Greater Bay Area Cultural Exchange Tour 2024

To facilitate the understanding of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong on the development and exchange of the Greater Bay Area, the M.E.L.T. Centre organised the Greater Bay Area Cultural Exchange Tour 2024 from 18th to 21st June. The tour visited various scenic spots in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, including Nantou Old Town, Shenzhen Xidesheng Bicycle Co., Ltd., DJI Technology Co., Ltd., Lianhuashan Park, Shenzhen Museum (New Museum), Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Yongqing Lane, Guangdong Provincial Museum, Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shamian in Liwan District, GAC Science and Technology Museum, etc.

On the first day of our trip, our group visited Nantou Old Town and its museum. There are many small shops such as boutiques, snack bars and drink shops in the ancient city and most group members will buy special snacks here. At the Nantou Old Town Museum, ethnic minorities can learn about the composition and history of the Old Town, viewing the excavated ceramics and learn about the cultural intersection between the Old Town and Hong Kong. After that, our group visited Xidesheng Bicycle Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen, during the visit our members were able to understand the whole process of bicycle production, such as module production, assembly and welding, coloring, testing and sales of finished bicycles. They had a certain understanding of the work of workers on the production line. Subsequently, we went to DJI Technology Co., Ltd. to visit drone technology. From aerial photography to carriers, small to large UAVs, ethnic minorities can see and understand the diversified development of high-tech and drones in Chinese mainland in the exhibition hall. Before the end of the visit, The DJI Company took photos with aerial photography drones for the whole group.

On the second day, we went to the Peak Square of Lianhuashan Park in Futian District to overlook the beautiful scenery of downtown Shenzhen, a bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping was erected on the square. After enjoying the scenery of Lianhuashan Park, our group went to the Shenzhen Museum (New Museum) to learn more about the history of Shenzhen. The museum contains different exhibition halls, covering the history of Shenzhen from ancient Shenzhen to the period of reform and opening up, as well as pavilions introducing the customs of Shenzhen. The visit deepened the understanding of Shenzhen among the ethnic minority group members, and thus learned about the unique development and relationship between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

In the afternoon, our group drove to Guangzhou to visit the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chan's College), where the ethnic minorities learned about the architectural design with Chinese characteristics such as the choice of timber and window grille. There are also different carvings on the exterior walls of the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and different styles of craftsmanship such as wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, pottery sculpture, plaster sculpture, mural painting and copper and iron casting are widely used in the decoration of doors, windows, screens, walls, railings, beams and ridges, etc., some of them also contain famous historical stories and folk legends of ancient China such as "Three Visits to the Thatched House" and "The Battle of Red Cliffs". After that, the group went to Yongqing Lane in Liwan District, which is an inner street creative park and the ancestral home of deceased martial arts superstar Bruce Lee's father. In the evening, the group went to a Xinjiang restaurant to taste Xinjiang dishes which is similar to those of the ethnic minority group members and the ethnic minority group members also felt the similarities and differences between Chinese culture and their culture, and further deepened their understanding of Chinese traditional culture.

On the third day, our group visited the Guangdong Provincial Museum which has a large collection of precious cultural relics such as stone carvings of the Han Dynasty, celadon of the Song Dynasty, Cantonese opera costumes, etc., showing the long history and culture of Guangdong. The museum is equipped with a number of themed exhibition halls such as the Archaeological and Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, the History and Culture Museum, the Folk Customs Museum, the Art Museum, etc., The museum present the vivid historical and cultural scenes of Guangdong to the members of our ethnic minority group so that they can learn more about Chinese culture.

After lunch, the group went to the Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center to learn about the urban development planning of Guangzhou in different eras, which is equipped with a holographic image experience hall and a 4D cinema, which showcases the city's overall development goals, spatial layout, infrastructure other plans through models, pictures and multimedia. Through the different displays, Our ethnic minority group members also understand the role of Guangzhou in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and its geographical location. Finally, the group went to Shamian in Liwan District to visit the historical buildings, where our members took photos under the former site of the Soviet Consulate, the former site of the Guangzhou Branch of the Bank of Taiwan, the former site of Swire & Co. and learned that Guangzhou like Hong Kong, retains a different cultural style from Chinese culture in some places and scenic spots.

On the last day of the trip, the group went to the GAC Science and Technology Museum to visit new energy vehicles and innovative automotive technology. There are a variety of interactive experience facilities such as a two-seat simulator cockpit, video games, etc. Our group also learned about GAC's core technologies such as high-efficiency engines and advanced battery systems. The museum is also equipped with a variety of new models and sports cars, in the Smart Living Zone, a fully automatic robotic hamburger making machine is also equipped to provide meals to visitors, allowing ethnic minority group members to understand the rapid development of China and open their eyes. After completing the visit, our group took a coach back to Shenzhen, go through the boarder and return to Hong Kong.