Editor’s note: This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. Over the past quarter-century, many Hong Kong people have crossed the border to seek new lives in the Chinese mainland. In the second part of China Daily’s “Anniversary Talks” series, we explore the drastic changes on both sides of the border through their eyes and examine how closer cross-border connections have made an impression on their lives.
In this article, Hong Kong movie director Lee Lik-chi, who has produced a lot of well-received comedy films such as King of Comedy and God of Cookery, shares details of his colorful life in different cities throughout the Greater Bay Area. Describing himself as a promoter of the 11-city cluster, Lee hopes more Hong Kong youngsters can give full play to their talents on this broader stage.
This undated file photo shows Hong Kong movie director Lee Lik-chi. (PHOTO / PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
1. What motivated you to work and live in the Chinese mainland? How has this decision changed your life?
Working in the film and television industry, I have had many opportunities to shoot in the mainland. I’ve lived in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuxi, and Zhejiang province’s Hengdian World Studios. I’m quite used to living in the mainland. Now I’ve settled down in Zhuhai’s Hengqin economic zone.
2. Could you share some of your experiences as a film director in the mainland in recent years, especially those under the framework of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area blueprint?
The biggest change is that I have been able to visit many small cities and counties in Guangdong province for work purposes, such as Yunfu, Yangjiang, and Zhaoqing city, most of which I had never been to before.
I have a lot of friends who work in the dried orange peels industry in Xinhui of Jiangmen city, which has become an industry around which a related culture has developed in the region. I’m trying to integrate this theme into my film projects.
I also visited Foshan Lingnan Tiandi in Foshan, where there has been a massive project to renovate old districts and historical buildings to create a business center, which merges history and with a thriving creative industry very well.
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I feel like I’m a promoter of the Greater Bay Area. I’ll keep introducing good places in the region to Hong Kong people and hope more people can personally experience the region’s charm after normal cross-border travels are resumed.
3. Hong Kong people living in the Chinese mainland are putting “one country, two systems” into practice. As one of these people, would you please share us with the policy’s specific impact on your life?
Affected by the pandemic, Hong Kong’s entertainment industry has ground to a halt. The broad market in the Chinese mainland, especially in the Greater Bay Area, offers many opportunities for Hong Kong’s entertainment practitioners.
I came to the mainland for career development a long time ago. Last year, I applied for residence permits and an elderly-person’s pass for use on public transportation, which offers much convenience when traveling in the mainland.
As I was eligible to enjoy an allowance, I also bought my first new energy vehicle last October, which only cost about 80,000 yuan. I use the car to commute between various Guangdong cities. It’s really very convenient.
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4. What do you think about the development of “one country, two systems” over the past 25 years? Hong Kong has experienced many changes in recent years, such as social unrest, the implementation of the National Security Law, and the three elections under the new electoral system. In your opinion, how will these changes affect the city?
As Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of “one country, two systems”, said, the implementation of the practice will never be plain sailing. After the social unrest and the series of moves to set things right, I think Hong Kong has experienced a “second return” to the motherland, and the “one country, two systems” principle has been further improved. I hope Hong Kong’s governance, economy, and people’s livelihoods can be continuously enhanced in the future.
5. Since the handover, Hong Kong and the mainland have supported each other to overcome various crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Which moments of mutual help impressed you most? Why?
Since the pandemic broke out in 2020, I have gone through weeks-long quarantine three times and each experience was quite unforgettable. After I left Hong Kong and entered the mainland, staff arranged for a vehicle to take me to the hotel, and I also received nucleic acid tests for free.
I also spent a Lantern Festival isolated in a hotel. The staff sent a bowl of sweet dumplings to me. During a home quarantine period, community workers called me many times to ask what I needed.
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Many mainland-based Hong Kong people offered great help to me. They helped me get three vaccination jabs, and to go to the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint to vote in the election. The group has a high degree of cohesion.
6. Based on your experience, how will Hong Kong’s integration into the nation benefit Hong Kong people? In terms of exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland, which areas have the potential for closer collaboration?
As we know, Hong Kong is a very small place. If you take the plane, you can see the whole city from the air less than five minutes after taking off, and then enjoy the scene of the vast mainland over the next few hours.
The biggest benefit of integrating into the country’s development is to broaden our horizons and enrich our experiences. I hope Hong Kong people can leverage their strengths to collaborate more with their mainland compatriots.
For those who are troubled by restricted prospects in Hong Kong, I sincerely encourage them to make a try in the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area. I have strong confidence in the cluster’s future prospects, especially the Hengqin new zone I’m living in now.