Editor's note: Since returning to China in 1999, the Macao Special Administrative Region has undergone its fastest growth period ever and the bond with the Chinese mainland increasingly closer. As Dec 20, the day that marks the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, approaches, we invited several Macao students in their twenties who pursue higher education in Beijing to share their memories, experiences and feelings as they grow with their hometown.

First sight

"Zhuhai, a neighboring coastal city of Macao, is the first Chinese mainland city I visited. I was a young child then. On passing through customs, I was impressed by the broad two-way road in sight. Back in Macao, you can barely see the sky because of the narrow streets, dense buildings and crowds of people," Wong Cheok Wai, a junior from Macao and a student at Capital Normal University in Beijing, recalled.

"In high school, I got an opportunity to study Mandarin at a mainland college. During the 20 days there, I visited the Palace Museum and the Great Wall for the first time and it was a totally fresh experience for me. I felt rich Chinese culture and history was near at hand. So I made up my mind to go to college in Beijing after the trip," Wong said.

"When I first blended in with Chinese mainland students, I found multiple mobile apps provided great life conveniences, like ride-hailing app Didi and food delivery app Meituan. The infrastructure here, like sprawling subways, is well built," said Ho Chak Hang, who participated in the same study tour with Wong. He is a sophomore at the Beijing-based Renmin University of China.