For young people in Hong Kong, China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is no longer something they learn about only in the classroom. A new generation of exchange programs between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland is allowing the city's youth to see the country's transformation up close — an experience no textbook can fully capture.
Nicholas Muk Ka-chun knows this shift firsthand. As a secondary school teacher in Hong Kong and a member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation, Muk helps organize these exchange programs. He believes frequent and meaningful interactions with the mainland can help young people better understand the opportunities the national blueprint opens for Hong Kong's next generation.
For Nicholas Muk Ka-chun, helping Hong Kong's young people understand China's development starts with a simple idea: they need to see it for themselves.
"They should not limit their outlook to Hong Kong's 7.5 million people," said Muk. "The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a population of more than 88 million, is an important direction for their future development."
The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its competitive strengths while better integrating into the country's overall development.
As Hong Kong drafts its first five-year plan, Muk said the priority for young people is to move beyond awareness and toward active participation.
That participation becomes tangible during on-site visits.
Muk has brought groups of students and young people to mainland incubation bases focused on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, where subsidized workspaces, affordable accommodation and streamlined start-up procedures made a far stronger impression in person than they ever could in a classroom.
In class, students may first notice the differences between life in Hong Kong and on the mainland. But visits to the mainland help them understand what those differences mean in practical terms, including lower operating costs, easier access to facilities and stronger support for young entrepreneurs.
"When we bring exchange groups there to see it for themselves, they find it very attractive," said Muk.
That emphasis on direct experience is also reflected in Hong Kong's Citizenship and Social Development curriculum. Muk noted that the subject requires senior secondary students to take part in at least one mainland field trip during their three years of study.
Since the tours began in 2023, the programs have expanded from one-day visits to itineraries lasting up to five days, with 28 routes available in the most recent academic year.
In 2025, Muk led students through Jinan, Tai'an and Qingdao in Shandong province. Among the many sites they visited, the fully automated container terminal at Qingdao Port left one of the strongest impressions — both on the students and on Muk himself.
"There was not a single worker on the ground. All the cargo was handled by automated guided vehicles," Muk recalled.
The port also featured a small exhibition hall introducing the facility to visitors.
"These are experiences my students would not get from a regular trip to the mainland, but our curriculum makes them possible," he said.
Beyond study tours, Muk sees technology as another promising area for youth exchange. Hong Kong is home to many highly ranked universities, but the key question for students is how research can be translated into products and brought to market.
Muk noted that students are already taking part in inter-school competitions in areas like AI programming and digital technology, some of which then lead to competition trips to the mainland and overseas.
"There are now far more opportunities than before for young people in Hong Kong and the mainland to collaborate," he said.
Muk also believes mainland exchange programs should be expanded to include experienced humanities teachers, not just school leaders and new teachers, because classroom teachers often have the most direct contact with students and play a crucial role in shaping their perspective.
"Only when teachers themselves have a proper understanding of the country and its development can they effectively guide students in building the right values — especially at the secondary school level," Muk said.
He also sees cultural exchange as essential to strengthening young people's sense of national identity.
He pointed to the Chinese Culture Festival in Hong Kong — launched in 2024 as an annual festival — as an example of how traditional Chinese culture can be combined with contemporary artistic elements, making it more accessible and appealing to younger audiences.
"Beyond traditional education, films and other forms of digital and cultural storytelling are becoming increasingly important ways to engage young people, and this is a direction worth pursuing further," he said.
