Nearly half a century later, Kent Wong can still clearly describe the five routes people used to escape from Guangdong to Hong Kong.
The central route was the shortest, requiring escapees to cross only the narrow Shenzhen River. Security there, however, was the tightest, with soldiers, guard dogs, and barbed wire. Usually, only local residents dared to attempt the crossing, often under the cover of a typhoon.
The eastern route led toward Tung Ping Chau, a Hong Kong island in Mirs Bay located close to Shenzhen. At the time, however, few people knew about it.
The western route was longer. Those who entered the water near Shekou had to swim approximately six miles to reach Hong Kong.
There was also the sampan route, which began at the Pearl River estuary and involved crossing in small wooden boats. The Macau route took escapees from Taishan through Macau, where they boarded Hong Kong fishing boats used for smuggling.
Kent Wong spent two years planning his escape, endured two failed attempts, and tried three different routes before finally reaching Hong Kong at the end of 1973. He was 25 years old.
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