Chen Bingan is a local reporter and writer in Shenzhen. He has paid close attention to the historical event known as the Great Escape to Hong Kong.

He interviewed more than 100 parties, collected and referenced a large amount of historical data, and took nearly a decade to write the book "The Great Escape to Hong Kong."

"Such an important historical event needs to be recorded. 'The Great Escape to Hong Kong,' covers the period from the 1950s, when the estuary was closed, to the reform and opening-up. It records 30 years of ups and downs along the Shenzhen River, and encapsulates the historical changes in China."

"The historical background is Hong Kong's cession to Britain by the Qing government after the Opium War. The dividing line was drawn in haste, and the Shenzhen River became the boundary. But people weren't particularly concerned, no matter what the political situation was their life went on as normal."

"I checked the data from Hong Kong. There's no specific, accurate number. But I calculate it to be about 1.2 million. This is probably about right. The impact has been political, cultural and economic. People directly connected to the great escape to Hong Kong make up half of the territory's population." 

Discover the Across the River with Big Story on CGTN. The program premieres on Saturday at 1.00 p.m. and repeats on Sunday 9:00 a.m., 10:00 p.m. (Beijing Time).