Shenzhen has been called the brightest star of China's opening up. In four decades, it's transformed from a poor fishing village to the country's Silicon Valley. How have people's lives there changed? Our reporter Ge Yunfei spoke to two generations to find out.

This is Nanling, a rich and fully urbanized village located in the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. 73-year-old Zhang Weiji is one of the most recognized faces in town. He led the village before China's reform and opening up in 1978. Zhang said back then, extreme poverty was rife in the village, so much so, that many villagers wanted to flee to Hong Kong to make a living.

ZHANG WEIJI FORMER NANLING VILLAGE CHIEF "At that time, we were so poor. Apart from the elderly and the children, almost all the people in the village here tried to flee to Hong Kong. On the night of May 6th, 1979, over 200 villagers tried to escape, including my wife. I jumped on a tractor, rushed to the border and tried to convince them to stay. But some even said they'd rather die than stay. That really hurt a lot."

It's estimated that over 600,000 people on the Chinese mainland fled to Hong Kong from 1956 to 1980. In 1978, Chinese President Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongxun became secretary of the CPC Provincial Committee in Guangdong. A major task before him was how to stop the exodus.

ZHANG WEIJI FORMER NANLING VILLAGE CHIEF "That was in May when Xi Zhongxun passed by our village. He saw most of the farmland had fallen into disuse. And he felt very sad but he told us, 'This is not your fault. We should take all the blame on ourselves for not improving the people's livelihood.' Not long after that, the country announced its reform and opening up policy. And in 1980, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was established."

Zhang saw the opportunity and two factories were opened in the village. And in just a few years, each villager could earn more than 8,300 yuan annually — an 80-fold increase compared to before. But a new concern emerged.

ZHANG WEIJI FORMER NANLING VILLAGE CHIEF "In 1987, Xi Zhongxun came back to our village. Everyone here was worried if the reform and opening up would continue. So I posed the question before him. Xi Zhongxun said if the policy changed, it only would become better."

GE YUNFEI NANLING VILLAGE, SHENZHEN "Four decades ago, Nanling was the poorest village in Shenzhen.There were 500 people living here but most of the young tried everything they could to escape for a better life. But now, look at this, it has convenience stores, it has shopping malls, it has completely changed. Over 80,000 people are living and working here. It's now one of the richest villages in Shenzhen."

Now Shenzhen has become one of China's top four cities and the country's tech hub. Instead of fleeing, people are flocking in. 26-year-old Lin Lin grew up in the city. Last year, she returned from New York to join Make block, a global leading robotics education start-up in Shenzhen.

LIN LIN, STAFF MAKE BLOCK "My colleagues here are from all over the country and the world. The average age of the staff here is only around 25-years-old. We are young and energetic and dare to dream and act for our future."

Lin's parents came to Shenzhen in the 1980s. And as the second generation of the so-called "New Shenzheners", Lin feels it's the special Shenzhen spirit helping her move forward.

LIN LIN, STAFF MAKE BLOCK "Shenzhen is not only my hometown but also a city for dreamers. Lots of people come here to pursue the Shenzhen speed and strive for their dreams. Entrepreneurship is deep-rooted in the spirit of Shenzhen. I also want to start something of my own in the future."

From Zhang Weiji to Lin Li, from the older locals to the new Shenzheners, it's the people living here who reap the biggest dividends of the city's development. It's also evidence that only placing the interests of people at the heart of reform can generate good development. Ge Yunfei, CGTN, Shenzhen.