Student filmmakers from schools across Hong Kong on Monday were awarded for their short videos introducing the city’s wartime relics and historical sites, with their productions being described as a “paradigm” for blending history education with the creative ambitions of young people.

The contest, held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), was organized by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA) and CMA’s Youth Committee.

A total of 22 teams, whose productions stood out from those of nearly 130 teams citywide, clinched gold, silver, and bronze awards, plus eight merit awards in the junior and senior secondary categories, at the awards ceremony in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.

READ MORE: Wartime relics tell of sacrifice and resolve

The top honors in the senior secondary category went to students from Ko Lui Secondary School; a team from the Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association Buddhist Ching Kok Secondary School secured gold in the junior secondary category.

Through their 90-second videos, they brought to life the history and present-day bearing of wartime landmarks across the city — from the Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall and the Cenotaph for Martyrs in Wu Kau Tang, to Yuen Long’s Yeung Ka Tsuen, where villagers once joined the Dongjiang Column, an anti-Japanese guerrilla force led by the Communist Party of China.

The Peninsula Hong Kong, a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, was also featured in some of the productions that were awarded, as it was where the Japanese army strong-armed British officials into signing Hong Kong’s surrender in 1941.

“By visiting these historical sites of wartime significance, we hope more people will cherish the hard-won peace we enjoy now,” stated the closing message of one award-winning school team’s clips.

Speaking at the ceremony, Undersecretary for Home and Youth Affairs Clarence Leung Wang-ching said that the initiative had allowed students to retrace history, helping them better appreciate the nation and Hong Kong’s indomitable wartime resistance against Japanese aggression, while inspiring them to carry forward a shared sense of national pride and patriotism.

What the students’ participation has demonstrated, Leung said, is the reverence young people have for Chinese history, as well as their dedication to their cultural inheritance, and their great sense of social responsibility.

History, he said, teaches us that no matter the struggle — be it war or today’s adversity — when people stand together, they find the strength to rise above hardship. He urged all those present to join hands with the special administrative region government in providing support to the victims of last month’s Wang Fuk Court fire — a disaster that has claimed at least 161 lives.

READ MORE: Defuse & defend: Keeping Hong Kong safe

Also addressing Monday’s ceremony was Kenneth Shi Ho-ming, chairman of the CMA’s Youth Committee, who said that the initiative aimed to enhance students’ knowledge, through the production of short videos, of the shared resistance of the nation and Hong Kong during the war, with the ultimate goal of cultivating in the city’s younger generation a stronger sense of national identity and patriotic spirit.

Shi said that while working on their video projects, many Hong Kong students had visited wartime relics within the city, and creatively documented their experiences and the historical narratives behind these sites.

He added that this approach transformed a pivotal chapter in Chinese history from static textbook knowledge to a dynamic, youth-driven visual conversation, shareable with a wide public audience across all sectors of society.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com