HK, Macao students head to Beijing for 5-day youth exchange

She added that traveling from Hong Kong to Beijing by high-speed rail is a personal first for her. "People often talk about 'China speed', and I think the high-speed rail is its best embodiment," she said.

The eight-hour trip takes them through Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Changsha and Wuhan, among other stops. Chan said she was "most eager" to glimpse the development of the cities along the way — and later to visit major mainland enterprises in Beijing.

"A lot of Hong Kong young people are now weighing whether to build their careers in Chinese mainland cities across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area or further afield on the mainland," she said. "I think this trip is a great chance for us students to observe and explore," she said.

Miranda Li, a sixth-grade flag-raising team member at Bonham Road Government Primary School, said she was very much looking forward to the flag-raising ceremony at Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

She said that her years on the flag-raising team had taught her flag-raising skills and lessons in patriotism, among other things.

"Being able to watch the national flag rise at sunrise with my own eyes is something I take great pride in," she said.