Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme fosters appreciation for cultural heritage among younger generation

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF), the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme engages secondary school students to deepen their understanding and practice of traditional Chinese culture through unique, multi-level educational experiences not typically offered in schools.

The programme, implemented by OHKF’s Academy of Chinese Studies, has organised a Fun Fair currently underway at Tai Kwun until 18 August, promoting Chinese culture and showcasing the achievements of participating students from the past year. Additionally, a commendation ceremony was held today (17 August) to honour Chinese Culture Ambassadors who have completed the programme, celebrating their dedication to learning and preserving cultural heritage.

Officiating guests at the ceremony included Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Lester Huang, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Bernard Chan, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Lee Yeh-kwong, Honourary Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies; Prof Lee Chack-fan, Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies; Dr Jane Lee, President of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Dr Yau Yat, Executive Director of the Academy of Chinese Studies and Joel Poon, Vice President, Corporate Communications of Our Hong Kong Foundation.

Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government (4th left); Lester Huang, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (4th right); Bernard Chan, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation (3rd left); Lee Yeh-kwong, Honourary Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies (3rd right); Prof Lee Chack-fan, Chairman of the Council of the Academy of Chinese Studies; (2nd left); Dr Jane Lee, President of Our Hong Kong Foundation (2nd right); Dr Yau Yat, Executive Director of the Academy of Chinese Studies (1st left) and Joel Poon, Vice President, Corporate Communications of Our Hong Kong Foundation officiate at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Commendation Ceremony (1st right).

The Club has long been committed to promoting Chinese culture, fostering its appreciation among the public, particularly the younger generation. The Club actively supports the vision of establishing Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Lester Huang said: “The Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme deepens students’ understanding and practice of Chinese culture through interactive, multi-level learning experiences. It nurtures cultural confidence, humanistic qualities and positive values. The three-year programme is expected to benefit over 75,000 students, educators and members of the community.”

Club Steward Lester Huang delivers a speech at the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Commendation Ceremony.

Guided by the theme of Chinese aesthetics, the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme is centred around three pillars: Art of Handicraft, Art of Architecture and Art of Costumes. Through a progressive journey across cultural modules covering everyday arts, traditional attire and architecture, students gain a holistic understanding of Chinese culture’s beauty while cultivating positive character traits and values. Interactive taster sessions bring cultural groups into schools, delivering engaging talks on key cultural topics to students, educators and parents. Hands-on workshops allow students to explore practices such as a tea ceremony, lion dance, Cantonese opera and traditional architectural modelling, combining practical engagement and intellectual curiosity. Students demonstrating potential and enthusiasm are selected to join the advanced Chinese Culture Ambassador Training Programme. This includes small-group workshops and study visits to Chinese architectural heritage sites in Hong Kong and the Mainland, where students experience intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship and deepen their cultural knowledge. Once training is completed, the Chinese Culture Ambassadors share their learning in care institutions, coordinated by community organisations, translating their experiences into meaningful social impact.

Officiating guests and student ambassadors from the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme.

The Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Fun Fair underway at Tai Kwun showcases students’ learning outcomes of the past year while also bringing together programme partners to celebrate Chinese culture with the public through interactive booths, live performances and workshops, offering citizens a rich and immersive cultural experience.

The Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme Fun Fair showcases students’ learning outcomes of the past year while also bringing together programme partners to celebrate Chinese culture with the public through interactive booths, live performances and workshops, offering citizens a rich and immersive cultural experience.

The Club’s support for the Jockey Club Exploring Chinese Culture Ambassador Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Guests tour Tai Kwun.

In support of cross‑sector collaboration to advance sustainable development, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, through its Charities Trust, has approved a donation of over HK$426 million to support The University of Hong Kong (HKU) in establishing and operating the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute. The donation also supports the creation of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships, with the aim of bringing together distinguished international scholars from diverse fields to provide global insights into local needs and to transform research findings into practical policy recommendations and solutions for a more liveable and resilient Hong Kong - so contributing to the betterment of society.

Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward (left) and Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong (right) officiate at the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships was held on 5 May. Attending guests included Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward, Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong; Prof Yang Wang, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) of The University of Hong Kong; Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of Business School of The University of Hong Kong and three endowed professors: Professor Guojun He, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics; Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting, and Professor Uta Schönberg, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics.

Rimsky Yuen, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward (3rd left); Prof Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong (centre); Prof Yang Wang, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) of The University of Hong Kong (1st left); Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of Business School of The University of Hong Kong; and the three endowed professors (2nd left): Professor Guojun He, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (3rd right); Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting (1st right), and Professor Uta Schönberg, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (2nd right) attend the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

Congratulating the four eminent scholars on their appointments, including Professor Roni Michaely, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Finance and Entrepreneurship, who was unable to attend the ceremony, Club Steward Rimsky Yuen said that, with the support of the four endowed professorships, the institute is well-placed to become a world-class knowledge hub, providing actionable insights that can deliver meaningful impact in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond. He added that the Club has supported many groundbreaking initiatives at HKU over the years. This reflects the Club’s long-standing investment in human capital and higher education, and its commitment to nurturing leaders who can propel the city’s economic development and sustain the prosperity of the nation.

Club Steward Rimsky Yuen delivers a speech at the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute aims to become a world-class hub for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainability best practice in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond with respect to three core aspects:

1）Research — Create four endowed professorships in the disciplines of economics, finance, entrepreneurship, and accounting. Under the leadership of the appointed scholars, the Institute will foster multidisciplinary collaboration and integrate knowledge with practice and transform top-tier research into actionable solutions.
2）Engagement — Develop a sustainability index, offer consultancy and advisory services, and organise conferences, seminars and international summits to facilitate dialogues and forge cross‑sector partnerships.
3）Education — Curate sustainability related courses and interdisciplinary initiatives to equip forward-looking sustainability professionals.

The Club’s support for the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Group photo.