Sailing to Xinhui Jiangmen: A Cultural Trip to Remember

This Xinhui Jiangmen Field trip, held from 31 August to 1 September 2023, was a pioneering cultural trip organised by the Faculty of Humanities. Led by Prof Jackie Lee Fung-king and Dr Hawk Chang Tsung-chi, the expedition succeeded in helping undergraduates have a better understanding of Chinese history and culture and the development of contemporary China through a series of first-hand encounters with historic and natural sites in Xinhui Jiangmen, such as Xinhui Museum and Liang Qichao’s Former Residence and Chakeng Village. The visit to Asia Symbol (Guangdong) Paper Company Limited (Asia Symbol) also inspired us on business innovation, entrepreneurship, teamwork and state-of-the-art industrial development in contemporary China.

The cultural trip successfully integrated knowledge, innovation, and entertainment. The guided tour at Xinhui Museum and Liang Qichao’s Former Residence initiated students into the significant intellectual history of China, while the guided tour of Asia Symbol opened a window into leadership, innovation, and synergism. Crucially, Asia Symbol highly valued our visit. Mr Hong Qinglong, Managing Director of Asia Symbol, introduced the company to EdUHK staff and students and shared his valuable insights on career planning, business management, corporate social responsibility, and the company’s automation system and human-machine interaction. The briefing and the Q&A session were followed by a guided tour of Asia Symbol’s production line and a lunch gathering prepared by the company. These activities further enhanced our understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit and contributed to a mutual understanding of Asia Symbol and EdUHK through formal and informal meetings. They also paved the way for future exchange activities and collaborations between EdUHK and Asia Symbol.

Meanwhile, the activities organised by Prof Lee and FHM staff helped senior entry students of BA (Language Studies) and students from other programmes familiarise themselves with the University, the Faculty and the teaching units in FHM, and boosted their sense of belonging. Although they could not visit Bird Paradise as scheduled and had to stay for one more night in Xinhui due to bad weather conditions, they were pleased about the trip. This is evidenced by the participants’ positive feedback, with more than 90 percent agreeing that the cultural trip was very well organised and substantially inspiring. The success is expected to encourage more colleagues and students to engage in GBA-related activities in the coming years.

 

Asia Symbol (Guangdong) Paper Co., Ltd.

 

Liang Qichao’s Former Residence

 

Xinhui Museum