As Hainan rolls out special customs operations this month, it marks a milestone in its Free Trade Port initiative, first laid out in 2020. Over the past five years, big changes have taken shape on the island – from a newly upgraded global shipping port now running transcontinental routes to lower taxes that have drawn people to set up factories. 

CGTN speaks with this first generation of Hainan Free Trade Port settlers to see what their stories reveal about the island's growing global reach.