September 11, 2018 – Title sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”) and organized by the National Conditions Education (Macau) Association (“NCEMA”), the GEG Macau Cup – 10th Youth National Education Competition came to a successful close at the end of May. The tertiary education-level and secondary school students who had won the competition embarked on a trip to Beijing, together for the first time with several GEG team members, in mid-August. The delegation visited a number of government departments and Mainland organizations to gain an insight of various aspects of the country’s development. Mr. Philip Cheng, Director of GEG, and Mr. Jack Wang, President of NCEMA, participated in the trip as Honorary Leader and Leader respectively, sharing with Mainland government officials their takes on the implementation of patriotic education in Macau. During the trip, the delegation visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Office of the Macau Special Administrative Region in Beijing, the headquarters of the People’s Daily, and the new Lui Che Woo Building at Peking University’s School of Life Sciences, as well as the famous traditional street of Nan Luo Gu Xiang. 

During the 25-person delegation’s visit to the above-mentioned national government organizations, the participants deepened their understanding of the development of Mainland China through a series of face-to-face exchange sessions. At the headquarters of the People’s Daily, the group toured several important facilities, including a broadcasting hall and a new media center. The delegates also met with several of the newspaper’s executives and editors and learnt about the newspaper’s founding history and work with new media. At the end of the visit, each of the delegates was excited to receive the front page of the People’s Daily edition published on their birth date. On an additional tour, the delegation viewed an exhibition about the services of the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services.

The group also made a stop at Peking University, visiting the Lui Che Woo Building as well as several iconic structures on its campus. Dr. Lui Che Woo, Chairman of GEG and Founder of the Lui Che Woo Prize, donated RMB 120 million to the university in 2017, establishing the Lui Che Woo School of Life Sciences Fund and funding the construction of the Lui Che Woo Building, a new research facility at the School of Life Sciences. The delegation was introduced to the cutting-edge equipment and research projects at the school, as well as Dr. Lui Che Woo’s work promoting educational excellence in China. The GEG delegates described the tour as a meaningful and eye-opening experience and said they would share with their colleagues this memorable experience.

Mr. Philip Cheng said that, as a patriotic corporation, GEG has long been assisting members of different tiers of society in understanding the development of the country. He said, “It has been ten years since GEG started supporting the competition. This year, we arranged for team members to attend a talk on the Greater Bay Area initiative and held a contest for them afterwards. Its winners took part in the trip to Beijing in the hope of gaining a thorough grasp of the country’s development so as to reinforce their national identities.” Mr. Jack Wong stated that the patriotic education-themed activities held by NCEMA over the past ten years have gained a solid foothold in the local educational community, with the association’s efforts also gaining recognition from broader society.

Yuet Wah College student Aaron Wong said, “This journey not only broadened my horizons, but also enabled me to appreciate my country more. In addition, it introduced me to various aspects of Chinese culture, which deserves to be held in high regard.” GEG team member Tina Leong said, “The Lui Che Woo Building will provide a better learning environment for future generations of students pursuing the life sciences. This trip has given me a better understanding of Dr. Lui Che Woo’s contributions and support for my country’s educational sector.” GEG has been a title sponsor of the Youth National Education Competition for ten consecutive years. The number of participants over that period stands at 70,000, with over 300 students having left their footprints across China through the event.