Shenzhen is gearing up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Special Economic Zone.

Kang Jian, a sales manager at a trading company in Shenzhen, heard something last week that perked up his ears.

The city's government decided to give out free prepaid phone cards to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the special economic zone in Guangdong Province.

The 100-yuan ($14.7) phone card, symbolizes the achievements made by the city, he said.

"It's good news that we common people could benefit from the achievements of the reform and opening-up policies," Kang told the Global Times. "Although 100 yuan is not enough for my monthly phone expenses, it's a good signal that the government wants more people to enjoy the fruits of the public achievements."

Wang Yi, the secretary general of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shenzhen Committee, said last week that the local government was going to implement various measures to show their appreciation for the residents ahead of the 30th anniversary of the founding of SEZ, which is Thursday.

In addition to the free phone cards, the authorities plan to help poor families, build more bus stations and develop at least 10,000 affordable apartments for residents, Wang added.

Shenzhen has been transformed from a small fishing village three decades ago into a modern city today with 8.86 million people. The local GDP jumped from 196 million yuan ($28 million) in 1980 to 820 billion yuan ($120 billion) in 2009, and the average annual growth is 25.8 percent, said Wang Rong, Party secretary of the city.

The city's export volume is one-seventh of the total in China and the city has been hailed for its pioneering efforts.

In 1987, Shenzhen became the first city to auction public land that could be used for private purposes. A year later, the Constitutional Law backed up the transferable rights of land use, and that solidified the practice in Shenzhen.

"Shenzhen, in the opening up process, played a very important role. Its rise is attributable to many factors. Now 30 years have passed, it needs to redefine its image," Feng Yujun, a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times Monday.