Celebrating the people's Games

For the National Games, a total of 105 venues across 18 cities in the Greater Bay Area were put into service. This regional co-hosting model has not only deepened cooperation among Guangdong province and special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao in infrastructure connectivity, regulatory alignment and resource sharing, but has also strengthened people-to-people bonds and cultural exchanges.

A notable example is the GBA dragon boat team — the first combined squad formed through regional collaboration — which secured sixth place in the mass dragon boat competition held in Foshan, Guangdong.

"It's a special honor to represent the GBA team," said Zong Zeonjyun, dragon boat athlete from Macao. "I never imagined I would have the chance to train and compete alongside teammates from Guangdong and Hong Kong. Today, we're not just teammates, we feel like family."

Volunteers also personify this synergy. Sun Mengyue, a student from the Macao University of Science and Technology serving as a volunteer for the Games, shared that the training program had enabled her to learn more about Macao's history, while equipping herself with practical emergency response skills.

"One of my classmates is volunteering at the Shenzhen competition zone. It feels incredible to be contributing to the Games in different locations together," Sun told People's Daily. "We're all looking forward to the official competition period."

She added that she feels honored to participate and feels part of Macao's active role in building the GBA, which contributes to the country's development.