Students Celebrate GBA Development with Itinerary Design Competition Awards Ceremony

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students

The Education Bureau (EDB) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Office of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB) have organised the Award Presentation Ceremony for Celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the Founding of the "Passing on the Torch" National Education Activity Series Platform: "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students today (May 23). Teachers and students of the winning teams will be fully subsidised to join award-winning tours modeled on the itineraries of the champion teams, and attend the sharing sessions for experience sharing upon completion of the tours to deepen students' understanding of the development of the GBA.

The competition encourages secondary students to design routes for Mainland exchanges covering the GBA cities as destinations. Through the activities, students are encouraged to gather information to deepen their understanding of the interconnectivity, history and culture, innovative technology, and development opportunities of GBA cities, thereby broadening their horizons and cultivating their affection for the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, thanked the school sector for their active participation and support. More than 500 itinerary design proposals have been received, with nearly 2 000 students participating in the competition. He praised the students for their innovative designs, thoughtful itinerary planning and diversified themes, including intangible cultural heritage, aerospace technology, patriotic education and national security education, etc. The destinations cover different cities in the GBA, which demonstrate the students' deep understanding of GBA cities.

The competition is the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the founding of the "Passing on the Torch" National Education Activity Series Platform. Dr Sze expressed his gratitude to various executive chairpersons for their continuous leadership and the Central People's Government Offices in Hong Kong and eminent individuals from various sectors in Hong Kong for their strong support. More than 630 000 primary and secondary students have benefited since the establishment of the platform. Mainland exchange programmes for students cover 22 provinces, four autonomous regions and four municipalities. He also thanked the GBA Development Office for co-organising the competition with the EDB, providing students with more opportunities to learn about the history, culture and development opportunities of the GBA, which will widen their horizons and foster their sense of national identity.

Other officiating guests at the award presentation ceremony included the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan; Second-level Inspector of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Zhang Guolai; the Chairperson of the Assessment Committee for the "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition, Mr Lung Chee-ming; and various executive chairpersons of the "Passing on the Torch" National Education Activity Series Platform.

Based on the champion itineraries of the junior secondary school winner, CUHK FAA Thomas Cheung Secondary School, and the senior secondary school winner, Chiu Lut Sau Memorial Secondary School, the EDB will organise two award-winning tours to Zhaoqing, Guangzhou and Foshan respectively in July 2025, and provide full subsidies for teachers and students of the winning teams to join the trips. Teachers and students of all winning teams will attend the sharing sessions to exchange experiences from their participation in the trips.

The list of awardees has been uploaded to the website of the "Passing on the Torch" National Education Activity Series Platform (www.passontorch.org.hk/en/index.html) and the designated webpage (www.bayarea.gov.hk/itinerary-design-competition/en/home/index.html).

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

EDB and CMAB organise Award Presentation Ceremony for "Dreams to Greater Bay Area Come True" Itinerary Design Competition under Mainland Exchange Programmes for Students Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Notice on appointments to advisory and statutory bodies

A Government spokesman said today (January 12) that Mr Chan Kin-por recently sought approval from the Chief Executive to suspend his three public positions as appointed by the Chief Executive, until the completion of the work of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (Independent Committee). Mr Chan made this request to allow himself more time to dedicate to the work of the Independent Committee. After due consideration, the Chief Executive has agreed to and approved this request. The three public positions are: (1) Chairman of Independent Commission Against Corruption Advisory Committee on Corruption; (2) Non-executive Director of Urban Renewal Authority Board; and (3) Member of Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.

Mr Chan Kin-por, Photo source: reference image

On December 12, 2025, the Government established the Independent Committee to examine the causes of the incident and related issues, ascertain the facts, and make recommendations on preventing similar tragedies and on improvement measures. The Independent Committee is chaired by Mr Justice David Lok, with Mr Chan Kin-por and Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen serving as members. The Independent Committee held its first meeting on December 19 last year and aims to complete its work within nine months of commencing operations.

Mr Chan Kin-por wrote earlier to the Chief Executive, expressing his wish to suspend the aforementioned three public positions until the Independent Committee completes its work, in order to dedicate more time and focus to the Independent Committee's tasks. The Chief Executive has agreed to and approved the request.

A Government spokesperson said that since the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, both the Government and the wider community have been highly concerned about the causes of the incident and the follow-up work. The scope of the Independent Committee's work is extensive, particularly concerning systemic issues related to bid-rigging and connected interests. Given the numerous issues involved and their complex nature, the Government will fully co-operate with the Independent Committee to ensure that it can complete its work and compile its report within nine months. The Government extends its gratitude to Mr Chan for accepting the appointment as a member of the Independent Committee and for his professional and conscientious approach to the Committee's work. When the Independent Committee's work is completed, the Government looks forward to Mr Chan's continuous contribution through his aforementioned public positions.

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post