Photo exhibition on 125th Anniversary of Lingnan University showcases its rich and eventful history

Lingnan University is organising a photo exhibition in celebration of its 125th Anniversary, showcasing over 70 valuable photos taken in Guangzhou as well as Stubbs Road and Tuen Mun campuses in Hong Kong that demonstrate its rich and eventful history. An opening ceremony was held today.

President Leonard K Cheng said the exhibition does not only provide an opportunity for all Lingnanians to review the history and development of the University, but also to learn from the courage, determination and perseverance of their forefathers and reflect on the future of Lingnan. “Since its establishment in Guangzhou in 1888, Lingnan University has withstood the challenges of political changes, social transformations and war. It has always endured the hardships and kept up its faith in nurturing generations of talent to contribute to society.”

Prof Lau Chi-pang, Associate Professor of Department of History, Co-ordinator of Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme (HKSCHRP) who curated the photo exhibition, hoped the event would remind Lingnanians of the glorious past of the University and encourage them to work together for a bright future with achievements comparable to its past.

The exhibition is being held on 13-30 May 2014 in the open area between Amenities Building and Dorothy Y L Wong Building. All are welcome. Reprints of the photos are filed in the Fong Sum Wood Library and the University Archives.

Prof Lau took more than 10 students on 26-27 April to visit the old campus of Lingnan in Guangzhou, where the students learned more about its history and traditions. Year-three marketing student Ronald Hung, who had joined the tour, shared his observations at the opening ceremony today. He said he didn’t know the layout and many buildings on the Tuen Mun campus are modelled after those in Guangzhou. “Visiting the old campus gives me a better understanding of the history of the University. I hope more fellow students can treasure its rich heritage of more than a century and aspire for greater achievements in the future.”

At a lecture on 30 April, Prof Lau shared some interesting stories of Lingnan in Guangzhou, tracing its development and relocation to Hong Kong as well as its close linkage with the modern history of China over the past 125 years. He presented a map of the Guangzhou campus about a century ago, showing that the old campus was 10 times the size of the current one in Tuen Mun, and was designed along the lines of US universities. Some pictures of signature buildings and monuments were also shown in the lecture, such as academic buildings and hostels donated by alumni from overseas, as well as a stone gate in memory of a ranked scholar in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), relocated from downtown Guangzhou, which was meant to motivate students to work hard on their studies.

In celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Lingnan, a series of events have been organised from November 2013 to June 2014. To review the event photos and videos, please go to: http://www.ln.edu.hk/125/