When people mention Huaqiangbei, many first think of "China's No. 1 Electronics Street." However, its portrayal in film and television works is actually more than just this one side—sometimes it is a battleground for grassroots entrepreneurship, sometimes a gray area for shanzhai (copycat) phones and the electronics business, and sometimes merely a backdrop for the urban changes of Shenzhen. Public film, television, and documentary works set in or themed around Huaqiangbei can be roughly divided into two categories: "documentaries" and "film and television dramas."

Among documentaries, the older one is Huaqiangbei zhi Lian (Love in Huaqiangbei) from CCTV's Jianzheng (Witness) program. Aired in 2009, this episode tells the story of Liu Jiang, a young man from Hunan who came to Huaqiangbei in 1992 to seek his fortune, starting out selling counterfeit money detectors. It is an early audiovisual record that uses an individual's fate to present the business opportunities of Huaqiangbei. In the same year, CCTV-1 also broadcast the 13-episode documentary series Suiyue Shanhe · Shenzhen (Years and Rivers · Shenzhen), in which the Huaqiangbei-related chapter was presented alongside Dafen Village and the Luohu Past, forming a group portrait of ordinary people in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen's transformation from a barren land to high-rise buildings

Two works with a clear "official production" label were led by Futian District. One is the four-episode documentary Jiema Shenzhen · Huaqiangbei (Decoding Shenzhen · Huaqiangbei), planned by the Futian District Committee and District Government. Its four episodes—"The Back View of the Scenery," "The One-Meter Counter," "The Phoenix in Nirvana," and "Dancers on the Peak"—tell respectively why an international incubator chose Huaqiangbei, wealth creation at the counter, the transition from shanzhai to branding, and another turn under the internet wave. The other is Lange zhi Dian · Huaqiangbei (Peak of the Wave · Huaqiangbei), which premiered online across all platforms in May 2021, guided and produced by the Publicity Department of the Futian District Committee. It is divided into four chapters—"Tide Rising," "Rowing Hard," "Riding the Waves," and "Setting Sail"—and records the process of Huaqiangbei's formation, rapid development, and transformation. It was released on platforms such as Youku and Bilibili.

A one-meter counter in Huaqiangbei

In terms of film and television dramas, about 95% of Nice View (Miracle · Stupid Kid), released during the 2022 Spring Festival, was shot on location in Shenzhen. The story follows young Jing Hao as he assembles and repairs phones in Huaqiangbei to start a business and save his sister. After countless failures, he succeeds and earns 800,000 yuan in four months, recreating the entrepreneurial experiences of countless ordinary people in Huaqiangbei. At the end of 2025, the officially co-created premium short drama series Miracle aired in prime time on CCTV-1, with Huaqiangbei's SEG Plaza linked together with landmarks such as the Guomao Building and Shenzhen University to trace the changes of the Special Economic Zone over 45 years. The 2026 Spring Festival release Jingzhe Wusheng (Silent Thunder) was filmed in Shenzhen; some of the electronic product props in the film were purchased from Huaqiangbei and modified before appearing on screen, bringing Huaqiangbei's hardware ecosystem into the film's narrative.

Huaqiangbei entrepreneurs have also made attempts in film and television dramas. Xie Jiapeng, a talented man from Chaoshan (affectionately called "Old Xie of Huaqiangbei" by the bosses' wives), squeezed time out of drinking to write the bestselling novel Fuqin de San Wan Kuai Qian (Father's 30,000 Yuan), which describes the struggles of Chaoshan people starting businesses in Huaqiangbei—and, of course, the love between young people who share hardships. He also gathered a group of handsome men and pretty women from Huaqiangbei and self-directed and starred in a stage play of the same name, which was well received! In addition, Mr. Yang of Guangsheng Electronics founded Dexi Film Industry and participated in investing in and shooting the film Baozou Mama (Runaway Mom), starring the famous actress Fang Qingzhuo. It tells the story of a mother who walks rapidly to lose weight and then donates her liver to her seriously ill son!

Xie Jiapeng's book Father's 30,000 Yuan, image source: Dangdang Books

There are not many image works related to Huaqiangbei, but documentaries focus on recording its development and changes, while film and television dramas focus on presenting entrepreneurs' struggles. Together, the two have left relatively complete audiovisual materials for this street.

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