New landmark buildings herald a new Hong Kong

The weeklong architecture and engineering exhibition in Hong Kong has piqued the interest of residents. After browsing through and experiencing the precious historical photos and rich construction models, I can say that the exhibition of the Chinese mainland’s engineering and construction prowess has enhanced national pride in Hong Kong. 

The remarkable achievements of Chinese architectural development are attractive to those who were once aloof from affairs in the mainland, and the beauty of Chinese architecture looks exotically charming to the foreigners in the city.

The exhibition showcased many famous landmarks in China, such as the Ping An International Finance Centre in Shenzhen, a model of the extreme construction of super high-rise buildings; the Raffles City in Chongqing, a horizontal skyscraper; and the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, an incredibly efficient construction of an emergency epidemic prevention project. All these miraculous, jaw-dropping construction wonders ring the truth of the popular saying “Made in China, built in China, and created by China”. China turns out to be a legend-maker beyond its economic achievements — it is a land of architectural miracles where Hong Kong cannot afford to be thrown under the bus.

All these miraculous, jaw-dropping construction wonders ring the truth of the popular saying “Made in China, built in China, and created by China”. China turns out to be a legend-maker beyond its economic achievements — it is a land of architectural miracles where Hong Kong cannot afford to be thrown under the bus

I was particularly fascinated by the architectural model of Hong Kong International Airport, which has been considered a landmark project signifying the economic success after the reunification. As a member of the Hong Kong Aviation Development and Three-runway System Advisory Committee, I have had the privilege of close involvement in the huge project since 2019. I had the honor to be invited to the completion ceremony of the “third runway” paving project on Sept 7. There, I stepped onto the runway for a walk! The thrilling experience allows me to be sentimentally attached to this landmark project of Hong Kong International Airport. The airport has a special notion for me — a tangible feeling of national pride.

In the national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the outline development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the central government has explicitly provided support to enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub. This new positioning is inseparable from Hong Kong’s own inherent strengths and is backed by the new opportunities brought by the overall development of the country. Hong Kong International Airport is connected to more than 220 countries and regions all around the world, with more than 1,100 daily flights between Hong Kong and the rest of the world. The entire expansion and development project is expected to be completed by 2024. By then, the airport will have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and 9 million metric tons of cargo, making it the leading international airport in the Greater Bay Area airport cluster.

The strategy has provided Hong Kong with more room for development. Hong Kong has also put forward the “Airport City” strategy in a timely manner, hoping to make full use of the unique geographical advantage of Hong Kong International Airport and integrate the core functions of the airport with related industries to create a strong synergy effect, thereby strengthening the international aviation hub aspect of Hong Kong with the new landmark.

The ending of the COVID-19 pandemic will ensure that Hong Kong, a “phoenix” city of resilience and resourcefulness, will ride on a new wave of development led by the mainland’s economic momentum. Propelled by the support of Beijing, a new Hong Kong will soar high off the runway.

The author is a partner of Hill Dickinson Hong Kong, and a member of Hong Kong Aviation Development and the Three-runway System Advisory Committee.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.