The ties that bind

Young people reflect on the connection between Macao and the Chinese mainland and the changes that have transpired over a quarter century.

Chan Hou-fong, a 25-year-old cellist from Macao, was born in 1999 — the same year Macao returned to China.

"I grew up alongside the Macao Special Administrative Region", Chan said. "My mom often tells me that she was holding me, just 2 months old, when we both witnessed this historic moment."

In 2017, Chan moved to Beijing to study cello at the Central Conservatory of Music. He recalled that the school regularly organized orchestra performances and exchange events with universities in Macao, featuring a mix of folk songs from Cantonese-speaking regions.

"Watching my classmates from Beijing perform and sing our local music made me realize how music truly unites us," Chan said.

The connection between Macao and the Chinese mainland is also reflected in their shared language and culture.

The family of Wong Kuanwai, a 21-year-old student at Shanghai International Studies University, is a perfect example of this bond, with his mother from Macao, and his father from Zhongshan in Guangdong province.

Wong discovered that, over a century ago, the dialect spoken in Macao was the same as in Zhongshan, both being variations of the Shiqi dialect.

"Many elderly people in Macao still speak it today. I was pleasantly surprised to hear my hometown dialect when I visited," he said.

Wong's grandparents moved to Macao in the 1960s and 70s. Before Macao's return to China, travel between the two regions was difficult. However, the historic reunification 25 years ago helped many families reunite.

In addition to cultural and family ties, 20-year-old Iao Weng-u has noticed that young people from Macao and the mainland are increasingly connected through popular culture.

"Mainland brands are opening stores in Macao, and young people there are also enjoying mainland TV dramas," said Iao, a translation major at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Jiangsu province. "Many people from Macao now work on the mainland, which has greatly narrowed the cultural and lifestyle differences between the two places."