2025 marks the sixth anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. Over the past six years, the infrastructure "hard connectivity", rules and standards "soft connectivity", and cultural exchanges "heart connectivity" in the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area have been continuously deepened, and the regional integration pattern has gradually taken shape. Among them, the youth group is gradually becoming a driving force and pioneer role in the exchange and integration of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to provide more convenient conditions for Hong Kong and Macao youth to study, work, start businesses, and live in mainland China. This not only reflects the high concern of the Party and the state for the growth of Hong Kong and Macao youth, but also sets a stage for them to integrate into the overall development of the country. Nowadays, more and more Hong Kong youth choose to come to the mainland for study, employment, and entrepreneurship, actively exploring broader development opportunities. Zhang Nilin, a university student from Hong Kong, is one of them. Zhang Nilin studied in Shanghai and Hong Kong, exploring future development paths. Zhang Nilin was born in Hong Kong and grew up in a city where Chinese and Western cultures blend together. During her middle school years, she discovered a strong interest in humanities and social sciences. After graduating from high school, with a longing and aspiration for life in mainland China, she decided to study in the north and began pursuing a degree in psychology at East China Normal University in Shanghai in 2021. When it comes to her life and study experience in Shanghai, Zhang Nilin said that the biggest surprise is that she adapted faster than she imagined. In her opinion, the differences between Hong Kong and mainland China in terms of curriculum arrangements and campus life are far from what she imagined, and there are many complementary aspects. She introduced that Mandarin courses have been offered in Hong Kong since primary school, so she can communicate smoothly with her mainland classmates; In addition, the students also have some understanding of Hong Kong culture through film and television works, the Internet, etc., so they quickly integrated into the new learning and living environment. At the same time, she observed that more and more Hong Kong youth are studying in mainland China, and mainland universities are providing sufficient resources and policy support for students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. In addition, the convenient infrastructure and efficient living services in mainland China have left a deep impression on her. The most impressive thing for me is the change in lifestyle, "she said." Electronic payments, food delivery services, online shopping and logistics in mainland China are all very convenient. I don't have to bring my wallet when I go out in Shanghai. In addition, "with the development of the Internet industry, the online course system has become more mature, and we can take classes online and have group discussions without leaving home." After two years of study in psychology, Zhang Nilin has a clearer understanding of her future development direction: "I am very interested in humanities and social sciences majors, but psychological theory is mainly to explore the nature of human behavior, and I am more eager to directly participate in social services and apply my knowledge to practical problems, which is more consistent with my development goals." So in 2023, Zhang Nilin decided to respect her heart, start afresh, and return to Hong Kong to continue studying health and social service management. The two majors belong to the category of humanities and social sciences, and they have similarities. My experience studying psychology in Shanghai has laid a solid foundation for my current studies. This experience of studying across Shanghai and Hong Kong not only broadened her horizons and deepened her understanding and knowledge of the mainland, but also prompted her to further participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area. Internship and study in mainland China, perceive the development pulse of the Greater Bay Area. The Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the regions with the highest degree of openness and the strongest economic vitality in China. Nowadays, over 200000 Hong Kong and Macao residents are employed and starting businesses in Guangdong, and the innovation chain and industrial chain are deeply integrated, resulting in fruitful achievements in "Hong Kong R&D+Guangdong Manufacturing". With curiosity and anticipation for mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, Zhang Nilin came to Guangzhou for an internship this summer. Through nearly two months of work and life, she further understood the development situation in mainland China and appreciated the unique charm of Guangzhou culture. Previously, Zhang Nilin worked as a part-time teacher at a community center in Hong Kong. In her opinion, this experience has honed her communication skills and sense of responsibility in the workplace environment, made her realize the importance of communication and collaboration, and laid a solid foundation for her internship in Guangzhou this summer. With high expectations, Zhang Nilin began her internship at a film and television company in Guangzhou at the beginning of this summer. Her main job was to use AI image generation tools to construct characters, scenes, and synthesize images, transforming online novel content into short videos or animations, and presenting a complete visual narrative effect. During her internship, Zhang Nilin was also exposed to the entire process of visual development of online novel IP, and learned how cultural products are digitally produced. Zhang Nilin said that the cultural industry in mainland China has developed rapidly in recent years, and the creative atmosphere and pace of cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen have deeply attracted her. She is particularly curious about the operating rules of content creation and dissemination in the commercial environment. At the same time, Guangdong has shown strong development momentum in the field of artificial intelligence. She observed that artificial intelligence is deeply integrated with the real economy, empowering thousands of industries and painting a new picture of smart living. This internship provided her with an excellent opportunity to understand the development of cultural and creative industries and artificial intelligence technology in mainland China. In addition to her internship, Zhang Nilin also visited Haizhu, Liwan and other districts in Guangzhou through her study tour, visiting museums, art galleries, creative industry parks, historical districts and other places to gain a deeper understanding of Guangzhou's historical and cultural heritage, as well as its development achievements in urban construction, technological innovation and other aspects. Zhang Nilin (first from the left) learned about the production techniques of Xiangyun yarn during her study tour. Through this internship, Zhang Nilin not only accumulated practical experience and deepened her understanding of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, but also unconsciously expanded her personal worldview and career outlook. As her understanding of this land deepens, a grand picture of the coordinated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao slowly unfolds in her heart. Seizing the opportunities of the times and leveraging the power of Hong Kong's youth, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "we must focus on the overall national strategy and regard the construction of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area as a new measure to promote the formation of a comprehensive and open new pattern in the new era." Under the guidance of top-level design, policy benefits continue to be released, and cooperation in the economic, technological, cultural, and livelihood fields of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area continues to deepen. A high-quality living circle that is livable, business friendly, and tourist friendly is constantly expanding new space. Since the release of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area more than six years ago, a series of cross river and cross sea channels have been established within the Greater Bay Area, with high-speed trains running fast, a dense network of highways, and world-class airport clusters extending in all directions - the Guangzhou Shenzhen Hong Kong High speed Railway and the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge have gradually been opened up, forming a "golden channel"; The construction of the Shenzhen Zhongshan Expressway and the Foshan Dongguan Intercity Railway is accelerating... The "hard connectivity" of infrastructure has made the "one hour living circle" in the Greater Bay Area tangible. All of this also allows Hong Kong youth like Zhang Nilin to embark on early planning and personally reach various cities in the Greater Bay Area, allowing their dreams to be realized without fear of geographical distance obstacles. At the same time, with the deepening of the integration and coordinated development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, the level of "soft connectivity" in rules and mechanisms such as talent cross-border exchanges, vehicle cross-border travel, data cross-border circulation, and government service cross-border cooperation is also further improving, from livelihood fields such as education, healthcare, and social security to professional fields such as cross-border finance and cooperation inspection. What impressed her most about the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge was that the park where her internship company was located gathered young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Macau, and the park provided various policy incentives for Hong Kong and Macau entrepreneurial youth. I think this type of youth entrepreneurship and employment platform is really helpful for Hong Kong and Macao youth, helping them realize their life values and dreams through concrete policies. In addition, to encourage and promote Hong Kong and Macao youth to enter mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area for innovation and entrepreneurship, the central government and the Hong Kong SAR government have introduced relevant support policies and measures. According to statistics, in 2023 alone, over 130 internship, exchange, and entrepreneurship programs supported by the Hong Kong SAR government and the central government will be implemented in mainland China. With the accelerating development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, residents of the three regions are gradually moving towards a "heart to heart connection". In recent years, the cross-border passenger flow of the Guangzhou Shenzhen Hong Kong high-speed railway has significantly increased, and the implementation of the policies of "Hong Kong trains heading north" and "Australian trains heading north" has been effective. Zhang Nilin observed that 'Hong Kong people really enjoy visiting Shenzhen'. At the same time, the career development radius of young people in Hong Kong is constantly expanding, and more and more Hong Kong youth are adopting a new model of "dual city living", flexibly allocating time between Hong Kong and the mainland every week, and cross city employment and flexible work have become new trends. The national "14th Five Year Plan" has clearly defined the positioning of Hong Kong as one of the "eight major centers", complementing Hong Kong's international advantages with the vast mainland market and creating a bigger stage for young people. Zhang Nilin believes that the Greater Bay Area has enormous development opportunities, and as Hong Kong youth, we should constantly expand our personal horizons and abilities, and seize the opportunities of the times. She called on more Hong Kong youth to actively integrate into the overall development of the country, combine their personal ideals with the needs of the country, and realize themselves and contribute to the Greater Bay Area. (New Press) Text/Ji Xingyu (Internship), Yao Jue, Luo Meihua Picture/Su Zhiwei (Internship), Yao Jue, some pictures from the internet