In just nine months, Longgang District of Shenzhen has provided free accommodation for 10,000 young people coming to the city. The implementation and popularization of this heartwarming benefit stem from Longgang District’s goal announced at the beginning of the year to build a modern urban area that is “interesting, business-friendly, livable, and high-quality”.
As a core project for building a “livable” urban area, Longgang Youth Station has, in less than a year from policy announcement to station construction, operation, and now exceeding 10,000 service recipients, become the first stop for many young people coming to Shenzhen to “arrive, settle, integrate, and pursue their dreams”.
Today, the number of youth stations and beds in Longgang District ranks first in Shenzhen, covering all 11 sub-districts. There are a total of 600 fixed beds and an appropriate number of dynamic beds, accounting for more than 60% of the city’s total. College graduates with a college degree or above within two years of graduation can apply for 15 days of free accommodation; postgraduates and group bookings can apply for up to 30 days.
Over 600 Beds Steadily Accommodate 10,000 “Shenzhen Drifters”
Peng Xiekang, 23, is the 10,000th young person to check into Longgang Youth Station. He is from Shantou, graduated in 2023 and served in the military in Hangzhou, and came to Shenzhen to look for a job shortly after retiring. He told Southern Plus that Shenzhen has many development opportunities and is suitable for young people to make their way, and he learned about Shenzhen’s “Youth Station” policy through online searches.
Because his graduation certificate showed that he had graduated for more than two years, he was initially rejected for failing to upload his discharge certificate. Later, he successfully applied for 15 days of free accommodation by communicating with staff over the phone to explain the situation. “The station is equipped with a full set of bedding, as well as air conditioners, washing machines and other facilities, truly realizing ‘check-in with just a suitcase’, which has greatly reduced my housing pressure during job hunting.”
The youth station where Peng Xiekang stays is located in Dayun AI Town, Henggang Sub-district, Longgang District, with convenient surrounding life and a concentration of enterprises. To help young people coming to Shenzhen accurately connect with employment opportunities, the Communist Youth League Working Committee of Henggang Sub-district has taken the initiative to establish cooperation with surrounding enterprises, directly pushing young people’s resumes, and building an efficient communication bridge between supply and demand sides.
Relevant staff of the Communist Youth League Working Committee of Henggang Sub-district said that an enterprise near one of the stations has successfully recruited three young people through this docking and recognized their professional abilities. Xinyi Glass Shenzhen Co., Ltd. even held a job fair in the station to achieve precise matching of employment resources.
In addition to meeting daily living needs and providing employment support, the Communist Youth League Working Committee of Henggang Sub-district has also linked up with catering merchants around the station and Baoxing Hospital to provide catering discounts and free physical examination services for young people. A student Chen who checked into the station said that he had just found a job, and the free physical examination voucher helped him save an expense.
Youth’s “Safe Haven” and “Gas Station”
In recent months, Southern Plus visited several Longgang Youth Stations and found that the stations have complete living facilities and can all meet the demand of “check-in with just a suitcase”. The rooms are not only equipped with free air conditioners, WiFi, and washing machines, but also provide bedding changed for each guest and regular cleaning services. To meet the needs of young people for office and study, most stations also have public self-study spaces.
On October 23 this year, student Xiao Liang, who was staying at Baigelong Youth Station in Buji Sub-district, told Southern Plus in an interview that she is from Shanxi and would not have come to Shenzhen to find a job without free accommodation. In addition, she said that the air conditioner in the station is very important to her. Compared with Shanxi, Shenzhen has a higher temperature, and being in a free cool air-conditioned room makes her more calm when looking for a job.
In fact, the advantages of Longgang Youth Station are not limited to basic facilities. To improve young people’s job-hunting abilities and alleviate the loneliness of arriving in a strange city, the stations also regularly organize night schools, themed activities, etc. The relevant person in charge of the Communist Youth League Working Committee of Bantian Sub-district introduced that they have specially planned urban exploration activities, leading young people to visit local characteristic landmarks and scenic spots to help them quickly integrate into the new city; during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Longcheng CC Apartment in Longcheng Sub-district held a “mooncake making” activity in the station, which attracted many young people to participate and received a warm response.
The youth stations in 11 sub-districts of Longgang have their own characteristics based on local conditions: Longcheng CC Youth Station is located in a cultural and creative block and is uniformly managed by the block operator, allowing young residents to share resources such as park entertainment activities, bookstores, and public self-study spaces; Liyuan Station in Longgang Sub-district has linked up with the local Young Entrepreneurs Association to raise part of the construction funds and broaden the source of funds; stations such as Buji Baigelong and Henggang Dayun AI Town have created a dual-station integration model of “employment station + youth station” to achieve resource complementarity.
Handwritten Letters and Silk Banners: Mutual Warmth
Youth stations have built a warm “safe haven” for college students who have just stepped into society. Although the accommodation time is short, it is enough to alleviate their housing anxiety during job hunting and reduce their economic burden. Here, young people can not only share life with roommates and regain campus-like collective time, but also feel the thoughtful care like that of a “dormitory aunt”.
A visit by Southern Plus found that the young groups staying in the stations are diverse: most are fresh graduates entering the workplace for the first time; some have resigned after working for a year and come to Shenzhen to visit friends for a short stay; some have resigned many times and come to Shenzhen to find a job for the first time; and there are also veterans like Peng Xiekang. Warm stories happen here every day.
Kyn (nickname) is the housekeeper of Longcheng CC Youth Station. Recently, he received a handwritten letter: “This period of time is the warmest chapter in my journey as a Shenzhen drifter. Before coming here, I had been dragging my luggage around. This is my first time looking for a job in another city. I am really happy to meet you here and have also made several like-minded friends…” Kyn told Southern Plus that the letter was from a young person who had received his help.
After taking over the work of the youth station this year, Kyn has obviously become much busier. Regular room checks, paying attention to young people’s psychological conditions, and solving daily problems have made him the “dormitory brother” of nearly 150 young people, and his work takes up most of his daily time. Despite the tedious affairs, the young people’s frequent “heartwarming care” always rekindles his enthusiasm for work.
Gratitude is repaid with kindness, and warmth always remains. Recently, Gangtou Youth Station in Bantian received a silk banner printed with “Enlightening Youth, A Heartwarming Station”, a gift of gratitude from young person Xiao Xie. When she first arrived in Shenzhen, Xiao Xie was worried about the high cost of staying in a hotel and was afraid of wasting money by renting a house rashly before finding a job. The youth station policy completely solved her troubles. Fortunately, during her stay at the station, she successfully found a job in Bantian and later chose to continue staying at the station at her own expense.
Based on more than 600 beds, Longgang Youth Station has used the convenience of “check-in with just a suitcase”, the practicality of employment docking, and the warmth of characteristic activities to support the starting point of dreams for 10,000 young people coming to Shenzhen. From the reunion warmth of “making mooncakes” to the gratitude expressed by the silk banner of “a heartwarming station”, from the handwritten letter received by Kyn to the choice of young people to settle in Shenzhen, this place is not only a temporary safe haven, but also a vivid testimony of the mutual commitment between the city and young people. This acceptance and support make youth’s dream pursuit more confident, and also make Longgang more brilliant because of youth vitality.
