Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

HOW can cultural and economic cooperation among the cities and regions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) be enhanced? Through exchange and innovation.

A diverse range of guests, including artists, professors, cultural insiders, and tech experts, were invited to discuss these opportunities during the Subforum on the Cultural Strength and Development Opportunities of the Greater Bay Area. The subforum, part of the Forum on Building up China’s Cultural Strength 2024, was held during the 20th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an District on Friday.

Experts specializing in Lingnan culture shared their insights on the importance of cultural inheritance and innovation. Ge Liang, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, conducted research on the Lingnan culture’s cuisine. His investigations of, and interviews with, chefs from different eras revealed that Chinese culture has always embraced innovation.

Xu Qinsong, a painter and adviser to the China Artists Association, emphasized that innovation must be rooted in tradition and origin to gain recognition on a global scale.

“By infusing innovative cultural products with Chinese cultural motifs, the GBA can foster the development of culturally rich creations. Leveraging Hong Kong’s global connectivity, we can promote these works on the international stage,” said Kenneth Fok, president of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Infrastructure projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station, and the upcoming Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link have brought the GBA closer together by making communication among the cities and regions increasingly convenient, according to Fok.

Mario Ho, chairman and CEO of NIP Group and a representative of young entrepreneurs from Macao in the GBA, highlighted that the GBA offers abundant opportunities for young people and is an ideal environment for starting new businesses.

Technology also plays a crucial role in accelerating cultural innovation. Artificial intelligence tools can efficiently produce content at a low cost. According to Kang Ning, president of Huawei Cloud Global Ecosystem, it is therefore essential to build an open ecosystem around core technologies that attract talent from diverse industries. He also said that technological advancements must be complemented by human creativity to propel the tech-empowered cultural industry forward.