“The more stories in my pocket, the more I can adapt.” Multilingual Angie Ouyang, the inaugural Canberra Region Tour Guide of the Year, shares some of her techniques with reporter DHWANI PATHAK. 

For Angie Ouyang, tour guiding was never part of the plan. Her journey began far from Canberra, in a classroom in Guangzhou, where she spent more than seven years teaching French. 

That instinct to teach, to connect and to share knowledge did not leave her when she moved countries. It simply found a new form.

“When I joined the National Museum of Australia, I realized that guiding… many of the things I enjoyed most, learning and sharing knowledge, communicating across languages… it’s like a natural extension of teaching.”

Now named the first recipient of the Canberra Region Tour Guide of the Year award, Ouyang’s work is grounded in something simple but powerful: helping people see a place differently.

Ask her what makes a great tour guide, and Ouyang doesn’t hesitate.

Preparation matters, she says, but so does reading the room. 

Before she ever led a tour, Ouyang would buy tickets and join guided tours herself, closely watching how experienced guides moved, spoke and engaged their audiences.

It became part of her self-training to do background research as much as possible before a tour begins. She studies her audiences closely, watching body language, adjusting stories and even reshaping entire tours depending on who stands in front of her. 

A diplomat interested in art might hear a completely different version of the museum than a first-time visitor.

“The more stories in my pocket, the more I can adapt,” she says.

It’s a skill she has refined over time, building not just knowledge but intuition.

Despite the depth of her knowledge, Ouyang is quick to point out that guiding is not a one-way exchange.

“Visitors are not always there to learn from me, sometimes I learn from them,” she says.

Conversations often evolve beyond the script, turning tours into shared experiences rather than structured presentations.

Some of the most powerful moments come when things don’t go to plan.

Ouyang recalls taking a public booking for an architecture tour, only to realise on arrival that the wife was blind and had limited mobility. “I needed to think quickly and take a new approach,” she says. 

She shifted the tour on the spot, inviting the couple to sit, relying on description instead of sight, and using simple tools like a brochure so the experience could still be shared.

“I tried to see what fits her,” she says simply.

For Ouyang, Canberra carries a much deeper story, one she is committed to sharing with visitors from around the world.

“I love helping visitors to discover a side of Canberra they may not know,” she says.

“Canberra has been well known as the Australian capital city for over 100 years but for indigenous people, it has been a gathering place for over 21,000 years, and even the name Canberra is not English, it comes from Ngunnawal language which means a meeting place.”

She brings these layers to life through detail and storytelling.

Even the landscape itself becomes part of the narrative.

“For example, Mount Ainslie is rich in yellow ochre and Capital Hill with red ochre,” she says, offering visitors a way to see the familiar with fresh eyes.

Winning the regional award is significant, but Ouyang is quick to place it in a broader context.

“Winning this award is a great honour, but for me, it means much more than personal recognition,” she says.

“When I joined the National Museum in late 2023, I was completely new to the museum sector and since then I have worked hard to establish myself as a multilingual guide.”

It is that multilingual ability that has become central to her approach. Fluent in English, French, Mandarin and Cantonese, Ouyang sees language as more than a tool, it is a bridge.

“I think they are all about creating connections,” she says.

“In 2025, I guided over 200 tours across those languages. Guiding visitors in their preferred language allows them to fully understand the story without missing the details.”

It also changes the dynamic of the experience.

“They are more willing to ask questions and share their thoughts,” she says. “I also adapt the story to different audiences.”

“For example, when guiding French visitors, I include the story of Narcisse Pelletier, a French sailor who lived with the First Nation [people] for 17 years,” she says.

For Ouyang, guiding is not just about information. It is about meaning.

“It’s a privilege to represent museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and passionate guides,” she says. “But whatever the outcome, I feel already grateful to do a job that allows me to learn and share every day.”

The award itself recognises that broader contribution. Guides are selected based on their overall impact and are required to submit written responses reflecting on their work and approach. 

Ouyang will now represent the Canberra region at the Australian Top Tour Guide Awards at Parliament House in September, where the next stage included a written essay.

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