Chinese astronaut Chen Dong (L), a member of a delegation of China's manned space program to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), is in a special meeting at the Pui Kiu Middle School on Nov. 29, 2023, in Hong Kong, south China. [Photo/Xinhua]

At a special session at the Pui Kiu Middle School Wednesday, students were thrilled to see their hometown, Hong Kong, from a whole new perspective.

Chinese astronaut Chen Dong showed the students a photo of the city taken from outer space. "This is the airport, and this is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge," he said, pointing to the tiny dots on the photo to the students.

Chen is among a delegation of China's manned space program who are on a six-day visit to Hong Kong and Macao from Tuesday to Sunday. The visiting delegation has kindled the enthusiasm for space missions of many youngsters in Hong Kong, as they share with them the daily routine of living in space.

The delegation, consisting of astronauts who participated in the construction of the Chinese space station as well as other experts, visited several primary and secondary schools Wednesday, with more than 1,000 students attending the sessions.

At Ma Tau Chung government primary school, Shenzhou-12 astronaut Liu Boming shared with the students the routine of daily safety checks, calling from space, writing Chinese calligraphy, and -- getting his hair cut in the spaceship.

Inspired by Liu's talks, a student surnamed Wong said that she now had a better understanding of life in space, and she aspires to become an astronaut in the future.

"I think it is a very worthwhile and meaningful thing to do, being able to contribute to the society," she said.

Marin Chan from Pui Kiu Middle School developed a passion for space from a long time ago. Like thousands of young people in China, she wrote a letter to Chen Dong while he was on the Shenzhou-14 mission, and luckily she heard back from Chen.

"Life is like the sky. It will not always be a sunny day, but it is the rain, wind, snow, thunder and lightning that makes life colorful," she recalled what Chen wrote in the letter.

Now, seeing her pen pal in person, Chan was over the moon.

"His reply has always inspired me. No matter what kind of situations I face in study or life, I can cope with them with a peaceful mind," she said.

"It's the space dream that brought us together," said Chen, "We share the same dream and I hope everyone can dare to dream, be diligent to pursue their dreams, and be courageous to realize their dreams," he said.

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said that the visit by the China manned space delegation is a golden opportunity for young people in Hong Kong to learn aerospace knowledge, and more importantly, learn from the role models of their perseverance and excellent skills in facing challenges.

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