Beyond being a hub of soaring economic growth, Shenzhen was one of China’s first "Low Carbon Cities", a government initiative to reduce carbon emissions at the city level.
City authorities say it’s helped Shenzhen reduce air pollution by 50%. The city has better air quality than most others in China, according to a 2015 government air quality report, which found Shenzhen among just eight of 74 cities monitored that met national standards on a series of pollution measures.
Thanks to a newer, more efficient transport system and urban planning, traffic is not as much of a problem as in Beijing and Shanghai. And due to the major influx of Chinese migrants into the city over the past 37 years, Shenzhen's residents are said to be more welcoming and hospitable to visitors from around the world.
But there are still downsides to living in China’s most successful metropolis. In Shenzhen, as with all Chinese cities, media outlets operate under tight Communist Party control and internet access and freedom is curtailed: popular sites like Google, Facebook and YouTube are not accessible.
Foreigners also still face a significant language barrier, which can be a big problem for anyone who gets sick, since even the best hospitals make few concessions to language skills and overall services can be mediocre. Foreigners needing medical attention are better off running to a hospital in Hong Kong, where communication will be easier.