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Shenzhen Office Space Guide

[Updated Oct 2020] A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Shenzhen as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting office space in the city.

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History & Geography

Located on the beautiful Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province, Shenzhen is one of the most southern of the major Chinese cities. It is bordered by the former British colony of Hong Kong to the south and Huizhou and Dongguan to the north. Shenzhen has changed massively in appearance from when it started life as a small fishing village. While the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, it was in the fourth century CE that the settlement rose to prominence as a major producer of salt. The salt industry resulted in the area becoming extremely politically and economically important. Additionally, its location on the mouth of the Pearl River made it strategically important and a sizable naval base was built in the area. In the 13th century, the Emperor of the Song dynasty died in Shenzhen after fleeing a Mongol army under Kublai Kahn. And it was in the 15th century that the city acquired its name, Shenzhen, literally meaning ‘deep drains’, a reference to the area’s many streams and rivers. In the 16th century, the city’s naval base played a major role in defeating a Portuguese fleet under Fernao Peres d’Andrade. In 1979, due to its proximity to Hong Kong, Shenzhen was chosen to be one of China’s new Special Economic Zones. The fact that the population of the city were Cantonese speakers like those in Hong Kong also helped. These zones were developed in order to test the effectiveness of market capitalism. In the subsequent years, the city grew enormously and was soon one of the largest urban centres in the Pearl River Delta – the largest manufacturing base in the world and the economic powerhouse of China. In the process, the once hilly area has been completely flattened and the city has one of the most prolific construction industries in the world.

Economy

Shenzhen is one of the most economically powerful cities in China. It has a working population of three million and has a GDP per capita of USD 13,581. What is more, the cities economy is in a near-constant state of growth. From 2001 to 2005 Shenzhen’s economy grew by 13.5 percent every year on average. What is more, Shenzhen’s import and export volumes have been the highest in China for almost a decade. The city is one of the largest manufacturing bases in the country and is also known for the number of high rises it has built-in an incredibly short time. The city was once described ‘building one high-rise every three days’ in the 1990s. There are 13 buildings in the city that are over 200 meters tall and Shun Hing Square ranks as the eighth tallest building in the world. Shenzhen has two industrial zones, Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industrial park (SHIP) and Shenzhen Software Park. SHIP hosts the biotechnology, construction, chemical production, electronics assembly and manufacturing, medical equipment and telecommunications industries. Shenzhen Software Park supports the development of the software industry and is to be the base of software production in the city. Many of China’s largest tech firms have their headquarters in Shenzhen, including BYD, Dingoo, G’Five, Hasee, Huawei, JXD, Konka, Netac, Skyworth and Tencent. Recently the city has also become a popular destination for hosting conferences. The Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the largest of its kind in the region and has hosted conferences, entertainment events, conventions, and so forth.

Tourism & Culture

Among the most popular sites in Shenzhen is the Splendid China Folk Village. The park’s theme shows the history, culture, ancient architecture, and customs of various nationalities and places. It is one of the world’s largest scenery parks in the sheer amount of scenarios reproduced. The city also has its own Safari Park located in the Nanshan district of the city. Also popular with tourists is the community of Shekou, which features a large cruise liner cemented to the ground, dubbed Sea World. Shekou is home to a large expatriate community and much of the architecture and styling of the area is western. Nature lovers usually visit Wutong Mountain, which located near the border of Luohu and Yantian and is the tallest mountain in the region and the sources of the Sham Chun River.

Transportation

Shenzhen is served by Bao’an International Airport which is approximately 35 kilometres from the centre of the city. Shenzhen Railway Station is an important transport hub in the city, and serves high speed trains to Guangzhou and more long-distance trains to destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shantou. A train to Hong Kong’s Hung Hom MTR station takes approximately 45 minutes. In the city itself many use the Shenzhen Metro to get around, which also connects the city to the airport. There is also a comprehensive bus and taxi system. Shenzhen Port connects the city to Hong Kong, Macau, and Kowloon by fast ferries.

Office space for rent in Shenzhen

There is a large supply of office space in Shenzhen, and currently, much of it is unused. The city has a vacancy rate of 16.3 percent, a rise on the previous year. Currently, the average rent in the city stands at RMB 175.9 per square metre per month. In the second half of 2012, the city has received approximately 400,000 square metres of new supply and landlords are actively seeking large tenants, preferably in the financial services sector. Many forecasts have predicted that prices will rise higher before the end of 2013.

We carry out a free office space search and our advisory and acquisition services are also free, always. Our Shenzhen office space brokers and agents are globally regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) ensuring the highest standards of commercial property advice and service at all times. We look forward to helping you find the best office space for rent for your business.

RICS Logo - The Office Providers are regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

The Office Providers are Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)



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