A series of activities were launched to celebrate the project’s 60th anniversary
Officials from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong said on Monday that Dongjiang water is a lifeline that has closely bonded the city with the motherland, pledged to better use and protect water resources through cross-border infrastructure and ecological cooperation.
On Monday, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government hosted a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Project.
Starting operation in 1965, the project ended the days of water scarcity in Hong Kong — a city that lacks its own fresh water resource — by supplying water from Dongguan’s Dongjiang River, which originates in East China’s Jiangxi province, to Hong Kong via Shenzhen Reservoir through dams, pumping stations and 83 kilometers of pipelines.
READ MORE: Dongjiang water supply project pumps lifeblood into Hong Kong
By March this year, the project had supplied more than 30 billion cubic meters of water to Hong Kong, official data showed. Four upgrades over the years have expanded the project’s supply capacity from 68 million cubic meters per year in the 1960s to over 2.4 billion cubic meters now.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying said the central government has always attached high importance to ensuring a water supply to Hong Kong over the past six decades, providing strong support in policies, funds, planning and other aspects.
Being the source of 80 percent of the city’s freshwater supply, the project has become a lifeline for Hong Kong, greatly improving the living conditions of Hong Kong residents and strongly supporting Hong Kong’s economic and social development, Li said.
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The central government will comprehensively strengthen water conservancy cooperation with the SAR government, maintain a stable, safe and high-quality water supply to Hong Kong, and continue to improve the water safety and security system in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to benefit the region’s development.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said Dongjiang water plays an indispensable role as a lifeline to the city, stressing its significance in sustaining economic growth and nurturing social stability.
He highlighted the monumental efforts behind the project — which was completed within 11 months — as a testament to the nation’s support to Hong Kong compatriots, with Chinese mainland workers laboring around the clock to end Hong Kong’s chronic water shortage.
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Lee emphasized that the project symbolizes the nation’s forward-thinking approach, guaranteeing a stable water supply even in times of drought through well-planned arrangements.
Behind the uninterrupted flow of water supply is the innovative collaboration between Guangdong province and the city in water security and flood prevention, which also supports the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area, he said.
Celebrating six decades
Lee added that the project demonstrates the nation’s progress in water management on a global scale, and the SAR government is launching commemorative activities to underscore the historical significance of Dongjiang water and cultivate a deeper sense of patriotism among the public.
Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong said that ensuring water security for Hong Kong has been a paramount national priority for six decades.
He said that the project deeply bonds Guangdong and Hong Kong, and acts as a driving force for the two regions to jointly build the Greater Bay Area into a world-class cluster.
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Wang pledged to establish a robust water security framework for the Greater Bay Area, ensuring a safe and high quality water supply.
He also committed to expanding cross-sector collaboration, encompassing logistics, talent exchange, and data connectivity, to advance the region’s integrated development.
The city is hosting a series of events, including peak forums, campus lectures, exhibitions, and other celebratory activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the project.
The ceremony also saw the opening of the Dancing Water Drops exhibition, which opens to the public today as part of the project’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
READ MORE: Dancing water drops
The exhibition, which is being staged at Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade, features a 28.8-meter-tall water-drop-shaped sculpture and hundreds of smaller water-drop sculptures displayed along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, aiming to signify the vitality that Dongjiang water injects into Hong Kong and demonstrate social inclusion.
The International Water Pioneers Summit 2025 will take place on April 1, convening policymakers, experts, academicians and senior government officials in the water supply sector to share insights and advance collaboration under the theme of “Smart Water — High-Quality Development”.
