Hong Kong and Macao celebrate Chinese National Day with music, youth exchanges

Hong Kong and Macao have been celebrating China’s National Day with various activities such as music performances and youth exchange events.

Nearly 1,000 people took part in a symphony chorus in Hong Kong last week, performing classic pieces such as "Yellow River Cantata" and "The Pearl of the Orient" to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The China Peking Opera Art Foundation also staged a Peking Opera performance in Hong Kong over the weekend.

"National Day is a festive day. Everyone gathers here to appreciate our excellent traditional culture and the art of Peking Opera, which adds to the festive atmosphere," said Dong Yuanyuan, a first-class performer for the National Peking Opera Company.

"As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, Peking Opera plays an important role in important national festivals and celebrations. We hope to celebrate the great achievements of the country over the past 70 years with all sectors of society through this performance, and to express our love and blessings for the country through rich repertoires and wonderful performances," said Ronald Chan Ngok-pang, head of mainland affairs at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

A youth exchange event was launched in Macao on Sunday ahead of the National Day. After the launching ceremony, 200 Macao youth will visit 10 provinces and cities in the mainland including Guangdong, before heading to Beijing to participate in a gathering with their peers. Through the activity, the young people can experience the cultural heritage and modernization achievements of the motherland in person.

"Youthful struggle is the most beautiful. As the first Macao doctor to obtain a medical license in Guangdong Province, I want to join this youthful, passionate wave of building our motherland," said Doctor Tam Nga Lei.

"The prosperity of the motherland is the common wish of all Chinese people. Under the care of the motherland, Macao's economy, society and people's livelihood have all made progress in the 25 years since its return. Development prospects for the young people in Macao are also growing, including historic opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin," said Fu Tang Long, a vice chairman of the Macao Youth Federation.

Hong Kong and Macao celebrate Chinese National Day with music, youth exchanges

Crews from Abu Dhabi TV and the Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya channel are about to wrap up filming on the "Charming Beijing" TV series, a program that explores some of the most significant landmarks of China's capital.

The visiting film crews chose Beijing's administrative center in Tongzhou district as their first stop.

Three cultural landmarks located by the Grand Canal, namely the Beijing Performing Arts Center, the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing and Beijing City Library, and the soon-to-be-completed Beijing Integrated Transportation Hub at the Sub-Center Station beautifully showcase the fusion of culture and innovation in China's capital.

"The integrated transport hub of the Beijing Sub-Center boasts a huge railway network that connects multiple areas of Beijing. There are many layers underground, which is amazing. This has reached world standards in terms of transportation. We are all in awe at China's tremendous economic, technological, tourism, and cultural development," said Mohammed Abdulkareem, a host for Abu Dhabi TV.

During their nine-day stay in Beijing, the "Charming Beijing" production team also visited autonomous driving enterprises in Beijing E-Town, the National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Center, and the International Robotics Industrial Park.

"We (the UAE and Chinese people) are both generous, hardworking, and committed to doing our best in every field, not only in economy and culture but also in sports. China has achieved good results in many sports events. These similarities bring us closer. We hope to establish more partnerships and yield more results hand-in-hand in the future," said Abdulkareem.

The "Charming Beijing" TV Series is supported by the city of Beijing's information office and China Media Group. It is set to air on TV channels in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia at the end of this year.

Since 2019, production teams from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Russia, Japan, Serbia, Italy, Croatia, and the Republic of Korea have been invited to film in Beijing.

Middle East media set to wrap filming on "Charming Beijing" series