Young Hong Kong people who participated in a field tour to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dongjiang-Shenzhen water supply project expressed their appreciation on Monday for the efforts made by those who developed and maintain the system, adding that the tour has helped them understand the important need to cherish hard-earned water resources.

At Pui Kiu Middle School in North Point, young Hong Kong people and media representatives attended a session to discuss the “Hong Kong Youth Gratitude Tour Marking 60 Years of Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply”, which was held over a six-day period in December and involved touring cities along the Dongjiang River Basin, including Guangzhou, Heyuan, Huizhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen, and attended by over 50 participants.

The tour, organized by Nanfang Daily Newspaper Group, was aimed at showcasing the efforts made on the Chinese mainland to supply water resources to Hong Kong, and the high-technology utilized in the system.

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Wayne Kuang Chun-wan, a secondary four student at Pui Kiu Middle School, said the tour helped him to understand the hardships endured by the builders of the system, as well as the reasoning behind the statement: “When drinking water, one should not forget its source.” Kuang said he was amazed by the high-tech applications involved in water conservancy projects, and has since spoken with his classmates about the need to cherish water and the care taken by their mainland compatriots to supply water to Hong Kong.

“In the future, I hope to be a civil servant to serve the public, and this tour really inspired me a lot,” Kuang said during the sharing session.

Huang Ho-ching, another student from Pui Kiu, said that the Xinfengjiang Dam in Heyuan city inspired her most during the tour, as these facilities support Hong Kong’s livelihood and economy. The experience has helped her to cherish the moment while remembering the past, she added.

Jacky Ko Chung-kit, a local social media influencer, posted online content during the tour, which has received over 1 million views.

Hong Kong's prosperity is made possible by the motherland, and the future of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area requires young people to join hands and integrate into the broader national development landscape, Ko said.

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Wong Nam-ping, assistant director of the development branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Water Supplies Department, said that the Dongjiang River has, without interruption, provided water resources to Hong Kong for 60 years, since March, 1965, enabling over 7 million Hong Kong residents to live and work in peace, and ensuring the prosperity, stability, and long-term social development of Hong Kong.

The city’s Plover Cove Reservoir in the northeastern New Territories uses Dongjiang water to nurture high-quality fish, living up to the old Chinese saying, “To cultivate good fish, one must first maintain good water." The reservoir was registered as an accredited fish farm at the end of 2024.

A multimedia exhibition themed “A River of Clear Waters Flowing South — Hong Kong Youth Gratitude Tour Marking 60 Years of Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply” is on display at Pui Kiu Middle School from Monday.

Also organized by Nanfang Daily Newspaper Group, the exhibition showcases over 100 pictures and 30 videos, providing a panoramic review of the Dongshen Water Supply Project, and is aimed at deepening the public’s recognition of Hong Kong’s integration into the Greater Bay Area.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com