Hong Kong imposed new immigration regulations in April 1949,[6] partly as a security measure against the Communists,[7] and established the Frontier Closed Area border zone in 1951.
[8] On the Chinese side, the PRC - motivated by distrust of the Western Bloc[1] - restricted cross-border movement in February 1952 by requiring entry and exit permits.
Hongkongers, upon seeing the scenes in newspapers, felt pity and brought food across the border and the political impact worried the Guangdong officials.
On 29 June 1957, the Guangdong committee of Chinese Communist Party authorized the Bao'an County to let the hungry get across the border.
"[12] On June 15, 2022, a monument to Chinese sent-down youth refugees who died on the roads to Hong Kong was unveiled in the Eternal Sunset Memorial Park & Cemetery of Lafayette, New Jersey.