Sunday, 25 January 2026By Jayden Lai (1J)
On 12 December, we had a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history of the Egyptian language. During the talk, we explored the meanings behind different hieroglyphic symbols and even tried decoding some hieroglyphs ourselves. I am truly grateful that our school invited Miss Ingrid Wong to share her knowledge with us. Thank you, Shung Tak, for organising such a meaningful event that helped us understand more about the origins of hieroglyphs and how they were read in ancient times. At the start of the talk, we learnt who wrote the last known hieroglyphs and where they were discovered. Afterwards, we explored how scholars eventually unlocked the meaning of hieroglyphs. Finally, we were introduced to several hieroglyphic symbols and practised reading them. One part of the talk that inspired me most was the story of ‘The Graffito of Esment-Akhom’. This priest carved a prayer in hieroglyphs on the wall of a temple, even though he knew the writing system was fading away. His dedication moved me. It feels almost like a scene from a play, yet it truly happened in history. His act reminds me of the importance of preserving culture, even when the world is changing.