Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin today led a secondary school delegation to tour the Baling River Guizhou Bridge Technology Museum and Baling River Bridge in Guizhou.

Over 130 students and teachers from Shau Kei Wan Government Secondary School attended a ceremony to mark the first Mainland study tour of the Citizenship & Social Development (CS) subject held outside Guangdong Province.

Addressing the kick-off ceremony at Guiyang No.1 High School, Ms Choi said the number of routes for the CS Mainland study tours has been increased to 26 in the 2023-24 school year, including seven routes that last four to five days to cover places outside Guangdong.

Apart from Guizhou Province, the other six routes feature the Shanghai and Chongqing municipalities, and Fujian, Hunan, Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces.

Ms Choi emphasised that as an integral part of the subject's curriculum, CS Mainland study tours serve to help senior secondary students gain first-hand knowledge of the country, and experience and appreciate Chinese culture through experiential learning.

It is hoped that the tours will enhance the students’ understanding of the country’s latest developments and achievements, Ms Choi added.

After the ceremony, Hong Kong and Guizhou students participated in school activities of different themes such as technology, art and labour practice before having lunch together.

Later, the delegation toured the Baling River Guizhou Bridge Technology Museum and Baling River Bridge to learn about Guizhou’s innovative and technological achievements in bridge construction.

They also visited Huangguoshu Waterfall to understand the province’s ecological environment.

Yesterday, upon arrival in Guiyang by the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the delegation participated in a cultural study tour of the Geological Museum of Guizhou, Jiaxiu Pavilion and the Qingyun Market.

Ms Choi also called on representatives of the Guizhou Department of Education to discuss issues of mutual concern.

Tomorrow, Ms Choi will visit the National Big Data (Guizhou) Comprehensive Pilot Zone Communication & Experience Center before returning in the afternoon. The delegation will continue its tour.