Miss Alice Mak Visits Sichuan for Giant Panda Conservation and Youth Internship Programme Closing Ceremony

2025-07-17 19:20 Last Updated At：19:28

SHYA visits Sichuan

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, began her visit to Sichuan today (July 17). She visited the Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) and the Wolong Natural Museum of the Giant Panda National Park. She also attended the closing ceremony of the 2025 Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park.

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SHYA visits Sichuan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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SHYA visits Sichuan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In the morning, Miss Mak visited the Shenshuping Base of the CCRCGP. Accompanied by the Hong Kong youth participating in the internship programme, she toured the facilities and the panda base which were rebuilt with Hong Kong's support. The interns, who served as guides, gave a detailed presentation about nature conservation and the caring and rearing of giant pandas. Miss Mak then visited the Wolong Natural Museum of the Giant Panda National Park, where the interns shared with her their work experiences and the natural ecological conservation work of the Wolong National Nature Reserve.

In the afternoon, Miss Mak attended the closing ceremony of the 2025 Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park, witnessing 20 Hong Kong youth successfully completing their internship journeys. In her speech, Miss Mak said that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) has collaborated with the Sichuan Wolong Nature Reserve Administration and the CCRCGP to organise the internship programme since 2017, providing Hong Kong youth with professional training and practical work experiences in nature conservation and ecotourism. She expressed gratitude to the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Forestry and Grassland, the Wolong Nature Reserve Administration and the CCRCGP for their long-standing support towards Hong Kong youth development, enabling students to gain practical experience through their internships.

Jointly organised by the HYAB and various Mainland official cultural, nature conservation and scientific research institutions, the HYAB Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland, offers six internship programmes, providing over 110 specialised internship positions for Hong Kong youth. Among them, the six-week Youth Internship Programme at Wolong Region of Giant Panda National Park is one of the programmes where interns will be guided by experts and scholars in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, and take on roles such as field researchers, ecotour guides, museum docents, giant panda education ambassadors and ecological education promotion experts.

Miss Mak will continue her visit to Sichuan tomorrow.

Social Workers Aid Wang Fuk Court Residents in Long-Term Rehousing Plans After Fire Incident

Collecting preferences of Wang Fuk Court flat owners to advance long-term rehousing work

A Government spokesman said today (January 9) that social workers under the "one social worker per household" service of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) are proactively contacting flat owners of Wang Fuk Court, who were affected by the fire. They are comprehensively and systematically gathering each owner's preliminary preferences regarding long-term rehousing to assist in formulating and implementing specific plans.

The Chief Executive previously instructed the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements to co-ordinate relevant policy bureaux and departments in studying long-term rehousing solutions. Adhering to the principles of "empathy, reason, and law", with priority given to "empathy", the Task Force aims to address the individual circumstances and preferences of residents while ensuring the efficient use of resources to assist affected households in rebuilding their homes.

The spokesman said, "Social workers from the SWD have been in contact with the residents, listening to their views, understanding their actual situations and needs, and providing necessary assistance. Regarding long-term accommodation, we have noticed differing opinions among flat owners and the community. For example, some hope that the Government will acquire the properties or give priority to Wang Fuk Court flat owners to purchase Home Ownership Scheme flats. Some residents seek local rehousing, while others accept rehousing in different districts. Some propose in-situ redevelopment, but there are also concerns about the lengthy waiting times.

"We hope to systematically and comprehensively collect Wang Fuk Court flat owners' opinions, further listening to and summarising their preferences. This includes identifying key principles that the Government should consider when addressing long-term accommodation arrangements and noting the flat owners’ initial preferences for different long-term rehousing options. This information will serve as a reference for the Government's follow-up actions."

Starting today, social workers under the SWD's "one social worker per household" service will begin contacting flat owners of Wang Fuk Court to gather their initial preferences regarding various long-term rehousing arrangements. The goal is to collect responses from the flat owners by mid-to-late January for analysis.

The spokesman said, "The Task Force will carefully compile and study the different preferences of flat owners and will conduct a comprehensive assessment based on the actual conditions at Wang Fuk Court, including structural safety, technical feasibility, and community planning. We aim to provide affected flat owners with suggestions regarding long-term proposals as soon as possible for their consideration and decision-making."

He said, "The Government and affected flat owners share a same objective: to implement solutions promptly and reassure them as soon as possible."

Following the fire, the Government arranged emergency accommodation for the affected residents of Wang Fuk Court in a short time frame. As of today, more than 4 400 residents are staying in hotels, youth hostels/camps, transitional housing, units from the Hong Kong Housing Society or Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun. Since December 22 last year, the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has provided each flat owner, in tranches, with a two-year rental subsidy up to a maximum of $300,000, giving them more flexibility and options in their accommodation arrangements.