Living in Shenzhen

Living in Shenzhen and at Mission Hills is a study in contrasts. The resort was built on 20-plus square kilometers of wasteland located between Shenzhen and Dongguan. Rising from this rubble was the world's largest golf resort with 12 signature courses. Several million trees have been planted over the years and water features added to create an unrivaled pastoral setting. It truly is a tranquil green oasis!

Contrast that with the city of Shenzhen on Mission Hills' doorstep. Shenzhen is a vibrant, modern, bustling city of 15 million people. It is south China's major financial and manufacturing center as well as home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and headquarters of numerous high-tech companies.

Mission Hills has, as you would expect, many rolling hills to hike and enjoy. In Shenzhen, the former hilly fishing village was replaced by mostly flat ground to allow for unimpeded growth in the city center.

Shenzhen has a large percentage of non-local migrant workers but also a significant number of highly educated intellectuals. Both groups are working cooperatively to build an exceptional city – one of the fastest growing in the world.

Shenzhen is a city where the local language, Cantonese, is no longer the main language used. Mandarin is mostly spoken now. The catalyst for this transition was the out-of-province immigrants who travelled to the region to take advantage of the many economic opportunities that exist. The language shift towards Mandarin was also aided by government regulation, societal bias and an educational priority extended to children growing up in the region.

Shenzhen has a sub-tropical climate with high humidity and temperatures in the summer. Contrast that with the time frame between October to February when the weather is pleasantly cool and mostly dry. The heaviest rain falls in the months of May and June. Shenzhen lies on approximately the same latitude as Havana and Calcutta.

The net result is that individuals selected to join the staff at Mission Hills International School will have an endless array of choice available to spend their personal time with: rural-urban fringe versus mega-city living; exciting night-life or a friendly game of golf or tennis under the lights at Mission Hills; local meals or world-class restaurants; swimming in a state-of-the-art aquatics center at the school; browsing through the MH Mall across the street from the school offering 200+ international brands , cinemas, ice-skating arena, supermarket, cafes, bars and restaurants; or hiking through the many exceptional shopping districts in Shenzhen; savoring a Starbucks cappuccino from a shop located directly on Mission Hills property or relaxing with a foot massage at a local spa across the street; spending time reading a good book in a comfortable apartment on campus or shopping for an original or replica painting at Dafen Art Village. (Please refer to "Wider Community" for more information.)

In addition, as Hong Kong is only 90 minutes away by bus or train, staff can easily enjoy the occasional week-end trip there for the added shopping, entertainment, dining, recreation and cultural opportunities that exist.

Shenzhen is very close to South East Asian destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines and well-connected with them. Travel to Taiwan, Japan, Korea and other Asian destinations is also easy. Let alone, China is a large country with stunning lakes, coastlines, deserts and mountains, as well as big cities. Transport and accommodation in China are economical and easily accessible.

The bottom line is that we are confident that living at Mission Hills in the Shenzhen area presents great opportunity and will be an exciting adventure for single people and families with children alike.