The experience of being a Hong Kong Youth Ambassador was insightful to an Arts student, Venice Lau.

“It’s not just about exposing myself to other cultures,” she said delightfully. “But also, a time for me to reflect on my own identity as a Hongkonger.”

Celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Venice was one of one hundred youth ambassadors representing their hometown.

“Simply put, our job is to support local events like conferences, celebrations and international exhibitions. We have also taken a field-trip to promote cultural exchange.”

“It’s not just about exposing myself to other cultures, but also, a time for me to reflect on my own identity as a Hongkonger.”

This included a visit to Tottori Prefecture in Japan for a week. “We experienced an authentic homestay on our first day, and I was really immersed in the Japanese culture through touring temples and national parks.”

When Venice was being asked for her most memorable part of the field trip, she immediately recalled her hiking to a local temple where she was astonished about the fusion of religion and Japanese pop culture.

“Tottori Prefecture has the lowest population in Japan and it may not be a familiar place to Hongkongers. It’s the birth place of Mizuki Shigeru, a Japanese manga artist and the creator of Kitarō of the Graveyard (墓場鬼太郎),” she said. “People usually pray in temple solemnly. The unforgettable part was that all of us laid down on the floor and we were impressed by Shigeru’s painting of spirits on the temple’s ceiling!”

“Of course, we did promote our local cultures like mixing Chinese Operas with pop cultures or even, the cheers and campfire dance we practiced at universities. I could tell that the Japanese college students enjoyed the cultural exchange as much as we did.”

The lessons gained from peers have made Venice develop a stronger sense of belonging to the city she calls it “home”.

Written by:
Jasmine Leung
Year 4, Faculty of Social Sciences
May 2019