Yu Man Fung/Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect

Normally, we head to the mainland of China for some fun, like going to Guangzhou. But we don't often engage in meaningful stuff like tree planting. This time around, we visited the elderly and got to experience various local cultures and customs.

Siu Cheuk Yin/ Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect, Form 5 student

I really enjoy interacting with people and helping those in need. And this time, we also learned things that aren't in the books.

Melissa Pang / President of Paso a Paso Foundation, Chairperson of Agency for Volunteers Service

This time, we have a really diverse range of volunteer teams, from teens to those in their 70s and 80s, a total of about 130 people. They worked together on the volunteer projects and felt super happy.

Joanne Cheung / Member of CCGHKC, Executive Director of HKUF

As a member of Nansha’s Consultative Committee on Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation, we're really glad to have made this event happen by connecting public and private groups between Hong Kong and Nansha. I hope the efforts of Hong Kong volunteers, along with the cooperation between the two areas, can strengthen our bonds even more.

A volunteer group from Hong Kong journeyed to Nansha to plant 50 Bauhinia trees and named the area "Guangdong-Hong Kong Youth Co-construction Forest," allowing the kindness of Hong Kong people to take root in the Greater Bay Area.

Wong Yuk Ping / Deputy Chief Fire Officer

It's not just the service that helps them. It makes their knowledge and horizons wider. I think this is even more important for our young people. After all, reading a lot of books isn't as good as going to a lot of places.

This is the first time these students from FAST Connect (Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect) have come to the mainland of China to do volunteer work. What do they think about it?

Wan Ling/ Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect

This experience was definitely way different from past volunteer activities. We didn't pay as much attention to environmental protection before.

Lee Man Yan/ Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect

This is my very first time doing tree planting and helping out nature.

Chiu Shui Yip/ Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect

I think I learned a ton and had an amazing experience. It left a really deep mark in my memory.

The volunteer group also dropped by Lilong Community in Nansha’s rural area to spruce up the area with themes like ‘Green Flowers’ and ‘Green Bay Area,’ took care of the elderly, and shared fire safety tips, like those about electrical safety.

Lee Lai Shuen/ Member of Fire & Ambulance Services Teen Connect, Form 6 student

I've been so stressed with my DSE exams and textbooks. But after coming here, chatting with different people, and even painting murals, I felt so relaxed and a whole lot less stressed. It also made me really happy to help others.