In the year of 2004, all the 16 towns belonging to Bao'an and Longgang districts changed into street offices.

    Urbanization of 6 Districts

    The Shenzhen Municipal Government governs six districts, 51 sub-district offices and 620 residents' committees.

    Luohu, Futian, Nanshan and Yantian districts are inside the Special Economic Zone, while Bao'an and Longgang districts are outside.

    Futian District

    Situated at the heart of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the location for the Shenzhen Party Committee and Shenzhen Municipal Government, Futian District is the city's center of administration, culture, information, exhibitions and commerce.

    With a total area of 78.04 square kilometers, Futian borders Luohu District along Hongling Road in the east, Nanshan District in the Overseas Chinese Town in the west, Bao'n District beyond Mount Bijia and Mount Lianhua in the north and Hong Kong's Yuen Long district across the Shenzhen River and Shenzhen Bay in the south. It boasts eight sub-district offices with 92 residents' committees.

    Luohu District

    Luohu District is in the eastern part of the Special Economic Zone. It is Shenzhen's financial and trade center and base for network services. It is located between Liantang and Hongling Road from the east to the west. It is bordered by Futian District in the west and by Hong Kong in the south. Buji Township and Shawan Village of Longgang District lie to the north of Luohu District, separated from Luohu by the Special Economic Zone demarcation highway. The district is 78.89 square kilometers in area, and it governs ten sub-district offices with 115 residents' committees.

    Nanshan District

    Located in the western part of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Nanshan District is Shenzhen's hi-tech, higher learning and western logistics center.

    With a total area of 167.05 square kilometers, Nanshan borders Shenzhen Bay and Futian District in the east, the Pearl River estuary and Bao'n District in the west, Shiyan Township of Bao’an District at Mount Yangtai in the north and Hong Kong's Yuen Long district beyond Shekou Bay, the Dachan and Xiaochan islands, and the Lingding Sea area in the south. It comprises eight sub-district offices and China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone with 96 residents' committees.

    Yantian District

    Situated in the east of Shenzhen and to the north of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone's demarcation line at Beizaijiao, Yantian is best known for its logistics and tourism. With Mount Wutong in the west and Dapeng Bay in the east, Yantian occupies a total area of 71.83 square kilometers and has its district seat in Shatoujiao Township. Yantian port area has the second-largest deepwater container terminal in China. Yantian comprises four sub-district offices with 17 residents' committees.

    Bao'an District

    Located in the western part of Shenzhen and to the north of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone demarcation line, Bao’an is home to the city's hi-tech sector, processing trade and modern agriculture and bio-tourism base, with its district seat located in Xin’an Township. Covering a total of 712.95 square kilometers, Bao'n stretches north to the Luotian Reservoir; it borders Dongguan City along the Dongbao River in the west, meets the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone at the Nantou Frontier Inspection Station in the east and looks out over the Pearl River Estuary and the Jiaoyi Bay Oyster Cultivation Reserve in the southwest. Shenzhen's Bao’an International Airport is situated in Bao’an District, which has ten sub-district offices, 173 residents' committees.

    Longgang District

    Situated in the east of Shenzhen and to the north of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone demarcation line, Longgang is well known for hi-tech export processing, logistics distribution and seaside resorts. With Daya Bay in the east and Dapeng Bay in the south, Longgang is bordered by Bao'an District in the west and Dongguan and Huizhou cities in the north. Longgang, home to the Daya Bay and Ling'ao nuclear power plants, occupies 844.08 square kilometers. With its district seat in Longgang Township, Longgang comprises 11 sub-districts with 127 residents' committees.

    The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone

    Covering Luohu, Futian, Nanshan and Yantian districts, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is situated in the south of Shenzhen City between Beizaijiao by Dapeng Bay in the east and Anle Village by the Pearl River Estuary in the west. The special zone was established on August 26, 1980. Its total area is 395.81 square kilometers. It is to the south of Mount Wutong and Mount Yangtai, and borders on The New Territories in Hong Kong in the south. A demarcation line of 129.7 kilometers separates the special economic zone from the rest of the city and there are eight land checkpoints that run between the special economic zone and the rest of the city. In 2004, 378 million people visited the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Approximately 110 million vehicles passed through the city's various checkpoints.

    Checkpoints

    Shenzhen is the only city on the Chinese mainland that has air, sea and land ports. The city boasts the largest number of checkpoints, and the highest passenger and vehicle flow among major cities in China.

    The city now has 17 checkpoints, including four land checkpoints. These include Luohu, Wenjindu, Huanggang and Shatoujiao. The sea checkpoints are at Shekou, Chiwan, Dongjiaotou, Meisha, Yantian and Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant Accommodation Port. Huanggang Checkpoint is the nation's largest land checkpoint, while Yantian Container Terminal is the country's second largest container handling port. Air transport is through Bao'n International Airport, the fourth largest in China. .

    Customs

    Shenzhen Customs was originally set up in 1900. Jurisdiction of the customs covers Shenzhen, Huizhou and Huidong area. In 2004, the number of people entering and exiting the city's checkpoints totaled 153 million. In 2003, 14.3376 million vehicles passed through the city's checkpoints.