This summer, Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei has drawn buyers from around the world in search of electronics and components. But some are no longer just coming to source hardware, they're staying to build products of their own. American makers and international engineering teams are tapping into China's vast hardware supply chain to turn ideas into prototypes and finished products, creating new connections between Shenzhen and innovators overseas.

CGTN's Huang Yi also contributed to this story.