Education chief visits Yan'an on study tour of historical sites

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin led a delegation of Chinese history teachers on a study tour of historical sites of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' & Peasants' Red Army in Yan'an.

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' & Peasants' Red Army and reinforce the Education Bureau's promotion of the teaching strategy of learning history through cultural artefacts in recent years, the bureau organized a study tour for Chinese history teachers.

Through field trips to Xi'an and Yan'an in Shaanxi Province as well as sharing and exchanges, the teachers learned about the essence and significance of the Long March Spirit and the Yan'an Spirit, towards subsequently incorporating their insights into teaching.

Choi led the delegation to a number of historical sites, including the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall, to learn about the revolutionary history of the Communist Party of China and the developments and experiences during the Yan'an period, and explore ways to deepen the study of history through the cultural artefacts and historical resources of the memorial hall.

The education chief noted that this was the first time the bureau organised the Yan'an revolutionary history study tour, and it was of pioneering significance.

She pointed out that apart from retracing the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors and learning about the hardships of the Communist Party of China in building the country, the teachers were given opportunities to appreciate important archaeological discoveries in Shaanxi Province and learn about the scientific preservation and restoration of cultural artefacts during the tour, deepening their understanding of learning history through cultural artefacts.

Ms Choi hoped that the teachers would bring back their insights to Hong Kong and integrate them into their classroom teaching, deepen students' understanding of the arduous journey of the Communist Party of China in building the country, and teach them the importance of cherishing hard-earned achievements.

She also expressed hope that the teachers could collectively forge ahead with their fellow educators to promote Chinese history education, and guide students to cultivate interests in and discover the meaning of learning Chinese history.

More than 20 secondary school Chinese history teachers participated in the study tour.

In addition to visiting historical sites, the delegation toured the Shaanxi Archaeology Museum and Northwest University. They also observed lessons and conducted professional exchanges on teaching resources at a secondary school in Yan'an.