Nine months after assuming her position as Taiwan’s Minister of Culture, HKU was pleased to welcome Professor Lung Yingtai, Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities, back to the University on December 1, 2012 for a talk entitled ‘My Hong Kong, My Taiwan’, co-organised by the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center.

Loke Yew Hall was bustling that Saturday evening, with numerous guests and students arriving for the talk. The audience filled not only Loke Yew Hall, but also two adjacent classrooms, where there were live broadcasts of the event.

The talk commenced with opening remarks by Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, who said: “I can still recall back in early spring last year when we were at the Robert Black College bidding farewell to Yingtai, she promised us that if she was going to hold a public lecture again in Hong Kong, it would definitely be at HKU. Throughout her nine-year stay in Hong Kong, Yingtai was not just a visitor passing through, but had taken all the trivial things she noticed about this city and HKU to heart. We’re delighted to have Yingtai here today again to share with us her new insights.”

With reference to the recent centenary of HKU, Professor Lung first mentioned the founding of HKU and the story behind Loke Yew Hall. She then explained how, since assuming her position as Minister of Culture, she had been working with her team to allocate cultural resources effectively in Taiwan, and how her time in Hong Kong had influenced her. “Being in Hong Kong gave me a new perspective on Chinese history and culture. In some ways, Hong Kong and Taiwan have many shared similarities. As long as we embrace the uniqueness and freedom we have, we can make contributions in our own way,” she noted.

Her remarks were then followed by a question and answer session moderated by Professor Cheng Kai-ming, with lots of participation from enthusiastic students.