University students in Hong Kong fume over influx of mainland Chinese visitors taking campus tours
- Students complain that tourists are taking up space in canteens and on shuttle buses
- Chinese University says it will step up management measures, such as recording details of coaches attempting to enter campus without prior registration
Hong Kong’s universities are regularly the scene of political clashes and anti-Beijing rhetoric, but now it is mainland Chinese tour groups that are causing an uproar on campus.
Various local and mainland travel agencies were found to be running package tours to tertiary institutions in the city, with a typical tour group comprising about 40 members. Some of them were adults, but many seemed to be primary or secondary school pupils from the mainland.
The visitors have prompted one institution to step up campus management measures, such as recording the details of travel coaches attempting to enter school gates without prior registration or even turning them away.
Members of the tours consumed services meant for staff and students, taking up space in canteens and on shuttle buses, the student union of Chinese University in Sha Tin said. These activities created a negative impact on students’ daily routines and the institution’s operation.
Pictures taken recently and posted on CUHK Campus Radio’s Facebook page showed teenagers in uniform visiting well-known spots on campus. They also occupied tables at the popular Coffee Corner student canteen.
