Moving to a new city is one of the most exciting parts of teaching abroad. As Chair of Social Sciences and a History Teacher at BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen, Stewart Smith has embraced the opportunity to explore both the school and the surrounding community. In this blog, Stewart shares his perspective on life in Guangming, highlighting the local amenities, cultural attractions, and everyday experiences that make this district of Shenzhen a great place to live and work.
Living & Teaching in Guangming
Having now lived and worked in Shenzhen’s Guangming District, I find it to be one of the city’s most underrated areas for expatriates. While many newcomers gravitate toward the more internationally known districts such as Nanshan or Futian, Guangming offers a quieter lifestyle, modern infrastructure, lower living costs, and surprisingly good recreational opportunities.
First Impressions
Guangming feels very different from the dense urban environment that many people associate with Shenzhen. The district has wide boulevards, numerous parks, modern residential compounds, and considerably more green space than the city’s older districts. As one of Shenzhen’s newer development zones, much of the housing and public infrastructure feel modern and well-planned. Guangming offers a comfortable balance between city convenience and a less hectic pace of life.
View of Yunkefu apartment complex.
You will most likely be offered accommodation in one of two places, Jindi or Yunkefu. Yunkefu is the closest of the two options and is literally a 10-minute walk from the school. This is the view of Yunkefu from my classroom window!
Food and Daily Life
Guangming has fewer expats than other parts of Shenzhen, and it certainly has its local character. It has all the amenities you would expect in a city as large as Shenzhen. There is a wide selection of gyms, spa treatments, and many other self-pampering places nearby. Just a short walk from Yunkefu are restaurants and supermarkets. Most of these are traditional or modern Chinese restaurants, but you will also find Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald’s, Subway, and Starbucks near Yunkefu and the school.
Blue Hippo Supermarket
Located in the recently opened Coco City Mall in Guangming, Blue Hippo is a popular supermarket chain that has a wide variety of Western products. You can easily access Coco City Mall Guangming via the metro or a very short Didi (taxi) ride. Further afield, you can always stock up at Sam’s Club or Walmart.
If you are looking for more specific Western brands, pay a visit to the Silver Palate store, located near Sea World, one of the southernmost points in Shenzhen, about an hour and twenty minutes away via taxi or metro. Or, if you prefer to have your groceries delivered, you can order through the Meituan app or directly from the supermarket. There is also a limitless selection of take-away food available to order on Meituan.
Parks and Nature
Opposite Yunkefu is the Fun Farm, which attracts visitors from all over Shenzhen. Here, there are wide open spaces and many running and cycling tracks.
Red Ribbon Bridge
Guangming has plenty of access to nature, and one of its more popular destinations is Hongqiao Park, which has the famous Red Ribbon Bridge winding its way through some spectacular views of the local area. There are cycling trails here too, or you can walk, jog or cycle along the Red Ribbon. Hongqiao Park is a 6km walk from Yunkefu or can be reached on the metro in just two stops. Guangming is also working on the Blue Ribbon Bridge (nearing completion), which is located next to the Guangming Lake, just a 5-minute walk from Yunkefu.
Culture and Shopping
A couple of stops along the metro from Zhenmei Station or a 15-minute Didi (taxi) ride, and you will be at Fenghuang Town, where you will find the Mira Land Mall (also known as The Blue Whale). This shopping mall has everything you need and, like other malls, offers a huge choice of eateries and restaurants that cater to all tastes, as well as an excellent IMAX cinema.
The Blue Whale Mall, Fenghuang Town
Alternatively, you can also try the Maxland Mall near the Gongming Square metro station, which also has a wide array of shops and amenities to choose from.
Guangming Art and Cultural Center (GACC)
Just opposite the Blue Whale is the Guangming Art and Cultural Center (GACC). If going to the theatre is your thing, the GACC regularly hosts West End and Broadway shows, as well as various national operatic tours and orchestral events. There are regular programs that detail with upcoming events. There are many theatres in Shenzhen, and there is always something going on.
Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum
On the way to Fenghuang Town there is the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, which reminds me of a landed spacecraft. It is well worth a visit and has many interactive stations.
Shenzhen International Museum of Art (SIMoA)
Just down the road from the Science and Technology Museum is the newly opened Shenzhen International Museum of Art (SIMoA), so if art and culture are your thing, then we’ve got you covered!
Conclusion
All in all, Guangming is a great place to live and work. I’ve felt so comfortable at BASIS Bilingual School Guangming that we even decided to adopt a couple of dogs! Another great advantage about being here is that there are many places that you can take your fur-babies!
So, to sum up, Guangming is a great suburb with plenty of local character and world-class cultural amenities. It’s family-friendly, and the transport links are excellent and very affordable. You can get to just about anywhere in Shenzhen, such as Futian, Shekou, or Nanshan, in just about an hour from setting off, which isn’t bad considering the size of the city!
Stewart Smith
Chair of Social Sciences
History Teacher
BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen
Visit our careers website for more information about teaching with BASIS International Schools.
Watch the recording of our live webinar about teaching at BASIS Bilingual School Guangming Shenzhen on our YouTube channel.
