Anthony Prempeh
The heartbeat and nerve center of Shenzhen is undoubtedly Futian District.
Situated in the middle of this bustling city, Futian defines Shenzhen in many ways. It’s the city’s pacesetter in education, entertainment and commerce. It’s also very representative of the city’s growth and development as a whole. Changes in local businesses over the last few years, for example, have made the district a hub of Shenzhen’s internationalization. It’s against this background that I’d like to share a few thoughts on Futian’s development through the eyes of an expatriate.
My early years in Futian were fraught with frustrations, especially during shopping hours. It was rare to come across an English-speaking shop assistant and even if you eventually found one, you were likely to get a reply of “Ting bu dong” (I cannot understand) after making your request. In the last few years, however, significant changes have happened on the local business front. One major development has been the arrival of international supermarket chains in Futian, adding to the excitement of the shopping experience.
But a more interesting development has been the increasing trend of fluent English-speaking shop assistants in most local businesses. Unlike previous years, nowadays smartly dressed assistants are more eager to show off their English-language ability to foreigners. “Ting bu dong” has been replaced with, “What can I do for you, sir.”
Their politeness and impressive command of English has improved the quality of life and made life relatively easier for foreigners in the district.
Another development worth mentioning is the long hours local businesses now operate. It was frustrating for me to visit local businesses and find them closed by 8 p.m. in my initial years in Futian. A refreshing trend among local businesses now is staying open until 11 p.m. For expatriates like me, with busy schedules, it’s a big relief and a welcome development. Goods and services provided by local businesses can be accessed far beyond the previous hours.
But the growing number of local businesses has also led to aggressive marketing. It is quite common these days to walk into aggressive young men and women carrying advertising posters for local businesses ranging from dry cleaners and auto mechanics to law firms and schools. Along the district’s numerous alleys, these mobile advertisers with infectious smiles will try everything to catch your attention.
The rhythms of life in Futian are very much driven by local businesses. They produce items and services creatively, and ensure goods are tailor-made to fit the demands of the district. Because of local businesses’ understanding of the community and increased efforts to learn about their customers, they have immense impact on Futian.
Local businesses collectively define Futian by shaping where and how its residents shop, eat and have fun. Futian would never be the exciting and lively hub it’s noted as without its numerous local businesses. They are a major part of what Futian is known for and will continue to be so for many years to come.
(Anthony Prempeh, a Ghanaian businessman, has been working and living in Futian for six years. He was the third-prize winner of the First Shenzhen Expats Chinese Talent Competition in 2010, and is a member of the Futian Expat Volunteer Team, the first of its kind in Shenzhen.)
