To give Hong Kong youth first-hand insight into China’s latest advances in cutting-edge technology—ranging from high-end shipbuilding and smart vehicles to aerospace—the Foundation fully sponsored the Shanghai ‘Sea, Land and Air’ Technology Experience Tour from 23 to 27 June, benefiting more than 150 students and teachers.

The five-day itinerary was packed with highlights. The group flew to Shanghai on a specially chartered C919, China’s self-developed commercial jet. In a rare privilege, they also became the first group of Hong Kong secondary school students to tour the historic Jiangnan Shipyard. Renowned as ‘China’s First Factory’, the shipyard is a primary manufacturing base for the nation’s aircraft carriers, naval vessels and advanced commercial ships, and is seldom open to in-bound visitors.

The itinerary also included visits to the COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute—where students caught a sneak peek of a full-scale (1:1) model of the yet-to-be-released C929 passenger jet—the ZEEKR Intelligent Factory, the China BeiDou Industrial Technology Innovation West Hongqiao Park, Shanghai Whales Bot Technology Co., Ltd., and the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Experiencing this array of cutting-edge technology left a deep impression on the students, giving them a profound understanding of the country’s rapid technological development, helping them consider future career paths and inspiring their ambition to contribute to the nation.