At a Hong Kong-Macao international youth innovation center in Nansha, South China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong entrepreneur Chris Lee is teaching Hong Kong and Macao students how to create traditional "Guochao" (Chinese trends) dolls, using needlework to make their outfits.

Building dreams in the GBA: Stories of youth from HK and Macao SARs in Nansha. Photo: Guangdong Dayin Audio-Visual Publishing House

Lee's team is among the first batch of entrepreneurial teams to join the Hong Kong-Macao international youth innovation center and he has also been recognized as a practitioner of China's intangible cultural heritage in "handcrafted clothing techniques."

"Hong Kong people often say that saving is earning. What people call my 'success secret' is just taking a step into a different direction and saving on costs," he said.

Lee has no regrets about starting his business on the mainland, believing that entrepreneurship often requires creating opportunities rather than waiting for money.

In June, the multimedia publication Building Dreams in the Greater Bay Area, published by the Guangdong Dayin Audio-Visual Publishing House, featured the entrepreneurial experiences of 11 youth from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs), including Chris Lee.

"With the recent release of the 'Guangzhou Nansha Deepening Comprehensive Cooperation with the World' plan by the State Council, Nansha has been given a new strategic role as a key platform in the Greater Bay Area (GBA)," the editorial committee of the publishing house told the Global Times.

Guochao inheritance

A modern and open city, Nansha attracts a significant number of young people from Hong Kong and Macao, who come from a variety of backgrounds and aim at aligning their own personal development with current  national strategies. 

Indeed, for many Hong Kong and Macao youth, Nansha has become the first choice for innovation and entrepreneurship, thus they often join the locals in pursuing their childhood dreams or realizing their family's mission in the GBA. Their stories are intriguing and worth listening to.

"In the era of fast consumption, handmade needlework has been largely replaced by machines. I hope to protect this craft by simplifying traditional techniques and offering specially designed courses," Lee said.

Lee, born in Hong Kong, chose to start his business in Nansha due to the strong support and favorable local policies aimed at young Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurs.

His interest in needlework stems from his family background. Both his grandmother and mother worked in the prosperous Hong Kong textile industry and their skills were passed down through generations.

By combining traditional needlework with modern design, Lee introduced the renowned "Guochao Doll" series and through collaboration with local Nansha businesses and integrating the intangible heritage technique of "Xiangyun silk," he launched a range of innovative cultural products.

Today, his company is not only a protector of "handcrafted clothing techniques" but it is also recognized as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage Transmission Base." His entrepreneurial journey showcases the fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern design, injecting new vitality into traditional Chinese culture.