OFFIELD

T

housands of newcomers to

Shenzhen are bidding farewell to

Baishizhou.

Known as “the village inside the

metropolis,” Baishizhou is the most

densely populated area in Shenzhen,

South China’s Guangdong Province,

which neighbors the Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region.

Shenzhen has been a pilot of China’s

reform and opening-up policy, and

Baishizhou was often the first stop for

people who flocked to the city.

About 150,000 people and 2,000 rent-

ed houses are crowded into its 7.4 square

kilometers of land, while the village has

1,800 online registered villagers.

In July, tenants received a notice tell-

ing them to move out by mid-September.

“A few days earlier, the landlord urged

us to move, saying that Baishizhou is

going to be demolished and renovated,”

a tenant, surnamed Liang, said. “It’s

okay for us to move, but what about our

children’s education?”

Liang’s concerns are shared by many

residents who are leaving Baishizhou. Ac-

cording to previous policy, if they do not

live in a certain region for one year, their

children cannot go to nearby schools.

Fortunately, the Shenzhen education

department acknowledged the problem

and drew on other cities’ experience. A

new policy addressing the issue is expect-

ed to be released, the Guangdong-based

news website southcn.com reported.

A local developer has also offered to

extend the deadline by three months for

the tenants to make arrangements for

their children. The developer plans to ar-

range shuttle buses to transport children

from their future homes to schools near

Baishizhou.

The Baishizhou renovation project

was initiated in 2005, with the early

stages involving research work. However,

14 years on, the project is finally being

implemented.

According to southcn.com, the project

will attract several world-class companies

to move to the area, and different types of

apartments will also be built here.

Guo Pengsheng, President of the

Urban Renewal Professional Committee

of the Shenzhen Real Estate Association,

said in a recent forum that the renova-

tion will be completed

in 2029, southcn.com

reported.

After 10 years, a new

Baishizhou is about to

emerge.

Global Times

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[email protected]

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