Volunteers for the Shanghai Dragon train

A thousand youngsters will board a through train to head north for an exchange trip to Shanghai during Easter. They will take part in a forum, visits and cultural events, culminating in a massive dragon dance on the bund of the Huangpu River. The goal is to give them a better grasp of what's happening in China today and what role they might play in future.

The students will come from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Shanghai and will leave Shenzen on 14 April for a 6-day journey taking them past eighteen mainland cities over the Easter holidays. As they go, they will learn about the cities and the country from their group leaders. We talked to three of these young volunteers about their hopes and expectations.

“I want to see the difference between Hong Kong and the Mainland with my own eyes,” said Tracy, an engineering student at City U. “I'm not sure what to expect but I think it will be a very memorable experience.”

How did they feel about being in charge of groups of students?

“Each of us will be with a social worker so we won't be alone and we will be very busy. The 18 train carriages will compete for a prize. The theme will revolve around the cities we are passing through and the best-decorated carriage will win. It is our job to prepare material for our group about the cities on the way so we have a lot of research to do before we leave,” said Mandy, an HKU dentistry student.

Peter, a 22 year old, studying Computer Engineering at City U said:

“The most important thing is the chance to learn and then exchange our ideas. We are going to find out a lot about China's economic infrastructure and cultural heritage. There will be much to absorb in a very short time. Fortunately we will spend four days on the train and so will have time to digest it and talk it over. I think that will be very valuable.”

“I see this as a sort of family affair,” he continued. “We are all Chinese and it feels as if we belong to the same family, just as relatives do. Still, just as with relatives, there are going to be big differences between us. We come from many different backgrounds so I will learn about what we share and then we can talk about our differences.”

So what is the biggest challenge going to be for them?

“I think it will be taking responsibility for a group of young people,” said Tracy. “I know that's part of what leadership is about and it is also part of growing up into an adult. We will need to build strong team spirit too.”

“Problem-solving,” answered Mandy, “and people skills. There are bound to be problems and complaints on a trip like this, especially as time in Shanghai is short, and we will have to think on our feet.”

“It will actually be a chance to consider a career on the Mainland too,” mused Peter, “…once we know more about it. It really is a fantastic opportunity for us because we will actually be working as volunteers.”

“The Dragon Dance will be a big challenge for us all,” said Tracy. “Just think of the co-ordination involved in getting hundreds of students to cooperatively raise that dragon and perform on the bund in public. But it will be symbolic too. The conference in Shanghai is all about China moving out to greet the rest of the world and the dance will symbolize the harmony and peace with which we want to achieve that.”

“I think that is a great mission,” said Mandy, “one that we are all proud to be a part of.”

Facts & Figures

Losing playtime

More than 130,000* Hong Kong children go to kindergartens and much of their time there is spent preparing for primary school rather than playing. Meanwhile, educators are concerned about the lack of unstructured play in modern childhood. American children have lost 12 hours of free time a week since the 1970's according to the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center. That includes a 25% drop in play and a 50%** drop in other unstructured outdoor activities.

Early education experts agree that dancing lessons, sports and other similar structured activities can improve a child's learning abilities but a great deal of research also shows that spontaneous play is vital for creativity, problem-solving and social skills. The ubiquitous TV and computer also mean children do not need to use their imagination and now play less with “open-ended” toys such as clay, blocks, paper and paint. This is particularly true in modern Hong Kong households where both parents are wage earners with little time for their families and it is true world-wide for the single parent.

*South China Morning Post 4 February 2006 C8
**www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20021003childsplay3.asp [accessed 18 March 2006]

Untapped mainland talent on the doorstep

There are between 4,000 and 5,000 mainland students currently studying in tertiary institutions in Hong Kong.* That is just 6% of the total who leave China to study abroad. The number was as low as 1034 just five years ago but is certainly increasing. Nevertheless, among those who graduate here, the number who stay and work is very low. There were a mere 21 in 2001, up to 236 in 2005.

Many more mainlanders come here to work through the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals. That figure was up from 1350 in 2003 to over 4,000 last year. A new government scheme** to encourage skilled migrant workers to settle here will also have a welcome effect since according to government estimates there will be approximately 100,000 unfilled vacancies for highly-skilled manpower by 2007.** This is partly due to the rapidly ageing population and the low birth rate. Young mainland migrants are likely to become far more numerous in future because of initiatives such as these and the raising of university quotas for intake. The latter are at present capped at 10%.

*South China Morning Post 27 February 2006 C5
**The Quality Migrant Admission Scheme was announced in the Financial Secretary's 2006 budget.
***James Tien How to net the necessary talent South China Morning Post 28 March 2006 A13