Plaintext
The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Copyright © Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang 2016
Some Rights Reserved.
First Edition, Web Export.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Publisher: Sutajio Ko-Usagi PTE LTD
dba Kosagi, in Singapore.
ptt-feedback@kosagi.com
Editor: Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang
Design and Layout: Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang
Translations: Celia Wang
Translation errors: Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang
Illustrations: Miran Lipovača
Printed in the People’s Republic of China.
ISBN 978-981-09-7459-6
To Gavin Zhao
For opening my eyes to the real China.
You have been a great teacher and mentor;
I can do now what I once thought was impossible.
I hope you win your battle with cancer,
so that you can continue to mentor and inspire more people like me.
5
Contents
Introduction 7
Why Point to Translate instead of Phonetic? 9
Using the Guide 10
About Technical Chinese 11
What’s in the Market (And What’s Not) 12
Pricing the Market and Haggling 14
Is it Fake? 15
Hours & When to Go 18
Internet & Helpful Apps 19
Tipping 20
Weather & Dressing 20
Point-to-Translate Guide: Components 23
Point-to-Translate Guide: Tools & Tooling 45
Point-to-Translate Guide: Sealing the Deal 55
Point-to-Translate Guide: Getting Around 67
Getting To Shenzhen, and Back Again 83
Visas 84
Getting to the Border 85
Which Border Crossing to Use? 87
Time-Saving Tips for Crossing the Border 90
China Customs 91
Maps 95
Acknowledgments 123
6 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 7
Introduction
Introduction
(shēn · zhèn)
8 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 9
Introduction
Hello! This book is designed to help non-Mandarin speakers
navigate the sprawling electronics markets of Shenzhen.
The markets are locally referred to as the Hua Qiang Bei
(HQB) markets, after the road that runs through the heart of
the market.
The concept behind this book is to provide a “point-to-
translate” interaction that is structured according to a
typical transaction in the market:
1. Specifying components
2. Specifying quantity and packaging
3. Payment and delivery
4. Remembering the vendor’s location
The book also includes sections on what to expect, basic
survival, and getting around. It does not cover topics such as
eating, drinking, local attractions, places to stay, or making
friends with the locals, as most basic travel guides for the
area already provide adequate coverage of these topics.
Why Point to Translate instead of Phonetic?
The standard phonetic system for transcribing Mandarin is
pinyin. However, pronouncing pinyin is very tricky. Consider
the phrase, “I’m eating a goose.” The pinyin transcription
is “wǒ chī é”, but the pronunciation is closer to “whua chee
uh” - and that doesn’t even consider the complication of
tonality. Thus, a verbal phrase-book style translation is not
effective without at least a few hours of pinyin pronunciation
training.
Fortunately, written Chinese is standardized, even across
10 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
China’s hundreds of regional dialects. Therefore, pointing
at written translations is effective at communicating with
anyone in China, even to people who speak a dialect other
than Mandarin.
Using the Guide
The book is designed around enabling fast real-time
interaction with locals. Translations are organized by
component type or scenario, and the spiral binding allows
the book to be easily left open to that page, so both parties
can view the bilingual phrases with ease. The binding
also allows the book to accommodate the extra thickness
of business cards, which may be placed in the included
pouches for quick access. The pouches are interleaved
among several copies of a market map, allowing business
cards (which are primarily printed in Chinese) to be easily
matched with map annotations. This simplifies the problem
of remembering a vendor’s location for repeat business.
It’s generally recommended to bring printed specification
drawings to the market, especially when sourcing switches,
connectors, and other components with complex or
arbitrary dimensions. While the vendors cannot speak
English, most can read enough English characters to
interpret a mechanical drawing. Each plastic business card
holder sheet also has a larger pouch meant for storing
folded up specification drawings.
The tabs along the edge enable fast navigation between
sections, and the elastic band on the back functions as a
bookmark for quick access. All the pages can be torn out for
easy sharing with friends and suppliers.
Finally, this book never runs out of batteries, and is
compatible with the most popular API in the market -
printed name card, receipts, and drawings. It loads instantly
bunnie 11
no matter where you are - the Great Firewall of China can’t
filter it. You actually own your copy of this book - unlike
software, it’s not licensed to you via a click-through EULA
that robs you of all your fair use rights. It also can’t be
infected with malware, has no pop-up ads, and will never
upload confidential notes about pricing, sources, and
vendors to the cloud. Your data is your data!
About Technical Chinese
As my friend Gavin Zhao once quipped, Chinese is a
wonderful language for poetry, but difficult for precise
technical communications. Fans of Randall Munroe’s XKCD
may have seen the “Up-Goer Five” blueprint comic (http://
xkcd.com/1133/), where complex technical concepts are
explained using only the “ten hundred” most common
English words. Considering that 98% of Chinese is covered
with only 2,500 characters, and there are only 7,000 “general
use” characters, most technical terms in Chinese have to
be decomposed into idioms that are reminiscent of the Up-
Goer Five scenario.
For example, a resistor is 电阻, which means “electric
obstructor”, capacitor is 电容, which means “electric
container”, and a computer is 电脑, which means “electric
brain”. On the other hand, some concepts have names
which are simply phonetic loan words with no meaning,
such as the Schottky diode: 效特基二极管. The first three
characters are “xiào tè jī” (sounds like “shao tuh gee”),
which sound somewhat like “Schottky” but the characters
mean “resembles particular basis/foundation”; clearly
phonetic but no meaning. The last three characters mean
“two-pole tube”, which does make some sense. And then
there are the pronunciation subtleties, such as 芯片号, “xīn
piàn hào” (which means an “IC’s part number” (literally
“core flat item’s number”), which with misplaced accents
sounds like 性偏好, “xìng piān hào” which means “sexual
12 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
preference”. No native speaker would ever mispronounce
or confuse the two, but a foreigner going up to a local
asking “What’s your chip’s part number?” could be heard
as “What’s your sexual preference?” if mispronounced and
taken out of context.
Even Mandarin speakers find it challenging to communicate
certain technical terms. Different idioms are used, for
example, between Taiwan and Shenzhen. There are other
differences across China depending upon the dialect and
context: academics will typically use more formal and
technically rigorous terms than a market trader or even an
engineer. For example, in the market the descriptive term 三
级管 (‘three-pole tube’) is sometimes used for a transistor,
instead of the academically accepted 晶体管 (‘crystal tube’).
Both of these could refer to a “metal oxide semiconductor
field effect transistor” (MOSFET), but there’s no uniform
system for abbreviating 金属-氧化物-半导体型场效应管
(that’s Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
spelled out in Chinese characters). In this case, market
traders will often fall back to using English acronyms or
some local slang to refer to a given part.
For this book, I’ve worked with my Chinese friends to
produce translations that are targeted at the vernacular
of traders in the Hua Qiang electronics market (of which
many are from the city of Chaozhou (潮州市), and so speak a
common dialect). If you do happen to find any errors or have
suggestions for improvements, please send a note to
ptt-feedback@kosagi.com.
What’s in the Market (And What’s Not)
The Shenzhen electronics market is an amazing resource,
but it’s not the be-all and end-all for sourcing electronic
parts. As a general rule, if it’s not already in a product sold
at Walmart, it’s probably not in this market. For example,
bunnie 13
it’s hard to find analytical-grade sensors for quantities
like pH, radiation and air quality. The selection of FPGAs
is pretty dismal, and it’s not actually a great place to find
microcontrollers – at least, not the types that Western-
trained designers typically use. China has its own ecosystem
of low-cost microcontrollers that are more popular with
the locals. Also, given that the district sprang out of the
ground in the 90’s, old or rare parts are hard to find, such
as vacuum tubes or certain models of JFETs favored by
elite audio engineers. For sourcing specialty parts, Taobao
(taobao.com is China’s amalgamation of Amazon.com with
eBay.com) is probably a better option than searching the
physical markets.
On the other hand, the market is brimming with parts
found in any major mobile phone produced within the past
decade. There are shelves loaded with cables, connectors,
crystals, LEDs, diodes, transistors, resistors and capacitors.
Generally, I find the market to be most effective for the
following activities:
• Sourcing “jellybean” parts (e.g., capacitors, resistors,
and parts with non-critical specifications)
• Finding cost-down alternatives to expensive switches
and connectors – if there isn’t an exact replacement,
there’s likely a functional equivalent at a tenth the price
• Building an intuition for what’s hot on the market
• Getting inspiration for making new products and finding
new business opportunities
The market is also heavily skewed toward electronics; there
are some electromechanical components such as relays and
motors, but not much. Instead, there are other districts and
malls in the region (within a 2-hour drive of Shenzhen) that
specialize in products ranging from plastics and textiles,
to motors and factory automation, to CNC and lasercutting
services. There’s even a district that specializes in art
14 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
supplies and bespoke oil paintings.
Pricing the Market and Haggling
What is the fair market price for a component? Generally,
the Hua Qiang electronics district is a “professional” market,
which means that there’s relatively little bargaining to do
over price. This is a markedly different experience from the
“tourist” markets in Shenzhen, such as the mall near the
Luohu border crossing where typically the initial bid is 5x or
10x over the final price.
Vendors at the Hua Qiang electronics district are mostly
factories trying to connect with volume buyers; the
representatives at the booths don’t find sport in haggling
(although tourism is starting to change the market’s
character). Instead of ripping off tourists, they are looking
for long-term revenue streams from repeat buyers. Thus,
the initial ask is typically reasonable, and usually the best
way to improve pricing is to increase the volume, or at least
portray the appearance or promise of higher volumes.
Serious-looking buyers will often receive initial samples for
free, especially for relatively inexpensive components.
Bargaining may be a fruitful venture when purchasing
tools for the lab bench, as the standard mark-ups reflect
the cost of single-unit purchases. However, don’t expect to
halve prices with aggressive bargaining; this just annoys
the vendor as it’s a waste of time and effort to sell quality
products with no margin. If a deal is too good to be true, it
probably is – that memory stick probably doesn’t have half
the memory it advertises, or that phone is probably second-
hand or flawed in some way.
Still, there is some variation in cost for similar components,
as some factories simply have a more competitive cost
structure, or certain models of products are much more
bunnie 15
popular and thus produced in higher volumes. The good
news is there are many vendors crammed into a tiny space,
so don’t be afraid to inquire at several shops about their
pricing. After four or five inquiries one can develop a fairly
good intuition of what the median price should be for a given
commodity.
Is it Fake?
First, “fake” is not an all-or-nothing concept. Is an iPhone
no longer an iPhone if it has a small scratch on the back? Of
course, it’s still an iPhone; and for an appropriate discount,
you’d likely be perfectly happy to buy it. But Apple wouldn’t
sell it, and thus it’s a reject unit that has to be refurbished or
scrapped. On the other hand, a flip phone with an Apple logo
on the back is not a “fake iPhone”, just as a human wearing
cat-ears and a tail isn’t a “fake cat”; it’s a human dressing
up as a cat (or more pedantically, a human in the “trade-
dress” of a cat).
Here’s a list of things to consider when evaluating if a
product meets your needs. It’s fairly long, so each bullet is a
glyph that grades the potential performance impact of each
practice assuming the buyer is unaware it’s happening. In
cases with full awareness, one can mitigate any negative
impact while getting a good deal by either implementing a
strong incoming material test program or by simply trading
off quality for cost on non-critical parts.
Component performance risk legend:
serious impact
likely serious impact
likely no impact
little or no impact
Sometimes components are genuine but are partial
reels not suitable for wholesale in Western markets, or
16 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
the reel may be short a few percent of the parts that it
claims to have (so the reel might claim to contain 10,000
resistors, but actually has 9,900).
Sometimes components are genuine, but have date
codes over one or two years old. Because of strict
inventory control policies in the largest manufacturers,
these otherwise perfectly good components are sold as
scrap. The date codes are then sometimes modified to
be within a year old.
Sometimes components are genuine, but are remainders
from a large production run that didn’t use up all the
parts that were ordered, and are thus sold as scrap.
Sometimes components are from “ghost shifts”, where
the exact production line that’s used to make authorized
product is run a bit longer to produce an extra lot (but
perhaps without the same level of testing or quality
control), which is then resold as brand-authorized
product.
(for jellybean parts) (everything else) Sometimes
components are made by a local Chinese factory, but
relabeled with the brand of more famous/reputable
foreign manufacturers. This is particularly common on
jellybean parts like resistors, capacitors and batteries,
where the quality of the Chinese version is virtually
indistinguishable from the foreign version. This is also
done sometimes to offset import taxes or to pass tax
audits.
Sometimes sub-assemblies or modules that are made
for brand-name products are sold directly by the sub-
contractor, which means it’s authentic quality and
function but the factory might (or might not) be in breach
of contract with the brand.
Sometimes components are of a lower spec, but
labeled as higher. This is particularly common in FLASH
bunnie 17
memory, batteries, or any product that features multiple
grades in identical casing (e.g. phones with different
internal storage capacities). I also suspect this happens
in capacitor and resistor tolerances and tempcos, but I
haven’t done a rigorous study to confirm the suspicion.
Sometimes components are rejects from a factory,
but sold as full-spec. Sometimes they are also
refurbished to a like-new state, but without the factory’s
authorization. These are tricky to catch.
Sometimes components are recycled and refurbished
to be sold like new. This is particularly common among
mobile phone parts and pieces. Apple introduced
component-level serial numbers and associated DRM in
part to combat the practice of Frankensteining phones,
where several old broken phones are gutted and the
good parts combined into a “new” phone.
Sometimes components are pre-production prototypes,
but are being sold as production grade parts. Keep an
eye out for notices similar to “prototype not for sale” or
“engineering sample” printed on the part.
Particularly in consumer goods, brands and trademarks
are copied and put on items that clearly have nothing
to do with the brand’s authorized products. In many
cases, this practice has an almost satirical effect and
is extremely easy to spot. When aware of the practice,
it’s a (low impact) event; but if somehow the buyer is
gullible enough to be fooled by the false trademark, it’s
definitely a bad deal.
Particularly in consumer goods, sometimes the
packaging is fancy but the product just sucks, is shoddily
manufactured, lacks firmware QA/integration, or is not
well-tested before shipping. You get what you pay for,
caveat emptor.
18 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Sometimes everything is genuine and on the up-and-
up, but the agreed upon price is different from the price
actually transacted in cash. This is done typically to
either avoid taxes or to create inflated invoices which
are passed on for reimbursement, effectively improving
the middleman’s margin. This practice doesn’t impact
the quality of the goods, but the negotiated discount is
typically not passed on to the ultimate consumer or the
person issuing the reimbursement for the purchase.
Sometimes there are outright fakes, where someone
has gone through the trouble of trying to copy the
process, design, and firmware of a brand product and
produce something that looks and functions exactly like
the original but sells for less. But with so many other
options, this is a lot of work for very little reward and
thus is not so common.
Hours & When to Go
Regardless of the posted hours, the markets are pretty
empty before 10AM. Stalls at lower traffic areas will likely
be shuttered. Things start hopping around 11AM, and most
of the markets are forced to close by around 6PM. A few of
the busier markets prop their doors open and continue to
do business after-hours, but building managers strongly
discourage the practice by turning off most of the ceiling
lights and the air conditioning at the posted closing time.
The Chinese take their holidays very seriously. When
planning a trip, be sure to consult the Internet for a list
of China’s public holidays. It’s best to avoid going anytime
within a couple weeks of the official Chinese Spring Festival
(Chinese New Year). The exact date of the festival changes
every year because it’s synchronized to a lunar calendar,
but tends to be in late January or early February. The other
bunnie 19
major holiday where most businesses close for an extended
period is the National Day holiday week, which occurs first
week of October.
Internet & Helpful Apps
As a general rule, the Internet as you know it is blocked
in China. There’s no access to Google services, Facebook,
Twitter, Imgur, YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Telegram, etc. etc.
As a consolation, there’s Bing. Roaming data service will
bypass the firewall since roaming phones are assigned an IP
address from the home country of the subscriber’s carrier,
but it’s an expensive option. Prices vary depending upon
the carrier, but currently T-mobile offers one of the lowest
cost international roaming data plans. A VPN is a cheaper
way to get around the firewall, but depending upon the
political climate even VPNs can be blocked. China’s firewall
routers have the ability to do deep packet inspection and
thus can automatically discover VPN connections running
on unconventional ports or with other small modifications
intended to bypass less sophisticated firewalls.
This means you probably cannot rely upon your favorite
cloud-based translation service, and your default mapping
application probably won’t work. You probably won’t be able
to install new apps. More importantly, you’re not going to be
able to access that important presentation or demo video
you stored in the cloud.
So before going, I recommend downloading any critical
data and storing it locally on your laptop. I also recommend
installing Pleco (available on both Google Play and Apple
Store), which is an off-line capable translation app that
I’ve found to be well worth the price. I also hesitantly
recommend installing Baidu maps. It’s basically malware,
so uninstall it upon leaving China, but it will at least provide
a mapping app that works well in China and won’t suffer
20 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
from mandatory GPS offsets or forced service outages
at the most inconvenient times. Finally, most locals use
Wechat to keep in touch, so even though that app is also
a memory and battery hog, and it doesn’t respect privacy
settings, it’s handy to have. In an ideal world, you’d have an
unlocked phone for use only in China, and a phone you use
everywhere else.
Smartphone users will want to temporarily disable all
services that might try to synchronize with blacklisted
servers outside of China. Otherwise, the phone will run
down its battery quickly because these services will keep
the phone and radio awake whilst desperately trying to
contact servers that will never respond.
Tipping
There is no tipping in China. Service fees are inclusive,
except at places like massage parlors.
Weather & Dressing
The fashion in Shenzhen is decidedly “business practical”.
In other words, it’s what is comfortable for the weather
conditions outside without looking like a slob. Many
factories, as well as stores and offices outside of the city
core will not have temperature-controlled environments.
Without air conditioning or heat, comfort trumps fashion as
the weather can go from hot and muggy in the summer, to
clammy and damp in the winter. It also gets quite rainy in
between the two.
For men, ties or suits are uncommon – even in business
settings, a polo or collared shirt is more than sufficient,
along with jeans or nice slacks. I personally wear nothing
bunnie 21
other than T-shirts and shorts year round, and have
rarely encountered a situation where I felt out of place or
underdressed.
For women, my best advice is to wear comfortable shoes;
you’ll do a lot of walking. I’m no expert on women’s fashion,
but generally styles trend toward slightly conservative. Low-
cut V-necks and tank tops aren’t common in the office; if
they are worn, it’s typically with an additional layer on the
outside. Short miniskirts are less common in the office,
although daisy dukes seem to be more acceptable. Colorful
and patterned is okay; it’s not like Japan where anything
other than black screams tourist or rebel.
Evening-wear does get classier and more fun, particularly
in foreigner-friendly club and bar districts. Men will don
collars and leather shoes, and women seem to gain a couple
inches in height and lose a couple inches on the neck lines
and even more on skirt length. Despite this, I still go to
most clubs and pubs in my shorts and T-shirt, and there’s
still enough other folks dressed like me that I’m not too out
of place. However, beware that the most trendy clubs may
have dress codes.
22 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 23
Components
Point-to-Translate Guide:
Components
24
Table of E96 (1%) and E24 (5%) standard values. 1.00 (1.0) 1.47 2.15 3.16 4.64 6.81
This is provided for engineering reference. When 1.02 1.50 (1.5) 2.21 (2.2) 3.24 4.75 (4.7) 6.98
specifying values, write them down. Vendors will
understand the prefixes “K” and “M”. “m” is much 1.05 1.54 2.26 3.32 (3.3) 4.87 7.15
more rare and therefore it’s recommended to
write out values as e.g. “0.01” instead of 10mOhm. 1.07 1.58 2.32 3.40 4.99 7.32
1.10 (1.1) 1.62 (1.6) 2.37 (2.4) 3.48 5.11 7.50 (7.5)
1.13 1.65 2.43 3.57 5.23 7.68
Ohm
1.15 1.69 2.49 3.65 5.36 7.87
欧
ōu
1.18 1.74 2.55 3.74 5.49 8.06
K 1.21 (1.2) 1.78 2.61 3.83 5.62 (5.6) 8.25 (8.2)
The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
千欧
qiān ōu 1.24 1.82 (1.8) 2.67 (2.7) 3.92 (3.9) 5.76 8.45
M 1.27 1.87 2.74 4.02 5.90 8.66
兆欧 1.30 (1.3) 1.91 2.80 4.12 6.04 8.87
zhào ōu
1.33 1.96 2.87 4.22 6.19 (6.2) 9.09 (9.1)
m (milli)
毫欧 1.37 2.00 (2.0) 2.94 4.32 (4.3) 6.34 9.31
háo ōu
1.40 2.05 3.01 (3.0) 4.42 6.49 9.53
1.43 2.10 3.09 4.53 6.65 9.76
Note: SMT case sizes are on page 31.
Resistors - 电阻器
diàn zǔ qì
SPECS tolerance wattage composition tempco cheapest
详情 容差 功率 成分 温度系数 最便宜的
róng chà gōng lǜ chéng fèn wēn dù xì shù zuì pián yí de
0.1% 0.05W thick film carbon film 1ppm finest
0.5% 0.1W 厚膜 炭膜 5ppm 最好的
hòu mó tàn mó zuì hǎo de
1% 0.16W 10ppm
thin film metal film general use
5% 0.25W 25ppm
薄膜 金属箔 通用的
bó mó jīn shǔ bó tōng yòng de
10% 0.5W 50ppm
20% 1W wirewound ceramic 100ppm what’s in stock
绕线 陶瓷 有现货的
随便 (any) 2W rào xiàn táo cí 500ppm yǒu xiàn huò de
5W 1000ppm anything is OK
MOUNTING through-hole surface mount 随便 (any) 什么都可以
shén me dōu kě yǐ
封装 插件式 贴片式
chā jiàn shì tiē piàn shì
resistor network isolated bussed convex concave
bunnie
OTHER
其他 电阻器网络,阵列 隔离 总线式 凸面 凹面
diàn zǔ qì wǎng luò, zhèn liè gé lí zǒng xiàn shì tū miàn āo miàn
25
26
1.0 1.2 1.5
Table of E12 (10%) standard values.
1.8 2.2 2.7
This is provided for engineering reference. When
specifying values, write them down. Vendors will
3.3 3.9 4.7
understand the prefixes “μ”, “n”, and “p”.
5.6 6.8 8.2
The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
farad milli μ (micro) n (nano) p (pico)
法拉 毫 微 纳[诺] 皮[可]
fǎlā háo wēi nà [nuò] pí [kě]
Note: SMT case sizes are on page 31.
Capacitors - 电容器
diàn róng qì
SPECS tolerance voltage dielectric tempco other terms
详情 容差 电压-额定 介电材料 温度系数
róng chà diàn yā-é dìng jiè diàn cái liào wēn dù xì shù temp range
工作温度
0.1pF 2.5V C0G,NP0 gōng zuò wēn dù
ceramic thin film
0.25pF 4V 陶瓷 薄膜 X5R low ESR
táo cí bó mó
0.5pF 6.3V X7R 低等效串联电阻
tantalum mica （低ESR ）
1pF 10V X7S
钽 云母 low ESL
tǎn yún mǔ
1% 16V Y5V 低ESL
5% 25V aluminum Z5U 注解：倒置结构
铝 what brand?
10% 50V lǚ
什么品牌?
20% 高压(HV) shén me pǐn pái
MOUNTING through-hole surface mount genuine
封装 插件式 贴片式 原装正品
chā jiàn shì tiē piàn shì
yuán zhuāng zhèng pǐn
radial axial disc dipped molded critical spec
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STYLE
类型 径向 轴向 圆盘 保形涂层 模制 关键描述
jìng xiàng zhóu xiàng yuán pán bǎo xíng tú céng mó zhì guān jiàn miáo shù
27
28 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
LED - 光二极管
guāng èr jí guǎn
COLOR pink red orange amber yellow green aqua blue purple
颜色 粉红 红 橙 琥珀 黄 绿 水蓝 蓝 紫
fěn hóng hóng chéng hǔ pò huáng lǜ shuǐ lán lán zǐ
white RGB two-color infrared ultraviolet
白 七彩 双色 红外 紫外
bái qī cǎi shuāng sè hóng wài zǐ wài
LENS clear misty crystal clear flat top domed
透镜样式 透明 雾状/ 散射 无色透明 平头 带圆顶
tòu míng wù zhuàng / sǎn shè wú sè tòu míng píng tóu dài yuán dǐng
MOUNTING through-hole long leads short leads surface mount
封装 插件式 长脚 短脚 贴片式
chā jiàn shì cháng jiǎo duǎn jiǎo tiē piàn shì
OTHER super-bright self-flashing slow flash fast flash high power
其他 高亮 单闪 慢闪 快闪 大功率
gāo liàng dān shǎn màn shǎn kuài shǎn dà gōng lǜ
common anode common cathode LED tape
bunnie
共阳 共阴 LED 灯带
gòng yáng gòng yīn LED dēng dài
29
30 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
SMT Case Sizes - 封装大小
fēng zhuāng dà xiǎo
Imperial Metric Wide Construction
英制 公制 倒置结构
yīng zhì gōng zhì dào zhì jié gòu
01005 0402
Imperial Metric
英制 公制
0201 0603 yīng zhì gōng zhì
0402 1005 0204 0510
0603 1608 0306 0816
0805 2012 0508 1220
1206 3216 0612 1632
1210 3225 0815 2037
1812 4532 0830 2075
2010 5025 1020 2550
2512 6332 1218 3245
C-case 6032
bunnie
1225 3264
D-case 7343 2030 5176
31
32 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Inductors - 电感器
diàn gǎn qì
SPECS power inductor high current rated current DC-DC converter tolerance
参数 功率电感器 高电流 额定电流 DC-DC 转换器 容差
gōng lǜ diàn gǎn qì gāo diàn liú é dìng diàn liú DC-DC zhuǎn huàn qì róng chà
impedance DCR amps shielded unshielded saturation current
阻抗 DC电阻 安培 屏蔽 无屏蔽 饱和电流
zǔ kàng DC diàn zǔ ān bèi píng bì wú píng bì bǎo hé diàn liú
RF inductor high Q high frequency SRF test frequency filter
射频电感器 高Q 高频 自谐振频率 测试频率 滤波器
shè pín diàn gǎn qì gāo Q gāo pín zì xié zhèn pín lǜ cè shì pín lǜ lǜ bō qì
ferrite bead through-hole surface mount similar is OK exact match
铁氧体磁珠 插件式 贴片式 相似就可以 完全相同
tiě yǎng tǐ cí zhū chā jiàn shì tiē piàn shì xiāng sì jiù kě yǐ wán quán xiāng tóng
MATERIAL core material wirewound ceramic ferrite iron air metal composite
材料 磁芯材料 绕线 陶瓷 铁氧体 铁 空气 金属合成物
cí xīn cái liào rào xiàn táo cí tiě yǎng tǐ tiě kōng qì jīn shǔ hé chéng wù
OTHER selection guide catalog datasheet online datasheet
bunnie
其他 选择指南 产品目录 规格书 网上规格书
xuǎn zé zhǐ nán chǎn pǐn mù lù guī gé shū wǎng shàng guī gé shū
33
34 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Market traders are not engineers. Don’t expect
Diodes - 二极管
er jí guǎn them to know much about the technical details
of a product. Best to come with a part number in
TYPES Schottky rectifier diode bridge rectifier hand, rather than a description.
类型 肖特基二极管 整流二极管 桥式整流器
xiào tè jī èr jí guǎn zhěng liú èr jí guǎn qiáo shì zhěng liú qì
Zener diode ESD diode switching diode general purpose diode LED
稳压二极管 TVS二极管 开关二极管 标准二极管 发光二极管
wěn yā èr jí guǎn 瞬态抑制二极管 kāi guān èr jí guǎn biāo zhǔn èr jí guǎn fā guāng èr jí guǎn
SPECS Vf Vr high voltage high current average current
参数 正向电压 最大反向电压 高电压 高电流 平均整流电流
zhèng xiàng diàn yā zuì dà fǎn xiàng diàn yā gāo diàn yā gāo diàn liú píng jūn zhěng liú diàn liú
reverse leakage current package
反向漏电流 电流 封装
fǎn xiàng lòu diàn liú diàn liú fēng zhuāng
MATERIAL germanium silicon
材料 锗 硅
zhě guī
OTHER catalog datasheet online datasheet similar is OK exact match
bunnie
其他 商品目录 规格书 下载规格书的网站 相似就可以 完全相同
shāng pǐn mù lù guī gé shū xià zài guī gé shū de wǎng zhàn xiāng sì jiù kě yǐ wán quán xiāng tóng
35
36 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Market traders are not
Transistors - 晶体管 engineers. Don’t expect them to
jīng tǐ guǎn
know much about the technical
TYPES details of a product. Best to come
BJT NPN PNP Darlington
with a part number in hand,
类型 双极性晶体管 NPN PNP 达林顿 rather than a description.
shuāng jí xìng jīng tǐ guǎn dá lín dùn
Some of the terms are
FET JFET “translated” as English
场效应晶体管 结型场效应管 acronyms. In many cases
chǎng xiào yìng jīng tǐ guǎn jié xíng chǎng xiào yìng guǎn transistors are basically
classified by their English
MOSFET acronyms.
金属-氧化物-半导体型场效应管
jīn shǔ - yǎng huà wù - bàn dǎo tǐ xíng chǎng xiào yìng guǎn However, it’s still helpful to show
the letters because Mandarin
Single Dual Array N-channel P-channel speakers pronounce the English
单 双 阵列 N-沟道 P-沟道 alphabet differently from native
dān shuāng zhèn liè N-gōu dào P-gōu dào English speakers.
OTHER catalog datasheet online datasheet
其他 产品目录 规格书 网上规格书
chǎn pǐn mù lù guī gé shū wǎng shàng guī gé shū
similar is OK exact match
bunnie
相似就可以 完全相同
xiāng sì jiù kě yǐ wán quán xiāng tóng
37
38 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Connectors are a challenge to describe in any language. Thus, it is recommended to bring
Connectors - 连接器 technical drawings or preferably samples of the connector to the market.
lián jiē qì
TYPE pin header rectangular circular card edge FPC IC socket
类型 排针 矩形 圆形 卡边缘 柔性电路板 芯片插座
pái zhēn jǔ xíng yuán xíng kǎ biān yuán róu xìng diàn lù bǎn xīn piàn chā zuò
barrel (power) DIMM memory card coaxial female pin header
套管-电源用 存储模块插座 内存卡 同轴 排针母插口
tào guǎn-diàn yuán yòng cún chú mó kuài chā zuò nèi cún kǎ tóng zhóu pái zhēn mǔ chā kǒu
SPECS pitch pin count # rows single row dual row
参数 间距 脚数 排数 单排 双排
jiān jù jiǎo shù pái shù pān pái shuāng pái
inner diameter outer diameter orientation side entry right angle top entry
内径 外径 方向 侧插 直角 顶插
nèi jìng wài jìng fāng xiàng cè chā zhí jiǎo dǐng chā
through hole surface mount mated height height microUSB miniUSB
通孔 表面贴装 组合高度 高度 微型USB 迷你USB
tōng kǒng biǎo miàn tiē zhuāng zǔ hé gāo dù gāo dù wéi xíng USB mí nǐ USB
plug jack socket male female mating connector
bunnie
插头 插孔 插座 公插/公头 母插/母头 配套连接器
chā tóu chā kǒng chā zuò gōng chā/gōng tóu mǔ chā/mǔ tóu pèi tào lián jiē qì
39
side with pins side with holes
40
For engineering reference, tables of common resolutions are A few of the most prolific panel makers and
provided below. Significantly, many panel vendors don’t know their Chinese names are listed below.
the resolution of the panels they are selling (just the make and
model), so inquiries on resolution may be met with confusion or
blank stares. Samsung LG DLC
4:3 aspect Wide aspect
三星 LG 德尔西
sān xīng dé ’ěr xī
resolutions resolutions
CGA 320x200 WVGA 800x480
Innolux Tianma E Ink
QVGA 320x240 WSVGA 1024x600 群创 天马 元太
qún chuàng tiān mǎ yuán tài
VGA 640x480 HD720 1280x720
PAL 768x576 WXGA 1280x768
SVGA 800x600 1280x800 AUO Sharp CPT
XGA 1024x768 FWXGA 1366x768
The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
友达 夏普 中华映管
XGA+ 1152x864 WXGA+ 1440x900 yǒu dá xià pǔ zhōng huá yìng guǎn
SXGA 1280x1024 FWXGA+ 1440x960
SXGA+ 1400x1050 HD+ 1600x900 Hannstar BOE Toshiba
UXGA 1600x1200 WSXGA+ 1680x1050 瀚宇彩晶 京东方 东芝
QXGA 2048x1536 HD1080 1920x1080 hàn yǔ cǎi jīng jīng dōng fāng dōng zhī
WQXGA 2560x1600 WUXGA 1920x1200
QSXGA 2560x2048 UWHD 2560x1080 Kyocera KOE Mitsubishi
QHD 2560x1440
京瓷 日立 三菱
UWQHD 3440x1440 jīng cí rì lì / hitachi sān líng
UHD 3840x2160
4K 4096x2160
Displays - 显示器 synonyms: panels screens please help test grade
xiǎn shì qì 也稱: 面板 显示屏 请帮忙测试一下 等级
miàn bǎn xiǎn shì píng qǐng bāng máng cè shì yī xià děng jí
Most vendors will have a A+级
LCD OLED EPD LC cell pattern generator available
TYPE for testing.
类型 液晶屏 OLED屏 电子纸 液晶玻璃 A级
yè jīng píng OLED píng diàn zǐ zhǐ yè jīng bō lí
A-级
SPECS diagonal resolution ppi contrast ratio IPS B级
参数 尺寸 分辨率 点距 对比度 IPS
chǐ cùn fēn biàn lǜ 也稱像素间距 duì bǐ dù 平面转换
次品
(rejects)
backlight brightness backlight driver anti-glare shiny
背光 亮度 背光电路 雾面 镜面 brand new
bèi guāng liàng dù bèi guāng diàn lù wù miàn jìng miàn
新屏
xīn píng
interface connector bias IC controller IC
信号接口 端子/连接器 驱动芯片 控制芯片 recycled
xìn hào jiē kǒu duān zǐ / lián jiē qì qū dòng xīn piàn kòng zhì xīn piàn
旧屏
jiù píng
touchpanel captouch resistive optical/IR
触摸屏 电容触摸屏 电阻式触摸屏 红外线式触摸屏
chù mō píng diàn róng chù mō pín diàn zǔ shì chù mō píng hóng wài xiàn shì chù mō píng
landscape
bunnie
portrait monochrome full color make model
横屏 竖屏 单色 彩色 品牌 型号
héng píng shù píng dān sè cǎi sè xíng hào
41
pǐn pái
42 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Computer Parts - 电脑零件
diàn nǎo líng jiàn
CPU dual-core single-core quad-core heat sink heat sink paste
中央处理器 双核 单核 四核 散热器 散热膏
zhōng yāng chǔ lǐ qì shuāng hé dān hé sì hé sàn rè qì sàn rè gāo
keyboard mouse USB stick SD card serial port USB port fan case
键盘 鼠标 闪存盘 SD卡 串行端口 USB接口 风扇 机箱
jiàn pán shǔ biāo shǎn cún pán SD kǎ chuàn xíng duān kǒu USB jiē kǒu fēng shàn jī xiāng
RAM (stick) hard disk SSD microUSB miniUSB cable power supply
内存(条) 硬盘 固态硬盘 微型USB 迷你USB 电缆 电源
nèi cún (tiáo) yìng pán gùtài yìng pán wéi xíng USB mí nǐ USB diàn lǎn diàn yuán
motherboard desktop PC laptop ultrabook netbook
主板 台式电脑 笔记本电脑 超极本电脑 上网本电脑
zhǔ bǎn tái shì diàn nǎo bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo chāo jí běn diàn nǎo shàng wǎng běn diàn nǎo
LCD diagonal resolution ppi contrast ratio IPS anti-glare shiny
液晶屏 尺寸 分辨率 点距 对比度 IPS 雾面 镜面
yè jīng píng chǐ cùn fēn biàn lǜ 也稱像素间距 duì bǐ dù 平面转换 wù miàn jìng miàn
backlight brightness captouch resistive entry level high end
背光 亮度 电容式触 电阻式触 入门级 高端
rù mén jí gāo duān
bunnie
bèi guāng liàng dù diàn róng shì chù diàn zǔ shì chù
43
44 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 45
Point-to-Translate Guide:
Tools & Tooling
Tools & Tooling
46 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Tools - 工具
gōng jù
soldering iron solder lead free with lead flux desoldering braid
烙铁 焊锡 无铅 有铅 助焊剂 吸锡编带
lào tiě hàn xí wú qiān yǒu qiān zhù hàn jì xī xī biān dài
tweezers pliers wire cutters wire strippers copper tape
镊子 钳子 剪钳 剥线钳 铜带
niè zi qián zi jiǎn qián bō xiàn qián tóng dài
multimeter oscilloscope calipers digital calipers ruler
万用表 示波镜 卡尺 数显卡尺 直尺
wàn yòng biǎo shì bō jìng kǎ chǐ shù xiǎn kǎ chǐ zhí chǐ
microscope magnifying lens magnet battery lithium ion battery protection circuit
显微镜 放大镜 磁铁 电池 锂离子电池 保护电路
xiǎn wéi jìng fàng dà jìng cí tiě diàn chí lǐ lí zǐ diàn chí bǎo hù diàn lù
test jig power strip battery charger
测试治具 (几插)延长线 电池充电器
cè shì zhì jù (jǐ chā) yán cháng xiàn diàn chí chōng diàn qì
bunnie
47
48 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Tools & Mechanical - 工具
gōng jù
& 机械
jī xiè
wrench drill bolt nut washer
扳手 钻头 螺栓 螺母 垫圈
bān shǒu zuàn tóu luó shuān luó mǔ diàn quān
flat head socket cap button head
平头 圆柱头 半圆头
píng tóu yuán zhù tóu bàn yuán tóu
screwdriver screw
螺丝刀 螺丝钉
luó sī dāo luó sī dīng
phillips slotted torx pentalobular hex socket cap
十字头 一字头 梅花头 五角星头 圆柱头内六角头
shí zì tóu yī zì tóu méi huā tou iPhone luó sī yuán zhù tóu nèi liù jiǎo tóu
motor servo leadscrew bushing anti-backlash nut shaft knob
马达 伺服器 丝杆 套管 消隙螺母 轴 把手
mǎ dá sì fú qì sī gǎn tào guǎn xiāo xì luó mǔ zhóu bǎ shǒu
switch pushbutton tact switch rocker switch slide switch
开关 按钮开关 触动开关 摇臂开关 滑动开关
kāi guān àn niǔ kāi guān chù dòng kāi guān yáo bì kāi guān huá dòng kāi guān
bunnie
49
50 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Materials - 材质
cái zhì
aluminum steel stainless steel titanium chrome bronze copper
铝 钢 不锈钢 钛 铬 青铜 铜
lǚ gāng bù xiù gāng tài gè qīng tóng tóng
tin lead lead-free gold silver platinum wood
锡 铅 无铅 金 银 铂 木
xī qiān wú qiān jīn yín bó mù
ceramic tantalum aluminum electrolytic carbon
陶瓷 钽 铝电解 碳
táo cí tǎn lǚ diàn jiě tàn
plastic epoxy superglue glue fiberglass carbon fiber
塑胶 环氧树脂 强力胶 胶水 玻璃纤维 碳纤维
sù jiāo huán yǎng shù zhī qiáng lì jiāo jiāo shuǐ bō li xiān wéi tàn xiān wéi
PCB flex PCB rigid PCB
电路板 软板 硬板
diàn lù bǎn ruǎn bǎn yìng bǎn
plating anodization powder coating painting
bunnie
FINISHING
表面处理 电镀 阳极氧化 粉末涂料 涂装
diàn dù yáng jí yǎng huà fěn mò tú liào tú zhuāng
51
52 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Injection Molding - 注塑模
zhù sù mó
COMMON tool / mold mold base parting line tonnage die casting
TERMS 模具 模胚 分型线 吨位 拉模铸造
mó jù mó pēi fēn xíng xiàn dùn wèi lā mó zhù zào
常用术语
ejector pin slider lifter gate runner hot runner sprue
顶针 滑块 斜顶 入水口 分流道 热流道 主流道
dǐng zhēn huá kuài xié dǐng rù shuǐ kǒu fēn liú dào rè liú dào zhǔ liú dào
DEFECTS ejector mark sink mark knit line flow line warpage scratch
常见不良 顶针印 缩水 分模线 气纹 变形 刮花
dǐng zhēn yìn suō shuǐ fēn mó xiàn qì wén biàn xíng guā huā
discoloration wrong color
变色 颜色错误
biàn sè yán sè cuò wù
OTHER draft angle mirror finish satin finish
其他 拔模斜度 镜面加工 抛光处理
bá mó xié dù jìng miàn jiā gōng pāo guāng chǔ lǐ
bunnie
53
54 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 55
Point-to-Translate Guide:
Sealing the Deal
Sealing the Deal
56 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
This sample is almost right, but I need something different.
这个样品基本上是我想要的，但是我还有一些不同的要求。
Do you have something like this but...
你有类似这个的产品吗，但是……
smaller? bigger? thinner? taller? longer? shorter?
更小一点？ 更大一点？ 更薄一点？ 更高一点？ 更长一点？ 更短一点？
gèng xiǎo yī diǎn? gèng dà yī diǎn? gèng báo yī diǎn? gèng gāo yī diǎn? gèng zhǎng yīdiǎn? gèng duǎn yī diǎn?
heavier? lighter? thicker? faster? slower? stronger?
更重的？ 更轻的？ 更厚一点？ 更快的？ 更慢的？ 更强的？
gèng zhòng de? gèng qīng de? gèng hòu yī diǎn? gèng kuài de? gèng màn de? gèng qiáng de?
with surface mount feet? with through hole pins? with alignment pins?
表面贴片？ 带通孔插脚？ 带定位销的？
biǎo miàn tiē piàn? dài tōng kǒng chā jiǎo? dài dìng wèi xiāo de?
with surface mount signal wires, but through hole mounting feet?
带有表面贴片信号线，但是是直插件？
dài yǒu biǎo miàn tiē piàn xìn hào xiàn, dàn shì shì zhí chā jiàn?
in machine-assembly (reel/tube/tray) packaging?
bunnie
用于机器组装的包装方式（如卷状/管状/托盘包装）？
yòng yú jī qì zǔ zhuāng de bāo zhuāng fāng shì (rú juàn zhuāng / guǎn zhuàng / tuō pán bāo zhuāng)?
57
58 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
This sample is almost right, but I need something different.
这个样品基本上是我想要的，但是我还有一些不同的要求。
Do you have something like this but...
你有类似这个的产品吗，但是……
higher current? brighter? dimmer? in a different color?
电流更高的？ 更亮的？ 更暗的？ 不同的颜色？
diàn liú gèng gāo de? gèng liàng de? gèng àn de? bù tóng de yán sè?
with self-blinking? without self-blinking? longer battery life?
有自闪的？ 无自闪的？ 电池寿命更长的？
yǒu zì shān de? wú zì shǎn de? diàn chí shòu mìng gèng zhǎng de?
in stock now? cheaper? higher quality? in a retail box?
有现货的? 更便宜的？ 质量更好的？ 包装盒？
yǒu xiàn huò de gèng pián yí de? zhì liàng gèng hǎo de? bāo zhuāng hé?
for use with 110V? with a US-style plug? with an EU-style plug?
用于110V电压？ 带有美规电源插头？ 带有欧规电源插头？
yòng yú yāo yāo líng diàn yā? dài yǒu měi guī diàn yuán chā tóu? dài yǒu ōu guī diàn yuán chā tóu?
bunnie
59
60 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Packaging - 包装
bāo zhuāng
tape and reel cut tape bulk tube tray
卷带装 散带装 散装 管装 盘装
juǎn dài zhuāng sàn dài zhuāng sǎn zhuāng guǎn zhuāng pán zhuāng
retail box shipping box bag ESD bag desiccant cushioning
盒子 箱子 袋子 防静电袋 干燥剂 泡沫包装
hé zi xiāng zi dài zi fáng jìng diàn dài gānzào jì pào mò bāo zhuāng
make a handle out of tape vacuum seal packing tape label
用胶带做一个手柄 真空密封 胶带 贴纸
yòng jiāo dài zuò yī gè shǒu bǐng zhēn kōng mì fēng jiāo dài tiē zhǐ
No inventory The factory can make more It’s not possible It will take a while
没现货 需要生产 不可能 需要时间
méi xiàn huò xū yào shēng chǎn bù kě néng xū yào shí jiān
bunnie
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62 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Purchasing & Ordering - 采购&订货
cǎi gòu dìng huò
Is this new stock? Is this refurbished? Are you the manufacturer?
这是新的库存吗? 这是二手的吗? 你们有工厂吗？
zhè shì xīn de kù cún ma? zhè shì èr shǒu de ma? nǐ men yǒu gōng chǎng ma?
I’m looking for top quality I’m looking for your cheapest I’ll take anything
给我最好的质量 给我最便宜的 任何可以用的
gěi wǒ zuì hǎo de zhì liàng gěi wǒ zuì piányí de rèn hé kěyǐ yòng de
What is the MOQ? Can I have a sample please? If I buy more is there a discount?
最少订货量是多少？ 我能拿一个样品吗？ 如果我买多点会有折扣吗?
zuì shǎo dìng huò liàng shì duō shǎo? wǒ néng ná yī gè yàng pǐn ma? rú guǒ wǒ mǎi duō diǎn huì yǒu zhé kòu ma?
Is this part EOL? Can you produce more? Can you make this custom for me?
这个已经停产了吗? 你可以提供更多的吗? 你可以为我订制这个吗？
zhè ge yǐ jīng tíng chǎn le ma? nǐ kě yǐ tí gōng gèng duō de ma? nǐ kě yǐ wéi wǒ dìng zhì zhè ge ma?
This store is Wholesale Retail Yes No Possible Not possible
bunnie
这店是 批发 零售 是的 不 可以 不可以
zhè jiàn shì pī fā líng shòu shì de bù kě yǐ bù kě yǐ
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64 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Shipping - 出货
chū huò
Do you have stock here in the market? I’ll be back in a half hour to pick up the items
现在在市场上有库存吗？ 我在半个小时之内回来拿这些东西
xiàn zài zài shì chǎng shàng yǒu kù cún ma? wǒ zài bàn gè xiǎo shí zhī nèi huí lái ná zhè xiē dōng xī
Do I need to leave a deposit?
我是否需要留下押金?
wǒ shì fǒu xū yào liú xià yā jīn?
How much for shipping? Can you ship to this address? How long will it take?
运费要多少钱？ 可以出货到这个地址吗？ 要多长时间？
yùn fèi yào duō shǎo qián? kě yǐ chū huò dào zhè ge dì zhǐ ma? yào duō cháng shí jiān?
It should arrive by... today tomorrow day after tmrw next week next month
这要在…抵达 (收货时间) 今天 明天 后天 下个星期 下个月
zhè yào zài…dǐ dá (shōu huò shí jiān) jīn tiān míng tiān hòu tiān xià gè xīng qí xià gè yuè
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
星期一 星期二 星期三 星期四 星期五 星期六 星期日
xīng qí yī xīng qí èr xīng qí sān xīng qí sì xīng qí wǔ xīng qí liù xīng qí rì
What is your phone number? What is your Wechat? What is your QQ?
bunnie
你的手机号是多少？ 你的微信是什么？ 你的QQ是多少？
nǐ de shǒu jī hào shì duō shǎo? nǐ de wéi xìn shì shén me? nǐ de QQ shì duō shǎo?
65
66 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 67
Point-to-Translate Guide:
Getting Around
Getting Around
68 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Taking a Taxi - 搭乘出租车 Take me to Futian border crossing
dā chéng chū zū chē 请送我到福田口岸
qǐng sòng wǒ dào fú tián kǒu àn
Before leaving the hotel, ask the concierge
for the hotel’s name card. Show this to a taxi Take me to Luohu border crossing
driver to get back. In general, taxi drivers can- 请送我到罗湖口岸
not speak or read English. Many also have bad qǐng sòng wǒ dào luō hú kǒu àn
eyesight (very farsighted from driving) so try to Take me to Huanggang border crossing
get a card with the address in a big font. 请送我到皇岗口岸
qǐng sòng wǒ dào huáng gàng kǒu àn
Please give me the hotel’s business card Take me to the Shenzhen Airport
请给我这酒店的名片 请送我到深圳机场
qǐng gěi wǒ zhè jiǔ diàn de míng piàn
qǐng sòng wǒ dào shēn zhèn jī chǎng
Take me to SEG plaza
请送我到赛格广场 The blue colored taxis are electric, and are not
qǐng sòng wǒ dào sài gé guǎng chǎng subject to a gas tax. The red colored taxis will
Take me to Hua Qiang Plaza Hotel tack on a couple RMB to the fare to cover a gas
请送我到华强广场酒店 tax that varies. If you have any doubts, ask for a
qǐng sòng wǒ dào huá qiáng guǎng chǎng jiǔ diàn “fa piao”, or tax receipt, which forces the driver
to justify any extra charges.
Take me to Coco Park
请送我到购物公园 Please give me a receipt.
bunnie
qǐng sòng wǒ dào gòu wù gōng yuán
请给我发票
qǐng gěi wǒ fā piào
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70 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Taking the Metro - 搭乘地铁
dā chéng dì tiě
Where is the nearest metro station? In recent years, the Shenzhen metro has developed to cover most
最近的地铁站在哪里？ of the city core. The best stops for the electronics market are Hua
zuì jìn de dì dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ? Qiang station on the Luobao (green) line, and Hua Qiang North
station on the Shekou (orange) line.
Where can I buy a SZ metro card? Although crowded during rush hour, it’s typically faster to take the
在哪里可以购买深圳通？ metro than to drive.
zài nǎ lǐ kě yǐ gòu mǎi shēn zhèn tōng?
The metro has adequate English signage to indicate stops, exits,
and entrances, so perhaps the only two questions to ask are
“where is the nearest metro station”, and “where to get a pre-paid
metro card”.
A pre-paid card will cost about 100RMB, and it typically comes
with an initial balance. The amount varies depending on how fancy
the card is - vanity cards may come with zero initial credit. The
card is well worth it: vending machines for one-time use tokens
take only coins and 5 RMB notes, and are fussy and slow to use.
Most stations have automated machines that can add value and
check balance on metro cards.
bunnie
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72 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Buying a SIM Card - 买手机号
mǎi shǒu jī hào
Where can I buy a prepaid SIM card with data? I need a plan with at least 1G of data.
在哪里可以买到手机号码? 我需要至少1G的上网流量
zài nǎ lǐ kě yǐ mǎi dào shǒu jī hào mǎ? wǒ xū yào zhì shǎo yī G de shàng wǎng liú liàng
I will only use the SIM in Shenzhen. I only need data, not voice.
我只需要在深圳用这张手机号 我只需要上网流量，不需要带通话功能的
wǒ zhǐ xū yào zài shēn zhèn yòng zhè zhāng shǒu jī hào wǒ zhǐ xū yào shàng wǎng liú liàng, bù xū yào dài tōng huà gōng néng de
I need a SIM that can work in SZ and HK. I need data and voice.
我需要一个在深圳和香港都可以用的手机号 我需要带通话功能和上网流量的
wǒ xū yào yīgè zài shēn zhèn hé xiāng gǎng dū kěyǐ yòng de shǒu jī hào wǒ xū yào dài tōng huà gōng néng hé shàng wǎng liú liàng de
I need a SIM that can work all over China.
我需要一个在整个中国都可以用的手机号
wǒ xū yào yī gè zài zhěng gè zhōng guó dū kě yǐ yòng de shǒu jī hào
My phone is unlocked. My phone is locked.
I will be here less than 1 month. 我的手机已经解锁 我的手机锁住了
wǒ de shǒu jī yǐ jīng jiě suǒ wǒ de shǒu jī suǒ zhù le
我呆在这里不会超过1个月
wǒ dāi zài zhè lǐ bù huì chāo guò yī gè yuè
Can you unlock my phone?
I will be here less than 1 week. 请问可以帮我把手机解锁吗？
qǐng wèn kě yǐ bāng wǒ bǎ shǒu jī jiě suǒ ma?
我呆在这里不会超过1周
wǒ dāi zài zhè lǐ bù huì chāo guò yī zhōu
I don’t know if my phone is unlocked.
bunnie
我不知道我的手机是否已经解锁
wǒ bù zhī dào wǒ de shǒu jī shì fǒu yǐ jīng jiě suǒ
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74 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Topping up your SIM - 为手机号码充值
wèi shǒu jī hào mǎ chōng zhí
There are many strategies for getting SIM cards,
Can you help me activate the high speed data plan? from buying cards in English-speaking HK that
请问可以帮我把这张手机卡开通4G上网流量套餐吗？ work in SZ, to buying China Mobile or China
qǐng wèn kěyǐ bāng wǒ bǎ zhè zhāng shǒu jī kǎ kāi tōng 4G shàng wǎng liú liàng tào cān ma?
Unicom cards. I’ve only used China Unicom
myself. At the time of writing, just after the
What number do I text to check my balance? Futian Border crossing after clearing customs,
there is an official China Unicom booth selling
请问发送编辑什么信息可以查询到我的手机卡上的余额？ cards that usually has English speaking staff.
qǐng wèn fā sòng biān jí shén me xìn xī kě yǐ chá xún dào wǒ de shǒu jī kǎ shàng de yú é?
When buying top-up cards or SIM cards outside
of official stores, be sure to activate or test the
Can you help me top up the balance on my SIM?
product in front of the person who sold the card.
请问可以帮我的手机卡充值吗？ After leaving, the dealer will typically not honor
qǐng wèn kě yǐ bāng wǒ de shǒu jī kǎ chōng zhí ma?
any refunds or exchanges, and it’s not unheard
of to find fake or relabelled cards (e.g. 50 RMB
Can I buy a pre-paid top up card? cards marked up to 100RMB, 100 MB plans sold
请问我可以买一张手机充值卡吗？ as 3GB plans, etc.).
qǐng wèn wǒ kě yǐ mǎi yī zhāng shǒu jī chōng zhí kǎ ma?
Unfortunately the plans often have complex
rules, such as peak vs. off-peak usage, special
What number do I call to top up the phone? codes to text in for activating service options,
and billing rates that change dynamically
请问通过拨打哪个号码可以进行手机卡充值？ depending on the city you’re in. It’s difficult even
qǐng wèn tōng guò bō dǎ nǎ ge hào mǎ kě yǐ jìn xíng shǒu jī kǎ chōng zhí?
for locals to keep up with the complex rules
attached to most plans. Fortunately, since the
Pre-paid high speed data SIM cards are available in China,
cards are pre-paid, any liability is limited to the
which can be used with an unlocked GSM phone. Unfortunately
bunnie
stored value on the card, and you can top up
most US phones are locked, so check with your carrier prior to
anytime.
travel about unlocking your phone.
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76 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
A Few Survival Phrases: Input May I have a....
我想要...
Do you have a menu with pictures? I can eat spicy. wǒ xiǎng yào...
请问你有带图片的菜单吗？ 我能吃辣
qǐng wèn nǐ yǒu dài tú piàn de cài dān ma? wǒ néng chī là bottled water
瓶装水
Do you have an English menu? I cannot eat spicy. píng zhuāng shuǐ
请问你有英文的菜单吗？ 我不能吃辣
qǐng wèn nǐ yǒu yīng wén de cài dān ma? wǒ bù néng chī là soda drink
苏打水
I’ll order whatever you recommend. Can you please turn up the aircon? sū dǎ shuǐ
我会点你推荐的食物 请问你能把空调开大一点吗？
wǒ huì diǎn nǐ tuī jiàn de shí wù qǐng wèn nǐ néng bǎ kōng diào kāi dà yī diǎn ma? tea coffee
茶 咖啡
Can I have napkins? chá kā fēi
可以给我干纸巾吗？
kě yǐ gěi wǒ gàn zhǐ jīn ma? beer
啤酒
Can I have the check please? pí jiǔ
请问可以把帐单给我看一下吗？
qǐng wèn kě yǐ bǎ zhàng dān gěi wǒ kàn yī xià ma? I’d like my beer cold.
我想要冰冻啤酒
Can I have a receipt? wǒ xiǎng yào bīng dòng pí jiǔ
可以给我收据吗？
kě yǐ gěi wǒ shōu jù ma? Can I have ice to put in my beer?
bunnie
请问可以给我一些冰块放进啤酒里吗？
qǐng wèn kě yǐ gěi wǒ yī xiē bīng kuài fàng jìn pí jiǔ lǐ ma?
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78 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
A Few Survival Phrases: Output
Where is the toilet? Those with strict or picky diets would do best not to leave
请问哪里有洗手间？ the tourist districts. Locals will eat anything, and they
qǐng wèn nǎ li yǒu xǐ shǒu jiān?
want to share their delicious heritage with guests. It
Is there a Western-style toilet? might seem like good sport to find creative ways to force a
请问这里有带西式马桶的厕所吗？ particular cultural perspective upon the locals, but it can
qǐng wèn zhè li yǒu dài xī shì mǎ tǒng de cè suǒ ma?
come off as impolite or rude.
May I have some toilet paper? Hygiene in China can also be challenging, particularly
请问可以给我一些纸巾吗？ outside the tourist districts. Locals prefer squatting toilets;
qǐng wèn kě yǐ gěi wǒ yī xiē zhǐ jīn ma?
they consider toilet seats to be unsanitary.
Men’s Women’s Local bathrooms also don’t stock toilet paper, so carry a
男 女 packet of tissues around to be safe. The plumbing is also
nán nǚ
quite bad in most buildings, so used toilet paper is tossed
in a bin next to the toilet, and not to be flushed.
Soap is rarely found at the sink outside local toilets (if
there is a sink). It doesn’t hurt to travel with a bottle of
hand sanitizer at all times. To avoid Montezuma’s revenge,
bunnie
keep that in mind when ordering food: perhaps go for the
cooked vegetables over the raw salad?
79
80 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Money The general rule in China is that cash is king.
Expect to pay everything in cash - even if it’s
This place only accepts cash. thousands of dollars worth of goods. Don’t
这里只接受现金
zhè lǐ zhǐ jiē shòu xiàn jīn worry, that inch-thick pile of currency is small
compared to what the little old ladies are
We can only accept Chinese bank cards. carrying. Also, unlike the US, China doesn’t
这里只接受中国的银行卡 have civil forfeiture, so nobody worries about
zhè lǐ zhǐ jiē shòu zhōng guó de yín háng kǎ
the police seizing cash simply because they
are packing a fat stack.
This ATM only works with Chinese cards.
这个自动取款机只接受中国的银行卡 Since most locals have no need for foreign-
zhè ge zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī zhǐ jiē shòu zhōng guó de yín háng kǎ
card ATMs or money changers, don’t be
surprised if nobody seems to know where one
Is there a money changer nearby? is.
这里附近有没有可以兑换外币的地方？
zhè lǐ fù jìn yǒu méi yǒu kě yǐ duì huàn wài bì dì dì fāng?
There are districts and malls that cater to
foreigners. They will take credit cards, but they
Is there an ATM that accepts foreign cards nearby? also tend to be pricier and more upscale.
这里附近有没有可以用外国银行卡的自动取款机？
zhè lǐ fù jìn yǒu méi yǒu kě yǐ yòng wài guó yín háng kǎ de zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī?
Can you accept Visa credit cards? Can you accept Mastercard credit cards?
bunnie
请问你接受维萨信用卡吗？ 请问你接受万事达信用卡吗？
qǐng wèn nǐ jiē shòu wéi sà xìn yòng kǎ ma? qǐng wèn nǐ jiē shòu wàn shì dá xìn yòng kǎ ma?
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82 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 83
Getting To Shenzhen, and
Back Again
There & Back
84 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Visas
Many nationalities need a visa to enter China, including
Americans. Don’t rely on getting a visa on arrival – I’ve
heard reports of people having to wait days in Hong Kong
while their visas are processed. However, the rules are
constantly in flux, so check the Internet and mind the date
on the article. If the advice is more than a year or two old,
question its validity.
The most recent and very significant development for
Americans is the availability of 10-year multiple-entry visas
to visit China. It’s recommended to apply for a 10-year visa
even if the intention is to visit just once; it costs almost the
same as the shorter-term visas and it’s unclear if and when
the 10-year visa option will be terminated.
It’s also recommended to apply through a visa processing
agent instead of directly to the Chinese consulate. Most
agents seem to have a special relationship with the
consulate that often allow the normally strict requirements
for showing itineraries, tickets, and hotel reservations to be
bent. The convenience is well worth their nominal markup
on the visa cost.
The other important thing to note is that even though
the primary purpose for going to China may be to visit
markets and factories for “business reasons”, that’s still
technically a “tourist” activity. So apply for a tourist visa, as
it’s a much easier process than a business visa. A business
visa is needed to operate or incorporate a new company in
China. Simply inspecting, buying and exporting goods or
subcontracting an existing Chinese factory is classified as a
tourist type of activity.
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders whose countries
honor visa reciprocity with China may enter China visa-free.
bunnie 85
Notably, the US does not honor visa reciprocity under the
ABTC program, and thus Americans who hold an ABTC must
still apply for a visa to enter China.
Getting to the Border
Most first-time overseas travelers coming from the West
will arrive via Hong Kong airport, which is still about 40km
(25 miles) to the Shenzhen border. Although Shenzhen
has its own international airport (which is a 45 minute,
100RMB+ cab ride to the electronics markets), it has fewer
long-haul international flights compared to Hong Kong’s
airport. Meanwhile, there are numerous options for getting
to Shenzhen from Hong Kong’s airport, ranging from ferries
to busses to taxis.
Hong Kong airport has a ferry to Shekou, a port city on the
west side of Shenzhen. As the electronics markets are in the
centrally-located Futian district, Shekou is a 45 minute, 100
RMB+ cab ride away and thus the ferry is not recommended.
Land transportation options from Hong Kong airport to
the Shenzhen border include bus, train, shared ride van
(aspirationally referred to as a limousine), and taxis.
Bus is by far the cheapest option, at around HK$30, but
can take several hours with unlucky transfer timing. Heavy
rail takes about the same time (2.5 hours), involves several
transfers, and costs around HK$130 all told. Neither option
is recommended unless one is very tight on money or the
itinerary already involves a stop in Hong Kong city prior to
crossing the Shenzhen border.
For direct transfers, shared ride vans are much faster,
and about the same cost compared to rail options. After
leaving baggage claim in Hong Kong airport, follow signs
for “Transport to Mainland China” on the lower level. The
86 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
shared ride vans cost about HK$150 (cash only), and will
take around 40 minutes to get to the Huanggang border
crossing.
On the downside, it’s a rough experience, especially after
spending 12 hours in an airplane. The shared ride van
operators are pushy and brusque, and they will delay van
departures until they’ve packed the van to optimize revenue.
The seats are small, especially for people with Western-
sized frames, and frequently the van has at least one
passenger shouting into a phone the entire ride, or playing
video games with the volume cranked all the way up.
The other major downside is that border crossing is done
as a cohort; if one person has a visa issue or triggers a
customs audit, everyone in the van has to wait together, and
everyone in the van has to do the customs audit. For those
on a tight schedule, it’s a game of Russian roulette.
The fastest and most reliable method to get to the border
from Hong Kong airport is via taxi. The teal-colored “New
Territories” taxis will complete the trip in about 30-40
minutes. The fare will be around HK$310-320 once tolls
and baggage charges are factored in. Note the taxis may
only take cash or Octopus card (a kind stored value payment
card popular in Hong Kong). Fortunately, there are several
ATMs in Hong Kong airport’s arrival lobby that operate with
foreign bank cards.
For a group of two or more people, it’s a no-brainer to take
the taxi over the shared ride van – it’s the same cost, if not
cheaper and much more pleasant and reliable.
The taxi experience from Hong Kong airport to the Shenzhen
border is so smooth that I typically register a 1-hour prepaid
data package once the plane’s wheels touch down on the
runway, and 90% of the time I’m into the border crossing
bunnie 87
just as the package expires.
Which Border Crossing to Use?
Land transportation services can take passengers to any of
the three major Hong Kong - Shenzhen border crossings:
Futian, Huanggang, and Luohu. Here are the pros and cons
of each.
Futian Huanggang Luohu
Hours 06:30-22:30 24-hour 06:30-24:00
Transit method Foot Vehicle Foot
via Sheung
HK-side taxi
Shui Station
Lok Ma Chau Lo Wu
HK-side subway
Station Station
via Sheung
HK-side bus limited
Shui Station
HK airport van
SZ-side taxi
Futian Checkpoint Luohu
SZ-side subway
Station Station
SZ-side high speed rail
SZ-side bus
My personal favorite border crossing is the Futian border
crossing, particularly for exiting China. It’s frequented by
locals who live on one side of the border but work on the
other side, which means that rush hour can have long
lines (but that’s true of all border crossings at rush hour).
However, this also means the number of foreigners are
fewer, and the foreigners who use it tend to have their
paperwork in order so the dedicated foreigner/passport
lines are more predictable and shorter.
88 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
However, it’s a walking border, which means the only option
to get between the Hong Kong and China immigration
checkpoints is a 100-meter walk via a covered footbridge.
This means there are no cross-border shuttle services, but
there are taxi and subway options available on both sides
after exiting customs.
Getting from the Futian border crossing to the Hua Qiang
electronics district is typically fast by taxi. However, due to a
quirk in the layout of the roads, the return trip is often faster
by subway. Catching a taxi on the Shenzhen side is usually
a reasonable 5-10 minute wait, except near closing time,
where the demand for pick-ups exceeds the supply from
drop-offs. Ignore the people hustling for illegal rides and
head straight for the taxi line, which is outside the main exit,
to the left and behind the bus stands.
When making the return trip to Hong Kong International
Airport, the Hong Kong side of the Futian crossing has both
teal and red cabs that can pick up passengers destined
for the airport. Use whichever line is shorter. The red cabs
are not as frequent, but the teal cab line features frequent
shouting matches and sometimes pushing fights as people
try to cut ahead when the line gets long. Locals mercilessly
cut around those who are not paying attention or are having
difficulties with bulky luggage, so be aggressive and assert
a spot in line.
The main downside of the Futian crossing is its limited
hours, and dealing with the throngs of locals trying to take
advantage of personal duty free allowances. There are some
people who seem to make a living repeatedly crossing the
border, carrying a couple boxes of goods at a time. Futian’s
efficiency means they can go back and forth several times
each day. This arbitrage opportunity exists because some
items have very high duties or are in very high demand in
China. The prominent banners warning of stiff penalties
bunnie 89
for taking baby formula out of Hong Kong are testimony
to the amount of goods these border runners can move.
At the height of the melamine milk contamination crisis,
the demand for Hong Kong-sourced baby formula was
so high that border runners had depleted Hong Kong’s
shelves of baby formula; Hong Kong mothers couldn’t
feed their babies. As a result, stiff penalties were enacted
for exporting excessive baby formula. Thus, the Futian
border crossing is typically smoother for leaving China than
entering China. For entering China during peak hours, it’s
comparable to Huanggang, but in the evening and mid-day
it’s faster and quieter.
My second choice is the Huanggang border crossing. The
main downside of this border crossing is that the only way to
get from the Hong Kong-side checkpoint to the China-side
checkpoint is by motor vehicle; however, the immigration
line for vehicles with passengers is often a half hour wait,
and can be much longer at peak times. Passengers can exit
the car and go through each immigration checkpoint on foot,
but after clearing immigration they must get back into a car.
It’s an odd firedrill but this is typically faster as the drivers
have special passes that let them speed through the motor
vehicle checkpoint. Shared ride van services don’t even
bother with getting the driver across the border; instead
they use one set of cars to service the Hong Kong side, and
another set of cars to service the China side.
There’s also no subway or rail entrance at either side, so the
only options are taxi, bus, or shared ride shuttle to get there.
Because of the hybrid arrangement of driving then crossing
immigration by foot, shared ride van drivers need a way to
identify passengers emerging from the immigration counter.
Typically this is done with a sticker bearing the vendor’s
logo that is placed on passenger’s shirts at the time of ticket
purchase. Display the sticker until both border checkpoints
have been crossed, but don’t forget to remove it or else it
90 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
will turn into a gummy mess in the laundry.
Those not utilizing a shared ride van service can take a bus
that goes between the Hong Kong and China checkpoints.
On the Hong Kong side, the bus costs HK$10, and they
accept Octopus card or cash. However, they don’t give
change, and they are very strict about that rule. I’ve seen
unprepared foreigners forced to drop HK$100 into the
hopper and no change given. Best to bring an Octopus card,
if one is available.
My least preferred border crossing is Luohu. It’s extremely
busy, the foreigner lines are longer, and it’s farther than
either Futian or Huanggang from the electronics market.
The Hong Kong side is also exclusively a rail terminal; bus
and taxi access is one stop away at Sheung Shui. It’s also
a bit seedy, so be on guard for petty theft when navigating
its hallways. The primary advantage of Luohu is that the
China side connects directly to the high speed rail terminal,
enabling a fast transfer to Dongguang or Guangzhou.
Tourists frequent Luohu because of the huge mall on the
China side of the border crossing. This mall is famous for
“improbably cheap” brand-name clothes and handbags,
and for inexpensive custom-tailored garments. However,
vendors routinely attempt to overcharge patrons, and
aggressive haggling is required to get a reasonable price.
Haggling is literally a contact sport in this mall - vendors
and shoppers are known to grab and slap each other when
bargaining gets really heated - so if it feels too easy getting
awesome deals in the Hua Qiang electronics district, go to
Luohu for an afternoon and enter the shopping jungle.
Time-Saving Tips for Crossing the Border
Your passport is checked twice when going between Hong
Kong and China: once by the Hong Kong authorities, and
bunnie 91
once by the China authorities. When you find yourself being
dropped off by a shuttle or driver after just one check, it
means you’re to cross the next check by foot, typically with
your luggage in tow. This is typically done to save time, as
certain border checks are much faster by foot than by car.
The China side requires a yellow immigration form to be
filled out before approaching a customs officer. Although
the immigration halls are meant to have forms stocked
throughout, the kiosks farther from the officer’s desks tend
to run empty. Thus, frequent travelers will stash a couple
extra copies of the yellow immigration forms in their bags.
This saves time hunting for the yellow forms when they run
out.
The Hong Kong side also requires an immigration form.
However, users registered in the e-channel frequent visitor
program can skip filling out these forms, and can also
use specially marked automated clearance lines. Visitors
planning to enter Hong Kong more than a couple times
a year will find the e-channel registration well worth the
price. There are enrollment booths in Hong Kong airport
right after immigration but before baggage claim, and they
are only open during normal business hours.
China Customs
China customs will X-ray baggage both entering and exiting
China.
When entering China, customs officers are mostly looking
in bags to enforce duties and to prevent smuggling. There’s
a compulsory duty on any electronic parts being brought
into China, so don’t carry reels or trays of parts - at least
not without declaring them. Carrying more than one laptop
is also a red flag, as the import of laptops is heavily taxed
and thus a popular item for smuggling. Be particularly
92 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
wary of carrying multiple laptops into China that are in mint
condition, or worse yet retail-boxed. These will be flagged as
items intended for resale and levied a non-refundable duty
of around 20% of the original purchase value, even if the
items are intended strictly for personal use.
On the way out of China, it’s typically duty-free to export
reasonable quantities of electronic goods. However,
customs is cracking down on the exportation of “fake”
goods. They will seize any goods that improperly use
trademarked brands (so trying to export those cute iPhone-
branded Android devices can lead to trouble), and they may
interrogate about who makes the products you’re bringing
out. If they are made by your factory, carry a business card,
as I’ve been asked in the past to show proof that I work with
or own a hardware manufacturing business bearing the
trademark of the goods I’m trying to export.
Getting to the Border
Take me to Futian border crossing Where is the shuttle to HK Airport?
请送我到福田口岸 请问在哪里可以坐车去香港机场?
qǐng sòng wǒ dào fú tián kǒu àn qǐng wèn zài nǎ lǐ kě yǐ zuò chē qù xiāng gǎng jī chǎng?
Take me to Luohu border crossing I need a yellow immigration form
请送我到罗湖口岸 我需要黄色的移民申请表
qǐng sòng wǒ dào luō hú kǒu àn wǒ xū yào huáng sè de yí mín shēn qǐng biǎo
Take me to Huanggang border crossing
请送我到皇岗口岸
qǐng sòng wǒ dào huáng gàng kǒu àn
Take me to the Shenzhen Airport
请送我到深圳机场
qǐng sòng wǒ dào shēn zhèn jī chǎng
bunnie
93
94 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 95
Maps
Maps
96 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 97
Maps of the Hua Qiang District
1 2 3
Exit C Exit B
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange
) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路 (under construction)
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huafabei Road 华发北路
4
5 7
500m
6
Exit A
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
Exit D
Exit C
8 9 10
This section is divided into two parts. The first part is a brief field guide to
the market. This guide divides the market into 10 blocks, and touches on the
highlights of each block. The second part consists of multiple blank copies of the
map. Behind each map is a plastic insert for holding business cards, receipts,
datasheets and technical drawings.
Returning to a vendor’s stall can be a formidable challenge, given the dearth of
English signage. Use the point-to-translate phrases printed on each copy of the
map to acquire a business card, and to ask the vendor to mark their stall on the
map. This will help you find them again, should you need to buy more products
in the future. Once in the correct building, the stalls are numbered using roman
numerals and characters; be sure to jot down the stall number if it’s not already
printed on the business card.
The pages can be torn out for easy sharing with friends and suppliers.
Please note that Huaqiangbei road is in the process of being converted from a
bustling road into a more pedestrian-friendly plaza, and in the process almost
every building facing the road is undergoing significant remodeling. As a result,
some details within this section may be out of date.
98 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Exit C Exit B
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路 (under construction)
5E 5A
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huafabei Road 华发北路
6E 6F
4 6D
5 5B
500m
6
6C
6B
5D
6A
4A
5C
Exit A
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
Exit D
Exit C
Sectors 4, 5 and 6 form the market core.
8
Broadly speaking, most of sector 5 is concerned with the sale of electronic 9 10
components. Covered passageways make it seem as if all the buildings run
together into a giant mega-mall, a kind of walk-in DigiKey for over-the-counter
parts sales. Most of the buildings have upper floors where prices tend to get
better (with the top floors of the International LED market being a notable
exception).
Sector 6 is anchored by SEG plaza (6A) in the southwest. Most of the stores on
the northwest side of sector 6 sell more consumer-oriented goods, from mobile
phones to professional audio equipment. Stores on the east side of sector 6
tend to specialize more in mobile phone accessories - power banks, chargers,
memory sticks, cables, etc. Right in the middle of sector 6 are a couple of
malls specializing in security and surveillance cameras, as well as numerous
resources for shipping goods.
Sector 4 contains several household and conventional strip-mall style retail
shops, with a smattering of restaurants. It’s a decent area to hunt for a sit-down
restaurant if you want a bite to eat a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the
market core.
Here are some highlights of the area.
6A is the iconic SEG plaza (赛格广场). Octagonal in shape with twin spires, it’s a
great landmark. First two floors are electronic components; upper floors are
consumer products and retail goods.
bunnie 99
6B this market specializes in batteries, power banks, and FLASH memory
drives. It’s the first market on the left heading north from Shennan Road on
Huafabei road. The entrance is just before the first 7-11.
6C is the smart wearables market. A relative newcomer to the market, it is
stocked with all kinds of gadgets meant to be worn, from smartwatches to
health monitors to music-playing glasses.
6D & 6E are markets selling surveillance gear, such as CCTV and IP cameras,
and security products such as fingerprint readers and other access control
systems. There’s also a smattering of GoPro clones and accessories.
6F is nicknamed “shipping alley”. It’s lined with counter services from domestic
shipping companies, as well as brokers that aggregate international
shipments into bulk air freight containers. These brokers offer deeply
discounted rates with the trade-off of a less certain time window for delivery.
One can also buy all manner of boxes, packing tape, etc. for preparing
shipments.
5A is the Hua Qiang Plaza Hotel (华强广场酒店). Its distinctive marquise shape
and height also make it a great landmark. A solid place to stay when visiting
the market. There is a Starbucks on the ground floor.
5B is the International LED market. The 5th and 6th floors feature shops
specializing in LED lighting of all types. The ground floor sells many kinds of
components and accessories.
5C from the entrance nearest the Hua Qiang metro exit and up the escalator
to the fourth floor is an area specializing in laptops and laptop parts. At the
time of writing, the complex is being remodelled, which means shops may be
shuffling around.
5D is the Duhui mall. The third floor of this building has a nice collection of
shops that sell tools ranging from soldering irons to BGA rework stations, as
well as test equipment and cases.
5E is the Golconda building. The 3rd and 4th floors warehouse a massive
inventory of overstock and second hand LCD panels. The panels typically
range in the larger form factors, from 7” panels typical of automotive
entertainment head units, to 50”+ panels for TVs.
There’s also a series of small food stalls that line the north side of the
building which are good for a quick dumpling or a mango smoothie as a
snack.
4A is the Bank of Communications (交通银行) building. The ground floor is
the Century mall (世纪商场). The Century mall is a decent place to look
for sit-down restaurants in an air conditioned and more Western-feeling
environment.
At the lower west corner of sector 4 (just off the map) lies the Shanghai Hotel
(上海兵官). Most taxi drivers are familiar with this location and it has one of
the easiest names for English-only speakers to pronounce (“shanghai bing
gwan”).
Exit A
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路 (under construction)
100 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huafabei Road 华发北路
5 7
6
Exit A
Exit B
- gree n) Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qian g Metro
Exit D 9A 10A
Exit C
8A
8 9 10
South of Shennan road lies a series of massive markets that specialize in mobile
phone components.
10A is a massive mobile phone and parts market. The corner is marked by a
24-hour McDonalds, and just behind it on Huafabei road is an escalator
that leads up into the belly of the beast. The south side of the building has
open-air balconies, along which lie numerous test equipment and repair
jig vendors. The second and third floors are packed from wall to wall with
vendors who sell all manners of spare parts for phones (primarily iPhones),
ranging from LCD screens to microprocessors, from buttons to batteries,
from SIM cards to SD cards. There are also multiple vendors who can
repair a phone’s broken screen as you wait and watch, but it helps to speak
Chinese. Assume nothing in this market is factory-new; most items are
remanufactured, refurbished, overstock, or dent-and-scratch.
9A If I were to summarize this market in one word, it’s “recycling”. Here is
where mobile phones go to find an afterlife. Chips are stripped off the boards,
sorted, and packed into bulk bags for other vendors to further refine, test,
and repackage into tape and reel. Bags of cameras and LCDs line the stalls,
to be sold by the kilogram; you can find all manner of interesting parts if you
have a keen eye. This market is a Rorschach test: if your eyes glaze over and
the heat and smells bother you, you’re probably not a practicing hardware
engineer. The closer you are to a solder technician or practicing hardware
engineer, the more you’ll notice interesting and subtle, unusual things going
on in every corner of the market.
8A Exit D of the Huaqiang metro station leads directly into a subterranean
market that specializes in components and spare parts for Android-powered
phones.
bunnie 101
1 2 3
1A
2A
2B
3A
Exit C Exit B 2C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路 (under construction)
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huafabei Road 华发北路
4 North of Zhenhua road lies a series of markets that specialize in the wholesale
5
trade of mobile phones; even farther north lies a few shops which are somewhat 7
analogous to US big-box retail electronics stores, selling primarily finished
electronic goods for end consumers.
6
1A is a typical fashion (not electronics) mall. The basement of this area houses
a number of restaurants, and is a decent hunting ground for quick sit-down
meals.
2A the 2nd and 3rd floors of Yuanwang digital mall is a commodity exchange
for mobile phones. Booths post lists with the current spot price of imported
Exit B brand-nameExit A
mobile phones, and phones are frequently traded by the dozen
nan Road 深南路
(Hua Qianfor - greeof cash. Hot new Shen
fat ostacks
g Metr n) releases and deals can be found here. Leave
the DSLR cameraExit D at the hotel before visiting; quick-reacting and aggressive
Exit C
security guards confiscate memory cards or force the deletion of photos
8 taken by tourists.
9 10
2B the area immediately behind the commodity exchange has a few shops
specializing in the repair of mobile phones, as well as some accessories and
vendors specializing in the shipping of mobile phones.
2C is the Mingtong Digital Mall. It’s a wholesale market for locally-produced
phones. Here lie all manner of amusing phones, as well as some stunning
reproductions of brand-name phones and second-hand phones. At the
time of writing, the market is undergoing renovations which has forced the
closure of about a quarter of the shops.
3A is a market specializing in tablets. The ground floor contains all manner of
OEM tablets, and the floors above sell tablet sub-assemblies and parts.
Specializing in wholesale trade, many vendors are amenable to putting your
logo on their white-label hardware, if the order is big enough. There’s also a
selection of Android TV conversion devices sprinkled throughout.
102 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
103
104 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
105
106 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
107
108 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
109
110 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
111
112 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
113
114 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
115
116 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
117
118 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
119
120 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
Where am I? Please point on the map.
我现在在哪里？请指出在这张地图上
Sorry, I don’t know where we are.
对不起, 我不知道我们在哪里
Exit B
Exit C
(Hua Qiang North Metro - orange) Zhenhua Road 振华路
Exit A
500m
Huafabei Road 华发北路
Zhonghang Road 中航路
Huaqiangbei Road 华强北路
May I have your business card
Exit A
请给我您的名片
Exit B
Shennan Road 深南路
(Hua Qiang Metro - green)
bunnie
Exit D Please mark your stall on this map
Exit C
请标记您的货摊在这地图
121
122 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen
bunnie 123
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Celia Wang, for her help with translating
numerous pages of the guide, all in her spare time.
Errors in translation are most likely due to the author’s
failure to understand the subtleties of the Chinese language.
Also a big thank-you to the numerous readers who
contributed corrections or suggestions to this text!
124 The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen