Prof. TONG Duen-ching —— From Asia Evening College of  Arts and Commerce to New Asia College

(00:15)

In 1949, I was in Guangzhou, having graduated from secondary school. Since the political situation at that time was tense, my final semester ended early. After graduation, I came to Hong Kong with my family. Having reached Hong Kong, we lived in Cheung Chau. After a while, I felt bored. Then, I saw an enrollment notice of a post-secondary school in the newspaper. At the time, we were not qualified to enter the University of Hong Kong. I tried to apply for the school, by the name of Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce. It was an evening school. Mr. Ch’ien Mu was President, but we knew nothing about Mr. Ch’ien Mu because we, attending secondary school in Guangzhou in a time of turmoil, had little idea about the academia. But fair enough, as long as there was a school to attend.  

(01:47)

At first, when I entered Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce, there was a Department of Agriculture. So, which department to pick? In my secondary school days, I used to live in the countryside for some time. I found myself quite interested in agricultural studies, and I applied for the Department of Agriculture. However, Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce was on Kowloon’s Wai Ching Street.

(02:14)

<Displaying photo of Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce on Wai Ching Street, Jordan>

There was a Wah Nam Middle School. This Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce rented from the Middle School two classrooms on the third floor and ran the College inside. I went in and studied, but the Department of Agriculture was closed the following semester. It was impossible to continue without a proper school site. Without farmland, how could the Department of Agriculture continue? 

(03:03) 

When it closed down, there were just the two classrooms of the earliest days. Two classrooms were rented at night for the Asia Evening College. After one semester, a Shanghainese businessman, Mr. Wang Yeah-feng, supported Mr. Ch’ien in re-organizing the Evening College as New Asia College and renting the third and fourth floors of a tenement on Kweilin Street.

(03:36)

<Displaying photo of New Asia College’s site on Kweiln Street>

With three successive flats each, six in total. Compared with the Evening College, the conditions had improved much.

(03:53)

At that time, I changed my major, from agriculture to philosophy. At that time, Mr. Ch’ien Mu was President. Mr. Tang Chun-i was Registrar. Mr. Tchang Pi-kai was Comptroller. Mr. Verimer Y. Chiu was Chairman of the Board of Governors. When I switched to the Department of Philosophy, Mr. Tang was very pleased.

(04:32)

<Displaying photo of Mr. Tang Chun-i with three students from the Kaveilin Street eras;(from left) Koo May, Mr. Tang Chun-i, Tong Duen-ching, Li Hong-fei>

He said, “I‘ve received the first student in the philosophy department!” In New Asia College, I switched to philosophy in the end because when I listened to Mr. Tang’s philosophy classes, I found them interesting, compelling me to change from agriculture to philosophy. 

– End of Interview Video Transcript –

Image source:

1. Report on New Asia College 6 (March 1955).

2. Six Decades of Endeavour: A Pictorial History of New Asia College. Hong Kong; New Asia College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009.