The Conservation Office (the Office) offers internship opportunities to students pursuing studies in the field of cultural heritage conservation, enabling them to apply academic knowledge in practice, gain hands-on experience whilst engaging in technical and cultural exchange, for incubating young conservation professionals. From 7 July to 7 November 2025, we hosted a 4-month internship for Miss Lin Jiaxuan, a student at the Graduate Institute of Museum Studies and Conservation of Cultural Objects, Tainan National University of the Arts, specializing in the conservation of oil paintings and wooden cultural heritage. She has a keen sense to develop techniques in conserving Asian and Western paintings and three-dimensional objects.

During her internship, Miss Lin was engaged in a wide range of projects, including object treatments, exhibition installation and outreach programs to promote cultural heritage conservation. Her practical conservation work on easel paintings included re-stretching, infilling and inpainting treatments. She practised and applied the thread-to-thread reweaving method to mend tears of a canvas painting, a technique that is among the most delicate and time-intensive methods for canvas tear repair, yet it is highly effective in reinforcing the structural stability of the canvas. She also exchanged her experience in repairing canvas tears by hand-stitching techniques.

In terms of scientific examination, Miss Lin carried out infrared and ultraviolet reflected photography for newly acquired paintings and gained exposure to hyperspectral imaging and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging techniques. These examination techniques are used to document and analyse the condition of cultural objects, support the formulation of conservation strategies and facilitate object studies.

Working in a museum for the first time, Miss Lin greatly valued the opportunity to work on exhibition installation. She was able to put taught theory into practice by collaborating with various professional teams in the gallery, including curatorial and design teams, each representing a dynamic perspective from display aesthetics, object safety to security measures. This experience enhanced her understanding of the balance between the preservation needs of cultural heritage objects with visitors' experience.

In addition, Miss Lin actively took part in education and outreach initiatives, joining the team in school visits to introduce the principles of conservation and mounting of Chinese painting and calligraphy. She conducted demonstrations and provided hands-on guidance in paper repair techniques during these activities.

Throughout her internship, Miss Lin experienced a broad spectrum of conservation and behind-the-scenes work in the museum, demonstrating a meticulous and conscientious working attitude as well as a proactive approach to learning. We hope that these experiences and opportunities have empowered her to enhance her professional skills and that she will make contributions to the field of cultural heritage conservation in the future.