Shenzhen: satellite city or city of satellites?

Abstract

The term ‘satellite city’ can be applied at multiple scales and with multiple meanings. In this article, the Chinese city of Shenzhen will be viewed both as a satellite city at the (mega)city-level, and as a city consisting of many sub-city satellites. In the first years after becoming China’s first Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen developed as a satellite city not only of its neighbour Hong Kong, but also of Beijing, as the first zone of experiments with ‘capitalism with socialist characteristics’. In later development stages the city has emancipated to also become a centre in its own right. At the same time, however, Shenzhen is a ‘city of satellites’, comprising many sub-centres that could also be seen as satellites themselves. After exploring Shenzhen as a whole as a satellite city of Hong Kong, Beijing and other ‘external influencers’, we will discuss three examples of different types of sub-city satellites: OCT, Shekou/Qianghai, and Guangming New Town.