The Dream Factory of China

Source :Qianhai Communication Center

“I’m satisfied with my work and life here [in Qianhai],” said Hong Konger Wong Yat-yiu who came to work at a Qianhai-based short video creation platform after graduating from a Hong Kong university last year.

Wong, with an art-related degree, said she found it hard to find a job relating to art and culture in Hong Kong. Things are different when she looked at the job market in Shenzhen, which offers diverse job opportunities. She quickly landed a job at Laihua, the short video creation platform in Mawan.

She said she is impressed by the vigor and vitality of the city, and is fond of the working environment of her company.

Wong is one of the 5,164 Hong Kongers who came to work in Qianhai in 2020 alone, according to official figures. An increasing number of people from Hong Kong have been attracted to Qianhai by the job opportunities and the living condition.

In March 2018, Qianhai took the lead to cancel the requirement of the work permit for Hong Kong residents on the Chinese mainland, which was later promoted nationwide.

The move has provided much convenience to people from Hong Kong, who wants to work in Qianhai. Leung Chor-yan, another Hong Konger also works at Laihua, said it was just too much hassle to apply for a work permit whenever she changed a job on the mainland before 2018.

In addition, the Qianhai authority has allocated 150 million yuan (US$23 million) to support young people from Hong Kong and Macao in the free trade area, including offering them subsidized housing.

Leung now pays only 2,000 yuan every month for a 30-square-meter apartment in Qianhai, thanks to the housing subsidy from the Qianhai authority.

It was almost impossible for her back in Hong Kong, where she said she used to live with her parents in a less-than-20-square-meter apartment. “I really love the spaciousness here.”

With cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong deepens, an integrated Greater Bay Area is taking shape.

“I want to stay here [in Qianhai] for my career development,” Wong said.