-- by Song Shiqiang of Slkor To truly understand Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei, you cannot avoid the "shanzhai phone" phenomenon. In 2007, Huaqiangbei produced and sold 150 million shanzhai phones—one-sixth of global mobile phone output that year—catapulting the district to worldwide fame. Shanzhai phones not only gave birth to Huaqiangbei’s unique maker culture but also helped turn Shenzhen into the "Hardware Silicon Valley," and nurtured brands and design manufacturers such as Wingtech, Coolpad, G5, Longcheer, Transsion, Huaqin, and many others. After China joined the WTO, enforcement against intellectual property infringement intensified. Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone industrial chain had long operated in a semi-underground state, so accessible written materials are scarce, and domestic economists have rarely described or analyzed it. Yet the role of shanzhai phones in making daily life more convenient and in boosting social development is unmistakable. This weighty history—every phone, its makers, and its users—deserves to be seen and recorded. To document this history of Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones as objectively and thoroughly as possible, Song Shiqiang began collecting industry materials early on. In 2014, he visited the factory of OTOT Group in Xixiang’s Jiuwei area; in 2015, he inspected ZTE’s subsidiary Zhongxing Xingyida in Bao’an District’s Xinyongfeng Industrial Park to understand their international supply chain management; and in 2017, he toured OPPO’s factory in Chang’an, Wusha, Dongguan, observing the phone production lines. This article draws on authoritative sources including Harvard Business Review, research from the University of Mississippi and The Catholic University of Korea, combined with first-hand materials Song has gathered over more than a decade of navigating Huaqiangbei. It lays out the phenomena and the underlying economic principles of "Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones," leaving something worthwhile for posterity. Photos: Song Shiqiang on factory visits to OTOT and OPPO in 2014 and 2017 Continued from Slkor Song Shiqiang – "Huaqiangbei Shanzhai Phones" Research (Part II) VII. The Great Downfall of Huaqiangbei Shanzhai Phones Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones rose swiftly and fell just as fast—we saw them build mansions, feast guests, and then collapse. As I, Song Shiqiang of Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.com.cn) and Slkor, see it, this was due to two main factors: the government’s aggressive crackdown and cutthroat competition within the industry. Around 2007, during the feature-phone era, besides the top tier of "Zhonghua Coolpad and Lenovo" (ZTE, Huawei, Coolpad, Lenovo), Shenzhen alone hosted over 20 brands including Konka, Skyworth, Malata, Kejian, Yulong Coolpad, Transsion, Doov, and Gaoke. Nationwide, players included Beijing’s Bird, Xiamen’s Amoi, Huizhou’s TCL, Dongguan’s Gionee, OPPO, and vivo, plus Taiwan’s Dopod—all rushing into this sprawling market. The market rule is that industrial competition often shifts from an unbalanced market with many small players in the early stage to a balanced market dominated by big enterprises, during which many manufacturers are merged or die off, eventually leading to an oligopoly of "winner-takes-all." Huawei’s Yu Chengdong once said that in the future, the world’s phone brands might only be Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and a few others—that’s the logic. Content and source index for "Shanzhai Phone Archaeology" After China joined the WTO, domestic market rules gradually aligned with international norms, IP protection became stricter, and campaigns against IP infringement began, dealing the first heavy blow to Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones. One day in 2012, Shenzhen’s Futian police and the industrial and commercial bureau conducted a joint crackdown on the Huaqiangbei shanzhai phone market. Merchants on the upper floors of the Manhattan Digital Plaza, unable to move their goods in time, desperately threw massive quantities of counterfeit Apple and Nokia phones straight out the windows—some even dented the roofs of parked cars. This event accelerated the industry shakeout. The first to collapse were the weaker players, such as BOWAY, OTOT, and Shengnuoda, which I had been tracking. They shifted from high-margin premium smartphones to low-end products like elderly phones, and were forced to retreat to inland rural markets and overseas regions like Southeast Asia and Africa. Their factories gradually relocated to places with cheaper land and labor, such as Yibin in Sichuan, Yichun in Jiangxi, and Huizhou in Guangdong. Various shanzhai phones from Huaqiangbei back in the day (Source 1: "Old patterns of Shanzhai Phone ") The second wave came from the legitimate heavyweights. Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo—larger in scale, lower in cost, more efficient, stronger in branding, and superior in quality, service, and distribution—far outmatched the shanzhai players. With wolves ahead and tigers behind, in 2011, Coship Electronics launched the "BVS" brand, poaching R&D teams from Coolpad; later, Gree Electric’s Dong Mingzhu also wanted to make phones, even setting her own portrait as the wallpaper. In 2012, Xiaomi’s Lei Jun slashed smartphone prices, with the Redmi going for as low as 799 yuan, using the internet’s low-cost, high-efficiency model to snatch market share from Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones. Lenovo, Konka, Skyworth, Yulong Coolpad, Kejian, and Gionee all felt the impact. Huawei set up its sub-brand "Honor" to counter Xiaomi’s growth momentum. Brands that emerged from Huaqiangbei, like G5, Transsion, and Sabo, avoided the heat and ventured to Africa. Later, as Huawei rose strongly, ZTE phones were pushed out of the top tier, and Lenovo and Coolpad gradually faded. Globally, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and Motorola also fell. Back in 2012, when I returned to Huaqiangbei, I was already gathering material for this shanzhai phone research. I visited OTOT’s factory in Xixiang Jiuwei and BVS’s office in Keji North. At the time, OTOT was ambitiously planning new production lines, and BVS was aiming to break into overseas markets. Today, BOWAY phones are nowhere to be seen; OTOT’s parent company has been dissolved; Coship Electronics has vanished; and the owner of Shengnuoda phones now survives on an industrial park in Huizhou. Empty counters and used phone motherboards at Huaqiangbei’s "Feiyang Times Market" Huaqiangbei’s phone specialty markets also suffered. At the Feiyang Times Market, transfer fees for small booths plummeted from several hundred thousand yuan to zero in just six months—and still no takers. Longsheng Phone Market even pivoted to beauty products! A few years later, as smartphone penetration grew and various apps flourished, phone accessories proliferated, forming a complete ecosystem. Phone cases, screens, power banks, and charging cables faced no IP disputes, and many booths selling them have done quite well. Ups and downs, twists and turns—opportunities for wealth can appear when you least expect them. That’s part of Huaqiangbei’s magical charm. Transsion and Huaqin Technology have done well, leveraging the capital and technology they accumulated early on in Huaqiangbei. In 2024, Transsion shipped over 200 million phones, becoming the "King of African Phones." In 2026, Huaqin Technology listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with a market cap of approximately HK$94.5 billion. Just as "Nordic pirates" gave rise to law-abiding and courteous descendants, and Miami—once a haven for outlaws—created economic miracles, I see a similar irony at Huaqiangbei. VIII. The Post-Shanzhai-Phone Era: Huaqiangbei’s Smart Hardware Ecosystem By then, Uncle Song Shiqiang had gained a solid foothold in Huaqiangbei’s electronics circle. The Kinghelm and Slkor brands, under his investment and management, were making their mark both domestically and internationally. I calmed down, soaked goji berries and red dates in my thermos every day, and casually wrote 300-word vignettes. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, I was voted "Most Popular Storyteller" by the female shop owners of Huaqiangbei for three consecutive years. Uncle Song’s famous sayings—"To become a badass, you first have to talk like one" and "The easy way to do serious things is to do them unseriously"—became widely quoted around Huaqiangbei. Slkor Semiconductor won the "Outstanding Domestic Brand Enterprise" award from Huaqiang Electronics Net for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025). Slkor now has three stores in Huaqiangbei, thriving with brisk turnover, adhering to the traditional "front-store, back-factory" model, staying close to customers and the market. This three-store layout helps gather market feedback more directly, feeding back to headquarters’ R&D and factory production. Slkor awarded "Outstanding Domestic Brand" by Huaqiang Electronics Net for three consecutive years Huaqiangbei entered the post-shanzhai-phone era, where TWS (true wireless stereo) Bluetooth earphones propped up half the market. A Huawei insider told me that Huawei’s annual smartwatch shipments have already surpassed the total of all Swiss watches combined. I recall that watches were one of Shenzhen’s major industries in the 1990s—mechanical and electronic watches led by Fiyta, with Tianwang and Ebohr also selling well in Huaqiangbei. Other smart devices and accessories, like charging cables and power banks, have much smaller volumes and unit prices. With about 3.5 billion smartphones worldwide, the TWS earphone market—roughly one-to-one with phones—exceeds 1.2 billion units annually, drawing major phone makers to follow. Apple’s iWatch and AirPods each sell over 100 million units per year; Huawei and Xiaomi have launched their own TWS products. Adding power banks, tempered glass screen protectors, phone cases, data cables, wireless chargers, batteries, screens, and repair parts, the total market is about a trillion yuan. Huaqiangbei’s massive marketplace drives the Pearl River Delta’s smart hardware supply chain—for example, nearly 10,000 companies were in the phone case business, with 5,000 in Shenzhen alone, all dependent on Huaqiangbei’s smartphone ecosystem. Grand opening of Slkor’s third Huaqiangbei specialty store TWS earphones involve relatively low technical difficulty and low entry barriers, so the Pearl River Delta’s "white-label" electronics ecosystem could quickly jump in. Huaqiangbei’s "white-label Bluetooth earphones" are essentially counterfeits, with their biggest advantage being rock-bottom prices. High-quality AirPods clones look almost identical, can pair with iPhones, and support features like "rename and locate, pop-up pairing, and in-ear detection"—matching Apple’s AirPods Pro functions. While authentic AirPods sell for over a thousand yuan, white-label ones go for just 50–200 yuan, meeting the needs of more budget-conscious consumers. In 2020, Shanghai Securities Research Institute data showed Huaqiangbei white-label earphone shipments of 292 million units, compared to Apple AirPods’ 78 million. As more manufacturers joined the fray, many lacked the patience to build brands and distribution channels, instead focusing on Huaqiangbei’s white-label trade. Intensifying competition and patent infringement risks have made their situation increasingly precarious. Market research materials on Huaqiangbei earphones from a major domestic phone maker To be honest, the quality and operations of Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai products still need improvement. We hope more companies that build brands and deliver quality products will thrive. As a balding tech geek, Uncle Song insists on data-driven arguments. I randomly bought a shanzhai smartwatch in Huaqiangbei and ran performance comparison tests against my client’s "Beidou smartwatch." Details are shown below. Kinghelm’s teardown report comparing Huaqiangbei shanzhai watch vs. a BDS smartwatch From the above charts, the "Huaqiangbei shanzhai watch" matches big brands in casing, strap, app push notifications, and UI design, but its blood oxygen, temperature, blood pressure, and ECG functions call up fake backend data—it lacks even basic sensors and 4G communication, and the charging components are substandard. Now consider the "Huaqiangbei shanzhai hairdryer." I watched a vlogger test a Huaqiangbei knockoff against a Dyson, comparing airflow, motor speed, temperature control, and hair care performance. On paper, they looked similar, but the price was just a fraction of Dyson’s. At Yuanyang Digital Plaza, I tried a counterfeit AirPods clone—it looked identical to the original but sounded much worse. The shop owner quoted 72 yuan retail, 60 yuan wholesale. Huaqiangbei knockoffs are indeed cheap, and that’s their core competitive edge. Comparison of Huaqiangbei shanzhai hairdryer vs. Dyson, and public molds for smartwatches Early entrants into the Bluetooth earphone supply chain have done very well. Domestic firms like Zhongke Lantian, Hengxuan, and Zhuhai Jieli compete head-on with international players like Qualcomm, Broadcom, and MediaTek (MTK), and have tied up with major phone makers on technical solutions. Zhuhai Jieli recently listed on the Beijing Stock Exchange. Huizhou EVE Energy’s "little gold bean" batteries, Kinghelm’s (www.kinghelm.net) ceramic Bluetooth antennas (KH-2012-HM1 / KH-3216-A35), Slkor’s (www.slkoric.com) Hall sensors (SL1713SH), and Will Semiconductor’s low-power MOSFET (2N7002) are all widely used in TWS earphones. Some companies with Huaqiangbei hardware DNA have grown successfully—Shenzhen-based Anker Innovations and Lanhe, as well as Duoduo Technology and Ugreen (which moved their factories to Dongguan), have also stood out. The Paradox of Patent Protection and Technology Diffusion American economist Paul M. Romer pointed out that investments in innovative knowledge must yield returns to be sustainable, hence institutional design is needed to secure innovators’ earnings. Innovation drives endogenous economic growth, which is the theoretical foundation for IP protection today. But how do we balance patents vs. innovation, protection vs. monopoly, and technological advancement vs. diffusion for the benefit of humanity? Shenzhen is a migrant city, constantly replenished by newcomers, and is hailed as the "City of Innovation." Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone phenomenon represents a new business model—low-cost shanzhai phones quickly reached low-income populations, with users spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Huaqiangbei phone bosses jokingly likened patent protection and shanzhai products to arranged marriage versus an illicit affair: arranged marriage is upright and proper, sanctimonious, but dull and stifling; an affair is clandestine and disreputable, yet sweet and passionate, and everyone flocks to it. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, NVIDIA open-sourced its Alpamayo series AI models, simulation tools, and datasets. ArduPilot and Lorenz Meier’s PX4 open-sourced drone "motion control source code," enabling countless drone startups and practitioners. Not long ago, Huawei’s Xu Zhijun announced that CANN would be fully open-sourced, along with the Mind series of application software and toolchains. Elon Musk believes patent protection is a weakling’s game—continuous technological innovation and rapid product iteration are the true core competencies of modern enterprises; his companies like Tesla have followed this path. In the movie Dying to Survive, India broke patent barriers to produce generic drugs, saving many poor lives. Song Shiqiang of Kinghelm/Slkor (www.slkormicro.com)believe that "Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones," like Indian generics, have improved the quality of life for low-income groups. Such actions embody "technology for good" and offer an alternative interpretation of IP protection. Elon Musk’s speech on patents and a still from "Dying to Survive" French philosopher Albert Camus said, "The world is absurd." Uncle Song Shiqiang of Huaqiangbei believes that society’s complexity and unpredictability often create conflicts between the intentions of public administration and real-life outcomes. For example, when the government encourages childbirth by extending maternity leave, each additional month of leave raises female unemployment by 11.76% and lowers wages—so women end up not daring to have children. Likewise, Chinese consumers first came to know international brands like Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Pierre Cardin through ubiquitous counterfeits. Back in Beijing’s Silk Street, I even saw embassy staff buying "knockoff luxury bags"! Interestingly, we’ve discovered counterfeit "Kinghelm" and "Slkor" products in Huaqiangbei—which, in a way, shows our brands are doing well. Barry Naughton on the integration of technology and markets The reality is that patent protection is administered by the bureaucracy, while new technologies must merge with products to yield commercial returns—and these two spheres are largely disconnected. Data from the National Intellectual Property Administration shows that by 2025, China had over 5 million invention patents, and its PCT international patent applications ranked first globally for six consecutive years. Yet valuable innovations are few; many firms chase government subsidies. We’ve also seen a rise in "patent trolls" who abuse the rules—e.g., exploiting the Copyright Office’s lack of verification to make false registrations—and then mass-sue tech startups for profit. In just one week, Slkor and Kinghelm received three court summonses from Changsha Mituo, Guangzhou Knight, and Hanyi Fonts. The gang behind Changsha Mituo (Yang Haijun, Liu Bo, Nie Gang) extorted over 100,000 companies, winning nearly all cases. Victims including Song Shiqiang, Wang Hansheng of Wuxi Haoyijin, and Zhu Hongliang of Zhengzhou Qiaobang Electronics fought back fiercely, crushing the Mituo gang and its accomplices—Changsha Mituo no longer dares to blackmail. In 2025, a Tianjin court ruled that Visual China must pay photographer Dai Jianfeng 15,000 yuan in compensation. It turned out Visual China had stolen Dai’s works, falsely registered them, and then tried to extort more than 80,000 yuan from him—only to be countersued. In recent years, SMEs have been tormented by such patent trolls—cases like "Meet Xiao Mian" and "Jinyinhua Lotion" have left entrepreneurs struggling or even bankrupt, seriously hampering social development. The extortion tactics and modus operandi of "Changsha Mituo" and "Visual China" Innovation and Makers at Huaqiangbei: From Individual Vendors to Entrepreneurs Song Shiqiang distilled the eight-character ethos—"Daring, Innovative, Resilient, Pragmatic"—which not only encapsulates Huaqiangbei’s cultural traits but also aligns closely with Shenzhen’s overall development philosophy. Shenzhen-based economist Jin Xinyi also believes that although the shanzhai phone heyday has passed, Huaqiangbei remains a critical commercial hub for Shenzhen and the nation. With the current "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" drive, Huaqiangbei’s influence over the Pearl River Delta and the broader electronics industry continues to grow. "Shenzhen Design: Shanzhai Manufacturing and Maker Entrepreneurship"-Silvia Lindtner and others. During its evolution, "Huaqiangbei shanzhai phones" cultivated a large pool of hardware and software R&D talent, integrated supply chain resources, and opened up distribution channels worldwide, laying the groundwork for the later rise of domestic phone brands. The massive phone market not only fed mainland IC companies such as Spreadtrum, RDA, Galcore, Maxscend, and Goodix—enabling them to grow strong in the phone supply chain—but also trained and nurtured well-known entrepreneurs like Huang Zhang (Meizu), Yu Chengdong (Huawei), Lei Jun (Xiaomi), Chen Mingyong (OPPO), Shen Wei (vivo), and Zhang Xuezheng (Wingtech). Shanzhai phones also spurred Huaqiangbei and the Pearl River Delta’s smart hardware industry, and the subsequent smart wearables boom drove upstream and downstream sectors. In 2016, Huang Zhiqiang of Zhongke Lantian started developing Bluetooth audio chips in Huaqiangbei; these chips now account for about 60% of the white-label TWS market. Slkor Semiconductor was established in Huaqiangbei, and its Slkor ESD diodes, Hall sensors, and Kinghelm ceramic Bluetooth antennas and pogo pins are now used in Bluetooth earphones, bringing in decent profits. Hot-selling products at Slkor’s third Huaqiangbei store Professor Zhao Jiangning (translit.) of The Catholic University of Korea argues that Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone phenomenon represents an innovative entrepreneurial model. During the shanzhai phone boom, Huaqiangbei saw its peak of innovation and entrepreneurship, and its fastest internationalization. Song Shiqiang, observed that people flock to Huaqiangbei drawn by the scent of money. Its unique business model recombines production factors for dramatic efficiency gains; simple and crude incentives energize operators and enterprises. This is the underlying logic of Huaqiangbei’s "spontaneous market." With makers as core nodes and project-based collaboration as links, Huaqiangbei breaks the spatial constraints of traditional incubators, allowing talent, technology, capital, sales channels, and services to flow and recombine dynamically across the entire region, forming new cooperative relationships and generating enormous benefits. "Shanzhai: An Emerging Entrepreneurial Model" – Jiangning Zhao Huaqiangbei’s innovation is not about foundational technology or theoretical breakthroughs, but rather applied micro-innovations in products, following the path of "imitation → improvement → innovation." I saw a video about Wang Li of "Haoyin Acoustics," who also started from Huaqiangbei and followed the same logic. This year’s hit movie Love Letter to Grandma vividly portrayed the daring and enterprising "Qiaopi culture" of the Chaoshan region—the same spirit that characterizes the majority of Huaqiangbei’s Chaoshan bosses, blended with the boldness of Shenzhen’s migrant population. This is Huaqiangbei’s original spiritual root. In a state of "try whatever is not explicitly forbidden," it has borne rich fruit. Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter argued that innovation is the entrepreneur’s recombination of production factors, and that risk-taking is essential to entrepreneurship. Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen’s theory of "disruptive innovation" describes how low-cost or convenient products enter from the fringe and eventually overturn the mainstream market. Huaqiangbei’s model of disruptive innovation—breaking through from the margins to the core, moving from low-end to high-end products, using profits from low-end goods to continuously iterate and eventually create high-end market leaders—is a textbook case. Materials from the 2025 Huaqiangbei Maker Conference Mr. Song Shiqiang, General Manager of Kinghelm/Slkor, believes Huaqiangbei’s value exists in both physical and digital spaces. Physically, Huaqiangbei is a convergence point of people, money, goods, and opportunities—an international-grade electronic component hub that has produced countless millionaires. Over time, it has also become a magnet for makers, with spaces like "Startup Coffee," "Chaihuo Space," and "Zhi Fangzhou" fueling idea exchanges, attracting tens of thousands of visitors daily. Around Huaqiangbei, there are 4,000 R&D and testing institutions, 2,000 manufacturing firms, 100 equity investment firms, and 30 incubators and maker spaces, together forming a highly efficient collaborative ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. In the digital realm, platforms like LCSC, YUNHAN, Huaqiang Electronics Net, and the official sites of Slkor and Kinghelm serve as Huaqiangbei’s digital twin matrix. LCSC regularly stocks over 400,000 SKUs; Huaqiang Electronics Net lists more than 11 million popular models. JLC, YUNHAN, and Huaqiu are bridging SMT, PCBA, and CNC hardware production links, while LCSC’s EDA integrates the entire ecosystem, offering high-speed, fully equipped, one-stop R&D and production services. Building on hardware supply chain strengths, augmented by a "capable government," Huaqiangbei has become a world-renowned maker hub, propelling Shenzhen toward its "City of Innovation" status. With the aid of internet and capital, plus comprehensive supporting services, Huaqiangbei’s SMEs can rapidly scale up, ultimately contributing fresh momentum to global creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Zhuo Gao Electronics’ booth at "Huaqiangbei Maker Day" The launch of "Huaqiangbei Maker Day" adds a veneer of technology and R&D to Huaqiangbei’s innovation. The maker community innovates by lowering the barriers to technology production and recombining technologies. "Maker spaces" are conceived as new sites for entrepreneurship, economic growth, and innovation. Building on this, Huaqiangbei Subdistrict Office proposed the vision of "Makers come in, entrepreneurs go out." The recent listing of JLC Group on the main board saw its market cap surge to 130 billion yuan on debut. Likewise, Cai Huabo of Jiangbolong—another Jiangxi native—started from a one-meter counter in Huaqiangbei. They survived and thrived through technological and model innovation. My own company, SLKOR Micro Semicon (www.slkoric.com), started with third-generation silicon carbide semiconductors and has since relentlessly pushed new processes and products to reach today’s standing. Huaqiangbei entrepreneurs are incredibly hardworking—take the couple Hu Yong of Zhuo Gao Electronics, who began with a tiny counter and a handcart, and are now well-known MCU distributors. In them, I could see Huaqiangbei’s future! Jiang Xiangyang of Ruicai Electronics and Song Shiqiang (right) at JLC’s appreciation banquet Kinghelm and Slkor selected as Huaqiangbei outstanding brands The success of these companies and entrepreneurs owes much to the deep nourishment of Huaqiangbei’s industrial ecosystem, and to the long-term influence of its cultural DNA—"Daring, Innovative, Resilient, Pragmatic." Huaqiangbei is the best place for new technologies, products, and markets to converge, and its pragmatism is consistent across people (end-goal oriented, technology serving the market, no vanity titles or papers—make money from products) and business models (rapid transition from idea to product, fast turnover from production to sales). Ultimately, technology serves products, products serve consumers, and everything serves to improve consumer welfare. We hope that the smart hardware supply chain developed during Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone era will gradually become compliant and healthy, evolving from grey to white and even gold, making new and greater contributions to social progress and the prosperity of our people. About the Author Song Shiqiang honored as "Huaqiangbei Maker Mentor" Mr. Song Shiqiang is a popular science lecturer of the China Electronics Society, an expert member of the China Association for Science and Technology’s electronic information database, a columnist, and a researcher of Huaqiangbei culture. He formerly served as CEO of an international listed company and now invests in and manages Shenzhen SLKOR Micro Semicon Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Kinghelm Electronics Co., Ltd., building the Slkor and Kinghelm brands. Both companies are national high-tech enterprises, with dozens of original invention patents and software copyrights. Slkor is currently one of China’s fastest-growing semiconductor companies, with the vision of becoming a competitive force in the global semiconductor industry. Song Shiqiang (in red) at the Huaqiangbei High-Quality Development Conference Mr. Song Shiqiang’s first stop in Shenzhen was Huaqiangbei, and his entrepreneurial journey began there, so he knows Huaqiangbei intimately, follows it closely, and studies it deeply. His research articles on Huaqiangbei—"Huaqiangbei Studies," "Huaqiangbei’s Transformation and Development," and "Refuting Bloomberg’s Huaqiangbei News"—have been republished by People’s Daily, Xinhua News, Associated Press, Yahoo News, and other major media. His company, Kinghelm Electronics, adhering to the philosophy "Kinghelm, Connecting the World," started with Beidou/GPS antenna RF signal cables and has since developed microwave antennas, RF connectors, and electrical signal connectors, embracing the smart, interconnected era. With years of experience in semiconductors and Beidou/GPS navigation and positioning, Mr. Song enjoys broad recognition, reputation, and influence. He has always been committed to improving Huaqiangbei’s business environment, hoping that Huaqiangbei will truly become a window on China’s reform and opening-up and a calling card for Shenzhen’s economic development.

— Song Shiqiang, SlkorDuring the development of Huaqiangbei, "Shanzhai phones" became a topic that could not be ignored. In 2007 alone, the shipment volume of Huaqiangbei Shanzhai phones reached 150 million units, accounting for one-sixth of the world’s total mobile phone production that year. The rise and fall of Shanzhai phones happened rapidly. It created many millionaires from the tiny "one-meter counters" in Huaqiangbei, but it also led to tragic stories, such as the bankruptcy and mental breakdown of "Prince of Shanzhai Phones," Chen Jinling.The Shanzhai phone phenomenon also had a positive side. It helped promote Huaqiangbei’s maker culture, turning Shenzhen into a "Silicon Valley of Hardware" and a "Paradise for Entrepreneurship." It also gave birth to local mobile phone brands such as Meizu, G5, Longcheer, and Transsion. In many ways, it became the foundation of the "Huaqiangbei maker spirit" and the "Shenzhen entrepreneurial spirit."However, the Shanzhai phone industry was also in conflict with the government’s push for intellectual property protection, patent awareness, and brand development at that time. As a result, it stood at the crossroads of market growth, technological innovation, government regulation, economic development, business ethics, and legal construction. Conflicts and failures became almost unavoidable, which is why official media and many economists rarely discussed Huaqiangbei’s Shanzhai phone.Authoritative media and professional institutions, including Harvard Business Review, have studied the cases of MediaTek and the white box handset market using various business analysis models. These include SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, VRIO analysis, value chain analysis, BCG matrix analysis, Ansoff matrix analysis, and marketing mix analysis.As a long-time witness to Huaqiangbei, I, Song Shiqiang from Kinghelm and Slkor, aim to objectively and truthfully record what I saw and experienced, restoring the real history of Huaqiangbei during that era. By applying basic theories of socioeconomics, I also hope to systematically analyze the deeper logic behind the "Huaqiangbei Shanzhai phone" phenomenon and pay tribute to an era filled with opportunity and rapid economic growth. Shanzai! MediaTek and the White Box Handset Market Case Study Solution Analysis Following the previous article by Mr. Song of Slkor, Research on Huaqiangbei Shanzhai Phones (Part Ⅰ), this section continues the discussion on the origin of "Shanzhai," the technological evolution of Huaqiangbei Shanzhai phones, and the two major boom periods of the industry.Ⅳ. The Wealth Miracle of HuaqiangbeiHuaqiangbei Subdistrict in Futian District, Shenzhen, possessed all the favorable conditions for the concentration of wealth and the creation of a large number of millionaires and billionaires — the perfect combination of "timing, location, and people."At the beginning of China’s reform and opening-up, the world was experiencing the third major global industrial transfer, during which manufacturing of industrial products shifted from Europe, the United States, and the Four Asian Tigers to China. This was the "right timing." Shenzhen, as one of China’s first four Special Economic Zones, enjoyed independent legislative authority, highly flexible policies, and a strategic geographic position adjacent to Hong Kong — the "Pearl of the Orient" — while also being close to Southeast Asia, home to many overseas Chinese business communities. This was the "right location." Meanwhile, large numbers of migrant workers from across China poured into Shenzhen. They had received basic education, were hardworking and disciplined, and accepted relatively low wages and benefits, resulting in low labor costs. This was the "right people."Huaqiangbei was famous for its "three abundances" — people, goods, and money. At its peak, Huaqiangbei was home to over 60,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and 40,000 self-employed businesses, with approximately 500,000 daily workers and merchants. During holidays, visitor traffic exceeded 800,000 people, and shoppers often had to queue just to enter malls such as Vanguard Department Store and Women’s World.Annual transaction volume in Huaqiangbei surpassed RMB 300 billion. Transfer fees for just one meter of counter space could reach RMB 300,000, while prime retail properties in SEG Plaza sold for as much as RMB 300,000 per square meter. Although Vanguard Department Store had a business area of only 3,000 square meters, its daily revenue once reached RMB 3 million, making it one of the world’s highest-performing retail spaces in terms of sales per square meter. Over the course of 30 years, Huaqiangbei’s economic output surged from less than RMB 2 billion to RMB 300 billion, transforming the former "Shangbu Industrial Zone" into "China’s No.1 Electronics Street." The GDP of Huaqiangbei Subdistrict in Futian District eventually rivaled that of Yuehai Subdistrict in Nanshan District, one of Shenzhen’s most renowned economic hubs. Mr. Song of Slkor Summarizes the Wealth Phenomenon of Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Mr. Cheng Yimu from the Shenzhen Electronics Chamber of Commerce is one of the witnesses to the history of Huaqiangbei. According to him, Huaqiangbei was originally the center of Shenzhen’s electronic information industry. At that time, the Shangbu Industrial Zone, where Huaqiangbei is located, gathered many famous electronics factories and government-affiliated institutions, including Huaqiang Sanyo TV, SED Philips, Jinghua Electronics, SEG Hitachi, and Huaqiang Electronics Factory.After China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), mainland China rapidly became the "world’s factory." The electronics and information industry experienced explosive growth, and driven by giants such as SEG and Huaqiang, Huaqiangbei quickly rose to become "China’s No.1 Electronics Street."At the same time, in areas beyond the reach of strict government regulation, the power of the gray market also created economic miracles. The Shanzhai phone supply chain quietly developed across the Pearl River Delta before eventually evolving in Huaqiangbei into a powerful industry force. Many outsiders who came to Huaqiangbei to make a living were willing to challenge old rules and embrace disruptive innovation.The rise of Huaqiangbei’s free-market ecosystem was essentially a process of optimizing resources and driving industrial innovation. Some small business owners operating from tiny "one-meter counters" gradually became known as the first "Huaqiangbei makers." The district’s unique business model and profit-sharing culture encouraged ambitious newcomers to experiment, compete, and innovate. In an environment where "anything not forbidden could be tried," Huaqiangbei created its own era of glory.Many people also grew stronger through repeated failures and fierce business competition, eventually becoming well-known entrepreneurs. This is the "Huaqiangbei culture" summarized by Mr. Song of Slkor and Kinghelm — a culture defined by innovation, risk-taking, resilience, and pragmatism. Huaqiangbei Was Originally a Hub for the Electronics and Information Industry — Photo Provided by Cheng Yimu Media strategist Wang Zhigang once said, "God releases the devil, but the devil creates paradise." This reflects the sociological theory of "unintended consequences," where an original intention A eventually leads to a completely different result B within a complex and changing social environment.A well-known example is Sildenafil. It was originally developed to treat high blood pressure and angina, but later became famous for treating erectile dysfunction and improving kidney health in traditional Chinese understanding. This theory can also help explain the wealth miracle created by the Huaqiangbei Shanzhai phone industry.Now, I cannot resist giving everyone another serious-but-funny lesson about the Chinese habit of "supplementing" health. Chinese people seem to love "boosting" everything. Men focus on strengthening the kidneys, women focus on nourishing the blood, and many households keep traditional medicines like Liuwei Dihuang Pills and Wuji Baifeng Pills in their drawers. Water cups are often filled with goji berries, red dates, or cassia seeds.Children need extra tutoring, programmers need extra sleep, and elderly people hurry to supermarkets every day to stock up on free eggs for the fridge. It feels as if, without some kind of "supplement," people become mentally uneasy and physically weak. Back in the peak years of China’s mobile phone industry, aside from the "Zhonghua Kuolian" group — ZTE, Huawei, Coolpad, and Lenovo — almost every other company had a complicated and inseparable connection with the Huaqiangbei shanzhai phone.ODM companies such as Huaqin, Longcheer, Huiye, Wingtech, Yude, HEDY, Haipai, and Tinno built massive businesses during that era, and the founders behind them largely became billionaires. Mobile phone brands including Gionee, GFive, and Transsion helped figures such as Liu Lirong, Zhang Zhixue, and Zhu Zhaojiang rise to fortunes worth billions or even tens of billions of yuan.Shanghai Moshang, a company that profited from providing "shanzhai phone" solutions, was officially registered in Shanghai, yet its manufacturing base and technical ecosystem were still deeply tied to Huaqiangbei. Design firms such as Artop and Jialantu, specializing in mobile phone exterior styling and structural design, were also located in Huaqiangbei. Beyond them were countless influential figures hidden throughout different nodes of the supply chain, whose wealth stories were all closely connected to Huaqiangbei.I has always believed that among all the industries that created billionaires in Huaqiangbei, the "shanzhai mobile phone" wave operated at the highest capacity. It was this era that made Huaqiangbei famous across China and beyond, elevating it to the pinnacle of wealth creation. In 2012, carrying the modest savings I had accumulated from working in real estate, I returned to Huaqiangbei to seek new opportunities. At that time, Huaqiangbei was bursting with energy. During holidays, the main streets were packed shoulder to shoulder with crowds. Psy’s Korean hit "Gangnam Style" echoed through the streets and alleys, while advertisements for "Being a Woman Feels Great" shapewear underwear covered the walls. After enjoying Damu Chaoshan beef hotpot, many shop owners would head to "Cool Party KTV" for karaoke, and once the mood peaked, everyone would start dancing Psy’s famous "horse-riding dance."In order to break into Huaqiangbei’s high-end business circles, I often dressed like a polished gentleman, pretending to be a wealthy and cultured successful entrepreneur. I drove around in my third-hand BMW, with expired bottles of Moutai stored in the trunk, while enthusiastically explaining theories such as the "Kondratiev Cycle" and the "Fibonacci Golden Curve" to Huaqiangbei’s businesswomen. I even added the ancient business wisdom of Fan Li — "measuring surplus and shortage, distinguishing righteousness from profit" — as a finishing touch. People began to feel that Huaqiangbei still had its share of intellectuals.At first, the Huaqiangbei businesswomen remained cautious, suspecting that I was selling training courses, insurance, direct sales products, or cosmetic surgery services. But by discussing topics such as the characteristics of the integrated circuit industry, large-scale manufacturing, supply chain structures, geopolitical influences, and Huaqiangbei’s role as both an "inventory reservoir" and a critical intersection between production and sales, I gradually summarized several principles for rapidly building wealth in Huaqiangbei. Over time, they began to trust me.One businesswoman followed my theoretical model, made a fortune through electronic component trading, and bought herself a Bentley. She later gave me a Bentley car model as a gift — to clarify, it was a miniature Bentley model car, not a female Bentley sales representative, so don’t get the wrong idea. At that moment, I quietly realized to myself: coming back to Huaqiangbei this time had absolutely been the right decision. Huaqiangbei has hosted several waves of wealth creation, where even the "one-meter counter" shop owners’ wives caught a glimpse of its fortune trajectory. In the 1980s, it was imported electronic "junk"; in the 1990s, MP3s, MP4s, and computer assembly; today, 3C digital products and trendy electronic gadgets. Recent years have seen shortages of capacitors, resistors, MOSFETs, and memory chips; high demand for brands like Texas Instruments (TI), Silans, and STMicroelectronics; and disruptions from events such as the Thailand floods, the Japan earthquake, and the US-China tariff conflicts — all of which helped Huaqiangbei’s bosses and their wives make substantial profits.After striking their first pot of gold in Huaqiangbei, these entrepreneurs continued to grow and strengthen their businesses. Figures such as Wang Li of Haon Optics, Gao Yunfeng of Han’s Laser, Chen Zhilie of EVOC Intelligent, Cai Huabo of Jiangbolong, Song Shiqiang of Kinghelm and Slkor, Wang Laobao of Interling, and Chen Haisheng of Meilong, have all carved out distinct positions in their respective industries. They grew strong through hands-on experience in Huaqiangbei, driven by its culture of boldness, innovation, resilience, and pragmatism. "Shanzhai Manufacturing and Maker Entrepreneurs" Ⅴ. Huaqiangbei Mobile Phone Specialized MarketsThe commercial landscape of Huaqiangbei is primarily composed of three major sectors: daily consumer shopping areas, the "Electronics Street," and specialized markets. Department stores and shopping malls such as Maoye, Rainbow, Dreams-on, and 9square serve consumers within a half-hour living radius. The "Electronics Street" is centered around Huaqiang Electronics Market, SEG Plaza, New Asia, and Metropolis Electronics City. Specialized markets cover sectors like foreign trade clothing, watches, security products, computer malls, telecommunications, and gifts, with over 50 markets exceeding 50,000 square meters at their peak.It is said that Pony Ma initially assembled computers in Huaqiangbei before founding Tencent, and Huang Zhang of Meizu once sold MP3 players there. At the time, Huaqiangbei had several major markets for mobile phones and peripheral products: Yuanwang Digital City on Huaqiang Road, Mingtong Mobile Accessories Market on Huafa North Road, and Tongtiandi, Longsheng, and Feiyang Times Markets in the podium floors (1–3) of Huaken Building on the south side of Shennan Road, which were relatively smaller in scale. Huaqiangbei’s "shop in front, factory in back" model brought together manufacturers of small household appliances and 3C digital products from across the country, alongside nationwide and global sales channels. This convergence of supply chain and distribution networks forms a key hub and is the core competitive strength of Huaqiangbei At that time, the first to third floors of Yuanwang Digital City in Huaqiangbei were almost entirely filled with stalls selling shanzhai mobile phones. Today, only a few counters remain tucked away in the corners of the second and third floors, but many of the old trading practices are still preserved. Typically, on the glass countertop of a one-meter-wide stall, there would be one or two laminated A4 sheets listing available phone models, specifications, and prices. Deals were negotiated directly at the counter, while bulk deliveries would be arranged at separate locations to ensure security.Yuanwang Digital City mainly sold smuggled Hong Kong-version and U.S.-version phones, as well as refurbished devices. The refurbished brands were primarily Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and other major international brands. Meanwhile, markets such as Mingtong Mobile Market, Tongtiandi Market, Longsheng Mobile Market, and Feiyang Times Market mainly specialized in shanzhai phones.In Huaqiangbei, almost every type of refurbished phone could be found. Naturally, all device identification codes had already been altered. Matching phone motherboards and compatible software were also readily available. Once the casing and cover panels were assembled, technicians would flash the software onto the device, perform a quick functional test, and the phone was ready for sale. Add a leather case and a few accessories, and the product could immediately be pushed into the market in large quantities. Shanzhai Mobile Phone Counters in Huaqiangbei Behind every counter stood a gray-market supply chain. For example, since mobile phones in Hong Kong were often cheaper than those in Huaqiangbei, they were smuggled into Shenzhen through various channels. Along Shatoujiao’s Chung Ying Street — with one side belonging to Hong Kong and the other to Shenzhen — smugglers on the Hong Kong side would hide flip phones inside the inner tubes of off-road bicycles. The bicycles would then be ridden across into Shenzhen, where the phones could be delivered to Huaqiangbei and sold for profit. A 26-inch bicycle inner tube could conceal up to 25 mobile phones.Refurbished phone motherboards for brands such as Nokia were collected from developed countries and secretly transported into China through various channels. Meanwhile, the domestic supply chain already had complete support for phone casings, numeric keypads, and related accessories.Of course, some counters and merchants specialized in spare parts for feature phones and 3C digital products, while others focused on repairs and after-sales service. I remember that the after-sales repair centers for ZTE phones and Philips phones were located in SEG Science & Technology Park and the Modern Window Building respectively. Slkor ISO9001 Quality System & ISO14001 Environmental System Certification The business conducted through Huaqiangbei’s "one-meter counters" was supported by a massive sales network behind the scenes. There were distribution and agency channels reaching across mainland China, as well as international trading networks built over many years. One unique phenomenon was the "Huaqiangbei backpackers" — buyers from all over the world carrying backpacks as they came to Huaqiangbei for sourcing, purchasing, or bulk procurement. According to unofficial statistics, during its peak period, as many as 7,000 foreign visitors came to Huaqiangbei every day to purchase goods, inspect products, or place wholesale orders.Large quantities of shanzhai phones and other 3C digital products from Huaqiangbei were continuously exported to countries and regions such as India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Africa, and South America. This extensive sales network, in turn, drove the growth of a complete industrial chain behind Huaqiangbei’s 3C digital products, including repair services, upgrades, accessories, and related support industries. Products such as Bluetooth earphones, mobile phone leather cases, screen protectors, and refurbished laptops became increasingly comprehensive, while constant upgrades and iterations kept the market aligned with the latest trends.In the early days, the production cost of a Huaqiangbei shanzhai phone was around 700 to 800 RMB per unit, while the selling price could exceed 1,000 RMB. With larger production volumes, costs dropped further and profits became even more substantial. Around 2012, however, high-end smartphones led by Apple and Samsung emerged, and Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone supply chain struggled to keep pace technologically. Many companies could only barely survive.Then came Xiaomi, founded by Lei Jun, with the Redmi smartphone launching at a shockingly low price of 799 RMB. It rapidly captured most of the market previously occupied by Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phones, dealing the industry a devastating blow and effectively sending it into the ICU. Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone businesses were left with only a few choices: move elsewhere, upgrade and transform themselves, or be completely swept away by the tide of the market. Ⅵ. The Gray Ecosystem of "Huaqiangbei Shanzhai Phones"Huaqiangbei has always carried a kind of inherited "Shanzhai DNA." In its early days, the SEG Electronics Market mainly sold assembled computers and peripheral products, and a very high proportion of components were either Shanzhai (third-party) or refurbished parts. People in the industry even had a specific name for Shanzhai computers—they called them "compatible machines."It is said that the founder of the Hedy computer brand started his business by selling these compatible machines in Huaqiangbei. The founder of Hasee Computer, Wu Haijun, also reportedly began by trading hard drives in the same area. At that time, the Shanzhai computer market mainly revolved around refurbished motherboards from brands like GIGABYTE, Acer, and ASUS, along with second-hand memory modules from Samsung and Kingston, and hard drives from Seagate. These low-cost but functional combinations made the business extremely active and gradually formed a gray ecosystem centered in Huaqiangbei and spreading across the Pearl River Delta.In the early stage of Shanzhai mobile phones, peripheral industries were still relatively limited. However, with the rise of smartphones, the ecosystem quickly expanded. Early smartphones such as iPhones were fragile and had weak battery life, which directly led to the rapid growth of supporting industries like protective cases and power banks. At the same time, companies developing charging chips and related components also emerged.As smartphones became more powerful and mobile applications (apps) exploded in popularity, the peripheral product ecosystem continued to expand. A complete commercial loop formed around accessories such as charging cables, phone straps, and decorative items, and these booths became extremely profitable.In 2013, while I was running a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant near Foxconn in Longhua—trying to scale Hong Kong-style milk tea using a McDonald’s-style chain model across China—I noticed that some Foxconn employees were quietly involved in unusual activities.Their operation model was roughly like this: during night shifts, employees involved in pilot production would secretly take out prototype Apple devices. Accomplices waiting outside would collect them, quickly pass them to nearby manufacturers for molding, duplication, and parameter replication, and then return the samples before the morning shift change. Because of this, within just a few days of a new iPhone launch, Huaqiangbei could already produce Shanzhai versions of the same model, along with a complete set of matching accessories.Core components such as Shanzhai phone motherboards, due to their high value and higher risk, were traded in a much more hidden and mobile manner. Behind this chain, there was often a key "underworld big boss" who acted as an intermediary, organizing relationships, controlling resources, and stabilizing prices to protect profit margins while also ensuring the safety of participants. Each link in the chain typically maintained single-line contact to reduce exposure.These motherboards were often transported in vans such as JAC or Jinbei minibuses, which would continuously circulate around major Huaqiangbei mobile phone markets. Transactions would be finalized inside the vehicle or after the vehicle stopped nearby once a deal was agreed.A friend who ran an SMT assembly factory once told me that at the peak of the Shanzhai phone era, each motherboard he processed generated a net profit of about 15 RMB. His factory could produce around 10,000 units per day, bringing in about 150,000 RMB daily. When the cash was collected, he felt an almost overwhelming sense of achievement, like becoming the pride of his hometown. This situation lasted for several months. Later, as money accumulated too quickly, he even began to worry about whether he could "hold onto it," and eventually considered withdrawing from the industry entirely. In the Chinese TV drama The Knockout, Gao Qiqiang says, "The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish." The same was true for the shanzhai phone industry centered around Huaqiangbei’s supply chain ecosystem. Those who entered early and timed the market correctly became wealthy, creating countless millionaires and billionaires. Others, however, suffered devastating failures — some lost both their businesses and families, like Chen Jinling; some were framed or sabotaged by rivals and ended up in prison "working the sewing machines," like a certain mobile phone tycoon surnamed Zhang who had once come from ZTE.As more and more people flooded into the industry chasing profits, the methods became increasingly ruthless, and the reality grew harsher. There were even stories of buyers hiring gangsters armed with knives and guns to seize shipments of certain motherboard models at the Feiyang Shidai Market in order to monopolize supply. Meanwhile, the former SMT factory owner mentioned earlier now spends his time posting photos on WeChat Moments of fishing trips, sunshine, and outings with his young girlfriend.Behind Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai phone industry stood not only underground players, but also major mainstream technology companies. Around 2006, MediaTek and Spreadtrum Communications introduced turnkey solutions for shanzhai mobile phones in Huaqiangbei. At the same time, suppliers such as GalaxyCore with its CMOS image sensors, RDA Microelectronics with the RDA5800 chip integrating RF and digital processing functions, along with Telegent Systems and FocalTech, all shipped products in massive volumes through Huaqiangbei.In 2013, Maxscend developed a low-power GPS LNA solution that was first tested and validated in several shanzhai smartphones in Huaqiangbei before eventually entering Samsung’s official supply chain. In many ways, Huaqiangbei’s shanzhai ecosystem also helped nurture and accelerate the growth of China’s electronics industry.Of course, not everyone involved in the shanzhai phone business made money. The owner of Hongfu Chaoshan Restaurant on Huaqiang South Road sold his restaurant and invested everything into the declining shanzhai phone market, only to lose it all in the end. I still remember the excellent taste of their braised beef brisket hotpot with tofu skin, and the owner’s warm smile as he handed me cigarettes.Chen Jinling, once nicknamed the "Prince of Huaqiangbei Shanzhai Phones," attempted to monopolize a best-selling phone model by stockpiling huge amounts of inventory. After his cash flow collapsed, his family fell apart and his mental state deteriorated. Today, he is often seen wandering aimlessly around Huaqiangbei.Song Shiqiang from Kinghelm and Slkor will soon release Research on Huaqiangbei "Shanzhai Phones" (Part Ⅲ) — stay tuned! Slkor Hall Sensor SL1613SH for Industrial and Consumer Electronics Author IntroductionMr. Song is a popular science lecturer of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, a member of the Electronic Information Expert Database of the China Association for Science and Technology, a science columnist, and a well-known researcher of Huaqiangbei’s commercial ecosystem.The companies he invests in and operates include Shenzhen Slkor Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Kinghelm Electronics Co., Ltd.. The brands "SLKOR" and "Kinghelm" have already gained recognition and reputation in international markets.Under the brand slogan "Kinghelm Connects the World," Kinghelm Electronics started with the development of Beidou/GPS navigation positioning antennas. The company has since expanded into microwave antennas, RF cable assemblies, and electrical signal connectors, actively embracing the era of the Internet of Everything and intelligent connectivity.Meanwhile, Slkor focuses on the development of semiconductor devices such as diodes, transistors, MOSFETs, and IGBTs, as well as sensors and related power devices. Together, these product lines serve more than 30,000 customers worldwide, providing both components and supporting technical solutions across industrial and consumer electronics applications. Mr. Song of Kinghelm and Slkor Awarded "Huaqiangbei Maker Mentor" Title Huaqiangbei representative figure Mr. Song is not only an entrepreneur who successfully founded two high-tech companies—Shenzhen Kinghelm Electronics Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Slkor Semiconductor Co., Ltd.—but also a long-term independent researcher and cultural observer of Huaqiangbei.For more than a decade, he has continuously tracked and studied the evolution and transformation of Huaqiangbei from a Folk scholar perspective. As a thinker and cultural communicator, he has worked to interpret and reshape Huaqiangbei’s commercial culture, aiming to let the world better understand this unique industrial ecosystem while promoting the global presence of the "Kinghelm" and "SLKOR" brands.He was among the first to systematically define and promote the concepts of "Huaqiangbei Spirit" and "Huaqiangbei Culture." As a cultural scholar, he organized the spontaneous entrepreneurial practices of Huaqiangbei into a structured theoretical framework. He refined the cultural essence into four key values: boldness in taking risks, innovation, resilience, and pragmatism.He also summarized Huaqiangbei’s industrial upgrade path as "imitation —improvement — innovation," and proposed that each "one-meter counter" in Huaqiangbei is essentially a "unit of innovation," representing a micro expression of entrepreneurial spirit. By recognizing the value of small and micro merchants as active "capillaries" of the economic system, he helped stimulate the innovation vitality of the entire ecosystem.In addition, he proposed the survival logic of Huaqiangbei: "light assets, fast iteration, high conversion, and information-driven operations," and creatively introduced the theory of Huaqiangbei as a "reservoir of the supply chain." This theory explains how Huaqiangbei uses inventory as a buffer to regulate upstream production capacity, efficiently match supply and demand, and reduce systemic industrial risks. This idea has become one of the foundational frameworks for studying the rapid development of China’s electronics industry after reform and opening-up.Under his leadership, Kinghelm Electronics has been deeply engaged in Beidou/GPS navigation antenna technology, contributing to the development of China’s independent navigation and positioning systems. Slkor Semiconductor focuses on silicon carbide power devices, rapidly expanding in fields such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics. Together, the two brands serve more than 30,000 customers worldwide and have become representative symbols of Chinese intelligent manufacturing going global.In addition, the official Chinese and English websites of Kinghelm and Slkor have launched the column "Interviewing 100 Outstanding Entrepreneurs in the Electronics Manufacturing Industry," promoting Chinese semiconductor and electronic component brands to the global market and encouraging Huaqiangbei-originated enterprises to participate in international competition. General Manager Mr. Song Appointed as Lecturer in Expert Group of the Chinese Institute of Electronics Mr. Song is a science popularization lecturer in the field of electronic information and also a columnist writer in the industry. Through various online platforms, he publishes articles that present the transformation and upgrading story of Huaqiangbei to a global audience.His research works on Huaqiangbei, including "Research on Huaqiangbei," "Transformation and Development of Huaqiangbei," and "Refuting Bloomberg’s Report on Huaqiangbei," have been widely republished by major media platforms such as the People’s Daily Online app, Xinhua News Agency, Associated Press, and Yahoo News.Through these publications, Huaqiangbei has been successfully reframed from its former stereotype as a "Shanzhai distribution hub" into a new identity as a "global hardware innovation source." Mr. Song has played an active role as both a narrator and international communicator of Huaqiangbei’s image, contributing to the improvement of its global reputation and recognition.

In an era where technological leaps like artificial intelligence (AI) have yet to catalyze a new Kondratieff Cycle of economic renewal, businesses grapple with geopolitical turbulence, trade wars, and cutthroat competition in saturated markets. Amid this landscape of uncertainty, SLKOR (www.slkoric.com) and Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net) defy the odds, achieving an 80% compound growth rate in 2024 while solidifying their global brand presence. Their success is no accident—it is the product of a deliberate fusion of economics, sociology, and management theories into actionable strategies.

?Shenzhen Huaqiangbei, renowned as an international hub for electronic components and 3C digital products, stands as a core marketplace and ecosystem in China. Officially designated as "China's Electronics First Street" by relevant national authorities, it rivals Beijing's Zhongguancun in reputation. Where there are profits, there exists a diverse marketplace including both genuine and counterfeit goods, reflecting a microcosm of society and adding to the unique allure of Huaqiangbei.

?The "new productive forces" vigorously promoted by the government are advanced productivity that is comprehensively improved through breakthroughs in science and technology, optimization of production factors, and industrial upgrading. According to Song Shiqiang from Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net) and Slkor (www.slkoric.com), a notable characteristic of Shenzhen is its high efficiency. The "Shenzhen culture" embodies traits such as "efficiency, pragmatism, pioneering innovation, and openness and inclusiveness," which are inherited from the ethos of "efficiency, innovation, and daring to explore" exemplified by Huaqiangbei, the economic flagship of Shenzhen. This has contributed to the miraculous economic development of Shenzhen, representing a microcosm of the tremendous achievements of China's 40 years of reform and opening up.

?The "new productive forces" vigorously promoted now are advanced productivity that comprehensively enhances production efficiency, driven by breakthroughs in science and technology, optimized allocation of production factors, and industrial upgrading. Song Shiqiang from Slkor and Kinghelm, believe that a notable characteristic of Shenzhen is its efficiency. Shenzhen's culture embodies "efficiency, pragmatism, pioneering innovation, and openness. "This aligns with the essence of Shenzhen's economic miracle and reflects the remarkable achievements of China's 40 years of reform and opening up. If Shenzhen is likened to the crown jewel of China's economic development, Huaqiangbei and the Science and Technology Park are the two pearls on this crown. The billboard in Shekou proclaiming "Time is money, efficiency is life," the large characters on the CAS building in the Science and Technology Park encouraging innovation and tolerance for failure, the editorial of the Shenzhen Special Zone Newspaper advocating "Bravely leading the tide and singing in the wind," and the slogan "Once you come, you are a Shenzhener" all represent the spiritual core of Shenzhen. The construction pace of the Guomao Building, the muscular man breaking free from constraints in front of the old museum square, the iconic Shenzhen sculpture, and the statue of Deng Xiaoping at the top of Lianhua Mountain

Shenzhen's culture embodies "efficiency, pragmatism, innovation, openness, and inclusiveness," which has contributed to Shenzhen's economic miracle today. The essence of "innovation" and "daring to venture" in "Huaqiangbei," the business card of Shenzhen's economy, is a continuation and epitome of China's 40 years of remarkable achievements in reform and opening up. If Shenzhen is likened to the crown of China's economic development achievements, Huaqiangbei and the Science and Technology Park are like two shining pearls on the crown. The billboard in Shekou that says "Time is money, efficiency is life," the large golden characters on the Chinese Academy of Sciences building in the Science and Technology Park that encourage innovation and tolerate failure, the editorial of Shenzhen Special Zone Newspaper "Standing at the forefront and singing in the wind," and the slogan "Once you're here, you're a Shenzhener" represent the spiritual core of Shenzhen. The Guomao Building that was built in three days, the muscular man breaking free on the square of the old museum, the iconic Ruzi Ox representing Shenzhen, the statue of Deng Xiaoping striding up Lianhua Mountain.

"Innovation is the soul of Shenzhen and Huaqiangbei, where daring to think and act without fear of failure has led to the economic miracle of Shenzhen and the wealth myth of Huaqiangbei! The first 'land auction' held in Shenzhen, China, the 'one-meter counter' in Huaqiangbei granting independent operating rights, breaking apart and selling thousands of electronic components in the smallest packaging, and the 'zero interference service' at Wanjia Department Store—all these innovations have supported the development of Huaqiangbei! However, this belongs to 'model innovation,' which is different from scientific and technological innovation and product innovation! Huaqiangbei has previously established several innovation centers and even a 'maker' base, all of which have closed down. A few days ago, during my research in Huaqiangbei, I specifically visited the 'Hardware Innovation and Entrepreneurship' demonstration area on the podium of the Zhongdian Zhigu Building, only to find it locked and in darkness. It seems that this innovation project has failed again."

Mr. Song Shiqiang is the founder and general manager of two high-tech companies, Shenzhen Sacco Micro Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Jinhangbiao Electronics Co., Ltd., a member of the expert database of the China Electronics Society, a Huaqiangbei research expert, and a popular science columnist. Song Shiqiang started as a grassroots technician and served as CEO of an international real estate listed company. He has rich experience in technical management and business operations. He combines macroeconomic theory with practical operation and management to lead the company to rapid development! Mr. Song Shiqiang has always paid attention to Huaqiangbei, studied the development model of Huaqiangbei, and refined the Huaqiangbei culture. Huaqiangbei Song Shiqiang) studied Huaqiangbei's "Huaqiangbei Research", "Huaqiangbei's Transformation and Development", "Refutation of Bloomberg Huaqiangbei News", "Huaqiangbei Wealth Code", "Huaqiangbei's Transformation Software and Hardware Upgrades", "Huaqiangbei Copycat Bluetooth Headset Gray Industry Chain" Articles such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Global Daily, Associated Press, Yahoo News, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review and other authoritative domestic and foreign media have been reprinted. We strive to purify the business environment of Huaqiangbei and spread Huaqiangbei's "China's No. 1 Electronics Street" to the world! The short video series "Song Shiqiang Discussing Taoism" is popular on YouTube, Tik Tok, Bilibili and other video platforms, actively providing suggestions and suggestions for spreading Chinese traditional culture, prospering economy and social development!

Dhr. Song Shiqiang, CEO van SLKOR (www.slkoric.com) en Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net) is lid van de denktank van de China Electronics Society, een onderzoeksexpert voor Huaqiangbei, en een populair wetenschappelijk columnist. Beginnend onderaan als medewerker van de technische staf heeft dhr. Song Shiqiang dienst gedaan als CEO van een gerenommeerd internationaal onroerend goed-bedrijf, waarbij hij zijn uitgebreide ervaring in technisch management en bedrijfsoperaties combineerde. Het samengaan van macro-economische theorie met praktisch management zorgde ervoor dat dhr. Song Shiqiang SLKOR en Kinghelm naar een snelle ontwikkeling leidde.

Herra Song Shiqiang on tunnettu tiedekolumnisti, Kiinan elektroniikkayhdistyksen (”China Electronics Society”) Expert Tankin j?sen sek? SLKORin (www.slkoric.com) ja Kinghelmin (www.kinghelm.net) toimitusjohtaja. Lis?ksi h?n on Huaqiangbein tutkimusasiantuntija. Song Shiqiang on noussut ruohonjuuritasolta teknisen henkil?st?n j?senest? julkisesti noteeratun kansainv?lisen kiinteist?yhti?n toimitusjohtajaksi. H?n on ker?nnyt runsaasti tietoa yritystoiminnan ja teknisen johtamisen aloilta. Yhdist?m?ll? makrotalouden teorian pragmaattiseen hallintoon Song Shiqiang edist?? SLKORin ja Kinghelmin r?j?hdysm?ist? kasvua.

Song Shiqiang, CEO for SLKOR (www.slkoric.com) og Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net), er medlem af Expert Tank of the China Electronics Society, forskningsekspert for Huaqiangbei og en popul?r videnskabelig klummeskribent. Song Shiqiang, der startede som teknisk medarbejder, har fungeret som administrerende direkt?r for et b?rsnoteret internationalt ejendomsselskab, hvor han blander sin omfattende erfaring inden for teknisk ledelse med virksomhedsdrift. Song Shiqiang blander makro?konomisk teori med praktisk ledelse og f?rer SLKOR og Kinghelm i en rivende udvikling.

Bwana Song Shiqiang, Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa SLKOR (www.slkoric.com) na Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net), ni mwanachama wa Expert Tank of the China Electronics Society (Tangi ya Wataalamu wa Jumuiya ya Kielektroniki ya Uchina), mtaalamu wa utafiti wa Huaqiangbei, na mwandishi maarufu wa habari za sayansi. Alianzia kuwa mfanyakazi wa chini wa kiufundi, Bwana. Song Shiqiang na amewahi kuwa Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa kampuni iliyoorodheshwa kimataifa ya mali isiyohamishika, kuchanganya uzoefu wake wa kina katika usimamizi wa kiufundi na shughuli za biashara. Kuchanganya nadharia ya uchumi jumla na usimamizi wa vitendo, Bwana. Song Shiqiang anaongoza SLKOR na Kinghelm kwa maendeleo ya haraka.

SLKOR Semiconductor (www.slkoric.com) ve Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net) Genel Müdürü Bay Song ShiQiang, ?in Elektronik Enstitüsü Uzman Havuzu üyesi, HuaQiang North uzman? ve popüler bir bilim k??e yazar?d?r. Kariyerine temelden teknisyen olarak ba?layan ve sonras?nda borsada i?lem g?ren uluslararas? bir emlak ?irketinin CEO'su olarak g?rev yapan Song ShiQiang, teknoloji y?netimi ve i? operasyonu konular?nda zengin deneyime sahiptir ve makroekonomi teorilerini ger?ek hayattaki i? y?netimiyle birle?tirerek ?irketi h?zl? geli?meye y?nlendirmektedir!

Song Shiqiang, chef f?r SLKOR Micro Semicon (www.slkoric.com) och Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net), medlem av expertdatabasen f?r China Electronics Society, forskningsexpert och vetenskapspopulariseringskolumnist i Huaqiangbei. Song Shiqiang b?rjade som en gr?srotsteknik och var VD f?r ett b?rsnoterat internationellt fastighetsbolag, och med stor erfarenhet av teknisk ledning och aff?rsverksamhet kombinerar han makroekonomisk teori med praktisk f?retagsledning och leder f?retaget till att utvecklas snabbt!

???? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? SLKOR ((www.slkoric.com ? ?????????? Kinghelm www.kinghelm.net ? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????? ????????? ???? ?? ??????? ???????? Huaqiangbei ? ?? ???? ????? ???. ?????????. ???? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ? ??????? ???? ???. ?? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ? ?????? ????? ????. ?? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???!

Mr. Song Shiqiang has released a series of videos titled "Song Shiqiang's Rostrum", sharing his years of learning, life, and work experiences and insights. During this period, he has been conducting a series of studies on Shenzhen Huaqiangbei. "Song Shiqiang's Rostrum" will be published on various short video platforms both domestically and internationally, such as Douyin, WeChat Video Account, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, YouTube, and will also be compiled into text format to be shared on the SLKOR official website (www.slkoric.com) and the "Silicon Carbide Expert" public account. In the "Song Shiqiang's Rostrum" series, there are several aspects of Huaqiangbei that are worth delving into in more detail. Today's topic focuses on the shortage of electronic components and the advantages and disadvantages of Huaqiangbei.

Song Shiqiang úr a SLKOR félvezet? (www.slkoric.com) és a Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net) két cég vezérigazgatója, a Kínai Elektronikai Társaság szakért?i csoport tagja, a Huaqiangbei kutató szakért?je, népszer? tudományos rovatvezet?. Song Shiqiang alulról kezdte a technikai szakemberi pályát, ahol nemzetk?zi ingatlan vállalat vezérigazgatói tisztségét t?lt?tte be, gazdag tapasztalattal a technikai menedzsment és az üzleti üzemeltetés területén. Az makro?konómiai elméletet és a gyakorlati üzleti vezetést ?sszekapcsolva segíti a vállalat gyors fejl?dését!

Sr. Song Shiqiang, gerente general de dos empresas, SLKOR Semiconductor (www.slkoric.com) y Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net), miembro de la Biblioteca de expertos de la sociedad china de electrónica, experto en investigación de Huaqiangbei y columnista de ciencia popular. ?Song Shiqiang comenzó como técnico de base y se desempe?ó como CEO (director general) de una empresa inmobiliaria internacional cotizada. Tiene una rica experiencia en gestión técnica y gestión empresarial. Combina la teoría macroeconómica con la gestión real para liderar el rápido desarrollo de la empresa.

Pan Song Shiqiang to dyrektor generalny dwóch firm: SLKOR Semiconductor (www.slkoric.com) oraz Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net). Jest tak?e cz?onkiem ekspertów w bazie danych Chińskiego Towarzystwa Elektronicznego, ekspertem badawczym w obszarze Huaqiangbei oraz autorem kolumny popularnonaukowej. Pan Song Shiqiang rozpocz?? swoj? karier? jako technik na poziomie podstawowym i pe?ni? funkcj? dyrektora generalnego w jednej z mi?dzynarodowych firm deweloperskich notowanej na gie?dzie. Posiada bogate do?wiadczenie w zarz?dzaniu technologi? oraz prowadzeniu przedsi?biorstw, ??czy teori? makroekonomii z praktyk? zarz?dzania, skutecznie kieruje rozwojem firmy.