A record fleet of 12,000 drones lit up the skies over Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on the evening of August 26 to celebrate the city's 45th anniversary as the country's first Economic Special Zone.

The spectacular display, coordinated with light shows projected onto nearby high-rise buildings, highlighted the city's reputation for innovation and technological ambition.

Since its designation in 1980, Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, has transformed from a small fishing town into an economic powerhouse. Its regional GDP has grown from 270 million yuan ($37.7 million) in 1980 to over 3.68 trillion yuan in 2024, making it the third-largest city economy on the Chinese mainland.