Published : 19/03/2026
In 2025, the GDP of Shenzhen's Nanshan District exceeded 1 trillion RMB, making it the first prefecture-level district in China to reach this milestone.
Currently, only two other districts—Shanghai's Pudong New Area and Beijing's Haidian District, both directly administered at the municipal level—have achieved this scale.
Nanshan's accomplishment as a prefecture-level district sets a pioneering precedent for the nation.
From a desolate stretch of shoreline in Shekou in 1979 to a trillion-yuan urban district in 2025, how was this legend in Nanshan forged?
The "Shekou Model" ignited a spirit of innovation in Nanshan
In 1979, work began on the Shekou Industrial Zone (蛇口工業區) in Qianhai Bay, pioneering bold reforms in pay, housing, and employment.
The famous motto "Time is money, efficiency is life" was coined here. It was here that giants like China Merchants Bank and Ping An Insurance were founded, instilling a lasting spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship—a place that truly dared to try.
In January 1990, Nantou District and Shekou District merged, and Nanshan District was officially established.
At the time of its establishment, the GDP of Nanshan District was only 7.8 billion RMB, and it was positioned merely as an industrial support area for Shenzhen, not a city centre.
Yuehai Subdistrict: The rise of a high-tech hub
In 1996, the development of a national high-tech industrial park began, with Nanshan designated as one of its core zones. This marked the district's shift from a traditional industrial base to a high-tech hub.
During this period, tech parks, incubators, and R&D centres flourished in the district, drawing waves of researchers and young entrepreneurs to settle there.
Yuehai Subdistrict (粵海街道), bordering Shenzhen Bay, became home to the headquarters of tech giants like Tencent, ZTE, Mindray, and Konka. Meanwhile, along Liuxian Avenue, innovators such as DJI took root and thrived.
Strategic emerging and future industries—from AI and integrated circuits to marine engineering and life sciences—are taking shape at a faster pace.
A host of major science facilities, key labs, and innovation platforms have been established. What's particularly striking is the "Robot Valley" taking shape along Liuxian Avenue.
In 2005, Nanshan's GDP first crossed the 100-billion-yuan mark.
While still led by the secondary sector, high-tech products already accounted for nearly 60% of total industrial output value, powering the district's first major leap forward.
Over the next decade or so, its economic scale steadily rose from one hundred billion to several hundred billion RMB, with innovation momentum building all the way.
Robot Valley in Nanshan
Entering the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), driven by the "dual zones" strategy—the development of the Greater Bay Area and the construction of the Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Zone—Nanshan District has been positioned as a "world-class innovative coastal central urban district" and the core area of "China’s Silicon Valley," with its strategic role continuously elevating.
Strategic emerging industries and future industries—such as artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, marine engineering, and life and health—are rapidly taking shape in Nanshan.
A host of major scientific and technological infrastructure projects, key laboratories, and innovation platforms have been established one after another. Most striking of all is the rise of "Robot Valley" along Liuxian Avenue.
This valley, stretching no more than ten kilometers in length, features on one side the Shenzhen University Town and the Xili Lake International Science and Education City, which bring together seven universities—including Southern University of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School—as well as nine Nobel Prize laboratories.
On the other side, it is densely lined with high-density industrial zones such as the Smart Valley Industrial Park, Cloud Valley Industrial Park, and Zhiyuan Chongwen Park.
Tech innovation enterprises have gathered along these two sides, forming a high-tech industrial park that integrates industry, academia, and research.
This spatial layout has enabled an efficiency that has amazed the industry: designing in the morning, processing by noon, and receiving samples in the afternoon.
Today, more than 200 related companies have gathered here, forming a complete industrial chain that spans AI large models, motion control, sensors, dexterous hands, and the development and production of complete machines.
In 2025, the total output value of Nanshan District's robot industry exceeded 100 billion RMB, accounting for more than 60% of Shenzhen's total.
A service mindset that wins over entrepreneurs in Nanshan
At the same time, Nanshan has fostered a business-friendly environment that continues to fuel a steady inflow of young entrepreneurs.
Take Qiu Chunxin (邱純鑫), founder of RoboSense (速騰聚創), a LiDAR company. Early on, he ran into trouble with his premises. He reached out to the government, and multiple departments quickly stepped in to arrange dedicated parking and test routes—resolving the issue within 3 months.
Today, the company is publicly listed. That kind of hands-on service is exactly why Nanshan has become a place where startups dare to dream big.
In five years, Nanshan's economic volume leapt across four hundred-billion-yuan levels, rising from about 650 billion RMB in 2020 to 1,010.238 billion RMB (just over 1 trillion RMB) in 2025, an average annual growth rate of over 5.8%.
Covering just one-tenth of Shenzhen's land area, it now contributes more than a quarter of the city's GDP, with economic output per square kilometer reaching 5.4 billion RMB.
From trillion-yuan to world-class
What's next for Nanshan?
As the 15th Five-Year Plan gets underway in 2026, Nanshan is setting its sights on becoming a "world-class modern innovative urban area." It's working to build a well-rounded business ecosystem where "large enterprises stand strong, SMEs are everywhere, and innovators break new ground."
At the same time, a new "Global Service Centre" will offer tailored support for companies expanding overseas.
From the Shekou model to a trillion-yuan district, Nanshan is forging ahead toward its vision of a "world-class innovative coastal central urban area," ready to write the next chapter of its trillion-yuan journey.
Read more: Shenzhen's Robot Valley: the "Silicon Valley" in robotic world