TechShop, there is very little software industry there. It's an industrial town, and there are/were parts of it that are off limits to foreigners. Sure, you can source parts to every gadget and machine you would want to build in Hua Qiang Bey, but there is no tech "scene", for lack of a better word, not many locals using their own wares to make new stuff. It's an industrialist city geared toward exports.
There are entire parts of Boa'An that you will be told not to venture into. I have had taxis refuse to take me there, I thought it had to do with the SEZ red/green class restrictions, but we were once told to turn around a private vehicle, ca 2006-2007, fwiw.
A friend of mine who lived in China from 2004-2007 said the off limits places were due to crime, and that foreigners were not allowed because they were likely to be targeted.
Shenzhen hosts the biggest Software company in China: TENCENT. Also the ecosystem is changing fast with a year of Startup Weekend and HAXLR8R over there.
dude, Shenzhen came a long way and is the future of China (I lived in 5 cities across the country in the past 12 years). Design is all over the map and is going to swallow HK in the next 10-20 years.
I've heard this case for Shanghai, not so much for Shenzhen. Interesting. The one thing I personally think is holding HK back from further flourishing is the pollution (thus Singapore seemingly having an edge at the moment). I imagine Shenzhen will face similar issues as it continues to grow?
