New Hengqin wellness platform focuses on mental resilience amid AI transformation

The Grace Wellness Community has launched in Hengqin, bringing together educators, health practitioners, entrepreneurs and industry professionals to develop a platform focused on mental resilience, personal development and cross-border collaboration amid rapid technological changes driven by artificial intelligence.

The initiative, launched at the Hengqin-Macao Technology Innovation Center on Friday, aims to promote wellness as part of a broader response to workplace pressures, digital transformation and changing social needs, with organizers describing it as an “AI-era mind-body wellness laboratory” serving Hengqin and Macau.

During the event, community members indicated that the most valuable human strengths may be emotional stability, self-awareness and purpose.

This theme ran through various discussions, where speakers linked wellness not only to physical health but also to mental and emotional steadiness.

“Many people are very anxious now – worried AI will replace their jobs,” Iris Mak, assistant professor at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau, said during the AI panel discussion. “The question is how we balance our mind and body in this AI-driven environment, and how we rebuild a sense of meaning.”

Mak pointed to emerging research on workplace skills and said that by 2030, judgment, communication and continuous learning are expected to be among the most important. But she argued that those skills must be supported by deeper capacities such as mindfulness and cultural awareness.

[Photo: Nadia Shaw]

The USJ assistant professor also described a broader framework of “quotients,” saying people need more than IQ and emotional intelligence (EQ). In her view, cultural intelligence, financial literacy and what she called the “mindfulness quotient” are becoming increasingly important.

“I want to be able to quiet my mind when I need to,” she said. “That ability may be what helps us solve problems in a world where information is overwhelming.”

The launch also reflected Macau’s wider push to diversify its economy and connect more closely with Hengqin’s technology and innovation ecosystem. For a city long reliant on gaming and tourism, the wellness-focused project fits into a regional effort to blend health, education and digital transformation while still drawing on traditional Chinese philosophy.

Corporate trainer Ben Wong, who has been working with students in Macau, said the current moment should be seen as part of a longer history of technological disruption.

“AI is powerful, but is it you?” he asked, recalling conversations with secondary school students. “It has many ideas, but does it know what you truly want to do?”

Wong compared the present moment with earlier industrial revolutions, saying that while some jobs disappeared, others were created. He said the difference now is the growing importance of what he called “emotional value” in the economy.

“Society has moved from products to services, and now to emotional value – focusing on people,” he said.

He also tied the discussion to traditional Chinese thinking, saying concepts such as balance and interconnectedness can help people navigate uncertainty. Referring to yin-yang principles, he argued that modern problems cannot be reduced to simple either-or choices.

“If we only focus on right and wrong, we cannot resolve complex situations,” Wong said. “In Chinese wisdom, balance is not opposition – it is coexistence.”

That message echoed the event’s broader emphasis on “holistic health,” a concept gaining traction in both mainland China and Macau after the pandemic and its lockdowns.

Earlier in the event, a representative from the Yangsheng Education Centre, a partner organization of the launch, said meditation can be a practical way to manage stress in both school and work settings. “Meditation is something you can do anytime, anywhere – you don’t need to rely on others,” she said. “It’s a simple tool, but it helps you deal with pressure and emotional challenges.”

The representative added that many young people are now struggling with anxiety about the future, especially when it comes to job security in an AI-driven economy.

“The more information you consume, the more anxious you can become,” she said. “But when your mind is constantly racing and stuck, meditation can act like a pause button.”

The event itself was designed to reflect that philosophy.

Before the panel discussion, participants took part in a 15-minute guided meditation session, reinforcing the community’s focus on practice rather than theory alone.

In Macau, where high-pressure industries and a fast-moving service economy shape daily life, the focus on mental well-being may be especially relevant.

Macau athlete and health coach Margaret Ao said her performance improved only after she shifted her attention inward.

“When I am at my calmest and most focused state, that’s when I perform at my best,” she said. “It’s not just for athletes – it’s something everyone can develop.”

Ao also warned against constant comparison and outside validation, saying both can weaken performance and well-being.

“You have to bring your attention back to yourself,” she said. “Don’t focus too much on others or judge them.”

That same theme of self-awareness ran through the remarks of the community’s founder, who said the project grew out of years of work in Macau’s entrepreneurial and social sectors, including youth initiatives and TEDx events.

Reflecting on her own path, she said a turning point came when she began prioritizing inner clarity over outside activity.

“In the past, I thought many things were meaningful,” she said. “But later I realized what truly matters – understanding your mission and contributing to the world in a way that aligns with it.”

The Grace Wellness founder acknowledged that launching the community had involved uncertainty, mirroring the anxieties faced by many professionals today. Even so, she said those challenges reinforced the need for mental resilience.

“In the AI era, hard technology is the foundation,” she said. “But a stable mind, clear awareness, and strong collaboration are the truly irreplaceable strengths.”

As Mak noted, the deeper challenge is not only adjusting to artificial intelligence, but also redefining what it means to live and work meaningfully alongside it.

“Meaning is not something given to you,” she said. “It comes from how you connect with others, how you work, and how you care.” Nadia Shaw, Hengqin