A Hong Kong charitable group announced on Thursday that it has funded 38 nonprofit organizations’ cross-boundary exchange activities in 36 Chinese mainland cities this year, offering over 1,500 youth and young people firsthand observations of the nation’s progress.
The Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation — a youth-dedicated charitable organization — hosted a ceremony on Thursday to mark the launch of its Mainland Exchange Programme 2025.
The program greenlighted funding for a series of youth exchange tours to the mainland, covering themes such as artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace technology, history and culture, humanities and arts, ecological conservation, and sports.
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Alex Yeung Ching-loong, the foundation’s vice-chair, said this year’s projects were selected from over 120 applications, with a total funding of HK$5.3 million ($679,000).
Yeung said he hopes that a variety of study visits will open doors for Hong Kong young people to gain in-depth, firsthand experiences and a better understanding of the motherland, accelerating their full integration into the nation’s broader social and cultural landscape.
Since its inception in 2019, the foundation has initiated and supported over 430 projects, benefiting more than 230,000 Hong Kong youths who have been seeking educational, career, and entrepreneurial opportunities within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Eric Chan Sui-wai, commissioner for youth of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, struck a similar note when officiating the ceremony, urging young people in the city to harness such exchange tours for a multifaceted insight into the country’s recent development and strengthen their sense of national identity.
Chan said that the program aligns with the key policy directions outlined in the 2022 Youth Development Blueprint released by the government to foster greater synergy between the personal growth of Hong Kong youth and the nation’s development strategies.
Among sponsored projects were the “Pillars of Greater Power — LinkUp Hainan Aerospace Rocket Study Tour”, organized by the Hong Kong Youth Alliance; the “HKUYA SNA Inner Mongolia Study Tour” of the Hong Kong United Youth Association Student Exchange Network Alliance; the “National History, Culture and Art Exchange at Xi’an and Luoyang”, designed by the Hong Kong Dance Federation; as well as the “Greater Bay Area Youth Green Sailing Initiative”, led by the Hong Kong Yacht and Start-up Association.
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The tours feature visits to assorted cultural and tourist locations, leading enterprises and institutions, as well as face-to-face exchange sessions with local students and industry experts.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
