The Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army opened its barracks to the public on Saturday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
At the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, the event began with a flag-raising ceremony during which residents and officers stood in solemn respect while singing the national anthem. Following the ceremony, officers from Ngong Shuen Chau, Shek Kong, and San Wai Barracks presented various military displays that received enthusiastic applause and cheers. The equipment exhibition also attracted a diverse audience, highlighting Chinese self-developed technology.
"I feel so proud because our country is so powerful. I wish everyone a happy National Day holiday. I love my country and I love Hong Kong," said Liu Tzu Ming, a Hong Kong student.
During the open day event, visitors also explored the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center, one of the most popular venues for locals.
The themed exhibition tells the stories of the Communist Party of China, the nation, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army through various mediums, including multimedia presentations, themed sculptures, displayed items, and digital technologies.
PLA HK Garrison opens barracks to mark 75th founding anniversary of PRC
The development of AI and high-speed railway has given a significant boost to Indonesia's tourism, making communication easier and travel smoother for a growing number of foreign visitors.
In November last year, Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism launched the Meticulous Artificial Intelligence of Indonesia (MaiA) platform to strengthen tourism services and enhance global competitiveness.
The digital curator helps travelers find trip inspiration and instantly create routes with personalized destination recommendations, automatic itineraries, interactive maps, and multilingual information.
"You can just ask the AI what you need and then they will suggest very nice suggestions for you," said a tourist from Singapore.
Beyond AI, Indonesia's appeal to travelers from the Asia-Pacific and Europe is also underpinned by its infrastructure, most notably the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, jointly built by China and Indonesia.
Since its opening in 2023, the railway has cut travel time between the two cities from over three hours to just over 40 minutes.
"It's really nice, clean and really fast, so that's good," said a Dutch tourist.
In the first quarter of this year, Indonesia received 3.44 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 8.62 percent year on year.
The government said the tourism sector's contribution to GDP during the same period was estimated at between 4.01 percent and 5.05 percent.
AI, high-speed railway drive Indonesia's tourism growth
