68 suì68岁nán zi男子zuò坐xiǎo chuán小船xún zhǎo寻找zì yóu自由
Dong Guangping, 68, has been imprisoned many times in the past for publicly expressing different opinions, and he has also tried several times to flee China, but none of those attempts succeeded.
This May, he set off from Weihai, Shandong, alone in a small inflatable boat, hoping to go to Japan.
On the boat, he had only gasoline, beef, biscuits, and water.
The next day, thick fog formed at sea, and his phone was almost out of battery. Unable to see the direction, he had no choice but to change course to the closer destination of South Korea.
After more than 40 hours, he was exhausted and frightened.
At night, he finally saw the lights of a Korean fishing boat.
The fishermen pulled him up from the small boat.
South Korean police investigated his situation and allowed him to contact a lawyer and his family.
The court later did not approve his arrest, and he was sent to a refugee center.
A month later, he got a ticket to fly to Canada and was finally reunited with his family.
Dong Guangping said he had never regretted it because he had always wanted freedom.
Now, he is studying English in Canada, hoping to earn money through work and start a new life.