CHINA’S first “talent park” sits on a beautiful coastal site in the southern city of Shenzhen.

The Shenzhen talent park, which opened to the public earlier this month, has photos and names of top innovators printed on its pillars.

Two founders of Shenzhen-based BGI, China’s top gene-sequencing provider, are among those recognized.

“It’s like the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame with the names of celebrities. It’s a novel way to recognize them and helps attract innovative talent here,” said Zhu Yanmei, BGI’s chief human officer.

Neighboring Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a frontline city for China’s opening and reform. This hotbed for both innovation and investment has drawn swarms of talent to start businesses or careers in the city.

While new entrepreneurs are innovating in emerging sectors, such as genomics, metamaterials and artificial intelligence, the city has also been creative in finding ways to attract high-end talent.

In August, the city legislature passed a regulation on talent work, declaring Nov. 1 as Shenzhen Talent Day.

The city also announced last month it will award a maximum of 100 million yuan (US$15 million) to Nobel Prize winners who locate their laboratories in Shenzhen.

Five Nobel prize winners have set up laboratories in Shenzhen.

“The city is comfortable in both its climate and inclusiveness, making newcomers fall in love with the city easily,” Zhu said.

She said BGI has over 1,000 R&D personnel in Shenzhen, which is high compared to its peers in the life science industry worldwide.

With highly qualified personnel flowing in and leading emerging industries, the value added in emerging sectors surged 10.6 percent in 2016, accounting for 40 percent of the city’s economic growth.

Last year, Shenzhen saw nearly 20,000 international patent applications filed under the PCT. There are currently 80 patents per 100,000 people, 10 times the national average.

At the ongoing China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), an exhibition zone has been reserved for early startups, offering them opportunities to show off their ideas and woo investors.

Yang Lujian is busy introducing his drone dock design, a round table-like base for drone landing and automatic charging.

The automotive engineering major and his two partners quit their jobs at an automaker in Northeast China’s Jilin Province and started their business in Shenzhen in 2015.

“As an innovation hub, Shenzhen has a complete industrial chain, with industry clusters and convenient logistics, so we chose it,” he said, adding that a group of drone makers, including DJI, the country’s leading brand, was a big reason for their decision.

Facing rising housing prices, the Shenzhen city government is also coming up with new ways to encourage renting and to help lower living and business operating costs.

Last week, the city bid on the first piece of land designated for rental homes. The apartments to be built on it are not allowed to be sold.

Banks are also encouraged to offer loans designed for home rentals.

At the CHTF on Thursday, a high-end job fair offered nearly 1,000 vacancies with annual packages of over 500,000 yuan or more than 300,000 yuan plus company shares.

Company presidents, operations directors, and senior engineers in cutting-edge sectors were among the job vacancies.

“I have never experienced such a high-end job fair before, neither as an HR worker nor as a jobseeker,” said Xu Jing, 36, from Jiangsu Province.

Xu, who has been working in HR for eight years, is looking for an HR or administrative director position.

“I have decided to move to Shenzhen, as the young and passionate city makes me feel young,” she said. (Xinhua)