Over 200 seniors who had completed a course entitled Museum Classroom for Senior Citizens received certificates at a graduation ceremony held in Hong Kong Tuesday.

The 12-day course, designed to support the Hong Kong government 's policy of promoting a sense of worth among senior citizens, was held between May and September last year for more than 200 participants.

Its content was based on the four permanent exhibitions of Hong Kong Heritage Museum, namely, the History of the New Territories, Cantonese Opera and Songs, Ink Painting and Calligraphy, and Chinese Antiquities.
 
The participants explored the exhibition topics in detail through guided tours and workshops. They could also earn credits by taking the course for their study program at the Community University for the Elderly.

According to the organizer, senior citizens are encouraged to engage in lifelong learning and a community-centered museum is an excellent venue to undertake such an endeavor, while the elderly people have always been one of the major visitor groups to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2008)