Volunteers teach teens about history in a novel program

In a celebration event of the Capital Museum's summer program in late July, 50 young participants bowed to 18 museum guides, who have helped them broaden their horizons during the three-week program.

These guides, who've retired from various walks of life, were recruited by the museum as volunteers in the spring. They have been trained to explain the cultural relics in eight exhibition halls.

According to the museum's spokeswoman, Yang Dandan, the move to involve these middle-aged volunteers in the summer program for teenagers-who are studying or will study abroad-is a bid to pass down intangible heritage through a direct teacher-pupil experience. Each guide was assigned two or three young students during the three weeks.

Liu Yuyun, a retired reporter, is a volunteer involved in the program. She was responsible for 13-year-old Zhang Kexin, who went to primary school in Britain.

Liu says the program is a forward-looking one that deserves to be carried on in the future, adding that it's useful for students who had gone abroad in their early years.

"Zhang even didn't know some common Beijing customs, let alone the traditional classics," says Liu. "So, the summer program helped her fill in the blanks in a short period.

"The girl told me that she would like to come back next year, and that's what I'm looking forward to."

Meanwhile, some of the volunteers say that they also have benefited from the experience.

Liu, for example, says the 11-year-old twins she instructed can play several musical instruments and model, too.

Liu says one of the twins impressed her with his self-discipline as he "always chose to sit in the front row in class and focused on the teachers' lectures".

"Their talent and attitude encouraged me to try to catch up with the young generation."

Du Haixia, who retired from an administrative and law-enforcement institution, says she chose to volunteer because she wants fresh challenges.

"I had to dig out interesting anecdotes since nowadays visitors want more than just information about the displays," says Du.

Another volunteer, Zhao Jingrong, sought the museum role as soon as she retired from her job in finance in March. She had wanted to be a narrator when her son became a volunteer at the Capital Museum during the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

"I used to accompany him to the training courses on jade ware, porcelain and bronze ware," she says.

Then, she saw her son's eagerness to study. Zhao also saw that her son's experience exerted a positive influence on his development.

"Though he is now a materials science major, he still has strong interest in Chinese literature and history," she says.

Zhao is proud of her volunteer work. And she pays special attention to children, trying to transmit knowledge in a way that these young visitors can absorb.

"To educate a child is to influence a whole family," says Zhao, adding that she hopes that her efforts can help more people to appreciate the relics and their history.