In 1978 Shenzhen was a quiet fishing community with maybe 20,000 people which happened to lie on the border separating China from what was then the British crown colony Hong Kong. In 1979 China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping decided it would be cool to have a city and and a special economic zone for investment and trade sitting next to Hong Kong. Well, in an autocratic system, when the paramount leader speaks... I'm sure you get the idea. Today Shenzhen has some 8.5 million people and is an important center of what until recently was southern China's booming export business. Recently there has definitely been a slowdown, but Shenzhen is hardly on the skids, if the impression I got during my recent visit is anywhere near correct. Among other things, the city's massage parlors, of which there appeared to be thousands - every single one of which is I am sure an absolutely legitimate establishment providing quality massages delivered by highly trained professionals - were still thriving. The gentleman in the photo felt I might want to avail myself of one of the pros working in his facility. Alas, I had a dinner engagement...