The Lok Ma Cha Gardens overlook a small area of land that butts up to mainland China and the city of Shenzhen. Small houses dot the flood plain on the Hong Kong side of the river. Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Because it is southern mainland China's major financial center, Shenzhen is home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as the headquarters of numerous high-tech companies. Shenzhen is also one of the busiest container ports in China.