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Shoulder and Live the Age-old Tradition of Ying Wa;
Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the Great Han
承英華之傳統，振大漢之天聲
28 X 88cm (2)
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Written in celebration of Ying Wa College's Bicentennial Anniversary
Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the Great Han
承英華之傳統，振大漢之天聲。
28 X 88cm (2) in Standard Script (楷書)
Historical Information
Ying Wa College (or Anglo-Chinese College, 英華書院) was founded by the venerable Rev. Robert Morrison (1782-1834) in 1818 with a mission to facilitate "the reciprocal cultivation of English and Chinese literature and the diffusion of Christianity”(1). Founder Rev. Robert Morrison was the chief engineer in the first translation of the full Christian Bible into Chinese(2). Another notable principal was sinologist Rev. James Legge (1815-1897) who had translated many Chinese classics into English such as Confucian Analects (《論語》) and The Great Learning (《大學》). Today, Ying Wa College resides in Hong Kong and carries the motto "Steadfast Faith, Beneficent Deeds" (篤信善行), which epitomizes Robert Morrsion's founding vision for the school.
The Chinese couplet “承英華之傳統，振大漢之天聲” first appeared in 1968 in Ying Wa College School Magazine (英華校刊). It was introduced by Dr. Chan Yiu-nam (陳耀南) along with other Chinese Language teachers to remind students of the founding mission and spirit of Ying Wa College during an era when traditional Chinese culture was being challenged in Mainland China (See Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976)(3,4). The seocnd phrase of the verse, "Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the Great Han (振大漢之天聲)”, can be attributed to renowned historian Ban Gu (班固 AD 32–92) in celebrating General Dou Xian's (竇憲, ?-AD92) magnificent victory over Xiongnu (匈奴) in AD 89 during the Eastern Han Dynasty:
"下以安固後嗣，恢拓境宇，振大漢之天聲。" (《後漢書》卷二十三 竇融列傳, 5)
Text Interpretation
承英華之傳統，
Shoulder and Live the Age-old Tradition of Ying Wa;
振大漢之天聲。
Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the Great Han
(interpreted by KS Vincent Poon, June 16, 2017)
Personal Comments
a) "Shoulder and Live the Tradition of Ying Wa" (承英華之傳統)
The school motto "Steadfast Faith, Beneficent Deeds" (篤信善行) succinctly summarizes the tradition of Ying Wa: live the Christian faith (信) and act (行) with a benevolent character while learning from the East and the West. It is evident then that Rev. Robert Morrison focused on, first and foremost, character education. Academic and extracurricular achievements come second.
What is character education? Christianity and traditional Confucianism both expect students to protect the weak, to help the poor, to act with justice, to have mercy on those who are in need, to be benevolent to one another, and to not be obsessed with materialistic pursuits:
1."...And the king (Jesus) will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’" (Matthew 25:31-46)"The feeling of commiseration is innate to all human beings." ("惻隱之心，人皆有之 ",《孟子·告子上》. 9)
2.
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Galatians 5:14)
"Fan Chi asked about benevolence. The Master said, "It is to love all men." ("樊遲問仁。子曰：「愛人。」",《論語·顏淵》. 10)
3."You cannot serve God and mammon (materialistic wealth)." (Matthew 6:24)"Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness, are to me as a floating cloud." ("不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲", 《論語·述而》. 11)
Learning good moral values of the East and the West is only the beginning in shouldering the Ying Wa tradition; to act accordingly to these beliefs is the ultimate key to living the Ying Wa tradition.
Faith without deeds is empty; learning without applying is meaningless.
b) "Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the Great Han" (振大漢之天聲)
Han (漢), in our times, refers to traditional Chinese culture (中華文化). As such, “振大漢之天聲” here should be interpreted as "Proclaim and Reinvigorate the Heavenly Might of the traditional Chinese culture".
Traditional Chinese culture is long lost and even repressed under the current Chinese communist regime. Communist China no longer governs with traditional Han values that cherished diversity, trust, and morals. Preserving traditional Han Chinese culture is thus of the essence, for it is rapidly forgotten and often misconstrued to justify dictatorships.
To preserve and revitalize traditional Chinese culture, one must first recognize and act according to authentic Chinese values to become a bona fide Chinese. What then qualifies one to be called a Chinese? Most scholars from past and present agree that respecting and observing Chinese moral norms (such as following the Confucian virtues of Benevolence 仁, Righteousness 義, Rite 禮 , Knowledge 智, and Integrity 信) are minimum prerequisites for identifying oneself as a Chinese, regardless of race. Specifically, they contend that if a person has no respect nor passion towards traditional Chinese culture, then that person cannot be regarded as a Chinese, even if that person is of Chinese descent t (see 錢穆《民族與文化》,12). Hence, an educated bona fide Chinese should "possess a warm enthusiasm and a sincere admiration towards the history of Chinese (尤必附隨一種對其本國已往歷史之溫情與敬意", 見 錢穆 《國史大綱》前言, 13, interpreted by KS Vincent Poon)".
c) Concluding remarks
In today's fast-paced, materialistic and results-driven world, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a school to focus on developing good moral values, tolerance, and open-mindedness among her students. As a graduate of Ying Wa College, I am extremely grateful for my alma mater to have provided an open, free, calm and diverse learning environment so that my peers and I could engage all sorts of knowledge and interests from the East and West beyond the standard curriculum. I believe this wonderful atmosphere had ultimately widened our views of the world and deepened our understanding and reconciliation of the moral values cherished among different cultures, both of which greatly aided us in finding our own true purposes in life.
May the Almighty Lord watch over Ying Wa so that "Steadfast faith, Beneficent Deeds" (篤信善行) lives on in the hearts of Ying Wa Boys for generations to come!
KS Vincent Poon (class of 1996)
July 1, 2017; revised July 2020.
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