SED leads delegation of Chinese history teachers to visit Yan’an (with photos)
The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, yesterday (March 31) and today (April 1) led a delegation of Chinese history teachers on a study tour of historical sites of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Yan'an.
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and reinforce the Education Bureau (EDB)'s promotion of the teaching strategy of "learning history through cultural artefacts" in recent years, the EDB organised "Retracing the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors: from Yan'an to Xi'an – 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, teachers learned about the essence and significance of the Long March Spirit and the Yan'an Spirit, towards subsequently incorporating their insights into teaching.
Dr 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.
Dr Choi said that it was the first time that the EDB organised the Yan'an revolutionary history study tour, and it was of a pioneering significance. Apart from retracing the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors and learning about the hardships of the Communist Party of China in building the country, 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".
Dr Choi hoped that teachers will 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 the hard-earned achievements that did not come easily. She also hoped that teachers can 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.
Dr Choi expressed gratitude to the Department of Education of Shaanxi Province, the Education Bureau of Yan'an City and various units for their strong support for the exchange activities, enabling the smooth conduction of the study tour.
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.
Dr Choi will depart tomorrow (April 2) for Kunming, Yunnan, to continue her visit.
