In a mere 30 years, the city of Shenzhen, China has grown from a small fishing village to one of China's biggest cities. To help make sense of its rapid ascent, drop by the Shenzhen Museum, where a series of exhibits guide visitors through its origin during the Ming Dynasty to its current position as an economic superpower. The museum houses over 20,000 cultural relics that are divided over four permanent exhibitions. Start with the Exhibition of Ancient Shenzhen, which sketches the contours of history from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty. Then move on to the Exhibition of Modern Shenzhen, which depicts such events as the opening skirmishes of the Opium Wars and the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. A section dedicated to Shenzhen's Reform and Opening-Up details the most important event of all - the designation of Shenzhen as a Special Economic Zone in the 1970's - which led to the rampant commercialism on display today. But lest you think the city has a single-minded focus, there are also several loving displays of Folk Culture, where a mixture of Cantonese and Hakka influences are expressed in art, music, song, dance, and cuisine. It's a great way to get a grasp on a city where the only constant is change. Starwood has four hotels in Shenzhen: the Sheraton Shenzhen Futian Hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen, the Sheraton Dameisha Resort, Shenzhen, and the brand new Westin Shenzhen Nanshan, which is now accepting reservations for arrival on or after January 1, 2010.

[image via Shenzhen Museum]