Photo: VCG

After President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from students of a middle school in Hong Kong, some students from the school told the Global Times on Wednesday that they were "very excited" after receiving President Xi's reply and felt a greater sense of responsibility they bear as Hong Kong's youth in the new era to contribute to the building of the motherland.

Xi replied to a letter from students of Pui Kiu Middle School in Hong Kong, encouraging them to make contributions to building an even better Hong Kong and achieving Chinese national rejuvenation, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

In his letter dated July 24, Xi said he was pleased when the students told him that they had a stronger sense of pride in being Chinese after participating in activities such as burial ceremony for the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs returned from South Korea and interacting with astronauts of China's Tiangong space station. Xi said patriotism lies at the heart of Chinese national spirit.

People in Hong Kong maintain the noble tradition of loving both the motherland and Hong Kong, which serves as a crucial cornerstone for the stable and enduring implementation of One Country, Two Systems, Xi said.

Recently, all first-year students at the school wrote a letter to Xi, reporting their thoughts and experiences from participating in the school's patriotic education activities, and expressing their determination to continue the spirit of patriotism, contributing to the strength of the country and the prosperity of Hong Kong.

Marin Chan, a 16-year-old student at Pui Kiu Middle School, was one of the main participants in writing the letter to President Xi. She told the Global Times on Wednesday that she was "very excited and very grateful" that President Xi could find time to reply to their letter amidst his busy schedule.

After reading President Xi's reply, Chan said she felt a deeper understanding of the heavy responsibility she and her peers bear to help build the motherland as the youth of Hong Kong in the new era.

"In his reply, President Xi wrote words of trust and encouragement for us. He said that we should combine reading thousands of books with traveling thousands of miles, gain a better understanding of global trends, delve into the history, culture, and present realities of their motherland, and develop a deeper love for the country and its people. We will definitely do our best to live up to President Xi's expectations," she said.

Another student, Kay Zhang Ka Yi, told the Global Times that she will study hard and participate in activities organized by the school to understand the motherland. She hopes to contribute to the construction of Hong Kong and the motherland as soon as possible.

In the letter written to President Xi in late June, Chan and other Pui Kiu Middle School students wrote, "Over the past year, with the support of the country and the HKSAR government, we students in Hong Kong have had more and better opportunities than ever before to understand the motherland, learn about the world, and realize our dreams."

This has allowed us to deeply understand the pride of being Chinese and the mission and responsibility of being the younger generation of Hong Kong. "Now, we report to you: We deeply understand the strength of our country; we are here to continue the prosperity of Hong Kong!"

Some teachers and students of Pui Kiu Middle School told the Global Times that the school often organizes activities that help Hong Kong students better understand the motherland.

They hope students can have patriotic feelings and the ambition to serve the country, and can truly participate in the construction of the motherland.

Zhang recently participated in a school-organized activity called "Taking My Dream to the Tiangong."

"I love space, and my dream as a child was to become an astronaut. I've tried looking at the stars with a supermarket-purchased telescope, and I'd hide in my bed using a tablet to look at introductions of various celestial bodies," she said.

"One day, my teacher asked me if I liked space and if I wanted to write a letter to the astronauts at the Chinese Space Station. I said 'yes' without even thinking," Zhang said.

Then, she wrote a letter to Chinese astronaut Liu Yang, and she was deeply encouraged by the efforts and bravery of the Chinese astronauts. Through this, she also gained a deeper understanding of the development of China's space program.

Both students told the Global Times that in recent years, the school has been organizing more and more activities to visit and experience the mainland. Each student has at least two to three opportunities each year, with destinations including Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Sometimes, even the entire grade goes together to exchange ideas. There are also study tours during summer vacation to understand the development of the mainland. These activities are generally well-received by the students, they said.

Pui Kiu Middle School was founded in 1946, initially recruiting students of Chinese descent from Southeast Asia in Hong Kong, and educating students about China's national conditions.

On October 1, 1949, the day the People's Republic of China was founded, Pui Kiu Middle School held a national flag-raising ceremony. During the period of British colonial rule in Hong Kong, the school would hold corresponding National Day activities every October 1. Because of its distinct patriotic stance, the school was once suppressed by the British rulers.