China's Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday held a horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse as part of the celebrations marking the 28th anniversary of its return to the motherland.
The event, held by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, drew about 24,500 spectators, including around 6,000 visitors from the mainland, a 30-percent increase compared with last year.
"Today is July 1, marking the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the 104th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Through this horse race, a sport so unique to Hong Kong, I've experienced the passion of Hong Kong people and the city’s distinctive cultural appeal," said a visitor from Guangzhou City, in the neighboring province of Guangdong.
The event featured the Hong Kong Reunification Cup Handicap (1400m) as its centerpiece event, symbolizing the region's enduring racing tradition since its return to the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong holds horse race to celebrate 28th anniversary of return to China
Global journalists gained a firsthand look at the groundbreaking technological innovations that are reshaping China's tech future, as they embarked on a media tour in east China's Zhejiang Province.
Nearly 70 media representatives from countries including the United States, Singapore, and Brazil joined the tour, visiting the headquarters of several ambitious tech companies in the province.
At a company called BrainCo, the visitors witnessed a brain-computer interface enabling a disabled staff member to control prosthetic fingers with ease, and even practice calligraphy.
"I control it just like my own hand. Every finger moves. It’s intuitive. No delay," said the staff member.
The demonstration left a deep impression on the international journalists.
"I think this area, and specifically the the brain area, is one of the most exciting fields China is working on right now. There's all these expectations that China will deliver a lot of answers to many people around the world," said Nelson Pancini De Sa, a reporter for Universo Online, a Brazilian web content, products, and services company.
The media tour highlighted Zhejiang's strategy for integrating technological and industrial innovation. Unitree Robotics, based in Hangzhou, produces 60 to 70 percent of the world's quadruped robot shipments.
"Unitree has unveiled the H2 Plus, a next-generation humanoid robot reference design. It launches in the second half of this year, giving humanoid robots a more powerful 'smart brain,'" said Huang Jiawei, marketing director of Unitree Robotics.
Journalists also observed how China's humanoid robot makers are shifting their focus from showmanship to real-world applications. Some companies emphasized their potential in elderly care.
"I thought that it's quite interesting that they are looking at these humanoid robots and training them to specifically address the needs of older people who are living alone, which I thought is an interesting space to look out for," said Ananth Krishnan, a reporter with The Hindu, an Indian news agency.
Int'l media representatives dig through China's tech sector in Zhejiang
