". It features over 100 photographs spanning from the 1980s and 1990s to the present day, chronicling Shenzhen's 45-year transformative journey.
Statistical data highlights Shenzhen's regional GDP soaring from 270 million yuan in 1980 to 3.68 trillion yuan in 2024. Shenzhen has been a "miracle model" of China's reform and opening-up over the past 45 years. Since 2024, the city has leveraged economic system reforms to drive the development of emerging industries, future industries, and traditional industries while supporting key industries, products, clusters, and enterprises to achieve accelerated and even extraordinary growth.
The growth in data reflects Shenzhen's strong innovative momentum. As the first National Demonstration City of Innovation in China, Shenzhen has nurtured a large number of high-tech enterprises, such as Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, BYD, and DJI, earning it the reputation of the "City of Innovation".
Shenzhen resident Li Wei said that the online event has vividly showcased the tremendous changes brought by reform and opening-up to Shenzhen. He marveled at Shenzhen's charm in building a modern international metropolis with greater global influence. He also added that today's Shenzhen residents should continue to inherit and promote the spirit of reform and opening-up and the SEZ spirit to write a more magnificent chapter for Chinese modernization.
Zhao Qing, chairman of the Shenzhen Photographers Association, said that this event has adopted diverse styles and techniques to portray Shenzhen's happy citizens, rich culture, and harmonious environment from the journalistic and documentary perspective. It also harnessed the power of photography to tell the story of Shenzhen's people -- their unwavering commitment, perseverance, and pioneering spirit.
Source: International Photography Exhibition for the 45th Anniversary of the SEZ
