In the early 1980s, Nan'ao on the Dapeng Peninsula in eastern Shenzhen was a remote and backward fishing village. ZHOU SHUNBIN/FOR CHINA DAILY

On Aug 26, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, I participated in the "Shenzhen in 24 Hours", a photographer event that consisted of 11 teams recording the various aspects of life in Shenzhen in airports, subways, parks, markets, cultural venues and office buildings, in an attempt to render a comprehensive display of people's lives and the city feature.