February 19 marks the 20th anniversary of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s death. Deng initiated China's reform and opening-up process which began in the late 1970s. Southern China’s Shenzhen was the first beneficiary of this policy and has developed into a strong engine for the country’s economic growth.

In Lianhua Hill Park in central Shenzhen, where the statue of Deng Xiaoping stands, citizens come to pay tribute to this great man of modern China.

Forty years ago, Shenzhen was a small and remote town few had ever heard of. Locals made their living through fishing. In 1980, it became China’s first special economic zone approved by the central government. Since then, it has followed the way of reform and opening-up, led by Deng Xiaoping.

Unprecedented reforms included a transition from a planned to a market economy, introducing privatization and opening the market to foreign trade.

After decades of development, Shenzhen is now the most successful model of the program - and a real metropolis. High-tech industry, modern logistics and financial services are its pillar industries. A free trade zone was established two years ago to further boost its economic vitality.

In 2016, the city's GDP grew nine percent year-on-year, and its export volume has ranked first nationwide for the past 24 years.

All these achievements could not have been made without Deng Xiaoping’s reform agenda.

Shenzhen was just a beginning. Deng’s policies turned China into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Chinese people have inherited Deng's legacy of reforms, which is inspiring them to keep forging a better future.