HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) has partnered with the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government in publishing a book of teaching resources in an effort to foster a passion for Chinese history and culture among secondary school students, the museum announced Monday.

Featuring various exhibits of the HKPM, the book encourages teachers to trigger the interests of students in Chinese history by telling the stories behind the cultural relics and guiding interactive learning experiences, said Chan Ka-man, strategic professional partner with the EDB.

The book will be distributed to all secondary schools in Hong Kong in the new academic year.

While the use of the material won't be compulsory, the teaching material has gained much recognition from history teachers in Hong Kong, said Chan Pik-wa, principal assistant secretary with the EDB.

"I don't believe teachers would leave aside such well-designed material," she said.

Louis Ng, director of the HKPM, said that education has always been a priority for the museum. Looking forward, the museum would expand cooperation with more partners, including primary schools and kindergartens.

"There is much room for cultural relics-based education. It's not only about history, but it also contains visual art, culture and music," he said.

Located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the HKSAR, the HKPM was open to the public on July 3, with more than 900 treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing on display on rotation at the opening exhibitions.