Understanding China’s reform and opening-up through a musuem

"Empty talk harms the country, pracital work vitalizes the nation". [Photo provided by Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening]

“To rejuvenate the Chinese nation is a glorious and arduous undertaking that will require generations of Chinese to work together. Empty talk harms the contry, practical work vitalizes the nation. “ 

-- Xi Jinping 

Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening.[Photo: China Pictorial]

Located in Shenzhen city in southeast China's Guangdong province, Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening is the first history museum dedicated to displaying the reform and opening up of China.

Shekou in the 1970s.[Photo provided by Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening]

In the late 1970s, Shekou was at forefront of the reforms that would change the fate of more than a billion people and open a new path for China. The reforms that started from Shekou soon spread to the rest of the country.

As a pioneering area, the first Special Economic Zone in China was the test-ground for many economic, industrial and political reforms. 

After forty years of innovation, a rich collection of inspiring stories can be gathered from its inhabitants. This museum gallery is dedicated to the history of Shekou through the lens of its pivotal moment in history. 

Yuan Geng is the former leader of China Merchants Group. [Photo: China Plus]

The museum also includes a feature presentation of the life of Yuan Geng, a former leader of China Merchants Group, and the visionary who initiated the Reform and Opening Up and guided it through its formative years. Still considered an important local hero, his legacy lives on in Shekou today in the Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening.

The blast in Shekou in 1979 marked the formal groundbreaking for the construction of the Shekou Industrial Zone.[Photo provided by Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening]

This photo shows the ground-breaking blast in Shekou in July 1979, which heralded China's reform and opening up and marked the start of the construction of the Shekou Industrial Zone. 

The restored model of "China Merchants". [Photo: China Plus]

The restored model of "China Merchants". [Photo: China Plus]

In 1979, China Merchants Group developed an industrial park in Shekou, becoming the forerunner of China's reform and opening up.

Deng Xiaoping's tour in Shenzhen in 1984. [Photo: China Plus]

A sulpture in the Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening displays Deng Xiaoping's first inspection tour in Shenzhen in 1984, as well as historic moments of State leaders hearing reports from Yuan Geng, the founder of the Shekou Industrial Zone and a reform trailblazer, as he discusses the development of the Shekou Industrial Zone.

"Time is money, efficiency is life".[Photo provided by Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening]

In 1984, Yuan Geng stated“Time is money and efficiency is life"  which was adopted as a popular slogan later.

Visitors visiting Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening. [Photo: China Pictorial]

Displays at the Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening offer a historical perspective of Shekou during the 1980s and 1990s, when it established itself as the cradle of the country's industrial boon and a testing ground for future development in the country.

Tape recorder in 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

Tape and transistor radio in 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

Classical watch made in China in 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

Sewing machine was widely used in China through 1980s and 1990s. [Photo: China Plus]

In 1980s and 1990s, many workers went to work by bike. [Photo: China Plus]

Picture shows workers on their way to work in the 1980s. [Photo provided by Shekou Museum of Reform and Opening]

Many families already owned televisions in 1980s in Shenzhen. [Photo: China Plus]

“Sundance Kid Game Collection”is a collective childhood memory of  the generation born in 1980s and 1990s. [Photo: China Plus]

Items of ordinary workers are on display, including their working cards, certificates, products and trophies.

The marriage certificate in 1984. [Photo: China Plus]

The employment contract in 1985. [Photo: China Plus]

The working uniform in 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

The briefcase in 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

Picture shows how workers worked during the 1980s. [Photo: China Plus]

The bulletin board in 1980s and 1990s. [Photo: China Plus]

40 years of pioneering history in Shenzen has left behind a rich collection of inspiring stories of a small fishing village that grew to a large metropolis. Shenzhen is a city that keeps moving forward.

Shekou in modern times. [Photo provided by Shenzhen Museum of Reform and Opening]