In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of the founding of Shenzhen City, more than 200 photos of Shenzhen taken between 1949 and 2019 are on display at Shenzhen Art Museum. Entry is free.

The old and new photos were selected from the museum’s collection of more than 1,000 photos. The museum hopes to provoke the sharp contrast between the historical images of the old Bao’an County and the early days of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and today’s metropolis outlook of Shenzhen.

The first section titled “Memories of Bao’an” features antique photos of Bao’an County taken in 1949-1969 by Zheng Zhongjian, a former Shenzhen Customs staff member and a local photographer. Bao’an County, formerly named Xin’an County, was a historic county and roughly followed the administrative boundaries of modern-day Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For most of its history, the administrative center of the county was in Nantou. In Zheng’s precious photos, visitors can observe old theaters, post offices, bus stations and other street scenes from Bao’an County in the 1950s and 1960s.

The second section titled “Old Days in Shenzhen” exhibits photos taken in the 1970s by Shenzhen native He Huangyou. Working in a cultural hall in Bao’an County, He recorded much of the construction that took place in Bao’an County in the areas of agriculture, industries, fishery, border defense and culture. His precious photos illustrate the spirit of contributors in the early days of the modern city, disclosing how Shenzhen developed from a remote fishing village to an open and fast-growing metropolis.

The third section “Time Brings Great Changes” showcases photos by Zheng, He and five more photographers. Since 2017, Shenzhen Art Museum and Shenzhen Photographers Association have organized local photographers to use unmanned aerial vehicles to capture iconic buildings and venues for the purpose of documenting the state of the modern and dynamic city today.

Dates: Until Aug. 31

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays

Venue: Shenzhen Art Museum, inside Donghu Park, Aiguo Road, Luohu District (罗湖区爱国路东湖公园内深圳美术馆)

Metro: Line 5 or 7 to Tai’an Station (太安站), Exit C and then take a taxi(Cao Zhen)