Thousands of students and teachers from 22 Hong Kong schools expressed their hopes and love for China when they staged a variety show to mark the handover. The show, titled Celebration of reunification of Hong Kong with China, was organised by the Council of Central and Western Districts School Heads. It was staged at the City Hall with the aim of giving students and teachers a chance to join together to celebrate the handover. Students and teachers co-operated to produce a spectacular performance which combined the best of East and West. As well as performing the Chinese national song, kung-fu demonstrations, lion dancing and Chinese dancing, the school's chorus sang a stirring version of My Chinese Heart. Subsidised Primary School Council chairman Lee Siu-tim said he believed the show brought a positive message to the students. 'We are Chinese and we enjoy the same national identity,' Mr Lee said. 'The activity will strengthen their understanding and cultivate a sense of belonging towards their mother country.' Chairman of the Council of Central and Western Districts School Heads, Father Simon Lam Chung-wai, encouraged students to make a contribution to the handover so that they could fully understand their country. The schools involved in the show included Hon Wah College, St Louis School, Sacred Heart Canossian Kindergarten, St Margaret's Girls' College, Chinese YMCA Secondary School and SKH Lui Ming Choi Primary School. The show left the young performers and the audience with good memories. Angus Yip Him-lat, a sixth former at St Louis School, believed the show helped students educated under the British system learn more about their country. 'It also had another meaning for me,' Him-lat said. 'It encouraged me to love my country and assume a positive state of mind towards the handover,' Him-lat added.
