To honor the 30th anniversary of Shenzhen's establishment as China's first special economic zone in 2010, 10 slogans were selected to represent the region's pioneering spirit.

A book about these concepts was recently published in English. A discussion of the city's rise to economic prosperity over the past three decades is incomplete without an examination of the role ideas have played in helping its people realize the numerous historic achievements.

The city's transformation from a small fishing village into an economic powerhouse in a mere three decades can be attributed to the opening of minds, without which the city would never have become the successful test case of reform that it is today.

People's minds were so fettered by the mentality of political struggle when China's reforms were first implemented at the beginning of the 1980s. The prevailing orthodoxy that had become entrenched over the past 30 years was a stumbling block to the nation's continued development.

The establishment of Shenzhen as a special economic zone was meant to break through the ideological quagmire and lead the way for concrete economic achievements. The country's top authorities hoped to make rapid progress in the zone, providing a strong foundation for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

When the slogan "time is money, efficiency is life" was first raised in Shenzhen, it had an earthshaking impact on the rest of the country because the pursuit of money had long been associated with the upper class and capitalism. It had nothing to do with proletarian revolution.

The concept "empty talk endangers the nation, while practical work brings prosperity" was an antidote to the long maniac indulgence in the politically correct but meaningless rhetoric of the various political campaigns that had brought the country's economy to the verge of collapse.

It was the enthusiasm that such concepts had stimulated among the pioneers, who came here to strive for their own career, had enabled Shenzhen to become what it is now.

Many were surprised by Shenzhen's rapid development when they first came to this place in the late 1980s and early 1990s. What this special economic zone has contributed to the country's reforms is not so much the economic prosperity it has created as a kind of spirit epitomized in the Shenzhen slogans.

At the conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Party Committee came to a consensus that all the problems that have arisen with reforms can be addressed by carrying the reforms further. China will not be able to maintain its economic momentum and continue to progress socially unless it is persistent in its pursuit of reform.

As a pioneer that has led the way for the country to make overall progress in all areas, Shenzhen special economic zone has every reason to be proud of what it has achieved. But at the same time, it needs to have a sense of urgency because it still has to play an exemplary role in making further breakthroughs in political reform and the restructuring of its economy.

Reading this book now will help us understand how the way was paved for the zone and the country at large and will provide food for thought for what we need to achieve in the future.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily