CUHK
News Centre

The award presentation ceremony for the fourth “Literary CUHK” essay competition was held recently by the Chinese Language Teaching Development Centre of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature (the Department), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The ceremony was officiated at by Prof. Max Xiaobing Tang, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, CUHK and Prof. Carole Hang Fung Hoyan, Vice Chairperson of the Department, CUHK. After nearly half a year of collecting and reviewing articles, 24 winning participants were selected and presented with awards.

The participants were encouraged to submit articles drawing on the features and stories of CUHK, and their learning and hostel life in the campus. The award-winning works are novel and with good descriptive language. The themes include expressing memories made in the piano rooms at the Pommerenke Student Centre and the Ch’ien Mu Library, the retrieval of memory at the Lake Ad Excellentiam and self-reflection on life, as well as using the landmark “Terrace of Dreams” in an association of ideas to tell about dormitory life. And there were commentaries about various issues, such as the use of archaisms in slogans which were used in recent College activities, the value of the humanities, and more.

Prof. Tang noted in his welcome speech, “Each of us, regardless of having different jobs or majors, can gain a lot of enjoyment, and knowledge, and confidence, and new experience from writing and literature.” He said that the goals in organising “Literary CUHK” are to promote literary creation in the campus and encourage students to coalesce views they might have on the scenery or community of CUHK. Literature can be a medium to express how they see CUHK, and this form of reflection can be projected further into society. Winners this year included undergraduate students, research postgraduate students and alumni from different faculties, including Arts, Business Administration, Engineering, Education, Science, Social Science and Medicine. It is believed that the power of literature is transcending and influential among faculties, and belongs to all who love CUHK.

“University Chinese” is a compulsory course for all undergraduate students at CUHK to satisfy the six-unit University Core Requirements of Chinese, which is offered and managed by the Department. To motivate students’ interest in learning Chinese, the Department has edited and published teaching materials for students by combining the unique historical background and environmental features of CUHK. This includes a collection of selected literary works about CUHK, known as “中大．山水．人文” (CUHK, Landscape, Humanities). Some school literary and heritage walks are also organised to encourage students to feel the power of literature. The Chinese Language Teaching Development Centre of the Department has organised “Literary CUHK” for all students and alumni every year since 2015 to arouse their interest in creative writing in Chinese and to enhance their observation and expressive skills through the writing competition. It is good to see that the works from students and alumni are very much drawn from those of famous writers, describing CUHK in their own thoughts which demonstrates the great power of literature. “Literary CUHK” aims to encourage students to step out from campus to society, and reflect deeply on the community changes, human relations, dreams and losses during their youth. It is believed that the power of literature will pass through the ages and shine uniquely in the young generation.