The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) marked its 60th anniversary with a community art creation workshop at the Hong Kong Book Fair on July 16, where approximately 100 students produced drawings of local landmarks and city scenes. These works, created under the guidance of artist Jane Lee, known as Messy Desk, will inspire a final large-scale artwork celebrating the HKTDC’s six decades of connecting Hong Kong with global markets.
HKTDC Chairman Prof Frederick Ma and Executive Director Sophia Chong attended the event, which aimed to highlight the council’s commitment to community and youth development. “The Wan Chai Community Art Creation Workshop enables young people to draw a vibrant picture of Hong Kong through art,” Ma said. “Every pen stroke vividly reflects their perspective on the city’s global role.”
The project centers on the theme “Hong Kong Trade · Connecting the World.” Students from primary and secondary schools in Wan Chai, participating through organizations such as the Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, Methodist Centre, and St James’ Settlement, depicted Hong Kong’s trade development. Their drawings incorporated landmarks, exhibition scenes, and elements of shipping and air freight, alongside community and business life. The artwork conveys Hong Kong’s positioning under the national 15th Five-Year Plan as an international financial, shipping, trading, and innovation and technology centre, as well as a global hub for high-calibre talent.
The initiative underscores HKTDC’s role in fostering Wan Chai’s creative sector and promoting exchange of ideas. The students’ drawings will be compiled to serve as inspiration for the final artwork, which will undergo refinement by Lee. The completed piece will be displayed from 2 to 29 October at the eastbound tram stop on O’Brien Road in Wan Chai, allowing the public to view this milestone in the HKTDC’s anniversary celebrations.
In addition to the workshop, HKTDC facilitated free visits to the Book Fair, the Sports and Leisure Expo, and World of Snacks for participating students, providing cultural enrichment and broadening their horizons. For more information on the HKTDC’s 60th anniversary activities, visit https://60.hktdc.com/en. The HKTDC, established in 1966, operates over 50 offices globally, including 13 in the Chinese Mainland, and organizes international exhibitions, conferences, and business missions to create opportunities for companies, particularly SMEs.
