Junior Docents Trained to Lead Tours Around “Thirty Houses” Passing on Community History and Culture

Wong Kan-oi, Chairman of the Central Thirty Houses Kaifong Yu Lan Association, explains vividly the traditions and stories of Yulan Festival to the primary students. 

The Yulan Festival, held on the 24th of the seventh Chinese month every year, is suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To pass on history and culture of the Thirty Houses community to younger generations, the URA is set to organise guided tours, led by primary students as junior docents, to help visitors explore the area. The programme, named “Tour round the Community with Students”, has recruited a group of 16 primary five students from Catholic Mission School in the neighbourhood, and offered them a 3-day training workshop to familiarise with local characteristics and guiding techniques. To give first-hand account of the past, residents were invited to give oral history about their daily lives in the community, as well as the traditions of Yulan Festival.

During the docent training workshop, Lau Cho-kong and his wife, retirees who have been living on Caine Road for over 50 years and are active members of the URA’s Community Farm Project, joyfully shared their knowledge about different plants and planting tips with the students. Mrs Lau hoped that through promoting the community farm, people regardless of age can appreciate the joy of gardening.

Community Farm volunteers Mr and Mrs Lau (upper photo), along with Ko Chun-yin and Lok Man-kwan (lower photo) who are living in the community housing at Wing Lee Street, share their life moments in the neighbourhood with the junior docents.

Inside the community housing on Wing Lee Street offered by the URA to Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, residents Ko Chun-yin and Lok Man-kwan shared their fond memory of enjoying the Poon Choi (Basin) Feast held on Wing Lee Street every Chinese New Year.

Wong Kan-oi, Chairman of the Central Thirty Houses Kaifong Yu Lan Association, showed the junior docents some old photos and explained vividly the traditions of Yulan Festival. Wong said while the traditions have gradually become obsolete as young people refuse to take over the organising role, he hoped the primary students could learn more about these old traditions and stories.

Law Yu, the teacher of the participating students, hoped the activity could enhance her students’ sense of belonging to the community. Besides introducing the community to visitors, she hoped her students, by becoming docents, could reflect on how to contribute to the community as one of its member.

Law Yu, the students’ teacher, hopes the docent training activity can enhance the students’ sense of belonging to the community.