Prof. TONG Duen-ching —— Togetherness, study and extracurricular activities in the Kweilin Street era
(00:15)
Among our teachers and schoolmates back then, many were from other provinces, fleeing as refugees. “We are companions in misfortune,” so to speak. Therefore, when coming together, everyone was close to one another. Having come to Kweilin Street, we could stay at the College even when we were not having class. Thus, relationships between teachers and students were close.
(00:50)
Since the College’s premise was small, and there were not many courses, and schoolmates were few, we took many courses together, regardless of faculties and majors. So, we had a close relationship among ourselves. The so-called “New Asia Spirit” was nurtured from our hardship. Generally speaking, schoolmates were influenced by our teachers. And during the Kweilin Street era, New Asia College had an extraordinary team of teachers in spite of our poverty, with many coming down to Hong Kong to flee the Chinese Mainland. Though the College had very few funds, and some teachers only received meagre salaries.
(02:01)
<Displaying the list of speakers and topics of New Asia College’s Cultural Talks between 1950 and 1953>
We held Cultural Talks, ① free of charge, and invited scholars to give lectures. The flock of eminent scholars we had even stunned those in the University of Hong Kong, I heard, because New Asia College had such a lot of outstanding faculty members. Thanks to the training from teachers and influence from scholars of all disciplines, we all possessed a consciousness of our nation, a consciousness of history and culture, and a brotherhood with one another.
(02:44)
Together, we organized many activities. In the daytime, these schoolmates attended classes at the College, mostly for free. Those who could not afford the tuition applied for waiver. The College was already poor, as were its students. With encouragement from the College, we schoolmates took an initiative. In the Kweilin Street days, New Asia College had classes during the day. Classrooms were vacant in the evening. So, we set up a New Asia Night School.② It was free of charge.
(03:25)
<Displaying photo of Farewell party of New Asia Night School on August 24, 1954; Tong Duen-ching third from left, third row>
When our schoolmates saw shoe-shining boys and beggars on the streets, we told them, “Go to school upstairs! No charge!” We used New Asia College’s classrooms at night to run New Asia Night School. The Night School came into being for more than ten years. Later, when New Asia College was aided by Yale University of the U.S. and relocated, New Asia Night School remained there. Before New Asia College completely moved out [of Kweilin Street], we were still running New Asia Night School.
(04:20)
Not only did we set up and ran New Asia Night School, our schoolmates performed Peking opera and even presented concerts. We presented one concert at St. Teresa’s Church.③
(04:35)
<Displaying photo of New Asia students presented a choral concert at St. Teresa’s Church on April 20, 1952>
We only had a few dozen schoolmates. We did all sorts of things at that time. Apart from designing display boards – the College had Cultural Talks – we held seminars among ourselves.④ Moreover, the students were influenced by society. In 1949, many intellectuals came to Hong Kong, starting schools, publishing journals and getting involved with various political activities. There was the so-called “Third Force.” A lot of them. All kinds of publications and societies. Although New Asia College was confined to Kweilin Street at that time, its voices and views were widespread. Schoolmates were active everywhere. Some faculty members, after working for a few months at New Asia, went abroad and gave publicity to New Asia College there, as if we were a strong army with thousands of troops and horses.
(06:02)
These were the influences we had at the time of schooling, even at extra-curricular activities. Our schoolmates, as we discussed, volunteered to run a school. We even joined many of those study groups, which were popular in society back then, discussing national affairs. Everyone was interested. For participants, at least, after a meeting, there was sometimes a meal. Having a meal was important because we were so poor back then. So, we were always everywhere for activities. Apart from publications like China’s Voice and Flame of Democracy, there was also The Chinese Student Weekly. Publications were everywhere. Many schoolmates later became directly involved with those editorial works and study groups.
– End of Interview Video Transcript –
NOTES:
① From 1950 to 1956, a total of 146 Cultural Talks was held at New Asia College. Held in the evening on weekends at the Kweilin Street premise, these Cultural Talks was open to the general public and, according to Mr. Tang Chun-i (who was then in charge of the Cultural Talks), aimed to “inspire the audiences to concern themselves with Chinese cultural problems, general knowledge about the academic community of the world and the future of mankind.” For further reading, in Chinese, please refer to ① in the Chinese version.
② Among the exhibits in the New Asia History Gallery, there is a certification issued by the Director of Education of the Hong Kong Government to New Asia Night School in 1952. Click HERE to learn more.
③ The concert in question, held at St. Teresa’s Church on April 20th, 1952, was given by a choir formed by New Asia students.
④ For a glimpse of thr display boards and seminars ny New Asia students at that timr, in Chinese, please refer to ④ in the Chinese version.
Image source:
1. Report on New Asia College 2 (March 1953).
2. Six Decades of Endeavour: A Pictorial History of New Asia College. Hong Kong; New Asia College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009.
3. Report on New Asia College 1 (June1952).