Actor Ben Ng Photo: Sina Weibo

Ben Ng, a Hong Kong actor who specializes in playing the "villain" on various TV shows, recently took to China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo to express his gratitude for finding a job in the Chinese mainland. 

"Boarding on a new journey to Hengdian! I chose to take the high-speed train to Yiwu this time! I am very grateful that I have a job again! I will work hard for myself," said Ng on Sina Weibo. Ng's journey to Hengdian World Studios is also the first time that the Hong Kong actor got to experience traveling by high-speed train in the Chinese mainland. 

Ng's post inspired netizens to share his happiness in finding a job in the Chinese mainland. Some emphasized that they welcome Hong Kong actors to make a career breakthrough in the mainland, especially welcoming those whom have patriotic minds and connections to Chinese mainland audiences. 

"He made a deep impression on me while playing beside Andy Lau in The Adventurers, and as an old fan of the [Hong Kong] Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) drama, I see it as a good thing that more Hong Kong actors are seeking to collaborate with mainland teams. It is a new combination that surprises fans like me, who are very into both mainland and Hong Kong productions, the trend of them coming our way also makes us feeling warm," Jackie, a 32-year-old Hong Kong TV show fan, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"If the Hong Kong entertainer has a patriotic mind and true appreciation and respect for Chinese mainland culture, the audience, the Chinese mainland audience can definitely feel it… the attitude they show is what bonds us together," Sandi, a fan in South China's Guangdong Province, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Some other netizens speculated that the reason more and more Hong Kong actors have been choosing to work in the Chinese mainland cannot be separated from the recovering entertaining scene in the mainland following the huge impact of the pandemic in 2020. 

"It is undeniable that the entertainment industry in Hong Kong went downhill because of what happened last year. But, we all need work to continue to live, entertainers too… And not only can experienced Hong Kong actors get really a good reputation and opportunities from Chinese mainland productions, good TV productions from Hong Kong can also still charm mainland audiences a lot, like the recent Murder Diary," Fang Ni, a TV industry observer, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Murder Diary, a crime thriller produced by TVB, has recently become a sensation and a "must watch" show among Chinese mainland audiences. Topics about the show have earned more than 100 million views on Sina Weibo, where it is described by netizens as "well-composed," "intriguing" and "addictive." 

Besides Hong Kong actors looking for job opportunities in Chinese mainland entertainment industry, other Hong Kong stars are making a living for themselves in the mainland in other ways. 

Famous former TVB actress Flora Chan's career jump from actress to English teacher in Shenzhen became a more than 100 million trending topic on Sina Weibo on Saturday. In early June, Evergreen Mak, a popular TVB actor, entered the spotlight after volunteering at a vaccination site in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province during the Dragon Boat Festival on June 14 in 2021. The star's choice was supported by netizens in the mainland.