WITH deeping cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the Lok Ma Chau Loop, at the center of a cooperation plan, has become an intensely focused area for media and citizens alike.

The annual meeting of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which closed Monday, called for all-round development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop in the restricted border zone between the Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang checkpoints.

The formation of the loop can be traced back more than 20 years when renovation of the Shenzhen River began. Two bends in the river, the dividing line between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, needed to be straightened.

The bigger bend was close to Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang Checkpoint covering a total area of 780,000 square meters. The area, which used to belong to Shenzhen, was then south of the Shenzhen River after the project was completed. This became the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

The area along the smaller bend, which had been the south of the river and belonged to Hong Kong, was realigned north of the river.

After the geographic locations changed, the two cities decided to maintain the status of the Shenzhen River as the dividing line and the proprietorship of the two plots of land, but exchanged the administration rights.

So the Lok Ma Chau Loop, still owned by Shenzhen, fell under the administration of Hong Kong. In sharp contrast with the nearby modern high-rises, the loop is tranquil, retaining many historic relics, including some residences of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) once inhabited by the descendants of patriotic statesman Wen Tianxiang.

(Wu Tong)