Milos Radulovic

From Serbia

FOR many Serbs, Shenzhen — the city that began its economic reforms in the early 1980s and became one of China’s first special economic zones — is a pleasantly fresh discovery.

With one of the globe’s biggest and busiest ports, the city has become an appealing destination for foreign direct investment and migrants seeking opportunities, including Serbs.

Serbs who began migrating to Shenzhen after 2010 found that popular global brands they had utilized in their everyday lives at home, such as Huawei, DJI, and BYD, originate from this city. But only when they start living in this industrial hub do they begin to understand the city’s influence on the Chinese economy.

Despite a lack of official statistics, there are perhaps more Serbs in Shenzhen than in the other two major Chinese cities — Shanghai and Beijing.

Many Serbs found Shenzhen an ideal place for careers, employment, and business opportunities, as well as for family life.

Shenzhen has a subtropical climate with warm days almost throughout the year. Surrounded by various green zones, parks, mountains, and gorgeous coastlines, this city has a modern and convenient infrastructure, which makes life comfortable.

Serbs are drawn to this city for a variety of reasons: Some study at prestigious colleges, intrigued by the Chinese language and culture, while others are working in international schools. Serbia is well-known for its sporting achievements, so it’s no surprise that numerous Serbian basketball, football, and tennis coaches work here.

Many Serbian tourists take advantage of the visa-free policy to visit this city and explore its many wonderful tourist attractions.

It offers a variety of theme parks, including Happy Valley, Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages, and Window of the World.

From Shenzhen, it’s also convenient to visit nearby cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Being thousands of miles from their home country, many Serbs have developed a special bond with this city and consider Shenzhen as their second home, proving the truth of this slogan, “Once you come, you are a Shenzhener.”