Shenzhen's history traces back to six thousands years. Archaeologists found in recent years that Shenzhen has a long history that goes back to 6000 years. Pottery items found at the relics of Da Huang Sha and Da Mei Sha Dene indicates that in as early as the neolithic period, there were human livings on this beautiful land.
According to historic documents, Shenzhen's history consists of 4 periods.

1. Attachment Baiyue Tribes (Prehistory -1573)
In the Xia and Shang dynasties, Shenzhen was a base for ancient Baiyue tribes who were seafarers. Those who lived here were called the Nanyue Tribes, a southern branch of the hiyue Tribes. They lived mainly by fishing with a little cultivation.

2. Establishment of the County (1573 -1841)
In1573, a new county named Xinan was established in the territory of today's shenzhen and Hong Kong by enlarging the Dongguan Military Base, with the county seat located in Nantou. Salt, tea, spices and rice were the backbone of the new county's economy.

3. Cession of Territory (1842 - 1898)
The Treaty of Nanjing, which was an unequal treaty forced upon China by the British Government, was signed on July 24,1842, and Hong Kong island was occupied by the British. On January 11, 1860, the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to the British under the Convention of Peking and on April 21, 1898, another unequal treaty forced the Qing Government to 'rent' the 'New Territories' to Britain for 99 years. From that point on, 1,055.61 square kilometers of the total 3,076 square kilometers was separated from Xin'an Country. In 1913, Xin'an County resumed the name of Ban'an County to avoid confusion with the Xin'an County in Henan Province.

4. Establishment of the City (1979)
In March 1979, the Central Government and the Guangdong provincial Government decided to rename Baoan County Shenzhen City, under the administration of HuiYang Prefecture and Guangdong Province. In November that year, the city was promoted to prefecture level directly governed by the province. In May 1980, Shenzhen was formally nominated as a 'special economic zone'by the Central Committee of the CPC and the state Council. In August that year, the Standing Committee of the NPC approved the establishment of a special economic Zone in shenzhen.

In March 1981, Shenzhen gained the same status as Guangzhou to be a vice-provincial city. In Novermber 1988, the state Council approved Shenzhen, along with some other major cities in the country, being listed as an pendent entity of the province in the State development plan. It was given the right of provincial-level economic administration. In July 1992, the shenzhen Municipal people's Congress, its Standing Committee and the shenzhen Municipal Government were given the right to draft local laws and set local regulations by the Standing Committee of the NPC.

Origin of Shenzhen's Name
Local people call the drains in paddy fields 'zhen' or 'chong'.The name 'Shenzhen' means 'deep drains',because this is an area crisscrossed with rivers and rivulets, and there are deep drains in paddy fields.Shenzhen became a township at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

The one-time fishing village of Shenzhen, singled-out by late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, is a so-called one of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in China originally established in 1978 in competition with Hong Kong, then a British colony.
Shenzhen, formerly known as 'Bao'an County', was promoted to prefecture level, directly governed by the Guangdong province in November 1979. In May 1980, Shenzhen was formally nominated as a 'special economic zone,' the first one of its kind in China. It was given the right of provincial-level economic administration in November 1988.