I have been traveling to China for years. And for the past decade every trip included a stop in Shenzhen, and every trip to Shenzhen has involved a visit to a networking components company there. This is a company I have known for a long time, and the man who runs their factory in Shenzhen always has something interesting to say about doing business in China.
And yet, every time I visit this company, I get lost. I spend 30 minutes driving around looking for their offices. I have the address (yes, in Chinese). And I have had this problem with experienced hotel drivers who know their way around. I can recognize their building up close, but the whole neighborhood is a bit generic, with no easy landmarks for navigation.
Part of the problem is that the address itself is very generic – Technology Park Drive, but it turns out there is a Technology Park Street which is not to be confused with Technology Park Avenue and Boulevard.
Today, I finally figured it out. Baidu. I try not to use data on my phone in China because it is ridiculously expensive to roam, but before heading out, I used Starbucks’ Wi-Fi. Google Maps was more confused about the address than a new cab driver straight from the countryside. But Baidu Maps had no problem.
Lesson learned.