While the Communist Party established firm control over mainland China, leading to drastic changes in Chinese society that culminated in the so-called Cultural Revolution, many citizens sought to flee the oppressive regime. Millions of these refugees found their way to Hong Kong, some by swimming across the bay in the dead of the night. Because of this influx of residents, Hong Kong experienced an unprecedented economic boom from the 1950s-1970s that set it up to become the international powerhouse it is today. It was during this original boom that David Diao and his family escaped to Hong Kong.
To learn more about this period in Hong Kong history, read the following article:
Forgotten Stories of the Great Escape to Hong Kong, from the “South China Morning Post”
Image: Hong Kong, 1950. Courtesy of Wikimedia