To enhance faculty and students’ understanding of the cultural tourism and innovation design industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), the Ung Choi Kun Entrepreneurship and Career Centre at City University of Macau (CityU) recently organized an entrepreneurship and career study tour to Jiangmen and Foshan, two cities within the Greater Bay Area cluster. This tour allowed students from various faculties to gain first-hand insights into the entrepreneurial and industrial developments in cultural tourism, innovation design, and the integration of agriculture and culture within the city cluster.

The tour was led by Tong Weng Io, responsible person of the Ung Choi Kun Entrepreneurship and Career Centre, along with Assistant Professors Xiao Hua from the Faculty of Business, Chen Zhen from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zhang Chenxi from the Faculty of International Tourism and Management, and Kang Ni from the Faculty of Innovation and Design. The aim was to deepen exchanges and collaboration between CityU and the two cities through on-site visits, cultural experiences, and entrepreneurship sharing.

The study tour first visited the Daguanghaiwan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Valley in Taishan, Jiangmen, where they were received by Deputy Director Xiao Xiongying, a party member of the Taishan Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. Under the guidance of the manager, faculty and students gained insights into Taishan’s entrepreneurship policies and incubation outcomes. They toured the exhibition hall, training center, and office areas, and engaged in discussions with the leaders of resident companies, including Nanyue Domestic Services and Luhaitong Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd.

The team then visited the Taishan Overseas Chinese Culture Museum, where they gained insights into the history and endeavors of modern overseas Chinese and the urban development plans of Taishan. Following that, they traveled to the Kaiping Cultural Tourism Entrepreneurship Incubation Base, where staff member Li Jinghui provided a detailed introduction to the experiences of developing Tangkou Village as a demonstration stripe for rural revitalization.

Additionally, participants engaged in miniature art creation and toured the Librairie Avant-Garde, which has been transformed from an old granary, experiencing the charm of blending traditional crafts with modern creativity.

On the same day, the study tour visited the Jiangmen Talents Start-Up Center, where they were received by Li Yujun, director of the Jiangmen Employment Service Center, along with Liu Qinghua, chief operating officer of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base, and deputy chief operating officer Yan Weichu. The group then toured the facilities, including the service center, pitch hall, and shared spaces, gaining insights into the support provided for entrepreneurs and innovators.

The following day, the study tour visited Guangdong Industrial Design City in Foshan, where they were received by Liu Guoxin, deputy secretary general of the Foshan Youth Federation, along with members of the student union. Next, the group visited the Anong Bay Agricultural Culture Park, where general manager Lu Zhi shared his entrepreneurial journey of establishing a farm in the city. He discussed the development direction of modern agriculture and its integration with cultural tourism.

In the afternoon, the tour continued to Chudi in Foshan, where they were guided by Li Weifeng, deputy chair of the Foshan Youth Federation and an intangible cultural heritage inheritor. The group visited the Tapao Temple and the Califo Hongsheng Martial Art Culture Research Training Center, enjoying traditional martial arts performances and weapon displays, and experiencing the rich traditions of Lingnan culture.

The final stop for the study tour was the Foshan Creative Industry Park, where the group learned how the park revitalizes traditional commercial districts through the “food + influencer economy” model. This deepened their understanding of Foshan's cultural and creative industries as well as innovation and entrepreneurship development.

This study tour provided CityU faculty and students with a platform to engage with the industries in the neighboring region. Through on-site visits and face-to-face interactions, students gained a more intuitive understanding of the innovation and entrepreneurial environment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, laying a solid foundation for future collaborations.

Source: Ung Choi Kun Entrepreneurship and Career Centre