Feature: China's architectural beauty, strength wow HK college students

HONG KONG, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- A seminar showcasing the beauty and strength of Chinese buildings was well-received on Monday by Hong Kong university students, many of whom are keen to learn more and contribute to the country's achievements.

At the University of Hong Kong (HKU), hundreds of students listened attentively to a report delivered by Xiao Xuwen, a chief expert of China State Construction Group, one of the largest construction companies in the world.

Xiao, also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, shared stories of China's millennium-old wooden building system with unparalleled spatial and structural design, as well as mushrooming mega-projects that have pushed the boundaries of modern concrete to benefit the people.

Among the top 10 skyscrapers in the world, China houses seven of them, Xiao said, adding that the country has also made world-renowned achievements in airports, high-speed railway stations, large bridges, tunnels and nuclear power plants, among others.

Xiao said the construction sector is now a key driver of the Chinese economy, not only in terms of scale but also about green development. By building the world's largest clean power generation system, the world's second-largest economy becomes an important force in promoting the global development of clean energy.

The stellar progress in China's construction has been turbo-charged by the country's cutting-edge modern equipment, said Xiao, illustrating his point by describing the parameters of two "giants".

The world's largest 4,000-ton crawler crane is manufactured by Sany Heavy Industry, which has a maximum lifting capacity of 4,000 tons, or the weight of about 26 adult blue whales. In terms of underground construction equipment, China's domestically-made tunnel boring machine "Jinghua" has a diameter of more than 16 meters, a length of 150 meters and a total weight of 4,300 tons.

Encouraging Hong Kong students to take part in the country's construction industry in the mainland, he said, "The rivers, lakes, seas, deserts and grasslands are all waiting there for you. The stage is broader and the knowledge needed is even broader. I hope that teachers and students of the University of Hong Kong who are ambitious, competent and willing to make their mark will come to the mainland to build a wonderful career."

A postgraduate in HKU said it will be very remarkable if he can be a future part of China's mega-projects mentioned by the academician.

"Our country is acclaimed for its infrastructural strength, and teachers often mention it in the classroom, so I already knew that there are so many super projects in our country. And after hearing Xiao's presentation, my pride has been not dampened a bit despite the familiarity," he said.

The HKU session is part of "The Spirit of the Times Shines upon Hong Kong" activity series to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 24th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Architectural experts will hold similar sharing activities in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the coming days.