A landmark exhibition, The Love and Memory of the Greater Bay Area, recently opened at the Guangdong Museum, presenting more than 350 artefacts that vividly illustrate the shared historical roots and enduring bonds that have shaped the region’s identity over the past hundred years.

A standout exhibit — an intricately crafted folding fan — encapsulates the theme of the exhibition. Adorned with gilded silver, enamelwork, dyed ivory, and tortoiseshell ribs, the fan exemplifies the distinctive craftsmanship of 19th-century Guangzhou export art. Its painted surface, depicting landscapes of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao under the Qing dynasty, reflects the vibrant economic and cultural interchange that had already flourished among the three cities.

The Ao fish, featured in the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games, also finds its prototype in this exhibition. As a common decorative element in Lingnan-style structures, it stands as a cultural emblem cherished throughout the Greater Bay Area, evoking a sense of kinship among visitors.

Many attendees have remarked that the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area is, in every sense, a close-knit community united by shared heritage and daily life.