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Foundation Stone of Shatin Campus

Year: 1972
Donor: /

 

DETAILS

 

Entering Cheng Ming Building by its main entrance, one may find to the right, next to Sai Wing Room, the foundation stone of New Asia College’s Shatin campus. Mr. Tseng Ke-tuan was the calligrapher for the foundation stone’s Chinese inscription. Mr. Tseng studied classical Chinese poetry and prose under Wu Kaisheng, inheriting the Tongcheng School’s literary tradition. In 1950, Mr. Tseng moved to Hong Kong, where he became Lecturer of Chinese Literature at New Asia College from 1951 to 1974.

 

Mr. Tseng Ke-tuan was also an all-around calligrapher, particularly renowned for his “slender gold” regular script. Following the establishment of New Asia’s Fine Arts Specialized Training Program in 1957, Mr. Tseng was tasked with setting out its calligraphy curriculum. He was a part-time instructor at the Department of Fine Arts until his death in 1975. On New Asia’s Shatin campus, Mr. Tseng’s calligraphy also appears near the bus stop, on a stele bearing the College’s Chinese name – 新亞書院 – in clerical script.

 

As for the foundation stone, it was laid by Sir Murray MacLehose, Governor of Hong Kong and Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), in 1972.

 

New Asia College became a constituent college of CUHK in 1963. In March the following year, Dr. Szeto Wai, University Architect, authored Chinese University of Hong Kong Development Plan: A Preliminary Report. In the report’s layout plan for the University’s future campus in Ma Liu Shui, Shatin, two zones on the campus’ highest platforms were designated for relocation of constituent colleges upon site formation. New Asia was allotted to the zone in eastern campus, with 26.6 acres of proposed formed land.

 

On December 30, 1971, New Asia College signed a contract with Hsin Chong & Company, the contractor for building the library (now Ch’ien Mu Library), administration building (now Cheng Ming Building), and arts and commerce building (now Humanities Building) in Shatin, under Dr. Szeto Wai’s architectural designs. Construction was concurrently underway for student hostel (now Chih Hsing Hall) and staff student center (now Staff Student Centre – Leung Hung Kee Building), both designed by Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates (Mr. Su Gin Djih, Hsin Yieh’s founder, was the architect of New Asia’s Farm Road building back in 1956).

 

The laying of the foundation stone of New Asia College’s Shatin campus took place on June 30, 1972, with Governor Sir Murray MacLehose, Chancellor of CUHK, officiating. In his opening address, President Y. P. Mei of New Asia College welcomed the Governor on the College’s behalf. After reminiscing New Asia’s founding ideals and purposes, as well as the community’s support (the Yale-in-China Association in particular) for New Asia, President Mei expressed gratitude to the Hong Kong Government for financing New Asia’s new campus, “The construction cost of these five principal buildings, not counting the site, amounts to more than 13 million dollars. We humbly hope our performance will justify the generosity shown us.”

 

In his speech, Governor MacLehose expressed his hope that CUHK would strive for true scholarship and serve the people of Hong Kong, while emphasizing the laying of foundation stone in New Asia as a milestone in the University’s development, “The arrival of New Asia College on the Campus will enable it to make its own creative and distinctive contribution. But it will also facilitate the necessary pooling of resources within the whole University, including the coordination of administrative functions, and the integration of academic programmes.” Afterwards, the Governor laid the foundation stone and received a souvenir from President Mei. A tea reception was subsequently held at Benjamin Franklin Centre, CUHK.

 

The ceremony was attended by Mr. John M. Addis, British Ambassador to China; Sir Yuet-keung Kan, Chairman of CUHK’s Council; Sir Sidney Gordon, Member of CUHK’s Council; Dr. Li Choh-ming, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK; Dr. Szeto Wai, University Architect; Mr. Tsufa Lee, Chairman of Board of Governors of New Asia College; President C. T. Yung of Chung Chi College; and President T. C. Cheng of United College. Other distinguished guests included members of the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee, New Territories officials, community leaders, as well as architects and contractors of New Asia College’s new campus.

IMAGES

 

Stele bearing New Asia College’s name, featuring Mr. Tseng Ke-tuan’s calligraphy in clerical script.

 

On June 15, 1964, New Asia College and United College reached an agreement on their future respective sites in Shatin. New Asia was allocated with the “College 2” site, as earmarked on the Proposed Layout Plan in Dr. Szeto Wai’s Chinese University of Hong Kong Development Plan: A Preliminary Report. This certificate, issued on the same day by Dr. Li Choh-ming, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK and received by President Ou Tsuin-chen of New Asia College, is kept in the collection of New Asia History Gallery.

 

President Y. P. Mei of New Asia College (front row, second from left); Mr. Tsufa Lee, Chairman of Board of Governors of New Asia College (front row, third from left); the College’s academic and administrative officers; representatives of New Asia College Student Union; and representatives of Hsin Chong & Company, at the signing of construction contract for new buildings of New Asia College in Shatin, December 30, 1971.

 

Governor Sir Murray MacLehose (second from left, standing) delivered a speech during the laying of foundation stone at New Asia College’s Shatin campus, June 30, 1972.

 

Governor Sir Murray MacLehose laid the foundation stone.

 

Governor Sir Murray MacLehose exited the construction site of the College’s administration building (now Cheng Ming Building) after the laying of foundation stone.