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.

The TWGHs “iRun” – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026 (iRun) took place today (11 January) along the Central and Western District Promenade and Lung Wo Road. This year, the event, supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, saw a record turnout of over 5,500 runners of varying abilities and their pair-up partners joined the fun while promoting social inclusion.

Over 5,500 runners, including participants of varying abilities and their pair-up partners, participated in iRun 2026 to promote social inclusion within the community.

Among the officiating guests cheering on the runners were HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun, Club Steward Philip Lo and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng.

HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (3rd left), Club Steward Philip Lo (3rd right) and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng (2nd left) officiate at the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.

Club Steward Philip Lo (centre) receives a souvenir from HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (left), accompanied by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 4th Vice-Chairman cum Chairman of Community Services Committee Jason Lee (right).

HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (centre), Club Steward Philip Lo (right) and iRun ambassador So Wa-wai (left).

Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Philip Lo emphasised that the significance of iRun extends beyond a single day of competition. The initiative provides diverse support to improve participants’ physical health and foster social inclusion. The Club has always placed great emphasis on the community’s needs, with “Health” being one of the strategic priorities of its Charity’s Trust. It consistently supports various organisations, including the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), to launch initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles and enhance citizens’ overall quality of life.

Club Steward Philip Lo delivers a speech at the starting ceremony of the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.

Organised by TWGHs and supported by the Trust since 2012, iRun aims to give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of sports and become more involved with the community. 

A member of the CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team and runner pose for a photo.

This year’s event welcomed participants not only from Hong Kong but also Beijing, Guangdong Province and Macau. Runners with intellectual disabilities were paired with volunteers in a 3km challenge race, with pre-race training sessions arranged to help pairs get to know each other. The winning teams will receive sponsorship to participate in marathons outside Hong Kong, broadening their horizons and boosting their self-esteem.

Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.

This year, the event once again hosted the 1km “iRun for Family”, giving children aged six to 11 with intellectual disabilities and their families the chance to enjoy sporting fun together. To further promote social inclusion, a new “1km iRun Group” race was introduced to include participants with disabilities such as visually impairment, hearing impairment or those undergoing mental rehabilitation. About 800 volunteers, including members of the Club’s CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team, participated as pair-up runners or helpers to share the joy of running.

CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners receive the trophy for the Corporate Social Inclusion Tournament.

Additionally, the “i-Runners’ Club” provides regular training for participants under the guidance of professional coaches, while “Green Marathon” elements remain integral to the event to encourage waste reduction and recycling, and advocate for environmental awareness.

The Club’s support for iRun, 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.

Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.