With the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gearing itself up as a mecca for arts and culture, the vibrant region, with an open mind, creative thinking, great respect for traditional cultures and an in-depth understanding of its history, is at the forefront of the culture-led, innovation-driven urban renaissance. The views were espoused by experts at the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The event was held as part of the two-day Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference, themed “Establishing the Cultural and Creative Nexus for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. A 20-page development road map through 2035 unveiled by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism in December last year bolstered the nation’s vision of catapulting the Greater Bay Area into an arts and culture destination. Han Wangxi, director of the Shenzhen Innovative and Creative Design Development Office, emphasized the significance of showing great respect for traditional Chinese cultures, based on the undertakings and goals of building shared cultural values. The Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, along with nine Guangdong cities in the Greater Bay Area cluster, should be further connected through minds and souls, taking advantage of their cultural and linguistic similarities, he said. Equal importance should be attached to the concept that “culture is mobile”. “The mobility of culture is the innovation of culture. As we’re on the cusp of great cultural change, Shenzhen is exactly an innovation-driven city. At the heart of Shenzhen’s culture making is the spirit of innovation,” Han said. He also highlighted the increased collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the Greater Bay Area in creating an inclusive and diversified regional culture. “It used to be said that the Greater Bay Area has no history. But I’ve discovered from the Nantou City project that such an impression is wrong. It’s just that we had not paid adequate attention to this aspect before,” Freeman Lau Siu-hong, secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Design Associations, told the conference. Nantou City, located in downtown Shenzhen, has a history of more than 1,700 years and is believed to be the origin of the southern Guangdong metropolis. However, it had been neglected in the past, with so many historical landmarks and fortifications there standing in the midst of residential buildings housing migrant workers. In fact, many Hong Kong people also hail from this location, Lau said. The Shenzhen government started a project to renovate Nantou in 2019, and Lau was invited to participate. After an in-depth study of Nantou’s history and culture, he found the place full of development potential for cross-border design and creative cooperation. Nantou City is now home to an array of renowned traditional Cantonese cuisine brands, exhibition and art studios, fashion shops and bookstores from both Guangdong province and Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong designers, Lau said, have opened studios in Nantou after learning about its history and environment. Shared history and cultural heritage have formed a solid bond for the joint development of cross-border cultural and creative industries, he said. Like Nantou City, may other places in the Greater Bay Area are waiting to be explored, including Chung Ying Street, which is wedged between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Lau said. Hong Kong-born Frankie Lui, founder of Atelier Global, has spent his whole working life in the Greater Bay Area carving out a path for his career as an architect. “Architecture is a special form of medium. It’s a kind of culture in itself and the carrier of culture at one and the same time,” he said. Citing two of his projects — Shenzhen Longhua Book City and the Master’s Art Museum located between Shenzhen and Dongguan — as vivid examples, Lui demonstrated how traditional cultural and human elements can be weaved into modern architecture. Xing Lili, founder of gambiered Guangdong silk brand Jancho, shared her experience in applying traditional crafts in modern times. Gambiered Guangdong silk is a national intangible cultural heritage, using handmade, natural materials and complex techniques, but it’s gradually fading away from the global fashion stage. “We’ve tried to preserve Chinese culture and weave in contemporary elements,” she said. Within five years, the brand has become a leading couture label that has won a string of awards, including the Shenzhen Global Design Award. Patrick Mok Kin-wai, an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Design at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, said kung fu is also a significant element of Cantonese culture, citing how martial arts has integrated with Chinese dance to create a modern performance. “We also make use of virtual reality to capture the fast motions in a show named Converge,” said Mok, adding that the Greater Bay Area should encourage diversified development of multiple domains, like the special market of dancing performance. Over the decades, the Pearl River Delta has seen the most rapid urban expansion in human history — a predominantly agricultural region being transformed into the world’s “largest continuous city”. As the Greater Bay Area is seen as one of the country’s most notable urbanization initiatives, Chin-Ee Ong, associate professor at the School of Tourism Management of Sun Yat-sen University, said it’s important to strike a balance between development, innovation and cultural preservation. Contact the writers at sophia@chinadailyhk.com

Hong Kong was once one of the largest export economies for cultural products, but its impact on the cultural and creative industry is much lower now, and it needs to reflect on how to reshape its cultural soft power, said Simon Ho Shun-man, president of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. He stressed that Hong Kong desperately needs more art and cultural development because the industry is one of the fastest developing sectors with much potential for an economic and social impact. The industry is a key force to drive social cohesion while also being an important way to drive the diversification of the city’s economic structure, Ho said. In addition, the professor said, the cultural and creative industry can play a pivotal role in the development of economic strength because it can be less labor and capital intensive, and the startup costs in the domain are affordable to many young people. In the 1980s, Hong Kong established a strong popular cultural industry, but now it needs a reboot, Ho said, suggesting that the Hong Kong authorities identify culture as a core factor to be considered by all policy bureaus, a principle which can help raise the metropolis’s cultural soft power again and reshape the image of Hong Kong as an international cultural art center. Considering similar languages, cultures, folk customs and geographical proximity, he is advocating for Hong Kong to jointly explore the cultural heritage and creative resources with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In the national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) outline, it was proposed for the first time to support the development of Hong Kong into a communication and exchange center of Chinese and international culture and art. In the blueprint for the development of the Greater Bay Area, the central government also encourages fully leveraging the strengths and expertise of Hong Kong talent in the film and television industries, and supports Hong Kong in its development into an exposition hub for television and film. The area shares a huge amount of material and non-material cultural heritage, such as Lingnan culture on Cantonese operas, kung fu, lion dancing, paintings, TV series, and films. Lingnan culture is a significant component of Cantonese culture, most notably in food, art and architecture, and Cantonese opera. However, Ho found there have been few cross-border collaborations in the sector, joint developments of creative and cultural content and associated intellectual properties, while current collaborations mainly rely on business entities. He said, “We need to build up a strong overarching executive body to coordinate the cultural and creative resources of the three regions.” As Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industry faces challenges such as high rents, a shortage of venues, and relatively small markets, he suggested launching cross-border incentive policies on purchasing, taxation and land resources and establishing a common platform for cultural intellectual properties in the Greater Bay Area. Ho said that the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong has been cooperating with many partner institutions in Guangdong province, including student exchanges and other joint projects, and added that the university established the Greater Bay Area Innovation Centre in 2019 to promote and assist cross-border innovations and business startups in the Greater Bay Area. grace@chinadailyhk.com

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) should capitalize on the vast Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area market to break through the limitations facing its cultural and creative development and seek better growth of the industry, officials and scholars said on Tuesday. They made the call at the Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference, jointly organized by the Department of Art and Design, the Centre for Greater China Studies of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and China Daily. The two-day conference ended on Tuesday. The HKSAR has advantages in a range of cultural and creative areas, including movies, TV, music, and design, and has great potential for development, said Bernard Chan Pak-li, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. The city is home to more than 40,000 cultural and creative industry-related enterprises, with over 200,000 practitioners, Chan said, adding that the industry’sadded value has hit HK$100 billion (US$12.9 billion), roughly 4 percent of the city’s gross domestic product. However, a relatively small market size and shortage of land are hampering the industry’s development, Chan noted. “Therefore, Hong Kong should seek coordinated development with other cities in the Greater Bay Area,” he said, adding that the 11-city cluster’s rapid economic growth, affluent population and high demand for culture and art will bring big opportunities to Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industry. “As a important city in the Greater Bay Area with a vibrant, open and creative environment, Hong Kong can play a key role of ‘bringing in’ and ‘going out’. It not only can work together with mainland enterprises to explore overseas markets, but also can expand development space for its creative industry by integrating further into the mainland market,” Chan said. He added that the HKSAR government is ramping up efforts to promote development of the industry through two special projects–the Film Development Fund and the CreateSmart Initiative. The aim is to nurture startups and talent, help businesses expand market and foster cross-industry and trans-regionl collaboration, Chan said. Chan’s view were echoed by Simon Ho Shun-man, president of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, who also believes that integration into the Greater Bay Area market is the solution to breaking through Hong Kong’s contraints in the development of its cultural and creative industry. Ho pointed out that cooperation among Guangdong, the HKSAR and Macao in the field is “not that much and deep” at the present time. “Government, private sector, schools and industry can take this opportunity to enhance cooperation and unleash our potential,” he urged. Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, said the Greater Bay Area has special cultural ethos, which is developed from its unique conditions. The three parties in the area -- Guangdong, the HKSAR, and Macao – share similarities in tradition and language, but have different economic systems and laws. “Compared to (the time and effort invested in) urban construction, infrastructure and tech development, cultural construction of the Greater Bay Area could be a long expedition and constant efforts are needed,” he said. Zhou believes there are three elements to be reckoned with when it comes to cultural and creative development. First, to be open to the world, assimilate the excellent culture and civilization from other places in the world; second, harness the benefits of technology and circumvent its drawbacks; third, hold dear to the idea of (being) human-centred, he said. Tam Kwok-kan, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, emphasized the importance of education in the development of (a) cultural and creative industry. The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong attaches high importance to creative education and its integration with the industry, and it has set up new subjects over the past few years to support its development, he said. "The industry is currently promoting the establishment of new subjects to help develop cultural and creative industry in China and across Asia," he said.

As an international city blending Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong has a special role to play in cultural heritage conservation and creative innovation development in the Greater Bay Area. Simon Ho Shun-man, president of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, made these remarks on Monday at the Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference, jointly organized by the Department of Art and Design, the university, and China Daily Hong Kong. The theme of the two-day conference, which ends today, is “Establishing the Cultural and Creative Nexus for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. Hong Kong has been sought-after by people of both past and current generations for its Cantonese pop songs, music, TV dramas, and even mahjong games, Ho said. As such, the city is touted as the cultural hub of Asia, attracting artists and cultural organizations from around the world who gather to unleash their potential and marvel global audiences. Among the Greater Bay Area developmental visions is to strengthen the cultural soft power of the region and consolidate Hong Kong’s role as an international creative and cultural hub. There’s every reason that “Hong Kong should leverage its strengths to capture new opportunities and markets in the Bay Area”, Ho said. Sandra Uskokovic, associate professor at the University of Dubrovnik in Croatia, said culture in the architecture or broadly, city design, serves as a reflection of political and cultural ideologies in any given city, but also manifests itself as an articulation of the dream and future harbored by the region. Uskokovic spoke in the panel discussion titled “Social and Political Interpretation of Cultural Heritage in the GBA”. Uskokovic said that design has come of age in China, as Chinese policymakers, businesspeople and scholars are receptive to the idea of redesigning their cities to celebrate their own identities. This has been happening in the Bay Area, where charting the future of the region by looking for new markets and opportunities are in full swing, she said. “Better design is surely a way for China to add value to its creative industries and to accelerate the move beyond imitation (of creativity). The introduction of new and international design practices is an important part of the process,” Uskokovic said. Assuming a “lead role” in developing the national economy, and by addressing geopolitics as well as national ambitions, the Greater Bay Area has taken the initiative in “rebranding itself through internationalization of its creative industry”, tapping into its advantage of the diverse global influence, she said. It’s noteworthy that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been actively engaged in the dynamic, which is exemplified by the Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, launched in Shenzhen in 2007 with a specific focus on urbanism and urbanization. This periodic event focuses on building an urban village within different types of urban agglomeration, and fostering an interdependency between urbanism and its residents. Uskokovic said that it’s no exaggeration to say that the Greater Bay Area is “a 21st-century face of mega urbanism. A global-level experiment in region building.” jenny@chinadailyhk.com

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即時發佈 粵港澳大灣區研討會探討釋放大灣區文化遺產與文化創意的發展潛力
 2021年6月1日 香港：由中國日報和香港恆生大學合辦的粵港澳大灣區文化遺產與創意創新研討會今日在香港舉行。 本次研討會為期兩日，是中國日報在創刊40周年之際，與香港恆生大學第二次合辦的粵港澳大灣區文創活動，旨在討論香港如何利用自身優勢推動粵港澳大灣區在文化遺產和藝術設計領域的發展。
 香港特別行政區政府商務及經濟發展局副局長陳百里為研討會作特別致辭，香港恒生大學校長何順文、香港恒生大學人文社會科學學院院長譚國根、中國日報社副總編輯、中國日報亞太分社社長兼總編輯周立致歡迎辭，深圳創新創意設計發展辦公室主任韓望喜、香港設計總會秘書長劉小康、香港匯創國際建築設計有限公司創始人呂達文、香港恒生大學人文社會科學學院藝術設計系助理教授莫健偉、中山大學旅遊學院副教授王俊億，以及德璽見萩品牌創始人邢莉莉發表專題演講並參與討論。 陳百里指出，特區政府會繼續把握大灣區發展帶來的機遇，與深圳及其他大灣區城市在優勢互補、互利共贏的基礎上，深化在各方面包括創意產業的合作，透過政策創新，落實《粵港澳大灣區發展規劃綱要》的工作，為香港市民及各界締造更多機遇和發展空間。 何順文在致歡迎辭時呼籲香港業界珍惜粵港澳大灣區的發展優勢和機遇，跟進大灣區的規劃，借此機會與灣區城市加強合作，將香港的潛力釋放出來。譚國根表示，傳統文化中有很多機遇，關鍵在於如何將文化遺產重新創作、重新應用、重新發現中間的藝術元素，業界將盡力發展新學科，以配合中國和亞洲的文化產業的發展。周立提出大灣區的文化建設需要面向世界、面向科技和面向人心，大灣區世界級的城市群也應具備相應的文化和精神價值。 在研討環節，劉小康以深圳南頭古城作為切入點，探討了政府推動下的文化事件對古城活化帶來的積極影響。他認為南頭古城項目重現了古城的歷史，提升了深圳城中村活力，推動設計創意未來。同時，這樣的項目可以重建深圳與香港的文化關係，策動深港文化合作，實現文創地區性甚至國際性發展，確立南頭在大灣區發展中的發言權。 
呂達文認為，建築是一種特別的文化形態，它既是文化本身，也是文化的載體。文化要傳承，就必須要有創新。他以深圳龍華書城為例，認為它不僅是一個文化載體，更是生活的一部分。同時，他呼籲香港的建築師們將成長過程中的香港文化和內地傳統文化相結合，投身於大灣區的無限可能性中。 韓望喜指出，深圳作為一個新興城市，正以創意設計為支點，提升整座城市的創新內涵，並以國際視野長遠眼光推動文化創意產業。而香港又是世界的文化創意之都，我們應該充分發揮雙城合作。 王俊億表示，在後疫情時代，文化遺產旅游是有潛力的。近年來文化遺產項目大量出現，但很多新的項目缺乏游客體驗及設施支持，同時面臨一些不恰當商業活動的威脅。 邢莉莉通過民藝香雲紗談到了可持續的設計和文化，她認為對文化遺產的保護、對可持續發展的重視也是對未來的善意和守護。她相信，傳統文化結合創意創新可以激發出新的生命力。 最後，嘉賓們表示，香港與粵港澳大灣區的其他城市在語言和文化上有很多的共通性，香港應充分抓住大灣區的巨大市場，發揮自身優勢，扮演好「引進來、走出去」的角色。而大灣區作為經濟增長速度最快的灣區，也作為中國文化創新的新引擎，應該保持經濟發展、創意創新和文化保護這三方面的平衡，加強溝通與協同合作，各美其美，美美與共。 在5月31日的首日研討會中，來自海內外的文化學者們聚焦構建大灣區文化和創意樞紐等議題進行了學術研討。 
 有關香港恒生大學 香港恒生大學（恒大）是一所非牟利、私立並以博雅教育為主導的大學。恒大現有五個學院，包括商學院、傳播學院、決策科學學院、人文社會科學學院、和翻譯及外語學院，共有逾6,000名全日制學生。作為一所住宿型院校，恒大採用獨特的「博雅 + 專業」教育模式，把優質教學和學生的全方位發展訂為最優先目標。 矢志成為一所區內具領導地位的私立大學，恒大以本科教育為主，配合優質的師資、獲獎的綠化校園與設施、創新學位課程、住宿式書院制度結合生活與學習、互動小班教學、緊密師生關係、獲研究資助局資助具影響力的研究、與優質的學生發展/支援服務，致力培育年青人成為具明辨思維、創造力、人文關懷、道德價值觀和社會責任的人才。

 有關中國日報 中國日報是中國國家英文日報，全媒體用戶總數超過3.5億，是我國唯一下載量過千萬的英文新聞客戶端，目前全球下載用戶超過3,500萬；微博粉絲數超過5,900萬；微信訂閱人數達1,100萬；臉譜賬號粉絲數超過1億，位居全球媒體賬號粉絲數第二位；推特賬號粉絲數約435萬。 有關中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇（www.cdroundtable.com），創建於2010年，旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平台，圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解，以增進中國與亞洲國家和西方國家的交流和理解。迄今，在港澳和亞太多個國家和地區舉辦了90屆，逾5萬名決策精英參加。

For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference gathers experts and industry leaders to examine establishing the cultural and creative nexus for the Greater Bay Area HONG KONG, From May 31, 2021, to June 1, 2021 — Co-organized by the Department of Art and Design and the Centre for Greater China Studies of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and China Daily, the Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference, themed “Establishing the Cultural and Creative Nexus for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, was held on May 31 and June 1 at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, with a simultaneous online participation and broadcast. About 150 industry gurus, business leaders, academics and media professionals joined the event onsite and online. The objective of this conference was to discuss how Hong Kong may position itself in promoting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as the world’s cultural and creative nexus in the context of rapid growth and development in China and the Greater China region. On the first day of the conference, Mr. Jack Chan Jick-chi, under secretary for home affairs in the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered the special remarks. The first day of the conference featured seven presenters after an international call for academic papers, with two well-known scholars from Hong Kong and Australia, Professor Lau Chi Pang and Professor Tim Winter, delivering keynote addresses. On the second day of the conference, Professor Simon Shun-Man Ho, president, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; Professor Kwok-kan Tam, dean, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; and Mr. Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief, China Daily Group, and publisher and editor-in-chief, China Daily Asia Pacific, delivered the welcoming remarks. Professor Ho said: “As a cultural hub in Asia, Hong Kong has many cultural institutions and cultures from all over the world converge here to participate in local cultural activities. Therefore, I hope that the cultural industry in Hong Kong will cherish the advantages of the development of the Greater Bay Area and follow up on the planning and opportunities of the Greater Bay Area to give full play to Hong Kong's own strengths. I believe that there will be great potential for cooperation among the three regions of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The government, the private sector, schools and the cultural industry can all take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation and unleash our potential.” Professor Tam said: “There are many opportunities and chances in traditional culture. The key is how we can re-create and reapply the cultural heritage, discover the artistic elements in between and then apply a new application. Our industry is now focusing on proposing new disciplinary developments to complement the development of cultural entrepreneurship in China and across Asia.” Mr. Zhou said, “Cultural construction includes both inheritance and innovation, but innovation is even more important as the expression of the vitality of culture. Cultural creation should be oriented toward three things: firstly, toward the world, absorbing the best of civilization from all over the world, so that it can have deep roots and flourish. The second is oriented toward science and technology, and the construction of how to avoid harm and profit is a problem we must consider as cultural builders. Thirdly, we must gain the support among the people. If culture is a sum of spiritual values and lifestyles, then it will ultimately reflect the collective personality. In terms of traditional Chinese Confucianism, this means putting oneself in the shoes of others. Only in this way can our cultural construction have a centripetal force and increase the sense of identity. Aiming to be a world-class Bay Area, the Guangdong-HK-Macao Greater Bay Area is expected to boast ethos on the spiritual and cultural level, to substantiate its robust infrastructure and hard power. Cultural cultivation in their Greater Bay Area could be a long expedition, compared to the time and efforts invested in its basic infrastructure and technology development. Therefore, a sustained endeavor is needed.” Dr. Bernard Chan Pak-li, under secretary for commerce and economic development in the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered the special remarks. Dr. Chan said innovation is the source engine of societal transformation as well as fertile ground for the societal development. Hong Kong possesses a tremendous potential and advantages in the cultural innovation sphere, with a large pool of professionals and creative minds in fields such as film, TV, advertising, animation, and production. There are over 40,000 cultural innovation-related companies in the city, involving 200,000 creative practitioners, which contributes added value worth of HK$200,000, accounting for about 4 percent of the city’s GDP. To support and propel the industry, and encourage cross-discipline collaboration, the government has introduced programs such as the Film Development Fund and CreateSmart Initiative. The special remarks were followed by the panel discussion with the theme “Unlocking the Potential of Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation in the Greater Bay Area”. Dr. Han Wangxi, director, Shenzhen Innovation and Creative Design Development Office; Mr. Freeman Lau Siu Hong, secretary-general, Hong Kong Federation of Design Associations; Mr. Frankie Lui, founder, Atelier Global Ltd; Dr. Patrick Mok Kin Wai, assistant professor, Department of Art and Design, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; Dr. Chin-Ee Ong, associate professor, School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-Sen University; and Ms. Xing Lili, founder, JANCHO, joined the discussion and shared their insights. Dr. Han said a good plan is the prerequisite for the transformation of the city. Researching culture before constructing is needed, he said. “It’s of utmost importance to contemplate how to establish a cultural nexus within the 6+2 (Greater Bay Area) cities. Living in the same culture, we have something in common in senses and aesthetic appreciation. It’s also true that our hearts are connected by the similarities and empathy. So we must revere the Chinese culture that bonds us together. The cultural management in the Greater Bay Area should be innovative and fluid, open-minded and inclusive, and rich and versatile. As an emerging city, Shenzhen is employing its advantages in design innovation to enhance its cultural sophistication, pivoting on design and embracing a world vision. Hong Kong is the top capital of innovation in the world, which provides the groundwork for a promising bi-city collaboration in the cultural innovation.” he added. Mr. Lau said Shenzhen is a city of immigrants who often have limited knowledge of the city’s history. Cultural events organized by the government have had a positive impact on the renovation of the old city, but the influence is declining. The Nantou Ancient City project represents its history, enhances the vitality of the urban village, and promotes the future of creative design. Besides, it can reconnect Shenzhen and Hong Kong in a cultural approach, instigate cultural cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and promote regional and international cultural and creative industry development as well as establish Nantou’s voice in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Mr. Lui said architecture is a special cultural form — it’s both culture itself and a carrier of culture. “The inheritance of culture should have the touch of innovation. We hope to bring people closer to each other through traditional culture. Shenzhen Long Hua Book City is not only a cultural carrier, but also a part of life. I want to suggest Hong Kong architects explore the abundant opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and combine our native Hong Kong culture with the traditional culture of the Chinese mainland,” he said. Dr. Mok said, “When people speak of cultural inheritance, they often overemphasize the importance of authenticity. However, it’s acknowledged by the industry and encouraged by the UNESCO to decrease the importance of it because it could mean that only one form of the inheritance is valid, and thus could hinder an inclusive development.” Dr. Ong said that in recent years, cultural heritage projects have sprung up, but many new heritage sites still lack support and facilities for tourist experience, and are under the threat of unsuitable commercial activities. After the pandemic, cultural heritage tourism has its potential. Ms. Xing said that to protect the cultural inheritance and sustainable development is to cherish and safeguard the future. About The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) is a non-profit private liberal-arts-oriented university with five Schools (Business, Communication, Decision Sciences, Humanities and Social Science, and Translation and Foreign Languages) and more than 6,000 full-time students. Adopting the unique “Liberal + Professional” education model, HSUHK is a residential institution which puts quality teaching and students’ all-round development as its highest priorities. Aspiring to be a leading private university in the region, HSUHK features a primary focus on undergraduate education, top-quality faculty members, award-winning green campus facilities, innovative degree programs, a unique residential college system combining living and learning, interactive small class teaching, very close student-teacher relationship, RGC-funded impactful research, and excellent student development/support services. 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As an international city blending Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong has a special role to play in cultural heritage conservation and creative innovation development in the Greater Bay Area. Simon Ho Shun-man, president of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, made these remarks on Monday at the Greater Bay Area Cultural Heritage and Creative Innovation Conference, jointly organized by the Department of Art and Design, the university, and China Daily Hong Kong. The theme of the two-day conference, which ends today, is “Establishing the Cultural and Creative Nexus for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. Hong Kong has been sought-after by people of both past and current generations for its Cantonese pop songs, music, TV dramas, and even mahjong games, Ho said. As such, the city is touted as the cultural hub of Asia, attracting artists and cultural organizations from around the world who gather to unleash their potential and marvel global audiences. Among the Greater Bay Area developmental visions is to strengthen the cultural soft power of the region and consolidate Hong Kong’s role of an international creative and cultural hub. There’s every reason that “Hong Kong should leverage its strengths to capture new opportunities and markets in the Bay Area”, Ho said. Sandra Uskokovic, associate professor at the University of Dubrovnik in Croatia, said culture in the architecture or broadly, city design, serves as a reflection of political and cultural ideologies in any given city, but also manifests itself as an articulation of the dream and future harbored by the region. Uskokovic spoke in the panel discussion titled “Social and Political Interpretation of Cultural Heritage in the GBA”. Uskokovic said that design has come of age in the Chinese mainland, as policymakers, businesspeople and scholars are receptive to the idea of redesigning their cities to celebrate their own identities. This has been happening in the Bay Area, where charting the future of the region by looking for new markets and opportunities are in full swing, she said. “Better design is surely a way for China to add value to its creative industries and to accelerate the move beyond imitation (of creativity). The introduction of new and international design practices is an important part of the process,” Uskokovic said. Assuming a “lead role” in developing the national economy, and by addressing geopolitics as well as national ambitions, the Greater Bay Area has taken the initiative in “rebranding itself through internationalization of its creative industry”, tapping into its advantage of diverse global influence, she said. It’s noteworthy that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been actively engaged in the dynamic, which is exemplified by the Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, launched in Shenzhen in 2007 with a specific focus on urbanism and urbanization. This periodic event focuses on building an urban village within different types of urban agglomeration, and fostering an interdependency between urbanism and its residents. Uskokovic said that it’s no exaggeration to say that the Greater Bay Area is “a 21st-century face of mega urbanism” and “a global-level experiment in region building.” The urban villages to be built are part and parcel of the region’s intangible cultural heritage as a collective memory, she said. The Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong has proposed building a Hong Kong city within the Greater Bay Area to achieve an integrated community design for Hong Kong citizens to live in the mainland while being guaranteed the quality of services that they have long enjoyed in the SAR. This in some way also necessitates that Hong Kong “reinvent itself by developing new industries and discovering new geographies”, Uskokovic said. CreateHK, one of the initiatives supported by the SAR government, is a promising start, which Uskokovic said will draw on its synergy effect to bridge the integration of the dual circulation economies of the city in the Bay Area. The mainland is leading in digitalization and innovation ideas for the cultural promotion and conservation, which is especially showcased in its maritime heritage. A coherent maritime space, the Bay Area is held accountable for constructing eventful maritime past and histories within and also across the region in a way that can be communicated to the public audience, said Tim Winter, fellow of the Australian Research Council Professorial Future at the University of Western Australia. Digital technology just provides an apt medium to the end, he said. “Much thought must be given to linking the maritime past as a heritage to the new creative industry that we’re seeing in the region (Bay Area) today,” Winter added. In the broader scope of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Greater Bay Area is well placed to narrate the Silk Road connectivity and movement — two elements that maritime heritage is all about, Winter said.