Illustration: Chen Xia/GT
The flame of China’s 15th National Games lit up the night sky over the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) on Sunday evening. Over the 13-day event, more than 20,000 athletes are competing in the GBA, turning the region into a vibrant stage of athletic excellence. The event is not only a sporting festival that rallies the Chinese people to pursue the Healthy China goal, but also a milestone in regional integration and a vivid demonstration of the vitality of "one country, two systems."
Sports have always carried more than the pursuit of speed and strength - they also carry the dreams of national power and the revival of the nation. As the National Games meet the GBA, it marks not only a new milestone in building a sporting powerhouse, but also a testament to the cohesion and innovative spirit of China’s system.
When the First National Games were held in Beijing in 1959, China’s sports sector was still in its infancy. Sixty-six years later, hosting the games in the GBA is telling a very different story - one of a confident and open China, a nation of institutional efficiency and seamless coordination, a country that achieves unity in diversity and vitality through integration.
Sports have become a powerful expression of China’s modernization: from viral amateur competitions like "Village Super League," or Cunchao, the "Su Super League," or Suchao, to major events - the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, and the Paris Olympics in 2024 where Chinese athletes achieved their best-ever results abroad - nationwide fitness and youth sports programs have flourished. These are not isolated achievements; they mirror the broader success of a modern, confident China.
Yet, the 15th National Games represent more than just sports. The GBA is not merely a geographical term, but a product of synergy, complementarity, and shared development. Behind the event’s seamless coordination lies an extensive collaborative network - spanning transport, customs, healthcare, information systems, technology, and volunteer services - all operating under the "one country, two systems" framework while pursuing common goals.
For the first time in a sports event, the National Games’ source flame was extracted and ignited on the seabed, creating a stunning harmony of water and fire. A humanoid robot named Kuavo (Kuafu in Chinese), made its debut as special torchbearer, carrying the torch with precision and grace. AI-driven approaches provided real-time diagnostics and analytics for athletes’ performance… These technologies showcase the GBA’s cutting-edge innovation and coordination across the region.
One of the most striking examples of this collaboration was the men’s road cycling race, held on a 231.8-kilometer route that crosses the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on Saturday. Riders made six border-crossings at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour - yet not once did they need to slow down or brake. Facial recognition, pre-screening, and wireless tracking enabled truly "seamless clearance." This was more than a race. It was a living embodiment of regional connectivity, regulatory alignment, and institutional synergy.
When athletes sprint across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, when spectators travel effortlessly across the region, when institutional barriers quietly dissolve through collaboration - what people witness is not just a sporting spectacle, but a vivid portrait of an international metropolis cluster rising on the success of "one country, two systems."
Reports show that the GBA’s economy expanded to 14.79 trillion yuan (about $2.09 trillion) in 2024, surpassing both the New York Bay Area and the San Francisco Bay Area, positioning it among the world’s leading bay areas. As the National Games bring competitors and visitors to Guangdong - the gateway to China’s reform and opening-up - and to Hong Kong and Macao - anchored to the motherland and connected to the world - the event is offering a glimpse of boundless possibilities.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1111/c90000-20388832.html