Hong Kong youths eye future opportunities in Bay Area development

Members of a Hong Kong group who went to Guangzhou for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Home launch ceremony and toured other Bay Area cities said they're willing to pursue their careers in the city cluster which is "rich in opportunities".

About 1,000 people joined the two-day visit to enhance their knowledge of the Bay Area and the opportunities on offer.

The group, including youths from grade two to college students, took the high-speed train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, on Saturday and visited five cities in the Bay Area separately in five sub-groups. They gathered again in Zhuhai and headed back to Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Kelvin Lam Ka-ming, 16, who plans to start a business in future, was surprised to find a series of policies that support startups in the Bay Area, such as the entrepreneurship assistance provided by the Youth Home.

"So many new policies support us to start our own business here. I may choose the Bay Area as my first step in future," said Lam.

At Jinan University, a comprehensive university based in Guangzhou, the group visited the university's library and history museum.

"The campus is huge. Also, the university is equally well-equipped as the universities in Hong Kong," said Tan Cui-na from Kwun Tong, who traveled with her sixth grade daughter.

"My mind has changed a lot," Tan said. In the past, she thought Guangdong was far away from Hong Kong. However, by taking the high-speed train, Hong Kong people could now arrive in Guangzhou within an hour.

"If my daughter wants to continue her studies on the mainland, I will stand by her," Tan said.

The Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Centre shows the city's history and development blueprint in a creative way. Students could get to know the city through interactive maps, a 4D film theater and LED shows.

Tseng Shui-wing, a teacher of C.c.c. Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School, took 18 students, from grade four to five of middle school, on the trip.

He said the urban planning exhibition center offers a great start for his students to learn more about Guangzhou - one of the leading cities in the Bay Area.

"If we merely give our students a concept of the Bay Area, they will only have a vague impression in their mind. By traveling to these cities, they could know exactly their history, features and opportunities. I wish my students could participate in more activities like this," Tseng said.

The two-day trip was organized by the New Home Association - a Hong Kong charity organization providing services to new arrivals, minority groups and other vulnerable groups.