About 500 Hong Kong students are getting a taste of army life, with the PLA garrison launching its annual summer camp to instil patriotism and discipline, and teach military skills, among young people.
Among the new recruits is Lo Wan-lung, a Form One student at Salesian English School who is attending the two-week camp for the first time.
Attracted by the chance of weapons-related training, the young military enthusiast said he was curious to experience holding weapons during mock shooting drills.
Ahead of the camp, Lo spent days at home studying and practising how to fold his clothes and bedding into the sharp, perfectly squared “tofu blocks” required under People’s Liberation Army (PLA) standards.
“I knew that we would have to fold our bedding into ‘tofu blocks’ at the camp, so I wanted to practise in advance,” Lo said, adding that he hoped to take this opportunity to challenge himself and broaden his horizons.
“I want to improve my physical fitness and fix my irregular schedule.”