Source: Office for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs

Written by: Office for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs

Translated by: Chen Zhiyong, Zheng Sida

Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On April 20, the “Lotus in Full Bloom ? Blossoming in Guangzhou” — 2013 Macao students at universities in Guangzhou fellowship activity was held in Swasey Hall, Sun Yat-sen University. Over 200 Macao students from eight universities in Guangzhou gathered together, sharing their experiences of learning and developing in the mainland and talking about the “Chinese Dream”. Li Benjun, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region; Zhao Lingshan, Executive Deputy Director of Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, Ministry of Education; Mr. Liu Wei from Department of Communication, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the State Council; Mr. Chui Sai Peng, Deputy of the Macao SAR to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Deputy of Legislative Assembly of Macao SAR; Ms. Amber Li, member of the CPPCC National Committee and President of HN Group Limited; Fang Rui, Deputy Director of Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the CPPCC Guangdong Provincial Committee; Zhu Xiping, Assistant President of Sun Yat-sen University; and other distinguished guests of relevant Macao associations attended the gathering. The theme was “Constructing Macao, Regretless Youth”.

Deputy Director Li Benjun said in his address that he was delighted to see the “Lotus in Full Bloom” activity held at SYSU in Guangzhou again after four years. He pointed out that “Constructing Macao” was the wish of all generations of Macao people and young students should think about how to realize the value of their lives and making good use of their youth. He also linked the "Macao Dream” to the “Chinese Dream”, encouraging them to set high ideals, study hard and gain more experience, and devote their youth to the realization of the “Chinese Dream” and the “Macao Dream”.

Executive Deputy Director Zhao Lingshan expressed his gratitude for the organizers and guests present. He said that education cooperation between the mainland and Macao was increasingly close and the students had their respective strengths, worth learning from each other. He hoped that students from Macao could make more friends, broaden their horizons and succeed in their study, so that Macao and the motherland would be proud of them.

On behalf of SYSU, Professor Zhu Xiping, Assistant President of SYSU, delivered a welcome speech. He said since the 1990s, more than 1,000 students from Macao had graduated from SYSU, most of whom returned to Macao to work, played a positive role in promoting Macao’s development and the integration of Guangdong Province and Macao, and became an important force in caring for and supporting SYSU’s development. He encouraged the young people present from Macao to take full advantage of all the favorable conditions to improve their overall qualities, spare no effort to grow into the backbone in various fields, shoulder the responsibility of constructing Macao, make contribution to Macao’s development with their wonderful youth, and realize their own value on the path of building the “Chinese Dream”.

On behalf of the students from Macao, Wu Suying, President of Guangdong (College) Macao Student Association, delivered a speech to call on them to uphold the responsibilities and duties of youngsters, shoulder the mission of our time, advocate the great idea of "constructing Macao”, and contribute to Macao’s future development without any regret.

A special interview themed on “Mission and Responsibility of Youth” was held at the scene. Mr. Chui Sai Peng and Ms. Amber Li shared their wonderful experiences with the students present, encouraging them to cherish the opportunity of studying in the mainland, and reminding them that it’s unavoidable for young people to encounter difficulties and setbacks at work and study, and they can achieve results if they stick it out with patience and willpower.

In the afternoon, the students paid a visit to Guangzhou Science City. The integration of traditional culture and modern technology at the Herbal Tea Museum and the high-tech industry at Guangzhou Leafun Culture Science and Technology Co., Ltd. broadened their horizons. In the evening, a dinner party was held. The students performed programs of their own production, enhancing friendship among each other through the event.

The "Lotus in Full Bloom” Macao student fellowship activity was initiated by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2008, and held annually at key universities in Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai, etc. SYSU undertook an activity entitled "Lotus in Full Bloom Reflected in the Pearl River” in 2009. So far the series of activities has become an annual brand activity for Macao students in the mainland, with favorable results and full affirmation from the central leadership.

This activity was sponsored by the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education and the Culture and Education Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, and jointly undertaken by Sun Yat-sen University and the Guangdong Liaison Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region.