Man-Chung Tang, Honorary Chairman of TYLIN International China and a world-renowned bridge engineer, has been honored with the 2nd Guangdong Friendship Award, the province's highest recognition for foreign experts who have contributed to Guangdong's development and international exchanges.
As a globally renowned bridge specialist, Tang has taken part in designing and building more than 100 bridges across the globe, including the landmark Hong Kong‑Zhuhai‑Macao Bridge.
Born in 1938 amid wartime upheaval, Tang spent his childhood moving around Guangdong before pursuing further studies in Hong Kong and Germany. Over his decades‑long career, Tang has witnessed China's shift from learning foreign bridge‑building know‑how to taking a leading position in global civil engineering.
In a recent interview with South, the veteran engineer reflected on the dual meaning behind bridges.
Physical infrastructure, he argued, shortens geographical distances and tightly connects the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area to the outside world. Yet equally vital are the intangible "bridges" built through people‑to‑people engagement. Mutual understanding and cross‑cultural learning between nations, according to Tang, serves as another powerful form of bridges, one that links minds rather than lands.
He stressed that improved transport fuels economic dynamism, cultural vitality and regional integration within the Greater Bay Area. At the same time, genuine dialogue, especially among young people, helps ease misperceptions and reduce confrontation between countries. Shared prosperity, he believes, creates favorable conditions for lasting global peace.
Tang also pushed back against common short‑sighted criticism of large‑scale infrastructure projects. Many critics fixate on heavy initial investment, failing to recognize that infrastructure must come first to attract population and business activity.
He drew comparisons with the San Francisco Bay Area, arguing that transport yields social dividends only after years of development.
Tang highlighted Shenzhen's rise from a small fishing village as a replicable reference point for emerging economies. If developing countries can absorb such practical experience, they can unlock their own growth potential.
For Tang, great engineering and sincere cross‑border exchanges work hand in hand: solid infrastructure brings regions closer physically, while open‑minded human dialogue keeps global rivalry and hostility at bay.
Reporter | Dong Han
Filming | Xu Anrui
Script | Dong Han
Video editor | Pan Jiajun
Poster | Lai Meiya
