​The Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of Customs and Excise, Mr Mark Woo, today (July 5) attended the closing ceremony of the 2nd Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Course on Capacity Building to Prevent Illegal Trafficking of Cultural Heritage, held in Sichuan. He also led "Customs YES" members to participate in cultural exchange activities.

     ​At the closing ceremony, Mr Woo said, "As guardians of the nation's borders, Customs officers should have a sense of dedication to the country's history and culture, and a steadfast commitment to the protection of national cultural heritage". He added that Hong Kong Customs would continue to step up enforcement to combat the smuggling of national cultural heritage and make greater contributions to the protection of national cultural heritage.

     A total of 36 officers, including those from Hong Kong Customs and various departments of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, attended the course which included a series of lectures about anti-smuggling of cultural heritage, relevant laws and enforcement strategies on the Mainland. The participants visited the Sanxingdui Museum, the Sichuan University Museum, the Jinsha Site Museum and various institutions to enhance their capacity for cultural heritage identification and handling.

     Mr Woo today also led "Customs YES" members to visit the Sanxingdui Museum, where they experienced firsthand the art of bronze casting. During the workshop, Mr Woo encouraged the members to proactively learn more about China's profound history and culture, strengthening their affection for, and sense of belonging to, the country.

     During his visit, Mr Woo also met with the Anti-smuggling Bureau of Chengdu Customs District. He will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (July 6).

Ends/Friday, July 5, 2024
Issued at HKT 21:50

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