Some Reasons for Not Moving Back to China Are Hard to Explain

I was genuinely pleased to read that Shenzhen has issued another citywide notice restricting the use of vehicle horns. From 1 November 2026, the rule will apply to all roads around the clock, with exceptions where a horn is needed for road safety. Looking into the history, I found that this is not a new policy. Shenzhen issued similar notices in 2020, 2021 and 2023. The latest announcement continues an established effort.

It brought back a familiar memory. Whenever I used to cross from Hong Kong into Shenzhen through Huanggang or Luohu, one of the first things I noticed was the constant sound of car horns. At times I felt I heard more honking in ten minutes there than I would hear in a whole year in Australia. That is an impression, not a measured comparison, but it conveys how striking the difference felt to me.

Some people who have lived overseas for many years are reluctant to move back to China permanently. When friends ask why, they may simply say they are getting older, that readjusting would be difficult, or that finding work would not be easy. Sometimes there are more specific reasons that they hesitate to mention. They worry that friends and relatives at home will think a few years overseas have made them fussy or even superior.

I understand the hesitation. When you live for years amid noisy traffic, you get used to it. You may dislike it, yet still find it tolerable. After spending a long time somewhere quieter, returning to streets filled with repeated honking can be unsettling. That does not mean you care any less about the place you came from. Your surroundings have changed, and so have your expectations of quiet and order.

That is why I welcome Shenzhen’s continuing efforts to regulate unnecessary honking. Whatever the reasons behind the timing, a reasonable rule, enforced lawfully and with proper safety exceptions, can improve ordinary daily life. It may not seem like a dramatic change, but it deserves recognition.

I am reminded of the long campaign against drink-driving. Consistent enforcement and public education have changed many people’s habits and helped establish a much stronger expectation that you do not drive after drinking. Drink-driving has not disappeared, but the progress is real. I hope restrictions on unnecessary honking can bring about a similar lasting change.

What I hope for most, however, is a time when drivers refrain from honking without first thinking about a fine. They will have grown so accustomed to quieter, more orderly roads that unnecessary honking itself feels uncomfortable. It is a little like someone who has worked to a regular timetable for years: even after moving to flexible hours without clocking in, they may naturally keep a familiar routine because it feels right.

To me, one sign of a mature civic culture is that rules gradually become habits people choose to maintain. Even without constant reminders, they take other people’s comfort into account. I am pleased to see Shenzhen continue working in that direction. I hope that the next time I emerge from Huanggang or Luohu, I will find a city that feels a little quieter and more at ease.

Sources:
Shenzhen Ecology and Environment Bureau and Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Traffic Management Bureau, citywide horn-restriction notice (28 September 2026): https://meeb.sz.gov.cn/gkmlpt/content/13/13002/post_13002796.html
Shenzhen Traffic Police, continuation notice (9 November 2020): https://ga.sz.gov.cn/gkmlpt/content/8/8250/post_8250313.html
2021 continuation notice: https://szjj.sz.gov.cn/ZWGK/TZGG/GGJG/content/post_9349031.html
2023 citywide notice: https://www.sz.gov.cn/cn/xxgk/zfxxgj/tzgg/content/post_10392574.html