A Study on Strengthening the Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation Among Youth in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Through the 15th National Games

Abstract

The 15th National Games, which is hosted by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an integrated region, mark a major domestic sporting event whose impact on forging a strong sense of the Chinese national community among young people in the three jurisdictions will be profound. By unpacking the internal logic from the twin perspectives of collective memory and emotional identification, this paper argues that the Games’ ritualized sports and competitive spectacles can create shared memories and spark emotional resonance, thereby strengthening youth’s sense of group belonging and identity. On this basis, it analyzes the Games’ value across political, economic and cultural dimensions—enhancing national identity, accelerating regional economic integration and amplifying the influence of traditional culture. Finally, it offers post-Games implementation proposals from three angles—spatial production, media communication and social interaction—advocating the sustained consolidation and deepening of a Chinese national community consciousness among Greater Bay Area youth through the activation of memory sites, narrative innovation and cross-border volunteer initiatives.