Cao Zhen caozhen0806@126.com MORE than 150 students and teachers from Cheung Chuk Shan College in Hong Kong visited Nantou Ancient Town and the Nanshan Museum in Shenzhen on Friday afternoon. The mainland study tour is part of the Hong Kong senior secondary students’ Citizenship and Social Development curriculum. The tour was co-hosted by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Education Bureau, Nanshan District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, Nanshan District Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Bureau, and the Nanshan District Education Bureau. The Nanshan Museum and Hong Kong Nantou Townsmen Association co-organized the event. Walking through the ancient gate of Nantou Ancient Town, the Hong Kong students and teachers strolled on the old lanes, listened to the past and present stories of the town told by volunteers, traced the old memories of Shenzhen, and witnessed the common origins of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Situated on the eastern bank of the Pearl River estuary, Nantou Ancient Town had been an administrative center, a coastal defense point and a hub for maritime transport and foreign trade along the eastern bank of the Pearl River. With a history of more than 1,700 years, its governing areas in ancient times included modern Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Dongguan and Huizhou. In September this year, Nantou Ancient Town was included in the mainland study tours of Hong Kong senior secondary students’ Citizenship and Social Development curriculum by the Hong Kong Education Bureau. Nanshan District is also becoming an important site for patriotic education. On Friday, the Hong Kong students and teachers also visited Nanshan Museum, learning about Nanshan’s rich history and diverse culture from ancient times to the past four decades of reform and opening up. The students said that the activity has broadened their horizons and enhanced their cultural identity. In the future, they will continue visiting more places on the mainland to further understand its education, society and cultural development, contemplating Hong Kong’s opportunities and its role in the national development and contributing to the motherland. According to the Hong Kong Education Bureau, content related to the country’s development constitutes a substantial part of the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum; mainland study tours form an integral part of the curriculum. It aims to enhance Hong Kong senior secondary students’ appreciation of Chinese culture and knowledge about the achievements of the country, thereby fostering their sense of national identity. | 