Newsletter of 20 April 2000

Our Annual General Meeting was held at the Ladies’ Recreation Club on March 24^th. The proceedings went according to schedule, with all enjoying an extensive buffet after the meeting, arranged by Council Member Dr. Patrick Hase. Approximately seventy members attended, a good turnout, though it would have been nice to see more members there. Our local membership has increased to almost 500, up considerably from a few years ago. President Dan Waters’ Annual Report is enclosed with this newsletter, as is David Gilkes’ Annual Report for our ‘Friends’ group in the United Kingdom.

During the past two months we enjoyed a lecture at the City Hall by Ed Stokes, on conservation of Hong Kong’s countryside. Our lecture programme at the City Hall is always well attended these days, so we urge members to arrive on time to be sure of getting a seat. Visits during the past two months included one to the home of Member Roger Moss, to view his “Mosseum of Form”, where attendees were awed by his extensive collection of early sculpture, and another to Guangdong Province, where Dr. Joseph Ting and Dr. Patrick Hase led members on a four-day tour of ancient temples and other historic buildings and sites. Member Phillip Bruce has included a page about one of the temples on his recently updated website, details of which are included further on in this newsletter.

Upcoming events include some interesting talks at the City Hall and a preview visit to the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, so read on for details of these and some events taking place in the wider community that would be of interest to members.

If you have not renewed your membership to cover 2000, please do so now. This will be the last newsletter we will send to you until you renew.

Friday 5^th May City Hall Lecture Recollections of a District Officer in the N. T. in the 1950’s, Denis Bray

Friday 16^th June City Hall Lecture Pre-British Kowloon, Dr. Patrick Hase >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Venue: Extension Activities Room, 8^th Floor, City Hall High Block, Edinburgh Place, Central

The Cotsen Children’s Library has recently been established in Los Angeles. Don Cohn visited dealers, antiquarian bookshops in Beijing and Shanghai, and flea markets and educational bookstores all over China to source Chinese children’s books for its collection. The collection ranges chronologically from the late Ming Dynasty to the present day. From early Confucian classics to issues of the ‘Little Red Guard’ Magazine, it is a vividly illustrated history of Chinese society, reflecting the values, fashions, and tastes of the time and providing information about social class, discipline, etiquette, family structure, dress and, not least, shifts in political ideology. The many transparencies which are to accompany the talk will demonstrate how words and pictures were used in the moulding of young minds. Don Cohn is known to many RAS Members as a writer on China, an accomplished travel guide and an authority on Chinese textiles.

Venue: Extension Activities Room, 8^th Floor, City Hall High Block, Edinburgh Place, Central

In his talk to the Society, Mr. Bray will recall his time as District Officer Tai Po, during the period 1954-1956, when the district comprised most of the eastern part of the New Territories from the Kowloon hills to the border. The area, during his time as D.O., was a farming community based on rice cultivation, though some farmers in the more accessible areas were beginning to raise vegetables. Most settlements were Hakka, but the oldest villages were Cantonese-speaking, and though there was no road access to many of the areas, the villages were, nevertheless, going concerns, though few of the women had ever travelled to the New Territories towns or as far afield as Kowloon. Villages were under the traditional rule of the elders and social services were practically non-existent. Fishermen seldom came ashore, remaining a race apart, and speaking atheir own language, unintelligible to the Cantonese speakers.

Mr. Bray joined the Hong Kong Government as a Cadet Officer Class II in 1950 and retired as Secretary for Home Affairs in 1985. He had postings to the New Territories as District Officer Tai Po, District Officer Sai Kung, Deputy District Commissioner and District Commissioner New Territories. He also worked in the Social Welfare Office, before it became a department, and in the Urban Services Department. He was the first Commissioner for Transport before a separate department was established. He was in the Special Duties unit in the Colonial Secretariat during the 1967 disturbances and set up the City District Officer scheme in 1968. Appointed Secretary for Home Affairs in 1973 he was posted as Hong Kong Commissioner in London in 1977. He returned as Secretary for Home Affairs in 1980 and retired in 1985. He now lives in Hong Kong making annual visits to his family in England and Australia.

Dr. Joseph Ting, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History and Council Member, RASHKB, has arranged a preview of this newest Hong Kong museum, scheduled to open in mid-June. The design of the museum incorporates the Lei Yee Mun Fort, built in the 1880’s to guard the eastern entrance of Victoria Harbour against the threat of Russian and French fleets. The fort was heavily bombarded during the Japanese invasion in 1941 yet it remains one of the best- preserved Victorian Forts in the world. The open-court of the redoubt has been covered with a light tensile structure to provide for exhibition conservation in a controlled environment. Twelve underground casements inside the redoubt will house the permanent exhibition, which will feature the history of coastal defence in Hong Kong from the Ming and Qing Dynasties through the Colonial Period to post-handover days with an exhibit on the PLA Hong Kong Garrison.

Meeting Time & Place: 2:00pm, Queens Pier (on the harbour side of City Hall, next to the Central Star Ferry Pier)

Cost: Members: HKD80.00; Non-members: HKD130.00 (including non-member spouses)

Booking & Information The booking form for this event is at the end of this newsletter. Please return it to Mr. Peter Stuckey, Flat 12D, London Court, Realty Gardens, 41 Conduit Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong,

Venue: Extension Activities Room, 8^th Floor, City Hall High Block, Edinburgh Place, Central

Kowloon has a long history before modern urban development began there in 1876, yet almost nothing survives today to remind us of that history. RASHKB Council Members, Dr. Patrick Hase will speak about the pre-British villages of Kowloon (there were more than 50 of them), its market towns (Kowloon City and Sham Shui Po), its temples (24 of them), the inter-city alliances and politics of the area, and the traditional economy and industries (mostly stone-cutting, boat-building, and incense-pounding) of the area. The few remnants of pre-development Kowloon will be identified for anyone who wishes to search them out. The talk will be illustrated with maps and historic photographs.

The Report of our President, Dr. Dan Waters, is included in this mailing. Definitely recommended reading for RASHKB Members, it is a lively and comprehensive synopsis of the Society’s many activities over the past year.

We have received the following testimonial regarding our recent publication: ‘It’s another magnificent production. It’s a super little subject, both for the text and for the visuals. The photographs are very strong. All human life is there.’ Have you bought your copy yet? It makes an ideal present! RASHKB Members are being offered a substantial discount off the published price (HKD $275 instead of HKD $380), but only while our present stock lasts. An order form can be found at the end of this newsletter. Note: there is a further discount if you order both this and the “Villages” book as a set.

Due to the high demand, this lovely publication, a companion book for In the Heart of the Metropolis: Yaumatei and Its People, has just been republished. At this writing we are awaiting its arrival. An order form is at the end of this newsletter. Note: there is a discount if you order both this and the “Yaumatei” book as a set.

Again, we have included a membership renewal form. Please, if you have not renewed your membership, do so now. We are quite lenient about keeping people on the mailing list, assuming they just ‘haven’t gotten around’ to renewing, but if you haven’t renewed by the time of the next newsletter, we really will take your name off our list. And we hate to do that, so please renew.

Enclosed you will find a copy of the Society’s brochure. Please pass it along to a friend you think might like to join. Have you ever thought of giving a membership to a friend? This would make a great birthday present!

In an effort to defray newsletter costs, we are accepting ads that would be of interest to RAS members. Would you like to advertise a business or a service you can provide, or do you know someone who might be interested? Our rates are very reasonable: Full PageHK$1150.00; 2/3 Page HK$850.00; 1/2 Page HK$725.00, 1/3 Page HK$450.00. If you have a short ad and would like to pay according to the number of words in the ad, you may do so at the following rates: First 10 words: $70.00; each additional word: $2.50.

Milkyway Technology

PC System Maintenance Consultant and Solution Provider

Low Fees and Quality Services

Contact Mr. Tim Tsang

Pager: 71163119 a/c 1898

E-mail: tmtsang2@ctimail13.com

St. Stephen’s Chapel, Stanley Recently celebrated its 50^th Anniversary. The Chapel still has some First Day Commemorative Covers, stamped by the Stanley Post Office (4 types) for HKD20.00 each. We also have some charming illustrated booklets written for the occasion by St. Stephen’s Priest-in-Charge, Fr. Jan Joustra, outlining the history of the Chapel for HKD35.00 each (includes postage).

Contact Sarah Parnell for details and to order, Tel 2813 1569, Fax 2813 6744.

The University of Hong Kong Museum Society has kindly invited RASHKB members to attend this seminar, to be held on Saturday 6^th May at the LRC. Enquiries and booking should be made directly through the Museum Society.

This seminar, highlighting the art of nearly three centuries of Qing rule, will do so from the view-point of what emperors wished to achieve politically through patronage of the arts.

Nick Pearce began his career in the Far Eastern Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, then became curator of Eastern Art at the Burrell Collection, Glasgow and Chiang-kuo Foundation visiting lecturer at Edinburgh University before being appointed head of the Department of History of Art at the University of Glasgow. He continues to curate exhibitions; the most recent being Earthly Paradise: The Mountain in Chinese Decorative Art at the Royal Museum of Scotland until 1^st May.

The Kangxi Emperor and the Art of Propaganda: Porcelain decoration and the graphic arts were utilized by the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) as a means of promoting a positive image of the Qing Dynasty. Many themes from Chinese traditional myth and literature were used to provide evidence of a benevolent dynasty as Kangxi sought to steer Chinese loyalty towards Qing government.

The Export of an Imperial Style from the Summer Palace: Following the 1860 looting of the Yuanmingyuan by Anglo-French forces, a style and type of artefact rarely seen in the West suddenly appeared on the London and Paris art markets. These imperial wares initiated a new fashion in Europe. This lecture will follow the history of documented objects from the Summer Palace complex in museum collections in Britain.

Imperial Image I: Giuseppe Castiglione portraits of the Qianlong Emperor: Qianlong (1736-1795) was perhaps the most accomplished and influential of the Qing emperors, ruling the country at its political zenith.

Imperial Image II: Xun Ling photographic portraits of the Empress Dowager Cixi: Cixi (1835-1908), the head of a regency that ruled China a series of male minorities, has been generally portrayed as an evil autocrat. Both Qianlong and Cixi used portraiture as a vehicle for promoting a positive self image, part of a visual historiography of their rule.

Registration: Please forward cheque made out to HKU Museum Society to Beryl Chan, 17A Suncrest Tower, Monmouth Terrace, Kennedy Road, Hong Kong.

Ming and Qing Bamboo-Ancient Chinese Bamboo Carvings from the Kwan Collection

“This exhibition is a rare opportunity to view almost 200 examples of exquisite bamboo carving dating to the Ming and Qing periods from the private collection of Dr. Simon Kwan. Accompanying the exhibition will be a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay on bamboo carving. The exhibition is a chronological survey of the art of bamboo carving across several different media including brush pots, sculptural works as well as functional and decorative items.”

The exhibition, organised by the University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong Museum Society, will run until 30 July at the University Museum and Art Gallery, 94 Bonham Road, Tel. 2975 5600.

This one-day symposium with Peter Lam and Rosemary Scott and hosted by Christie’s will be held in the J.W. Marriott Hotel on Saturday 29 April. Topics to be covered are: “The Yuanming Yuan: A fusion of Chinese and Western Taste”, “Jesuit Missionary Artists at the Chinese Imperial Court and Their Influence”, and “Imperial Collectors” by Rosemary Scott, and “Tang Ying and the Qing Emperors: Porcelain by Imperial Command”, by Peter Lam. There will also be a handling session and discussion of items in Christie’s Imperial Sale. The cost of the symposium is HK$1,500. Please call Nicole Wright, Tel. 2978 9952 for information on registering.

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modeng0.browse.html Two Years in the Forbidden City (1911) by Princess Der Ling and Court Life in China (1909) by Isaac Taylor Headland are two of the many books available to the public and reprinted in their entirety through the University of Virginia’s on line library. These two books provide fascinating first-hand insight into the everyday life of the Empress Dowager and her Court. Simply go to the site, indicate you are a non-UVA user, and search by the authors’ last names.

www.chinese-furniture.com This is a good introduction to the craftsmanship and styles of Chinese furniture through the ages. Close-up photographs and good descriptions of the various types of woods and other materials particular to Chinese furniture construction are a feature of this site.

www.asianart.com This site includes, among other topics, a listing of current exhibitions of Asian art, in various cities throughout the world. In case you are unable to travel to see the exhibitions, there is an on-line ‘gallery’ for each one, containing photographs and descriptions of featured items.

www.raxrlx.com Member Phillip Bruce has recently updated his lively site which features a wide variety of topics concerning history and culture in Hong Kong and China. Don’t miss his article, Watching God Eyes the River, a description of the Pak Tai Temple at Lubao, one of the sites visited on our recent RASHKB trip to Guangdong Province.

RASHKB Member Barbara Baker is the editor of this recently published collection of stories and extracts from novels set in China and written by Westerners. The book, published by Oxford University Press, is available at local bookshops. Following is an excerpt from the OUP synopsis of the book.

“This collection will appeal to all lovers of fiction, as well as students and scholars. It explores the Western fascination with China through a selection of intriguing, often funny, occasionally macabre fiction by both famous and little-published writers, some long-deceased, others still writing. Many of the stories reveal as much about their narrators as about China, and the combination of perceptions provides a rich insight into the power of the unfamiliar, symbolized by China, over the literary imagination.”

RASHKB Life Member Jean Berlie is the editor of and a contributor to this collection of ‘snapshots’ of Macao society and economy. Part I of the book, ‘Society’, includes articles on Macao’s history and culture, the social identity of its people, its education system, the origins of and prospects for its political system, and Macanese food. Part II of the book, ‘Economy’, covers Macao’s macroeconomy, its real estate and housing market, the financial system, and relations between Macao and the rest of South-East Asia.

This timely and comprehensive book provides excellent background on the history, present state of, and prospects for various aspects of the life and economy of Macao. The book, published by Oxford University Press, is available at local bookshops.