More than 5,000 students and teachers, plus members of Hong Kong and Macao youth groups will leave for Shanghai in groups from mid-August in a five-day exchange tour, according to a press release of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Tuesday.

They are participating in the Passing on the Torch: Exploring and Embracing Chinese Culture National Education Exchange, and the Hong Kong Macao Student Tour of the Shanghai World Expo programs.

Announcing the project on Tuesday, Secretary for Education Michael Suen said the tour will be Hong Kong's largest student exchange since Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Participants will visit the Shanghai Expo, cultural facilities and major enterprises to learn about the history, culture and latest developments of the Yangtze River Delta.

Some participants will travel on the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway to Shanghai to learn about the rapid development of the mainland's high-speed rail system.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2010)