An indispensable traveler & buyer’s guide for the electronics mega-market in Shenzhen
The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen is a niche travel guide to the famed electronics market/complex – often referred to as SEG or Huaqiangbei – in Futian, Shenzhen. The guide draws on the author Bunnie Huang’s many years of experience as an engineer, entrepreneur and foreigner in Shenzhen. In a way, this guide is the physical, book version of the tour that Bunnie has been giving friends and fellow travelers since 2009 (which we wrote about here).
Bunnie’s guide is both concise and practical. It covers only the essentials around visiting the electronics market (and not the rest of Shenzhen) with the bulk of the book devoted to various tools meant to be used on the ground at SEG:
1. Point and nod translations, which include working translations of technical terms (as opposed to the official, textbook versions that no one uses):
2. Map and namecard spreads, which seems silly at first, until you realize that SEG is larger and denser than any mall you’ve ever seen:
The essential information that Bunnie does highlight includes details about travel (transport, visa, phone cards) and a breakdown of what building in SEG sells what (important because it’s actually not easy to figure out once you’re there).
If you are planning to visit SEG any time soon, and particularly if you want to try your hand at sourcing parts there, The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen is an indispensable guide. I haven’t had a chance to test it in the field myself, but based on my past experiences there, this would’ve saved me a lot of headaches.