ActiveSZexpats

This community started with our first hike up Wutong Mountain. On that trip, my German friend met another European on our way to the summit. He rarely ran into other foreigners in Longgang. Meanwhile, my Chinese friend Zagh said breathing fresh natural air felt so soothing after spending weekdays stuck in the office. Some called it “escaping the city”.

Inspired and encouraged by them, I organized our official gathering at Lianhuashan Park. To my great surprise, lots of people turned up, and our WeChat group hit over 100 members in just one week.

We kept holding hiking events—something I hadn’t done alone in Shenzhen for nearly two years. I felt I’d wasted so much time staying indoors and barely knew the city. Thanks to everyone in the community, I got the opportunity to explore Shenzhen alongside them. Our outdoor activities aren’t always huge groups, yet I’m thankful for all the companions who’ve joined me from autumn through spring.

Later on, we branched out to all sorts of activities: karaoke, tennis hosted by Patrick (a friend from the Shenzhen Overseas Returnees Association), and even a charity event held in Hong Kong.

We also launched outdoor yoga sessions on Danjie’s suggestion. I invited local yoga instructors from Shenzhen and Hong Kong to share their skills and techniques with everyone completely free of charge. I’m truly thankful to all the teachers who volunteered to lead our classes without any payment—Danjie, Jason, Yin, Astrid, Dama. They offer their time and expertise out of kindness, and their selfless, voluntary sharing perfectly aligns with the core vision of this community.

At last, I believe these face to face connections are invaluable, especially here in Shenzhen, a city filled with expats. This space isn’t only for foreigners; it also brings together Chinese people from all across the country, making it a platform for cultural exchange. We’ve encountered occasional hiccups along the way, but with support from countless friends, we’ve solved every issue smoothly. I deeply appreciate everyone’s contributions to this community.

I hope this community could build up genuine connections among people, and serve as a bridge for Chinese to communicate with expats from different countries.