Professor Sidney Cheung Chaired the Third Lecture of the New Asia College Cultural Talks

From left: College Head Professor Sun-On Chan, Professor Sidney Cheung and College trustee Mr. Wong ho-chiu

The third lecture of the New Asia College Cultural Talks 2024/25, jointly organised by New Asia College and the College Alumni Association, and co-organised with New Asia Middle School, was successfully held on 15 March 2025 at New Asia Middle School.

The guest speaker of the lecture was Professor Cheung Chin-hung Sidney of the CUHK Department of Anthropology and it was moderated by College trustee Mr. Wong Ho-chiu.

During the lecture, Professor Cheung introduced the origins of Japanese incense tree culture. In the 15th century, the Muromachi Shogunate identified 61 famous types of incense. He delved into the connections between seasons, power, history and Chinese literature related to incense. This exploration allowed the audience to gain a deeper understanding of both Chinese and Japanese cultures through the lens of incense culture. Professor Cheung also demonstrated “暗香” (subtle and delicate fragrance) and provided incense burners for the audience to experience the charm of this particular type of incense, offering an introduction of the art of incense.

Participants could attend the lecture in person or via Zoom. The talk garnered enthusiastic support of individuals of all backgrounds, including alumni and students (including those of New Asia Middle School). The content was rich and engaging, with the audience completely immersed, actively asking questions and interacting with the speaker. The atmosphere was excellent, and the talk concluded successfully.