Mainland delegation HK tour to boost sense of national pride

The delegation of mainland construction experts' visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is hoped to deepen residents' sense of national pride and recognition of the country's achievements, officials said on Monday.

During their visit, delegation members attended a six-day exhibition featuring China's architectural history, and will also meet with university students.

The exhibition, which opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday, featured historical photos, construction models and multimedia content.

The event offers an interactive experience of the country's architectural beauty and construction technologies, organizers said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said at the opening ceremony that she hopes the exhibition enhances residents' sense of national pride and strengthens social cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is what Hong Kong needs to better facilitate the city's integration into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Lam added.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and other major infrastructure projects, including the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, were included in the exhibition to demonstrate the close bonds between the SAR and the rest of the nation.

The infection control center, built with the nation's full support, has been a great help in the city's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, Lam said. "The hospital, with over 800 isolation beds, was built in four months, injecting a shot in the arm for the city's battle against the epidemic," she said.

Lam said the government will continue to promote public infrastructure projects and accelerate housing construction to improve the living environment in the city. Hong Kong's annual expenditure on capital works is expected to exceed HK$100 billion ($12.86 billion) in the coming years, she added.

Lu Xinning, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who also addressed the ceremony, hopes the audience can feel the nation's spirit through the architecture. "The audience will see comprehensive national strength, economic strength and the innovation capacity of the motherland through the exhibition," she said.

Lu expressed her hope the event inspires Hong Kong to better define its cultural characteristics and build its identity. Hong Kong can only be the hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world when it can integrate popular culture with Chinese civilization, she said.

The exhibition also features winning entries from an architecture drawing competition for students.

Mak Hau-tung, 15, from the Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School in Hong Kong, drew an old building with Hong Kong characteristics. "I hope buildings of historical value can be preserved in Hong Kong," she said.

Mak said she has seen many beautiful buildings while traveling on the mainland. "I have seen the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is impressive," she said, adding she hopes to pursue a career in construction.

On Monday afternoon, Xiao Xuwen, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave a lecture at the University of Hong Kong.

The architecture-themed events are part of a series of activities held for Hong Kong residents to learn about the country's development. In June, lunar soil collected by China's Chang'e 5 probe was displayed in the city. In September, Chinese astronauts on board the Tiangong space station had a video call with Hong Kong youth.