A Vibrant Showcase of Traditional Culture and Creative Brilliance
HONG KONG SAR 2 December 2024 – Co-organised by the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), and the University of Macau, A Legacy Across Lingnan: Jao Tsung-I in the Greater Bay Area Student Competition invites full-time secondary and tertiary students from Hong Kong and Macau to participate. Through this competition, students gain insight into the life of Jao Tsung-I, a preeminent scholar in Chinese studies, and are inspired to explore traditional Chinese culture, fostering greater cultural awareness and a deeper appreciation of the Lingnan region. The competition features two categories: Article / Dissertation Submissions and Creative Artistic Works. The Award Ceremony is being held on Saturday (30 November) at the Dr Hari Harilela Lecture Theatre, Shaw Campus, Hong Kong Baptist University, to honour teachers and students, present prizes, and celebrate their remarkable achievements.
The competition commenced in March, and to complement the event, the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole (HKU) opened its doors to the public for the first time. Visitors had the opportunity to admire Professor Jao Tsung-I’s donated paintings, calligraphy, and other artefacts related to him, as well as to view rare treasures from his personal collection that had never been publicly displayed before. Additionally, in May, the competition organised an exchange and field trip for Hong Kong students to the University of Macau and the Jao Tsung-I Academy (Macau), helping them prepare for The Story of Jao Tsung-I Student competition.
The competition attracted around 70 entries from Hong Kong and Macau, involving a total of 130 teachers and students. The submissions showcased a wide range of formats, including essays, music videos, calligraphy, paintings, digital illustrations, historical scripts, novels, and handicrafts. Participants came from nine secondary schools and five universities, comprising local schools, international schools, and special education schools. Notably, entries from special education schools excelled in the Creative Artistic Works category, achieving exceptional results.
The total value of scholarships awarded in the competition surpassed HK$250,000, generously sponsored by the Jao Studies Foundation and Mr Alberto Lei. To further encourage participation, certificates of commendation were presented to the teachers and schools of the winning students. Experts in Jao Studies from Hong Kong and Macau served as judges for the competition, and their comments on the winning entries in each category are available in the appendix: A Legacy Across Lingnan: Jao Tsung-I in the Greater Bay Area Student Competition Awards Ceremony Judges’ Comments.
Professor Lee Chack Fan, Director of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole said: “I am truly pleased to see that more than ten schools from Hong Kong and Macau, involving over 130 teachers and students, took part in this competition. The entries, which included novels, plays, traditional calligraphy and paintings, digital illustrations, documentaries, clay sculptures, handicrafts, and audio-visual works, were impressively diverse and distinctive. They explored Professor Jao’s remarkable contributions across various regions of the Greater Bay Area from multiple perspectives, while also showcasing the boundless creativity and imagination of young students—a brilliant demonstration of the seamless integration of traditional culture and innovation.”
“Of particular note is the champion entry in the dissertation category, which focused on Professor Jao’s poetry collection Changzhou Ji. The choice of topic was thoughtful and demonstrated keen insight, successfully identifying key features of Professor Jao’s poetics—a truly commendable achievement. Once again, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the award-winning students and encourage them to continue striving for excellence, reaching new heights, and achieving exceptional success in the future.”
Professor Chen Zhi, Director, the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology of Hong Kong Baptist University stated: “Professor Jao Tsung-I’s academic legacy in the Greater Bay Area not only preserves profound cultural memories but also fosters a vibrant cultural spirit rooted in continuous growth and bold innovation. This competition has clearly showcased the younger generation’s deep cultural awareness of Chinese traditional civilisation, as they have successfully transformed these invaluable cultural resources into creative expressions that resonate within a contemporary context.”
Mr Alberto Lei, Chief Benefactor and Director of Friends of Jao Tsung-i Petite Ecole praised the participants: “”A Legacy Across Lingnan: Jao Tsung-I in the Greater Bay Area”, jointly organised by three universities in Hong Kong and Macau, brought together over 100 teachers and students from the two regions. This meaningful initiative not only offered young students valuable opportunities to deepen their understanding of traditional Chinese culture but also strengthened educational and cultural exchange within the Greater Bay Area.”
“It is highly commendable that the participating students delved into and appreciated Professor Jao Tsung-I’s academic and artistic legacy, while harnessing their creativity and imagination to showcase the unique characteristics and cultural richness of the region. I sincerely hope these students will continue to engage with and preserve traditional culture in the years to come, achieving even greater accomplishments.”
Mr Paul Pang, Dean of Students, University of Macau said: “University of Macau, in collaboration with two universities in Hong Kong, co-organised this student competition to meet the educational need of nurturing young students’ understanding of traditional Chinese culture, while also providing a valuable platform to strengthen educational, cultural, and artistic exchanges within the Greater Bay Area.”
“The enthusiastic participation of students from Macau is particularly praiseworthy, as they demonstrated a proactive attitude in exploring and appreciating Professor Jao’s academic and artistic legacy in the region. Their submission of a wide range of essays and creative artistic works thoroughly impressed and delighted the judging panel. I encourage these students to continue preserving and promoting traditional culture, and I look forward to seeing them achieve even greater successes in the future.”
Dr Lesley Lau, Director of Sun Museum and Judge of Creative Artistic Works category said: “I am truly pleased to see the impressive diversity in the entries submitted for the Creative Arts category. By exploring Professor Jao’s footprints in the Greater Bay Area, students have creatively used the language of art to express their own interpretations of Professor Jao, while also highlighting the unique characteristics and rich cultural essence of the region.”
“To the award winners, I would like to share Professor Jao’s principles for life, ‘Retaining a persistent will uneroded by aeons; maintaining a placid mind even in the midst of a stream’. I encourage them to maintain a positive attitude toward life and to continue embracing diverse paths of development in the future.”
