The Education Bureau and the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Office organised an itinerary design competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students, encouraging secondary students to design routes for Mainland exchanges covering the GBA cities as destinations.

The competition's kick-off ceremony/briefing session was held today as part of the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of the founding of the "Passing on the Torch" National Education Activity Series Platform.

Officiating guests included Under Secretary for Education Sze Chun-fai, Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maisie Chan and Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Second-level Inspector Zhang Guolai.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sze noted that the platform has been strongly supported by the Central People's Government Offices in Hong Kong and eminent individuals from various sectors in the city since its establishment in 2009, enabling smooth progress in all areas of work.

He added that under the leadership of various Executive Chairpersons, more than 550,000 primary and secondary students have benefited over the years. Mainland exchange programmes for primary and secondary students have covered 22 provinces, four autonomous regions and four municipalities.

Mr Sze also thanked the GBA Development Office for co-organising the competition with the bureau, providing students with more opportunities to understand the GBA's history, culture and development opportunities, which will widen their horizons and foster their sense of national identity.

Secondary students will participate in the competition on a team basis. Each team should submit a proposal on such themes as root-tracing/remembrance of origins, innovation/aerospace technology, and intangible cultural heritage. The proposal should include an itinerary for a student exchange lasting one to three days in the GBA cities.

The champion itineraries will be turned into actual trips and the winning teams will be fully subsidised to join the trips as an award.

Completed proposals should be submitted by December 20.

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