Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    ADELE ARTHUR gave information to a Swiss woman in the lobby of the Shekou Hilton on Tuesday during a coffee event. The Swiss woman had only been in Shenzhen for two weeks and she came to learn the ins and outs of the city.

    The gathering was organized by the Shenzhen Women’s International Club (SWIC), a nonprofit club founded by a group of women as early as 1986, when expatriate communities were rare in China.

    “We were giving advice to our new friends here in regards to many aspects of life, such as the best choice for shopping areas, clinics, schools for children and places to visit,” said Arthur.

    Arthur came from Australia and has lived in Shenzhen for about a decade. She lived in Futian District and did not know about the club until four years ago. She joined the hiking group and later became director of the hiking team.

    “We climb the Dananshan Mountain every Monday and sometimes we organize hiking at parks and green paths in Shenzhen,” said Arthur. She said one of the best things about living in Shenzhen is there are a lot of free parks around the city.

    Auri Eves, the current president of SWIC, said one of the club’s missions is to promote social and cultural exchanges between women throughout Shenzhen.

    “The first two things I consider when choosing a city to live in is if there is an international organization for women and the schools,” said Eves.

    According to Eves, integrating into a city in a foreign country can be tough and extremely lonely.

    “We make a lot of friends inside SWIC and get useful information to make life easier and much more fun,” said Arthur.

    Along with hiking, SWIC members have a book club, a mahjong club and a tennis group.

    “People get together and put together events for things they love to do. Through these activities, they become friends and support each other,” said Arthur.

    Arthur said the worst thing about the group is that people constantly come and go, often when their husbands’ contracts end.

    Farewell parties are normally organized at the end of the year for people who are leaving the city. Several parties were held at the Jingshan Villas in Shekou during Christmas last year, according to an article published in SWIC’s quarterly magazine.

    Harmony Mueller is the editor of the magazine, which was last published this month.

    “We currently have around 300 members, but the number constantly changes over the decades,” said Mueller.

    According to data, 60 members from the United States make up one-fifth of the club, followed by France, Germany and other European countries. Members from other Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand account for up to 7 percent.

    Elaine Campbell, who is the programs chair of SWIC, said that all activities are organized by members, citing several South Korean members who will teach others how to cook Korean food this week.