Moving children to schools in Hong Kong is a major factor in attracting top talent from mainland China

Most of the people coming through Hong Kong’s top talent program are from mainland China. In the last of the three-part series, Kahon Chan learns that many people do everything to ensure that their children get into the best schools in the city. See part one Here and part two Here.

Thea Tong Haoxiang arrived in Hong Kong from Shenyang in February 2023 with her teenage daughter for a long-awaited vacation, which was their first trip outside mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The panorama of the city from The Peak amazed her, but it was the afternoon scene in front of the Central tram stop that made her stop and stare.

“They were tall and looked elegant in their uniforms. In addition to backpacks, everyone carried a bag with sports equipment,” recalls Tong (42), who works in new media.

“The expressions on their faces and the way they talked radiated joy. Not just a few of them, but most of them.

The attractive-looking teenagers were attending the nearby elite Catholic school St Joseph’s College and were returning home.

Tong said her 14-year-old daughter, a second-year high school student in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, wondered how the boys graduated so early.