Source: CCTV.com

07-03-2007 09:46

Special Report:   HK 10 Years

Hong Kong's restoration was more than just a political event. It means the restoration of close comprehensive ties with the Mainland. In the past ten years, culture has played a major role in boosting Hong Kong people's sense of belonging to China.

We take a look back at how the people of the mainland and the SAR are uniting through rich cultural exchanges.

It's been ten years of breakthroughs in cultural exchanges between the two sides, in the areas of talents and artists, and cooperation in the development of culture-related business.

The mainland has supported the SAR government in hosting a series of regional and international cultural activities under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems."

Statistics show that over the past decade, mainland areas, excluding Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan provinces, had over 4,000 cultural exchanges involving almost 70,000 people. Guangdong alone had 3,455 such programs, involving more than 36,000 people.

In 2005, the Chinese Ministry of Culture signed an agreement with the SAR government's civil affairs department to establish closer ties. The two institutions then jointly sponsored a series of student activities.