Teams race in pursuit of city culture
Hundreds of participants on the International Chinese Youth Leadership Academy '99 worked together to reach sites of cultural interest in Hong Kong within a set time and budget under the City Pursuit programme.
City Pursuit organised journeys for which young people were divided into nine teams and each team was given a budget of $528 a day.
Within eight hours, the team had to find the cultural sites they were assigned and complete tasks such as singing in the street or staying motionless in a park.
The programme was designed to develop young people's prob lem-solving abilities, creativity, and social skills.
Participants had to observe their surroundings and deal with problems accordingly.
They then gathered afterwards to discuss their insights and failures.
Shanghai student Unique Hu Xijia, 16, said: 'We danced and sang with delight around a huge tree. Many passers-by stared at us. But we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a breakthrough for me.' She also recalled getting lost on their adventures.
She was very frightened and a lot of time was wasted trying to find a way out.
Xijia said: 'You win some and lose some in life. The crucial point is not that we got lost, but what we were able to learn from it.' Many participants boasted about how little money they had spent.
Some said they only spent $6.40 travelling from Sha Tin to Admiralty by bus and ferry.
However, Shanghai student Feng Benhao said who spent the least was not important, but overcoming adversity and limitations was.
The 18-year-old student said: 'One of our team members had to interview a child but he only managed to scare the little boy. He didn't give up and was successful eventually. So this tells us never to give up.' Hong Kong participant Michelle Mak Kin-yeng, 18, said that during a moment of despair on their mission, someone suggested asking the police for help.
'Of course most of us objected because we didn't think the police would be so nice. However, we learned that nothing is impossible if we try, because the police really helped us find our destination.' Shanghai student Susanna Cui Yang, who enjoys writing poetry, was impressed with Hong Kong's contrast of skyscrapers and huts and its blending of modernity with tradition.
Christopher Tsang, from Texas, United States, was encouraged by a friend to undergo leadership training and had high expectations of the camp.
He said he had learned more about mainland youths through the programme.
'They are hard working. I study abroad mainly because I don't have good academic results, but they want to study abroad because they are bril liant. I admire them,' the 20- year-old added. Christopher said whether someone was smart or not was not important.
But the key was whether they could overcome difficulties and turn adversity into success.
Zero is a summer intern from Hong Kong Shue Yan College
