​The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, today (July 10) led 30 Customs officers and 50 members of "Customs YES" to Xian to learn about the national cultural heritage conservation works.

     Ms Ho and the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Mr Li Qun, today attended the opening ceremony of the "Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Course on Capacity Building to Prevent Illegal Trafficking of Cultural Heritage", which was jointly organised by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and Hong Kong Customs for the first time. A total of 61 enforcement and cultural heritage conservation officers from the three places participated in the seven-day course, including 30 Hong Kong Customs officers who will become members of the National Cultural Heritage Identification Team of Hong Kong Customs and be responsible for providing support to other frontline officers in identifying and handling national cultural heritage.

     In her opening ceremony's speech, Ms Ho encouraged the officers to shoulder the responsibility of protecting and inheriting Chinese history and culture, and reiterated Hong Kong Customs' commitment to promoting enforcement co-operation with the Mainland and Macao to combat illegal trafficking of national cultural heritage.

     Ms Ho later led 50 "Customs YES" members who participated in the Silk Road summer cultural study tour to visit the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum. She and Mr Li, together with the tour members, also took part in a workshop on the restoration of Qin terracotta figures to experience the rigorous and meticulous cultural heritage excavation and restoration process, and to understand the country's spirit of protecting and inheriting cultural heritage. Ms Ho encouraged the members to seize the opportunity to understand the country's history and culture, actively participate in the tour, and promote the broad and profound Chinese history and culture to their friends and families upon returning to Hong Kong.

     In addition, Ms Ho will pay a courtesy call to Xian Customs to exchange views on deepening mutual co-operation during her visit.

Ends/Monday, July 10, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:10

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