Jingshan Villas in Shekou Offers “Hometown Comfort” for Expats


Nathaniel Johnson   |   September 1, 2021

The Need For “Family Comfort” Overseas
With the rise of globalization, the world seems to be getting much smaller and more and more international travel and careers are becoming prominent among many countries. This is due to industries being taken over my specific countries, expansions happening across the globe by larger corporations or even expats who are chasing an opportunity abroad. Whatever the reason is, there seems to be a growing need for international communities around the globe where professionals can have a place to continue raising their children in an environment that educates them and supplies them with a “home away from home” feeling.

In Shenzhen China, there is such a community that caters to international professionals and has provided a comfortable living community for the past 30 years. That is the Jingshan Villa located in the heart of Shekou. Jingshan Villa is the largest international community in Southern China and was developed by China Merchants Property Development since 1986. It has 183 villas and 78 apartment units. The community features a fitness center, swimming pool, international school, basketball court and even a community Church.

Jingshan Villas Offers a Home Away From Home
When I first entered the community, it reminded me of an American subdivision with two story homes, apartments, schools, and playgrounds. All the villas are designed with Italian, American or Mediterranean architectural themes. If you are coming to China for business or work, it is definitely a community worth checking out. Many times in a foreign country, if you are coming for work and have a typical family, the living spaces can be quite small but in Jingshan Villa, you get a larger living space with some villas having walk in closets, master bedrooms with offices and large Western-style kitchens. Upon walking into one of the villas, I was very surprised to find amenities that you usually don’t see in homes in Asia such as dishwashers, full ovens, washer/dryer laundry rooms and a backyard.

Living overseas, sometimes you can get a bit homesick – especially on holidays where you are used to celebrating certain traditions with friends and family. In Asia, many Western holidays such as Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving are not strongly celebrated and this can give birth to a bit of grief in a family – especially if there are children who are looking forward to a specific party or celebration. Thankfully, since the community is an international community consisting of over 30 nationalities, many international festivals, parties and holidays are celebrated. On a given year, you can experience pet shows, carnivals, Halloween parties, talent shows, Easter festivals and more. This also adds to the “home away from home” setting that Jingshan Villas aims for as well as fortifying a sense of community.

It is also good to note that Jingshan Villa provides a 24-hour free security, residential maintenance, gardening, a golf cart pick-up service for conveniently traveling around the community as well as a shopping bus service and 97 channels of international TV broadcasting. Additionally, four administrators from their customer service department will provide tenants with check in and out services, following up on maintenance work, as well as collecting feedback on the quality of their services.

SIS International School is one of the most sought after schools in Shenzhen for expats. It has nearly 800 students representing almost 40 different countries including the US, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong, France, and Germany. There are nearly 145 faculty and staff members from 15 different countries. More than two-thirds of the faculty have master’s degrees or higher. There are two campuses, a swimming pool, multiple playgrounds, basketball courts and a multi-purpose sports field with an all-weather track and an indoor gymnasium. If you are a resident of the Jingshan community, you are put ahead of the rest being a local resident and your children are more likely to be accepted into the school.

There are many other features to talk about when it comes to the Jingshan community including personalized spa’s, personalized chef’s and of course the location which is one block away from Sea World. Sea World is one of Shenzhen’s most well known hot spots featuring a large array of international restaurants, boutique shops, as well as top entertainment venues. In this community, you can find many international grocery stores a movie theater and much more leisure activities for you and your family.

If you are looking for a great place to raise your family with a “home away from home” feeling. Definitely stop by and check out the Jingshan Villas. With guests who have lived in this community over ten years, it goes without saying that those who come here to live – tend to enjoy the experience so much they do not want to leave. With that said, the community welcomes all new comers into this family of residents.