The Sun Hung Kai Properties’ (SHKP) Reading Club sponsored over 40 students and teachers from seven Hong Kong secondary schools for a study tour to Shenzhen in November. This initiative, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Publishing Federation and part of Shenzhen Reading Month and the “SZ&HK Co-Reading” programme, combined the exploration of aerospace science with the promotion of reading.

SHKP Executive Director Christopher Kwok stated: “Our country has achieved significant advancements in aerospace technology. The study tour featured a variety of engaging activities that allowed the students to explore our achievements in manned space technology, appreciate Chinese culture, and share the joy of reading with their peers in Shenzhen. Through these activities, we aim to broaden the horizons of young people in Hong Kong and foster their sense of patriotism and national identity.”

The participants started their trip at the Space Science and Technology Institute (Shenzhen), where the teachers and students explored exhibits from a space base, gaining valuable insights into the astronauts’ daily routines and inspiring stories. Founded in 2014, the institute is a non-profit organization to facilitate collaboration between the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and the Astronaut Centre of China. 

Next, they visited the “Palace Museum Collections × Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibition, a highlight of the 25th Shenzhen Reading Month and the “SZ&HK Co-Reading” programme. The exhibition showcased over 10 reproduced paintings from the Palace Museum and nearly 50 art pieces representing Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage (ICH). A selection of books on the national treasures from the Palace Museum and Hong Kong ICH were also on display.

The students also visited the Central Shenzhen Book Mall, the largest such mall on the mainland, where they shared their favourite books with their Shenzhen peers. 

Every November since 2000, the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee has organized Shenzhen Reading Month, a large scale reading event that has attracted over 10 million participants. On 2 November 2024, the “Palace Museum Collections × Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage” exhibition opened in Shenzhen, with SHKP as one of the supporting organizations. SHKP will also sponsor the Hong Kong extension of the “SZ&HK Co-Reading” programme, scheduled for April 2025 at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, as part of the 2025 Hong Kong Reading+ Carnival.

SHKP is committed to promoting reading. In April this year, SHKP supported the 2024 Hong Kong Reading+ Carnival, a four-day event held at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, aimed at igniting interest in reading among the young generation. It featured a designated zone for selected publications from Shenzhen, fostering cultural exchange between the two cities. Since 2008, SHKP has provided announce allowances to over 1,000 underprivileged young people to buy books at the Hong Kong Book Fair. To date, more than 30,000 young people have benefitted from this initiative.