Lecture Series on “Kowloon-Canton Railway: Linking up the New Territories”
（「九廣鐵路連新界」講座系列）

14:30–17:15   |   25 November, 2, 9 & 16 December 2023   |   Hong Kong Museum of History & Zoom

Speakers

Welcome Speech

Prof. Siu-lun Wong, SBS, JP
Honorary Senior Research Fellow, HKIAPS

Acquiring Knowledge of the World (25 November 2023)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong and LI Choh Ming
Prof. Ambrose King
Emeritus Professor, Department of Sociology, CUHK

XU Fuguan: Between Family and Country
Dr Wenbin Sun
Director of the Editorial Department, Hong Kong Chronicles Institute

Through Traffic or Not: Exploring the Hong Kong Prewar Railway Heritage
Mr Kevin T. W. Sun
Curator (Education / Extension & Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum),
Hong Kong Museum of History

Blending Tradition and Modernity (2 December 2023)

Continuity and Change:
Railway Electrification and Rural Festivals and Traditions in the 1980s Hong Kong
Prof. Chi-cheung Choi
Adjunct Professor, Department of History, CUHK

Round The World Cruise Ships and High End Consumer Goods during the Changes of the Kowloon Wharf
Mr Koon-yiu Ma
Retired Engineer

Former Kowloon: Canton Railway Clock Tower at Tsim Sha Tsui
Mr Chi-ming Shun
Former Director, Hong Kong Observatory

Winding through Sea Shores and Green Hills (9 December 2023)

The KCR at War, 1937–1945
Dr Chi-man Kwong
Associate Professor, Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University

Tao Fung Shan: The Hill where Christ and Buddha Met
Dr Lee-man Choy
Director, Fermiland Music Centre

The LO’s of Sha Tau Kok: An Immigrant Family and the Modernisation of South China
Dr Ching Hui
Vice-Chairperson, Management Board, Institute of Future Cities, CUHK

Spreading Fame in East and West (16 December 2023)

Fanling Lodge
Dr Joseph S. P. Ting
Adjunct Professor, Department of History, CUHK

Role Model of Education Sponsorship: The Deveoplment Process of TIN Ka Ping’s Business Enterprise and Charity Education
Dr Man-kong Chow
Associate Director,
Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute,
Lingnan University

Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong: A revisited on R.C. Lee’s bridging role
Dr Victor Zheng
Associate Director (Executive), HKIAPS

Organizers
HKIAPS, CUHK
Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University
China Economic Research Programme, Lingnan University
Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education Futures, The Education University of Hong Kong

In Association with:
Hong Kong Museum of History

Supporting Unit
NT West Elder Academies Cluster

Building on the success of a previous lecture series on Castle Peak Road, this series delved into the historical legacies of Kowloon-Canton Railway, while also exploring the development of districts located along the railway.

The lecture series comprised four sessions held over four weekends. In the first session, Acquiring Knowledge of the World, Prof. Ambrose King shed light on the relationship between The Chinese University of Hong Kong and its first Vice-Chancellor, Dr Choh-ming Li. He reflected on Dr Li’s education, teaching career, and the significant impact that he had during his fifteen-year tenure at CUHK. Following Prof. King’s presentation, Dr Wenbin Sun delved into the life of historian and philosopher Fuguan Xu, discussing his legendary life, his connections with Hong Kong, and his correspondence about Hong Kong. Lastly, Mr Kelvin T. W. Sun explored Hong Kong’s prewar railway heritage, tracing the history of the Kowloon-Canton Railway from its ambitious vision of connecting Hong Kong with Hankow to its eventual connection with Canton.

During the second session, Blending Tradition and Modernity, Prof. Chi-cheung Choi gave an introduction on the electrification of the railway and explored rural festivals and traditions in 1980s Hong Kong. He examined the development of the New Territories in conjunction with the expansion of the Kowloon-Canton Railway into the area. Additionally, Mr Koon-yiu Ma gave a presentation on the growth of round-the-world cruise ships and high-end consumer goods during the evolution of the Kowloon Wharf. He discussed the prospering of the maritime and tourism industries in Hong Kong and their relationship with the Kowloon Wharf. In the final session, Dr Chi-man Kwong explored the role of the Kowloon-Canton Railway during the period of 1937 to 1945, and highlighted its significance during the Second World War using interactive maps and photographs.

The third session, titled Winding through Sea Shores and Green Hills, commenced with Mr Chi-ming Shun’s review of the Canton Railway Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui. As the former director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Shun delved into the history of time signalling in Hong Kong. Following his presentation, Dr Lee-man Choy introduced Tao Fung Shan in Shatin. Referring to it as “the hill where Christ and Buddha met”, he examined the life of Karl Ludvig Reichelt, the Norwegian missionary who founded Tao Fung Shan. Dr Ching Hui concluded the session by discussing the Lo family of Sha Tau Kok, an immigrant family with ties to the modernization of South China. Integrating his personal experiences of growing up in the New Territories, he provided insights into the immigration history of the Hakka people.

The final session of the lecture series, Spreading Fame in East and West, began with Dr Joseph S. P. Ting’s exploration of the former Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Peel, and his association with Fanling Lodge. Dr Ting traced the history of the lodge and its influence on Hong Kong’s economy during the 1930s, particularly in the wake of the Great Depression. Following this, Dr Man-kong Chow reflected on the business enterprises and philanthropic endeavours of Ka-ping Tin, highlighting his successful career and role as an education sponsor. To conclude the lecture series, Dr Victor W. T. Zheng delivered a speech on the water supply system of Hong Kong, focusing on businessman and philanthropist Dr Richard Charles Lee and his advocacy for the Dongjiang water supply system.

About 800 participants attended the lectures.■