In the old days, since the medicine was not well developed, health was wealth. Healthy growth of children has become the common wish of every traditional Chinese family, and this was reflected on the traditional children’s clothing. The education team has visited the exhibition “Wearable Blessings: Traditional Chinese Children's Clothing” at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, learning the blessings embraced in different traditional children’s clothing and the countless stories behind it.

Dating from the late Qing dynasty to the Republican period, the exhibition presents more than 200 items/sets of children's clothing, from head to toe. Besides the popular symbolic motifs of health, auspiciousness and wealth, some were embroidered with pictures depicting either drama scenes or moral teaching contents. While most Chinese are familiar with the symbolic motifs, one may still be impressed by masterly sewing skill, and therefore gained a more profound feeling upon the sentiments bestowed on the clothing. In the past, most children’s clothing were sown by family members. Before the children were born, the family has begun to prepare different kinds of clothing and accessories. Parents’ efforts could be translated into how much care for their children, sewing love and also the cultural meanings into their clothes.

The design of traditional children’s clothing can also reflect social norms and customs. In the past, it was common for children from rural villages to wear dudou (an apron liked undergarment) but no pants. Dudou prevents children from exposing their stomach and catching a cold, but it does not wrap around their hips, saving parents from the trouble of washing and replacing pants or diapers; even for pants, some would leave a hole open at the bottom. The exhibition has also shown children’s clothing in the Hoklo (or Hokkien, a cultural-linguistic group originating in southeast China). Since many Hoklo are fishermen, fish, prawns and other marine life are common motifs on their children’s clothing. Hoklo children wear bibs with little bells attached, notifying their location on the boat to the adults in order to be safe.

The City University of Hong Kong and National Palace Museum in Taipei co-organize the exhibition to not only reveal and reinterpret the most advanced watercraft in the 19th century - Tong-an ships, but also further explain the maritime of Southern Asia including the story of the rise of the "Pirate King", Cheung Po-tsai in Hong Kong during the period. The exhibition makes use of the forward technology - holographic projection to shorten the distance between the audience and those historical figures such as Jiaqing Emperor of Qing dynasty, Li Chang-geng, Cheung Po-tsai, and let the audience experience those figures’ situations at the time. It also features interactive installations with naked-eye 3D giving participants a journey of fighting with pirates.

Held by the Singapore Mother Tongue Language Learning and Promotion Committees, the 4th Mother Tongue Languages Symposium has started from August 25, 2015. Including a series of promotion booths and workshops, this event worked as a platform for different schools and organizations to introduce their mother tongue teaching materials and methods to educators and parents. Our education team was invited by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning and Singapore Press Holdings to attend the open ceremony and hold a series of workshops. Through this opportunity, we met up with different local Art and Culture education organizations for further exchange and development in Singapore.

Our tutors conduced a parent-child storytelling workshop called "The Best Gift" in which a leading role of the story, Piggy, is seeking a birthday gift for her mother. Throughout the plot, piggy led the participating children discovering different blessed meanings hidden in the daily objects, and learning traditional Chinese culture and its moral values in a relaxed mood.

Besides the Mother Tongue Languages Symposium, we also held "The Best Gift" workshop at the Programme Zone of Library@Chinatown (National Library Board Singapore). The feedbacks from the participating parents were positive. They were pleased that does the workshop not simply deliver a relaxed learning atmosphere but also emphasize moral education to the children.

Acknowledgement: this event is partly supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Starting from January 2015, the education team collaborated with a Singapore youth magazine, Thumbs Up, publishing a Chinese culture thematic column to promote Chinese culture in the local community every month. Through the stories about a prince, the columnist led children to explore different growth issues. In August, the education team especially arranged the Little Prince to meet up with the readers in Singapore at a public workshop - "Little Prince in Treasure Hunting" held in Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Centre. The workshop helped children learning how to be a good leader and reminded them to set up and go for their own goal via an activity of designing a stamp.

Besides SPH, invited by Ai Tong School from Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan , the education team also conducted the workshop for a class of Primary 4, letting the students learn more imperial members in the past. SHHK is devoted at promoting Chinese traditional culture education for different age-groups. After the workshop, with 33 teachers from different schools of SHHK, the education team got a chance to exchange viewpoints and experiences about culture promotion, and discuss the possibility of introducing education contents to their schools.

Acknowledgement: this event is partly supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Baba House is built in 1920s, a commonly seen shop-house in Southeast Asia. After a careful restoration, the Peranakan shop-house is open in 2008 for public.

One may trace different cultural footprints from Baba House. Just like the shop-house in Hong Kong, Baba House has a narrow frontage and a deep lot, a British urban form accommodated with the tropical regions. On the façade, most Singaporean shop-house has European-styled windows, while ornamentation on the wall varies with different cultural backgrounds. As for Baba House, with little or none structural needs, a tile roof was constructed on the façade at the 1/F level, and sparrow braces were located in the joint of the beam and the column, giving a Chinese touch for its appearance. Inside the house, traditional Chinese furnishing was arranged for the deep and narrow three-storeys space, with an exception in the kitchen. In the past, when a rich merchant from the West or China married a local lady and settled in Singapore, the husband’s cultural background dominate family life and major aspect, such as architectural style and religious beliefs, while the wife’s cultural background tend to expressed in minor details, such as cooking and dressing.

The neighborhood where Baba House locates is a residential area, the shop-houses (with no shops) have developed distinctive features to protect privacy. Unlike the common shop-houses, their low walls on each side extend towards the street, forming a private space, which discontinued the colonnaded footway. It is hard to imagine pedestrians and hawkers are welcomed. At the entrance, Baba house has a pair of latticed doors, which is about three quarters of its front door. In order to facilitate air circulation and lighting while protect the family’s privacy, the front door would be wide open but the latticed doors remain closed during daytime.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has restored the house and showcased a 1920s Peranakan Chinese family life to the public. The house has kept exquisite Chinese household wares, such as ritual use dinner ware, and also western commondities like the Singer sewing machine, the His Master Voice gramophone and more alike. To preserve the feeling of 1920s, restoration was conducted in a very cautious manner, preventing Baba House to look brand new. The wood structures in good condition were either kept or reuse, minimising the use of new bought material. Its strict conservation measures reflect the expectation of the owner and NUS, preserving a heritage that lends insights into Singapore’s history, more than turning it into a tourist attraction.

Acknowledgement: this event is partly supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

People often just perceive Ch'an practice as Buddhist meditation which must take place at a remote temple, an unmoved sitting posture or even a slower paced lifestyle, etc. Does any of the above truly represent Ch'an practice?

The education team, together with the members from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and the CnC, joined a programme called "One-day Mediation" held by Dharma Drum Mountain at their activity centre in Sai Ying Pun. Meanwhile, the master of Dharma Drum Mountain and his volunteers introduced the practitioners the philosophy and method of Ch'an practice for balancing body and mind.  Apart from knowing the basic concept, the practitioners were able to experience different kinds of Ch'an practice such as Sitting Ch'an, Eating Meditation and Tea Ch'an, learning how to relax, and enhancing the power of self-knowing and self-correcting.

During the programme, the master mentioned "Ch'an" is a practice aiming at regulating and being aware of one's body and mind. When one focuses his mind on the action of breathing or moving, and reminds himself: "body at meditation hall, mind also at meditation hall", he will gradually calm down himself and leave all the burdens behind. People who live in a busy world would easily neglect their own mind. The process of Ch'an practice let the practitioners rediscover themselves as detailed as chewing habits or walking gestures. This programme provided the participants not only an opportunity to settle down and talk to their own mind but also a peaceful day to enjoy and recharge themselves both mentally and physically. 

Starting from ancient times, Chinese science and technology has kept developing and improving human's lives significantly. At the period between the end of Ming and the beginning of Qing, many foreign missionaries brought in a series of scientific instruments to China that not simply created a scientific integration between west and east but reached a record high of scientific and cultural exchanges. Organised by the Hong Kong Science Museum, "Western Scientific Instruments of the Qing Court" Exhibition has presented about 120 exhibits in 8 themes, including paintings, astronomy, mathematics, measurement, medicine, weapons, clocks and watches, and articles for daily use. Via the diverse collections of exhibits, audience can further comprehend how those western scientific instruments influenced the development of science in China at the time.

The education team, together with the members from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop Limited, joined a toured guide held by Ms. Chan Shuk-man, Paulina (Curator - Exhibit), to learn about the scientific accomplishments in China and the West during the Ming and Qing dynasties.  Through Ms. Chan's explaination, our tutors realized that did the instruments not only represent a certain period of scientific knowledge of human beings but also recorded many historical and cultural incidents which are worth for further investigation. Moreover, the exhibition also provided various interactive installations that helps audience to experience the actual operation of the instruments and understand the scientific principles behind them.

Please click the following link for the details of "Western Scientific Instruments of the Qing Court" Exhibition.

In order to let more readers learn about the Chinese culture via the book series of ‘We All Live in Forbidden City’, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation (RHFF), together with the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop Limited (CnC), decided to organize a series of book donation activities for different Chinese readers in different regions. Meanwhile, the CnC team invited an experienced volunteer of "Share the Warmth in Northern Thailand" Charity Project, Mr. Tsang Sing Ming (TVB communications deputy director), to share various educational issues of Chinese language schools in Northern Thailand.

There are about a hundred thousands of Chinese people living in the mountainous natural region of Northern Thailand. In fact, they were those being abandoned in Northern Thailand and Myanmar at the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Until today, in despite of facing many tough living issues and the shortage of education resources, they still insist on learning in Chinese and using traditional Chinese to study the Chinese culture.

Through the activities of book donation, the team looks forward to share cultural delights and the joy of reading with the local children and teenagers, while delivering our care and respect. 

Please click here to visit Wah Yan Cultural Foundation.

Beijing is not only the capital of China today but also the capitals of Jin dynasty, Yuen dynasty, Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. As a city, Beijing has history stretching back 3,000 years.  The education team visited the Beijing Capital Museum for 2 exhibitions  'Ancient Capital • History and Culture of Beijing' and 'Folk Customs in Old Beijing'.  Through reviewing the historical development and cultural aspects of Beijing, we understood more about the city in general. Besides learning from the display methods, we also expected to explore more cultural substances behind the exhibits.

China Science and Technology Museum is the major national science museum in China. Through providing various exhibits and experimental activities, it helps enhancing scientific knowledge of the general public. To cater for different age-groups, the museum is divided into two separate sessions, Children's Scientific Amusement Park and regular main exhibition hall, displaying different aspects of scientific world to audience.

During the trip, our tutors mainly focused on studying the display arrangement of contents and installations at Children's Scientific Amusement Park.  In fact, in order to gear up the spirit of discovery among children and explain the profound scientific theories in simple language, the installations and exhibits were enhanced with many interesting elements such as genuine-articles, animations, etc. Moreover some of the installations also allowed the target audience to experience via a series of sensory stimulation and interactive activities. They gave a strong impression to those children who never have the related knowledge before.

In each day, the stuff there would conduct 2 sessions of experiment leading children to learn some common scientific theories of everyday life. For example, do you know why the MTR passengers need to stand behind the yellow while waiting trains? It’s because it can prevent the passengers being drawn away from the platform by the impulse of moving train. Indeed, there are a lot of scientific theories existing in our daily lives. Once having a spirit of discovery or curiosity in mind, we will explore more in the future!

The education team visited Shijia Hutong Museum to further explore the living style of traditional folks in Beijing.

Shijia Hutong Museum was a redevelopment project held by China government and the British Prince’s Charities Foundation (PCF). The project aimed to conserve and rebuild Shijia Hutong’s Courtyard 24 into a form of museum in order to introduce living space of Beijing Hutong to the public.

The museum displayed a series of city planning drafts from different periods of time giving audience a chance to learn more about the historical development of Hutong. Shijia Hutong’s Courtyard was originally a place that many literati and famous people, such as the writer Ling Shu-hua, were living in. Through exhibiting those famous people’s old photos and letters, the audience was able to review their stories again. In order to reappear the previous living style, the museum collected a lot of old tiles for rebuilding the courtyard; on the other side, displayed a series of 50’s and 70’s everyday objects including chairs, tables, kettles, bicycles, sewing machine, etc. in the venue.

Starting from March 14, The Hong Kong Museum of Art holds an exhibition called “The Wonders of Bamboo: Chinese Bamboo Carving”, displaying a fine collection with over hundred pieces of Chinese bamboo carving sculpture donated by Dr Ip Yee (1921-1984). The CnC team was grateful that the Museum of Art curator Raymond Tang conducted a guided tour especially for us, leading the team to reveal different stories behind the exhibits and to comprehend Dr Ip Yee’s thought in promoting bamboo carving as well.  

Bamboo is commonly found in China. It is not only a food source but also a unique material to produce daily utensils and fuel. In Ancient China, bamboo was used for scrolls and writing tools. In terms of cultural aspect, bamboo was a popular subject among Chinese literati and its symbolic meanings created a profound impact to the Chinese culture. For instance, one can find that bamboo was referred as one of the “Four Gentlemen” and one of “Three Friends of Winter” in Chinese literature. Since bamboo carving became an Art in the late Ming dynasty, bamboo art products were getting popular. During Qing dynasty, many fine bamboo sculptures were being produced and adored by literati, bureaucrats and rich merchants. Through Tang’s explanation, the team was able to appreciate different Chinese bamboo Art in different periods of China and get inspired to think of bamboo’s value in terms of traditional craft via learning the techniques of bamboo carving.

A series of historical photos leads you to reveal different aspects of old Hong Kong.

The special event – “HONG KONG.psd”, co-organized by Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH), the Hong Kong University Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies Alumni Association (MACHSAA) and Design and Cultural Studies Workshop (CnC), through revealing 10 pieces of old photos provided by Moonchu Foundation, has showcased the social outlook and lifestyles of Hong Kong in the past.

The event included exhibition, talk and voting activity. In order to encourage young people to know more about Hong Kong history and local culture, the organizers also gathered a pool of secondary school students from different schools working as tour-guides for the exhibition held at HKMH. Before the exhibition started, they especially invited the Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong University Master of Arts in Chinese Historical Studies Alumni Association, Mr Ma Koon-yiu, to give a training session on the 10 historical photos to the students enhancing their understanding of the stories behind those photos.

The education team is grateful to take part on the training session to learn the stories about those photos and the techniques of being a tour-guide. As a tour-guide, one needs to deliver accurate information, but also explore related stories connected to the daily lives of the audience. The students are both tour-guides and audience. Via this event, the organizers are expecting the students could gain a sense of belonging to the historical culture of Hong Kong.

Anyway, we all look forward to the students’ good performance at the event. 

For details about the event, please visit www.hkpsd.org.

The latest thematic workshop – "1001 Objects" , has been sharing interesting stories about "Tea, Chair, Bowl and Chopsticks". To learn more about the Chinese objects to enrich the workshop, the education team joined a guided tour called "Classical Elegance and Traditional Craftsmanship – Chinese Furniture & Culture" at QiSiMu: Chinese Classical Rosewood Furniture.

All the furniture there was made by huanghuali rosewood. Did each single masterpiece not only present with the traditional Chinese craftsmanship but also retained and gave play to the beauty of the original patterns and color-tones of the wood. The guided tour explored the development of traditional Chinese furniture, the comparison among different kinds of furniture and, the characteristic & crafting technique of Ming style & Qing style furniture. The tour-guide encouraged our team members to try on and even disassemble some furniture there.

The furniture with different forms and shapes has different characters. Their characters become profound when there is personal contact. Take chairs for example, when you sit on a chair, you would naturally adjust your body, and hence your mentality accordingly. When your arms rested on the armrests, you could imagine yourself dressing in a dignified ancient Chinese robe, sitting upright on the furniture. The tour guide mentioned that downsizing of traditional furniture is a significant change to cater the living space today. When the furniture has reduced to a certain size its function would also be converted to be another. For example, a miniature clothes-hanger would become a display-stand of jewelry or ink-brush.

Besides the delicate wooden furniture, the tour guide did challenge our tutors with some little wooden gadgets. With a preset order and combination, different parts of the gadget could firmly lock up each other. Through reassembling the parts, one could see how magical it was.

The impact of culture is not limited to geographical boundaries.  In ancient time, the frequent exchange activities, in terms of economy, religion and politics, among countries made the Chinese culture leave the traces in different parts of the world. Today, thanks for the exchanges among different museums that grant us a glimpse of different cultures in the world.

The education team tutors, together with the other members from RHFF and CnC, visited the “Dunhuang-Untold Tales, Untold Riches” Exhibition. In fact, the study and preservation of Dunhuang cultural relics were highly being concerned these years. Though most of the exhibits were not genuine, the imitations of colored sculpture, wall-painting and caves looked very real and natural to us. Apart from learning the importance of Dunhuang in the development of religion, art and culture in the past, our tutors were impressed by the hard-work and enthusiasm the Chinese/foreign scholars have put on studying, preserving and promoting Dunhuang.

Russian territory extend across the Northern Asia and Eastern Europe. The royal members of Russia came from different countries and their diplomatic activities were actively frequent, reflected by the architecture of Tsar’s Village and the decorations in the palace. The "Treasures from Tsarskoye Selo, Residence of the Russian Monarchs" exhibition held by the Hong Kong Museum of History exhibited over 200 genuine relics not only giving us a glance at the living style of Russian monarchs but also recalling us the relationships between Russia and the other countries.