Recently, several ASEAN media leaders visited China to investigate the entrepreneurial situation of Hong Kong youth in the Greater Bay Area, focusing their attention on the "Chifan Emperor Restaurant" established by Hong Kong youth Ng Kang-nam, who ventured north to start a business. This cross-regional attention is not only a review of individual entrepreneurial achievements, but also a high recognition of the trend of Hong Kong youth starting businesses in the North.
For Hong Kong youth, starting businesses in the North is a wise move in line with the trends of the times. Currently, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is in full swing. This lively and opportunity-filled land is like a gigantic magnet, attracting countless young people with dreams. As Dickens said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." For young people from Hong Kong, this is undoubtedly the best of times. The Greater Bay Area boasts a sophisticated industrial chain, a vast consumer market, and favorable policy support, providing entrepreneurs with excellent conditions. Ng Kang-nam keenly seized this opportunity and resolutely headed north to Shenzhen to embark on his entrepreneurial journey. His choice is a typical example of many Hong Kong youths riding the tide of the era, demonstrating their willingness to break through their comfort zones and embrace new opportunities.
From a personal development perspective, starting businesses in the North offers Hong Kong youth a broad stage for self-fulfillment. The fiercely competitive environment in Hong Kong means entrepreneurial resources can be relatively limited, and development space somewhat constrained. Heading north to the mainland, especially the cities of the Greater Bay Area, offers them a much broader world. Here, they can fully leverage their professional strengths and innovative capabilities, integrating Hong Kong’s advanced concepts and management experience with the mainland’s market resources to create unique business value. Ng Kang-nam’s "Chifan Emperor Restaurant" is a successful example, cleverly combining Hong Kong-style dining culture with the needs of the mainland market. By continually innovating both dishes and service models, he has attracted a large number of diners and realized personal career breakthroughs. This kind of personal achievement brings a sense of fulfillment to entrepreneurs themselves, while also generating wealth and employment opportunities for society.
On the level of regional collaborative development, Hong Kong youth starting businesses in the North promotes the deep integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The goal of developing the Greater Bay Area is to realize complementary advantages and collaborative development among cities in the region. Hong Kong youth, serving as an important bridge between Hong Kong and the mainland, help strengthen economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation through their entrepreneurial activities. Ng Kang-nam’s restaurant is not just a commercial venue, but also a platform for cultural exchange. Here, Hong Kong culture and mainland culture collide and blend, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between people from both places. At the same time, the entrepreneurial activities of Hong Kong youth also drive the development of related industries, promoting regional economic prosperity. Such collaborative development is of great significance for enhancing the overall competitiveness of the Greater Bay Area.
The praise from ASEAN media bosses and executives for Hong Kong youth starting businesses in the North is a positive affirmation of this phenomenon and sets an example for more Hong Kong youth. In the tide of the times, Hong Kong youth should seize the opportunities offered by the construction of the Greater Bay Area, and bravely take steps to start businesses in the North. With innovation as the sail and hard work as the oar, they can write their own brilliant chapters in the vast mainland market. We believe that, in the future, more Hong Kong youth like Ng Kang-nam will shine on this fertile land of the Greater Bay Area and inject continuous vitality into the region’s development.
It is worth mentioning that the ASEAN media bosses and executives have also sincerely invited Ng Kang-nam to open restaurants in Indonesia and Malaysia, so that more overseas Chinese and people of Chinese descent can taste authentic traditional Chinese cuisine and further spread Chinese culture.