By Liu Mingyang
HONG KONG, July 16th (ChinaMil) -- The 15th Hong Kong Youth Military Summer Camp kicked off with a ceremony at San Wai Barracks of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison on July 15, 2019.
A total of 600 teenagers from more than 100 middle schools in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attended the opening ceremony. They lined up orderly and proceeded into the camp after the solemn national flag-raising ceremony.
According to reports, a total of 600 Hong Kong middle schools students Form One to Five, including 330 school boys and 270 school girls, are enrolled in the military summer camp.
After last year’s first five-day “trial camp” for Form One and Two pupils, the summer camp, in response to the positive reactions from the students and their parents, expanded its enrollment this year with the number of Form One and Two campers increased from 200 to 300.
The camp runs from July 15th to July 28th. In order to embody military characteristics, the campers are assigned to 11 platoons, under which there are 22 male and 18 female squads.
Under the guidance of officers and soldiers from the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, campers will spend half a month studying, training and living in the barracks, mainly carrying out physical training, special lectures, field touring, cultural and sports activities, etc.
This year, combined with the military training program and the reality of Hong Kong teenagers, the camp has further highlighted the richness, interestingness and safety of training, adjusted some military training subjects, and added such subjects as “unarmed physical training” and “30meters*2 zigzag double marching”.
Major General Chen Yading, deputy political commissar of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, said at the opening ceremony that during the past 14 years, many students have become mature and more independent after short-period experiences in the camp.
They acquired a more objective and comprehensive understanding of the country and the military, and benefited from the good habits cultivated in the summer camp in their later study and work, Chen said.
It has played an active role in enhancing mutual trust, building consensus and a more prosperous, stable and harmonious Hong Kong, he noted.
Huang Jiaxin, a Form Four student who has participated in last military summer camp, shared her own experience at the opening ceremony. She said: “Now that we are here, and wearing the military uniforms in high spirits, I hope that everyone here can cherish and grasp this rare opportunity, get to know what is unity and discipline and acquaint yourselves with people from different places, so as to gain more in the camp. ”
Ye Xin’er, a Form Three student from the TWGHs Kap Yan Directors’ College who is involved in this year’s summer camp, said: “I participated in a five-day training camp last year and felt still yearning for more. I want to experience more activities and try more things, so I choose to attend the half-month training this year.”
The Hong Kong Youth Military Summer Camp was co-sponsored by the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Concerted Efforts Resource Centre in Hong Kong.
This annual summer camp has attracted more than 4300 young students from Hong Kong since it was inaugurated in July 2005, and has developed into an important extracurricular event for Hong Kong teenagers during the summer vacation.