THERE is a building in Shenzhen that’s so massive that, whenever we pass it, my wife comments that it’s bigger than the airport in her hometown.

    Well, that may be a little exaggeration, but there’s no doubt that the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center (SCEC, called “Huizhan Zhongxin” in Chinese) is huge.

    According to its homepage, the floor area of the building’s exhibition halls is 105,000 square meters, and the overall area (including service areas, lobbies, etc.) is a quarter of a million square meters! (For comparison: a standard association football pitch is 7,140 square meters; you could fit nearly 15 in the exhibition halls, and over 35 in the whole building!)

    What’s more, the building is up to 28 meters high “without any supporting pillar.”

    Yes, it’s big.

    It’s also interesting, even if you’re not involved in an event. On a recent Sunday I popped in and saw costumed youngsters headed in for a comic convention, and dreamy couples bound for a wedding exhibition.

    Coming up before the year is over are a jewelry fair, a healthcare expo, a science and living fair, a motor carnival, the 19th China (Shenzhen) International Toys & Gifts Fair, and the world renowned China Hi-Tech Fair in November, among many, many others.

    So stop by the exhibition center for a gander; there’s even a food court on the lower floor. It’s located south of the Convention and Exhibition Center Metro Station (会展中心站), at the crossing of Line 1 (Luobao Line) and Line 4 (Longhua Line), in the very heart of the central business district.