A group of Hong Kong teachers who returned from a museum-themed Chinese mainland study tour said the cross-border exchange had deepened their understanding of cultural relics while empowering educators and schools to optimize Chinese history education.
They made their remarks on Wednesday during a sharing session about the five-day tour, which ran from June 27 to July 1 and included visits to various major museums in Shaanxi and Henan provinces.
A total of 25 secondary school teachers attended the trip, co-organized by the Education Bureau and the Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO) under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The teachers visited major museums in the ancient capitals of Xi'an and Luoyang, including the Xi'an Museum, the Shaanxi Archaeology Museum, the Shaanxi History Museum, and the Sui-Tang Dynasties Grand Canal Cultural Museum, as well as archaeological sites and cultural institutions, and took part in workshops, academic talks and exchanges with mainland experts.
The CCPO’s curator of Chinese culture, Carol Lau Sze-wing, said the program focused on professional learning and classroom application. With support from the cultural heritage administrations in Shaanxi and Henan, the tour enabled teachers to explore the civilization of Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties from historical, archaeological and cultural perspectives.
Leung Tung-yuen, a teacher from the Hong Kong Taoist Association - The Yuen Yuen Institute No.3 Secondary School, said participating in a five-day study tour was a valuable professional learning opportunity for Hong Kong teachers.
He said that visiting historical sites and viewing authentic artifacts helped him move beyond textbook-based teaching and develop a deeper understanding of history.
The experience also provided valuable resources and inspiration for future classroom teaching, Leung said.
He added that many junior secondary students currently show limited interest in conventional history lessons. By incorporating cultural relics into their lessons, teachers can guide students to better understand historical figures, social systems and cultural development.
Chu Chi-fu, senior curriculum development officer of the Education Bureau, said that cultural relics could serve as interdisciplinary teaching resources beyond history and Chinese language subjects, extending to areas such as science, technology and the arts.
All participating teachers are required to submit a teaching design based on the content they saw during the trip. Outstanding proposals will be selected and shared through future teacher training sessions, encouraging educators to transform field study experiences into innovative classroom practices and inspire students to engage with Chinese history and culture through experiential learning.
The teacher study tour program has been held for three consecutive years, with the aim of promoting Chinese culture education and supporting teachers’ professional development.
Zeng Ziwen contributed to the story.
Contact the writer at gangwen@chinadailyhk.com
