Vivi Shenzhen: The Italian Community Hub in Shenzhen


Cian   |   May 16, 2019

Back in 2013 when we had the idea of creating something to help the Italian community in Shenzhen, we had no idea how big the project would get and how far it would go.

When we first started out we were only three Italian women from the south of Italy. There was Giorgia, a Sicilian entrepreneur working in architecture and design; Paola, a sinologist and talented cake maker from the Campania region; and Pina, a sinologist and Italian teacher also from Campania.

In the beginning, we launched the website www.vivishenzhen.com, where we collect useful information and provide services that make life in Shenzhen easier and more interesting for the Italian community. We wanted to go beyond just a website and interact with the community directly. So, we started an official WeChat account. There we were able to keep on adding more and more content relating to lifestyle, work, visas, family life, culture, arts, history, and anything else that touched the Italian community in the city.

Vivi Shenzhen is a non-profit organization and all those involved in the running of it are volunteers. As a result, it’s brought together a group of people whose only interest is to lend a helping hand to newcomers to Shenzhen who might face cultural and language barriers.

Over the years, the team has grown and two new columnists have been working at Vivi Shenzhen for the past year. Adriana, a psychologist from Sardinia, runs a psychology column. Arianna, a fashion designer and influencer from Tuscany, heads up a fashion section. The team is also joined by our English Editor, Todd; a journalist that assists with the English version of the website.

With the help of the team, Vivi Shenzhen’s goal is to help all the foreigners in Shenzhen on a range of topics; from expanding their business horizons as well as to simply help them find the best place to enjoy an authentic Italian pizza in the city!

Vivi Shenzhen is a virtual cultural hub that helps both the Italian community and the expat community at large. Over the years, we have not only organized cultural and food & wine events, but we have also cooperated with international health clinics to arrange first aid and CPR courses to help families be prepared.

Vivi Shenzhen also manages a large and active WeChat group where foreigners can ask questions about any difficulty or topic they come across in their day-to-day life in Shenzhen. Through the Vivi Shenzhen WeChat group, everyone can share and pool together their experiences to help people find quick and informed answers. This way we can all build a better and happier life here in Shenzhen.

Our goal and our hope is to involve more people in our project and make Vivi Shenzhen bigger and bigger. Shenzhen is our city now. We love it and we want to share that love not only with the Italian community but with anyone who wants to be part of what we are doing!

For more information about Vivi Shenzhen, check out the following links and contacts:

Web: http://www.vivishenzhen.com

Email: [email protected]

WeChat (Official Account): Vivishenzhen

WeChat (To be added to group chat): Paolasellitto

Facebook: www.facebook.com/italianiashenzhen.vivishenzhen/

Instagram: Vivishenzhen