Year 10s Unveil the Mysteries of Chinese Culture – a Memorable Trip to the Hong Kong Palace Museum
By Chi Yan Ng and Hannah Chan
On November 1st, 2023, Year 10 students from RCHK had the opportunity to visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum to end their first unit – all about the beauty of Chinese art.
The students were accompanied by their Chinese teachers as well as the Head of Year 10 — Ms Rebecca Thompson. Students were given the opportunity to explore different exhibitions, observe the significant features of objects from various dynasties, and immerse themselves in elements of Chinese history and culture.
While students were given free time to look around at exhibits that interest them, the Chinese teachers also had them complete a quiz regarding the main subject of each exhibit, information about the artifacts on display, as well as their thoughts and inspiration afterward. By assigning the students tasks such as taking a picture of an exhibit created in their respective house dynasty, or explaining the symbolism behind an animal displayed on an artifact, students were given the freedom to explore the museum freely whilst making the most out of the field trip.
Ms Danni Li, the Chinese department head, described the field trip as a positive experience for both the students and teachers involved. As the Palace Museum opened during the peak of COVID, this was the first time for many to visit. The field trip especially intrigued those who are interested in learning about the past in areas like household decorations, clothing, and jewelry.
Ms Li also said that “it was really nice to see students being able to put what they have learned in the classroom into a real-life exploration,” believing that “textbooks are not the only solution for students to learn effectively.” She originally intended to create “an interdisciplinary unit with the Visual Art team,” integrating both subjects into the field trip. However, they weren’t able to make this happen as “not all Year 10 students take the subject anymore”. Ms Li hopes that they will be able to coordinate this for the next academic year, perhaps for a younger year level that still takes Visual Art.
The field trip was enjoyable for all, with many students praising the field trip for giving them a memorable experience, especially in the phases where students have not experienced any formal introduction towards Chinese culture. One student, in particular, thought the artifacts on display were very visually appealing to visit due to the huge variety of choices they were given. However, students also expressed the want to spend more time at exhibitions they were particularly interested in.
Overall, this field trip was highly successful and a chance for students to learn more about Chinese culture from a different perspective. Through interactive activities at the museum, observation of the different exhibits, and answering questions on the Google form quiz, it is safe to say that every student learned something that would not have been possible in the classroom or through a textbook and got to spend time outside of their comfort zones. In the future, younger secondary students at RCHK will hopefully be given the opportunity to visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum as part of their Chinese Curriculum. We recommend those who have an interest in Chinese culture, history, and arts visit the museum, as it offers a perfect opportunity to indulge in the numerous aspects of Chinese history and culture.
