Just a Small Hole opened up in 1980

A "hole in the curtain" was opened up between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, by the People's Republic sometime before 1980. I went through that "hole", from Hong Kong, in July. Of course, Janice did not go with me, as I was not sure whether I was making a big mistake by accepting the invitation from China to make the trip. That was the first time I visited Hong Kong. It was not a very clear day, but it was a big, impressive city as I took a picture below!

I stayed there only one night without taking any side trips. The next day I took a train to Lo-Wu, a border town with China, which had the only "hole" opened to the People's Republic. And for more than a decade, it was the only "hole" for all visitors of China to go through. The town changed quickly from a very small place to a very large city in just a few years. The pictures below can give you some idea of the change:

 

Seen from the British side in 1980. (The red flag represents the PRC.) 

the same location after 1985 

Not only did I pass through this "hole" several times, but in later years my family also passed through it more than once and we certainly saw the changes in this whole area.