In Chinese, the character "shen" means deep, and "zhen" means valley or ditch, therefore the literal meaning of Shenzhen is "deep irrigation ditch." People arriving in the area built houses and villages along the deep irrigation ditches here. By the Ming dynasty, these settlements included the villages of Sungang, Chikan (present-day Caiwuwei), Luohu, Getang (present-day Shuibei), Xiangxi, Hubei and Huangbeiling. Over time, Nantang village became home to multiple communities. The word "xu" means "market" in the Hakka Chinese language. As the rural population increased, Shenzhen Xu grew in popularity and began to take shape as a dozen streets of different sizes formed around the market which developed regular operating hours.

In 1911, the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway opened, becoming a major transportation artery and continuously injecting vitality into the city. Shenzhen Xu therefore became a significant gateway to Guangzhou and Hong Kong. In 1979, the city was officially named "Shenzhen," while Shenzhen Xu was renamed "Dongmen Old Street." Dongmen Old Street runs north to Lixin Road, south to Shennan Road and east to Dongmen Zhong Road. "Dongmen" refers to the east gate, one of the four gates in Shenzhen Xu, which is located at the junction of Dongmen Zhong Road and Jiefang Road. From "Shenzhen Xu" in the Qing dynasty to the present-day "Dongmen Old Street," the market has witnessed more than 300 years of prosperity. As the root of business in Shenzhen, Shenzhen Xu has witnessed significant changes in the city's commercial development and also epitomizes the city's pursuit of reform and opening-up.

According to historical research, the Cai family were the descendants of the renowned scholar Cai Yuanding of the Southern Song dynasty. After Cai An , the earliest ancestor of the Cai family, left Fujian province and settled in Dongguan, members of the Cai family began writing the history of exchanges with the Cantonese people. In the late Qing dynasty, the name "Caiwuwei" was marked on official maps and documents, signaling that the Cai family finally gained a firm foothold here.

During the economic boom in Luohu, there were 35 enterprises in the Caiwuwei area, including factories making motors, toys, umbrellas and clothing, covering all aspects of life. In 1992, when Shenzhen promoted rural urbanization, Caiwuwei actively participated in the reform of management system to advance the cause, and established Caiwuwei Co. Ltd. Farmers in Caiwuwei became shareholders in the company, enjoying profits and dividends, with their status changing from famers to urban residents.

Caiwuwei is located in Luohu Financial Center, which is home to such financial giants as the Bank of China and Ping An Finance Center. Backed by such a huge financial system as well as technical and theoretical support, Caiwuwei Co. Ltd. led its shareholders to invest and pursued a transformative development path. Meanwhile, investment corporations helped micro- and small-sized companies to raise financing. This kind of win-win cooperation set an example for Caiwuwei's future development.

Aoxia village in Liantang subdistrict is located along Guowei Road in Luohu's old town, and is home to many industrial areas, attracting numerous migrant workers. There are more than 150 households in the local villages, more than 90 of which are from the Deng family. As one of the major families in the region, the Dengs originated from Henan province before emigrating in the Song dynasty to the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, which have a long history and huge populations. The given names of the descendants of the Deng family are Jin, Yu, Man and Tang.

The Deng Ancestral Hall in Aoxia village has a history of over 700 years. The villagers regard Deng Zhongbi as their earliest ancestor and the Deng family have so far traced their lineage back 30 generations. Since the ancestral hall was rebuilt in 1999, the villagers have held events every year to worship their ancestors on the Lantern Festival. The Deng family is regarded as the most famous family in Hong Kong. Villagers hold grand celebration events for major anniversaries, with members of the Deng family even traveling from Hong Kong in the early morning to attend.

The history of Xiangxi village dates back more than 600 years. In the 1980s, Luohu was the first area developed in Shenzhen, with the Guomao Building being built here. Its fast construction led to the invention of the term "Shenzhen speed." The Guomao Building was constructed on farmland belonging to Xiangxi village. The village committee decided to invest all the land acquisition compensation in developing business, building factories and constructing infrastructure, providing the village with new momentum.

In 1992, China welcomed in a new round of reform and opening-up. Encouraged by the government, Xiangxi village started the process of rural urbanization, introducing a shareholding system and reforming the system of collective ownership, so that every household could participate in developing the village.

The Zhang family have a long history in Luohu, holding sacrificial ceremonies every spring and fall for over 600 years. In the first half of the 20th century, the fall ceremonies were suspended in Xiangxi village for several years due to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and were also suspended for nearly 40 years from 1949. It was not until 1988 when Yantian was developed that the traditional customs began to be restored and passed down. During the sacrificial ceremony in fall, villagers under 60 will get up in the middle night and walk to the graveyard in Yantian bringing food to worship their ancestors. 

Huangbeiling, named after a small mountain called "Huangbei," is an ancient village with a history of over 550 years. The village is located north of Shennan Dong and Yanhe Bei roads, and east of Qingping and Fenghuang roads. The renovation project of Huangbeiling village started in 2011 and was completed in 2017. It now has been built into an urban complex integrating various business forms, crisscrossing old streets, "handshake buildings" and high-end residential communities, demonstrating Huangbeiling's continuous efforts in urban village renovation.

Walking the streets of Huangbeiling, people can get a glimpse into the lives of local residents. Villagers play chess in pavilions, old men gently fan themselves with cattail leaf fans, and groups of elderly people sit together drinking tea, playing cards, chatting and laughing. The village is also home to people who dream of pursuing careers in Shenzhen, with many migrant workers choosing the village as their first stop in the city. Not only can people enjoy themselves in the park, but they can also visit the Shenzhen Reservoir, Shenzhen Art Museum, and Luohu Sports and Leisure Park.

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