online review: Walking HongKong

About the book

"Hong Kong Literature Walk" (香港文學散步), published in 1991, written by the famous literary researcher Lou Wai Lyun (Siu Si). In the early twentieth century, there have been a number of well-known Chinese writer and scholar activities in Hong Kong. Even it directly or indirectly, is promoted the literature development of Hong Kong. The book chooses some of them to describe the sympathetic of literature and history of the people and place in Hong Kong.

In the book, there are five predecessors were introduced that are Cai Yuanpei (President of Peking University), Lu Xun, Dai Wangshu, Xu Dishan and Xiao Hong. The four locations are Confucius Hall, Academic Terrace, Luk Kwok Hotel and Hoh Fuk Tong College. The book describes a brief history of five predecessors, such as their trail and life in Hong Kong. For example, Cai Yuanpei ever held the talk at St. John's Church. Then some articles excerpted from others to introduce the encounter in life of the predecessors in Hong Kong. Finally, the book attaches their articles and poems, such as Dai ​​Wangshu wrote the poem talk of his bitter when he stayed in Victoria Prison and so on.

My Review

Recently, “cultural tourism " and " collective memory” become a popular topic in Hong Kong. People are sensitive of monuments. In fact, there are many different place worth to visit in Hong Kong. This book provides a good choice and opportunity for the public. The authors hope that the public can try to walk away personally, follow the footsteps of their predecessors and feel their thoughts. Then, I follow the book's introduction and visited the Confucius Hall which located in 77 Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay. The reason of Confucius Hall being incorporated in book, the authors explained that: ‘Hong Kong is a special space(空間). The places of memorial Confucius can actually make out the anti-Confucius people by organizing activities, it showed that Hong Kong is a free place ... there is still space for people to express their views of different ideas and hold activities. The book include the color pictures and hand-painted map, it helped reader easy to find the place. Lucky, until today, Hong Kong still remains unchanged. Just for this point, it is worth us to cherish Hong Kong. Walk around, I remember some mention of the author, she mentioned in the book: ‘shopping is not necessarily shopping. You can also walk the ideological and emotional.’ This time on the road walking, I find it very meaningful. Every day we go through the place, and the place had a history story of them. History is the path taken by the predecessors, and we followed them precisely trace the steps to move forward, so history is not far away from us. I recommend that people should pick up the book and go for a walk with the map.

Reference

Lou Wai Lyun 2009, ‘Hong Kong Literature Walk (香港文學散步)’, The Commercial Press, Hong Kong.

Wu Man Yee 10553831