History of Hong Kong districts

'Freedom swimmers' : The people who risked it all to flee to Hong Kong

From 1950 to 1997 it’s estimated that as many as 2 million people fled from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong. Many in search of better economic prospects and some to escape Chinese communist rule. The world called them “freedom swimmers”. The South China Morning Post met an old freedom swimmer and a former member of the Hong Kong Marine Police whose job it was to catch them. Together they paint a picture of desperate escape under trying circumstances.

December 11, 2021