MACAO, March 22 (Xinhua) -- "We call our flying car 'Never Late', as you'll never be late for school by using it," said Sit Iong, a senior-one student from Escola Fong Chong (Fong Chong School) of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), introducing a future automobile design.

Sit was one of 21 crew members of his school who traveled to Guangzhou on Friday to experience the development of the automobile industry. At China's automobile company, XPENG AEROHT, they were settled into four groups to design their own flying cars.

By designing and presenting their "Di Di Flying Car," Cheong Iok Chi and her team won applause and were given a chance to experience XPENG's flying car simulator, which allowed them to "fly over" the urban scenery of Guangzhou.

"We were at 230 meters high! I never thought that the automobile industry had developed to a stage like this," she told Xinhua. As a senior-three student, she had already been admitted to China's Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, majoring in industrial design, and she said the company visit inspired her a lot.

The study tour, organized by the China Telecom (Macau) Company Limited and the Chinese Educators Association of Macau, explored the latest trends in China's innovative technology and aimed to inspire the innovation of Macao's young students, according to the organizers.

The program, which included the study tour, was launched in 2023 for students across 33 secondary schools in Macao. It helps enhance students' technological literacy and deepen their understanding of national development by organizing visits to leading innovation-driven enterprises.

Zhang Chunhui, representing China Telecom (Macau) Company Limited in the visit, told Xinhua that the tour would broaden Macao students' technological perspectives, spark their passion for innovation, and nurture future talent to support Macao's economic diversification.

During the visit, the students toured XPENG's Guangzhou headquarters. Some of them also experienced an AI-assisted ride on the passenger seat.

Lei Pui Wa, a robotics enthusiast since childhood, kept a close eye on the latest technological advancements, from humanoid robots performing folk dances at the Spring Festival Gala to the AI model DeepSeek. She expressed her pride in China's rapid technological progress.