Shenzhen institution showcases cross-border integration

Liu Cheung-hin, headmaster of a Hong Kong primary school, was preparing to retire in 1999 when he suddenly changed his mind.

He was 56 and had only a year to go before calling it a day, but he decided to take a new job in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, across the border in the Chinese mainland.

This decision put any thoughts he had of retiring on hold for two decades.

Liu was tasked with taking charge of a newly established private school designated for children from Hong Kong.

Situated in Luohu district, the Hong Kong Children's School, the first to be established in Shenzhen specifically for Hong Kong children, was founded in 2001.

It was designed to meet the growing need for a Hong Kong-style primary school as more people from across the border sought business or employment opportunities in Shenzhen, home to the nation's first special economic zone.