SHYA officiates at inauguration ceremony of youth internship programme in Dunhuang (with photos)
5.6.2024

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, officiated at the inauguration ceremony of the Dunhuang Youth Internship Programme 2024 today (June 5) in Dunhuang. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) launched a new round of the Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland (Thematic Programmes) in March this year, to provide Hong Kong youth with diverse, unique and in-depth internship opportunities, allowing them to gain first-hand understanding and experience of the latest developments of the country and the world. The Dunhuang Youth Internship Programme 2024 is one of the projects under the new round of the Thematic Programmes, which is funded by the HYAB and supported by the Dunhuang Academy. Twenty Hong Kong young people participating in the programme will receive training and undertake internship at the Dunhuang Academy. After passing the assessment, they will become guide trainees of the Mogao Caves, gaining valuable work experience from offering guided service for tourists in caves and promoting Dunhuang culture. Miss Mak expresses gratitude to the Dunhuang Academy for its continuous support for the youth development work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government over the years. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Miss Mak said that the Dunhuang Academy enabled Hong Kong youth to acquire knowledge of heritage conservation and restoration, as well as understanding Dunhuang art and culture through the Dunhuang Youth Internship Programme since 2018. Miss Mak said, "The art of Dunhuang is our country's invaluable cultural treasure. Dunhuang culture holds a prestigious position across different fields in the country and the world. Upon completion of the training, the youth interns will serve as guide trainees, explaining Dunhuang culture to tourists, which will foster their sense of mission to preserve Dunhuang culture." After the inauguration ceremony, Miss Mak exchanged views with the interns. She expressed her hope that the students would seize the opportunity and learn the "Mogao Spirit" in a humble manner. Accompanied by instructors of the Dunhuang Academy yesterday morning (June 4), Miss Mak visited the facilities in the Academy, including the Mogao Caves digital exhibition centre, the Multi-Field Coupling Environmental Laboratory of Immovable Heritage, the monitoring centre of the conservation research institute and the Dunhuang grottoes cultural relics conservation research and exhibition centre. In the afternoon, she observed the interns' cave-learning activities and was briefed by the Academy's instructor on the internship work. The internship programme lasts for six weeks, during which the students will gain an in-depth understanding of Dunhuang's humanities and geography as well as cultural relic protection from art, culture, history, folklore, science and other aspects, under the guidance of experts and scholars from the Academy. Arrangements were also made for them to participate in cultural activities and visits, and engage in thorough exchanges with local people to deepen their internship experiences. âMiss Mak will commence her visit to Chengdu tonight.