Meet the British expat finding connection in Shenzhen through maths, family life and park runs

euronews (in English)

Meet the British expat finding connection in Shenzhen through maths, family life and park runs  British expat Martin Crozier calls Shenzhen home. Through park runs, maths meetups and family life, he shows how the fast-growing tech city offers both high speed and deep connection.  In partnership with Shenzhen Media Group  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/07/10/meet-the-british-expat-finding-connection-in-shenzhen-through-maths-family-life-and-park-r  Spark your senses, wake your wonder. Euronews Culture seeks to show creativity in action and inspire our audience to explore the world through the five senses. Start your journey through the best of Europe's arts, gastronomy, traditions and high-end craftsmanship.

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00:01Shenzhen is a really vibrant and new city.

00:07Because it's new, the younger generation that work here,

00:10they're not from Shenzhen, but they become from Shenzhen once they move here.

00:16It's just welcoming.

00:30I'm Martin. I am head of mathematics at an international school here in Shenzhen.

00:35It's my second year in Shenzhen and it's my 11th year in total in China.

00:46As an expat, generally, I think community is really, really important.

00:50When I started running about four or five years ago, I found a new community.

00:54So when I moved to Shenzhen, my colleague and I decided that we would just get that going in Shenzhen.

00:59So two years ago, yeah, we set up a version of Parkrun in Shenzhen.

01:03We found Talent Park, which is an amazing place.

01:05The scenery is beautiful.

01:07Welcome to Parkrun number 74, I think we're up to now.

01:13So welcome to Shenzhen Talent Park.

01:15So you're most welcome to probably the nicest spot to run in Shenzhen.

01:20Okay, counting down.

01:23Three, two, one, go.

01:29What I really like about it, it's not expat, it's not local, it's a really nice mixture of both.

01:39But it's just a really lovely community of people that have a common interest.

01:43On reflection, I'm living in a city that I'm older than.

01:54Shenzhen is a very new city.

01:56It started off as a very small fishing village and it's only 45 years old.

02:00I like the fact that it has different areas and zones.

02:03Every little area has its own little feel.

02:05But it feels really homely, particularly Shoko where we live.

02:09So family life in Shenzhen as an expat is incredibly easy.

02:13We're very lucky in Shoko that we're right by the sea.

02:16And we have a beautiful promenade that actually it's 40 kilometers long in total.

02:22Do you think we have a better lifestyle here than we do in the UK?

02:29Yeah.

02:30It's nice to have a lot of freedom over here and be able to go out at night and feel safe.

02:35It's fun.

02:36Yeah, the safety is the big thing actually, isn't it?

02:39It's really good that, you know, sort of when you're walking home, you don't need to worry or anything like that.

02:43Yeah.

02:44Yeah.

02:45And the thing is that here is so walkable.

02:47And when we go back to my parents, everything will have to be in a car.

02:52As a family unit, it's incredibly convenient.

03:06In Shoko and Shenzhen as well, there's a lot of authenticity about the restaurants that we have.

03:13So Tequila Coyote is a restaurant I go to often.

03:16It's run by an amazing Mexican guy.

03:25When I came to Shenzhen, there wasn't a math jam.

03:28There wasn't one set up and I wanted one.

03:30So I set one up.

03:32The idea is to give an opportunity for people who just like maths and puzzles and games to meet together in a bar or a pub, do maths puzzles.

03:40So yeah, found the right place and then found a common core of people that wanted to come.

03:44And then yeah, got the ball rolling.

04:02Technology is a really key feature of living in a city like Shenzhen.

04:07And it just feels very integrated and no hassle.

04:10If I turn a corner and go, is there a place I can buy a power bank?

04:13There will be.

04:14Just the convenience of all of that, mainly due to technology, is fabulous.

04:19What really strikes me is we have something called China speed and then we have something called Shenzhen speed, which is even faster.

04:37So the speed at which things change and grow, always for the better, is unbelievable.

04:42I mean, they can move a road like four meters to the left overnight.

04:45I mean, it's stunning what they can do.

04:47So I really love the what's next, what's different when we come back from a holiday.

04:51It's really kind of cool, actually.

04:53It's really cool, actually.

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