Linking regions key to success

The 15th National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions for the first time, are playing a part in accelerating the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, organizers of the sports event said.

To ensure the success of the games, which will begin on Sunday and run through Nov 21, relevant authorities will further simplify entry and exit procedures to facilitate the movement of personnel among the three regions.

Under the guidance of the General Administration of Sport, the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the regions have reached consensus in six key areas through extensive communication and negotiations — cross-border events, port clearance, personnel and vehicle documents, food safety, green event management and the event schedule, explained Huang Mingzhong, director of the office of the 15th National Games Executive Committee.

"The three regions have explored a joint competition model of 'three regions with three similarities', indicating 'same frequency communication, concerted decision-making and synchronous execution'," said Huang, who is also deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong provincial government.

"Taking the emblem design as an example, our emblem consists of three petals. With Guangdong's kapok, Hong Kong's bauhinia and Macao's lotus overlapping and rotating, it forms a concentric floral pattern, symbolizing the unity and deep integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," he said.

Huang noted that one of the games' events, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao road cycling race, will take place in all three regions.

"Cyclists will depart from Zhuhai and first reach Macao via the Macao Bridge, and then arrive at Hong Kong's Lantau Island via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge," he said.

Sun Jiaojiao, a senior border inspection officer at the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint in Guangdong, said that for the games' cross-border marathon, the border inspection department has established pre-inspection areas at both ends of the Shenzhen Bay Bridge to enable seamless completion of exit-entry procedures for athletes and personnel who need to cross.

The marathon, with both start and finish lines at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, will take place on Nov 15. It requires athletes to run across the Shenzhen Bay Bridge to enter Hong Kong, and after turning around, return to the center.

Zhang Zhihua, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, said relevant departments have set up a dedicated channel at entry and exit ports, allowing games' delegates to enter and leave whenever they need.

"We have also opened a green channel for our ticket holders, with nationwide application for entry and exit documents," he said.

"With special treatment for entry and exit, we will contribute to the development of a one-hour life circle within the GBA," said Zhang, who is also the deputy director of the coordinating department of the 15th National Games Executive Committee.

During the games, visitors can enter and exit the regions without needing to show documents, he said.

Guangzhou will host the opening ceremony, while Shenzhen will host the closing ceremony.