China has big hopes to make it big in Silicon Valley and for good reason. The country is home to young, well-educated, and extremely talented "makers"--a good sign of things to come in China's tech industry.
Take Zhejiang local Zhang Hao, for example. Adept in operating computers and various gadgets, the 28-year-old college graduate devotes most of his time to build a cleaning robot by 2027.
"I would like every Chinese family to own one. The cost of buying this robotic house cleaner would roughly be the same as a standard sedan. It would be nice to find a commercial partner, but if I can't, I will build it myself. That is the basic target," shared Zhang, who once worked as an editor for a popular science association.
Despite the demands and the time-consuming nature of his tech project, Zhang loves every minute of it. In a cramped room in Shenzhen, Zhang tinkers away to build his dream.
"It's fun. I'm stretching myself. If I walked out of the door tomorrow and was knocked down by a car, I would die happy because I'm doing something I love."
People like Zhang who are extremely passionate about turning their dreams into reality have been dubbed as "makers" in recent years. Regardless if you're an inventor, a budding entrepreneur or a hardware designer, you're considered a "maker" as long as you make things.
Shenzhen, the country's earliest special economic zone, is becoming a hotspot for "makers." The city is poised to become China's Silicon Valley with its facilities and workshops.
Shenzhen and its population of "makers" might have bigger-than-life dreams, but times are changing and things are looking better than ever.
"Shenzhen is building itself into a center for international 'makers,'" said Lu Jian, the director of the city government's Science, Technology, and Innovation Commission. "We are encouraging 'makers' to start their own businesses here."