I came to work in Hong Kong at a sensitive moment: The somewhat tense atmosphere between this international cosmopolitan city and the mainland has been lingering for a while, drawing increasing concerns from people on both sides.

Even so, I still felt surprised when I asked my son, a senior high school student in Beijing, whether he would like to join me in Hong Kong and pursue his college education here in two years' time. "That's out of the question. Everybody knows Hong Kong people hate mainlanders," the boy said bluntly.

As a journalist who has lived in this bustling city for several months, I know it is not true if someone simply jumps to such a conclusion that many Hong Kong people hate mainlanders.

Upon my arrival, I thought my ignorance of Cantonese could bring a lot of inconveniences to my life in Hong Kong. After wandering in this impressive city for one month speaking with the locals either in Mandarin or English, such concerns of mine were totally dispelled. I must say most Hong Kong people I have come across are polite, good-natured and friendly.

True, incidents in which some Hong Kong people displayed open hostility against mainland tourists in recent years have tainted the city's image as one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world and fueled undesirable sentiments between the two sides. But we are a family in which blood is thicker than water, and through more exchanges between Chinese on both sides I believe misunderstandings and misconceptions can be mitigated and even removed.

So I have made up my mind to invite my son over during his summer vacation so he will discover a real Hong Kong, which should be different from his impression now. And tours to famous Hong Kong universities will certainly serve as an important part of his trip, as I still think it would be a good idea if he could come and study here in the near future.

Until recently, Hong Kong was a hot destination for mainland students as its prestigious higher education institutions, such as the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), had more often than not won the upper hand in the competition to take in a large number of the best-performing students in the national college entrance examinations.

A considerable number of mainland students, even some from famous middle schools in Beijing, would shun such mainland elite universities as Peking and Tsinghua universities to embrace their competitors in Hong Kong, thanks to the latter's international fame and generous offers of scholarships. Stories like this used to make newspaper headlines on the mainland.

Unfortunately, such a tendency, which is obviously in favor of Hong Kong universities, has turned a corner now that the popularity of Hong Kong universities on the mainland is waning due to such concerns as Hong Kong university students' involvement in politics and the unfriendly sentiments harbored by some Hong Kong people toward the mainland.

It seems similar concerns have also begun to sink in and influence local people's opinions toward universities in Hong Kong.

A local opinion poll released by education website Education18.com earlier this month found HKUST has for the first time replaced HKU to receive the highest public opinion score in the annual ranking in the last 15 years. HKU's political controversies are perceived as a possible reason behind the slide.

Still, there are positive developments going on which help propel education exchanges between the two sides. Media reports show there is a notable trend now in which an increasing number of Hong Kong students go north to study on the mainland and start their own business there after graduation.

Tendencies like this need to be nourished, and both official and non-official efforts need to be made in such fields as education and culture exchanges so a cordial atmosphere can be revived at an early date.

(HK Edition 07/18/2016 page10)