ShekouDaily | July 1, 2019
On the afternoon of Saturday June 29th, 2019, a group of 35 people embarked on the city’s first “Discover Nanshan,” event; which ended at the celebration marking the official opening of a valuable resource for expats in the city.
Intiated by the Foreign Affairs Office of Nanshan District, the event is the first in a series to follow. The purpose is to help foreigners get to know and better adjust to living in Nanshan.
35 people including high-level talents, representatives of senior management in foreign enterprises, representatives of foreign teachers and students and representatives of foreign residents were invited to visit the Nanshan District Government, Tencent company and Shenzhen Talent Park, with a final stop at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange and Service Center (hereafter referred to as the Center).
Grand Opening Celebration of the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center
The final stop of the tour was the grand opening celebration of the Center where over 150 foreign and Chinese people were in attendance. Being the home of the largest number of foreigners in the city, it is no surprise that Nanshan puts such great efforts into making its residents, people from 155 countries and regions, feel welcome. The roughly 28,000 foreigners living in Nanshan make up 44% of Shenzhen’s foreign population.
Liu Li, Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhaoshang Sub-District, presided over the ceremony; which welcomed such high profile guests as Mr. WANG Qiang, Secretary of Nanshan District Committee of the CPC, Ms. CAI Ying, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Ms. HU Yun, Standing Committee of Nanshan District Committee of the CPC.
LIU spoke of Zhaoshang’s commitment to the goals of “Free Trade Zone + Internationalization,” to build a model international communication block, and to provide a convenient lifestyle for foreign friends and foreign-funded enterprises. He said that Zhaoshang Sub-District already provides many aspects of affairs, consultation service, employment, law, etc., and that the center will continue to work step by step to create a beautiful international family, turn it into a shining business card for the internationalization of Nanshan District, and make contributions to the construction of Nanshan as a world-class innovative coastal central city.
In recent years, under the leadership of the district committee and district government, and the careful guidance of the district foreign affairs bureau, Zhaoshang has committed to leading the idea of internationalization and is actively exploring the grassroots governance model of Chinese and foreign residents in order to jointly build and share governance, and to create a harmonious Chinese and foreign culture.
Mr. Wang spoke of how Nanshan District is regarded as the most international district with most expatriates in Shenzhen and how the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center will serve as a window for residents, to enable convenient access to the official One-Stop policy services and guidance, providing comprehensive online assistance to foster our relationship between residents and foreign friends.
Equipped with foreign social workers with high foreign language proficiency to provide accurate, high-quality and personalized professional services for Chinese and foreigners, the center offers foreigners a variety of free events and activities; including Chinese cultural activities and music lessons, foreign-related legal consultations, policy consultation, children’s play area, a library full of books in multiple languages, a small theater for movie showings, online channels such as WeChat Official Accounts and WeChat groups, Chinese and English bilingual news, service guidelines, and more. It is the largest international cultural exchange platform in Shenzhen.
The opening of the Center not only marks the new progress made in Nanshan’s internationalization, Ms. Cai said, but also suggests a new force for internationalization has been added to the city. The center, giving equal emphasis to exchanges and services, is in harmony with the Shekou Net Valley Management and Service Center for Expats that is characterized by “one-stop services”. Meanwhile, we will as always continue to support Nanshan’s internationalization endeavor, move toward a pioneering demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to become a model for cities in a strong and modern socialist country.
The ceremony attracted high profile guests from 29 different countries to celebrate this special occasion.
Guests had an opportunity to mix and mingle while enjoying musical performances, tea art, a beautiful rendition of the song ‘There Is a Mountain in the South’ by an international choir, and drawing sessions by foreign artists.
The Nanshan International Culture Exchange and Service Center has been quietly operating since November 2018 by providing a series of events and activities for the community. It was launched under the guidance of the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, established by Zhaoshang Sub-district, and operated by Shenzhen Nanshan Southwind Social Work Service Center.
Founded in November 2018, the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center is a one-stop shop for foreigners, whether living in Shenzhen or just visiting, to get all the information and resources they need to have a happy life in the City. Located in Shekou, Shenzhen at Imperial Park, Zhaoshang Sub-District (Sea World), the center is approximately 870 square meters of space open for community use, staffed with English-speaking social workers, who will provide professional services for both Chinese and expats. As the largest international cultural exchange platform in Shenzhen, the center is committed to bridging government and expats via communication and supplementary services.
The center not only provides consultation on government policies but also spreads Chinese and English news, instructions on administrative affairs and public events through WeChat official account like “SWI” and WeChat group like “Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center Volunteers”. In addition, the center held free law consulting sessions on foreign-related laws and published the first ever English version of waste classification guidebook. The center plans to collaborate with Shekou People’s Hospital to publish the first ever health care guidebook designed for foreigners, install bilingual guiding signs, assist foreigners in seeing a doctor, partner with volunteers to provide bilingual service and create an internationalized health care service pattern.
The also enter provides culture learning courses including Chinese class, guzheng class and tea art showcase for foreigners to understand and learn traditional Chinese culture. In addition, the center hosts the first ever bilingual exhibition of the CPC in Shenzhen, “International Culture Exhibition” and “International Forum” to spark the exchange between Chinese and foreign cultures. While promoting traditional Chinese culture, celebrations of Chinese and Western holidays are also held to boost the vibe of “One World”.
The center established a management and service mechanism for international volunteers and created a new pattern of voluntary service, striving to encourage foreign volunteers to give back to the community through volunteer events. The volunteer team includes 60 volunteers, and 25 international volunteers have been playing an active part. Besides, the center plans to establish a sino-foreign cooperating and co-governing alliance among Chinese and foreign residents, to bring in influential foreign-related associations, enterprises, and resident representatives to participate in community governance, and create an open and inclusive neighborhood environment, the center will always on the way of exploring the internationalization.
The Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center is the largest international culture exchange platform in Shenzhen and its opening not only marks the new progress made in Nanshan’s internationalization, but also suggests a new force for internationalization has been added to the city. Nanshan’s internationalization endeavor, moving toward a pioneering demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to become a role model for cities in a strong and modern socialist country. Founded in November 2018, the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center is committed to helping expats to integrate in Shenzhen with free authoritative information, consultancy and culture exchange events through online and offline services.
Business Hours( 营业时间 )
Monday to Friday
周一至周五
9：00-12：00 14:00-18:00Address ( 地址 )
南山国际化交流中心
Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center
深圳市南山区望海路海上世界双玺花园一期一层
1st Floor, Imperial Park I, Wanghai Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Transportation ( 交通 )
Line 2 Sea World Exit A
2号线海上世界A出口
Sea World South / Sea World Metro Station
海上世界南 / 海上世界地铁站
Contact ( 联系方式 )
0755-2161 2083 [email protected] NSIC南山国际化交流中心