Compiling a Hong Kong Gazetteer

Lingnan University will conduct a one-day seminar on 9 June 2004, bringing together mainland China and Hong Kong experts to brainstorm how a Hong Kong gazetteer can be compiled.

The proposal to compile a Hong Kong gazetteer is partly in response to the Cultural Development Commission's call. The commission recommended in April 2003 the government compile a local gazetteer to allow more people to understand Hong Kong's culture and history. We must understand our history before we can introduce our cultural heritage to others, the commission said.

Beijing's State Council officials have shown keen interest and strong support for such a project. Three Beijing officials and scholars will address the seminar. They are Professor Qin Qi-ming, director of the State Council's Directing Group of Local Gazetteer in China; Professor Qiu Xin-li, research associate of the State Council's Directing Group of Local Gazetteer in China; and Professor Liu Shu-yong, research associate of the Institute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The Directing Group of Local Gazetteer in China has been supervising compilation of gazetteers in China since the 1980s. Professor Liu has edited A Brief History of Hong Kong (in Chinese) and co-edited Hong Kong in the 20th Century (in Chinese). A Brief History of Hong Kong and the other book were published in 1998 and 1995, respectively.

Lingnan University is committed to the promotion of a Liberal Arts education in the territory. Rooted in Hong Kong, Lingnan students have broad international perspectives. A Liberal Arts education encourages students to show loving care for their society. Various departments in the university place great emphasis on the research of Hong Kong issues and have created a curriculum to teach students the history, culture, literature, trade, economy, society, and politics of Hong Kong. Students taking such courses perhaps will have an opportunity to take part in the compiling work. Scholars and experts of the university believe that compiling a Hong Kong gazetteer will be essential and valuable to the development of Hong Kong. The project, if it takes off the ground, will be co-ordinated by the university's history department.

All Chinese provinces and cities have local gazetteers, except Hong Kong and Macau. Hong Kong's last gazetteer, the Xin An County Gazetteer, was compiled in 1819, 22 years before the British occupied Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong was part of Xin An County during the Qing Dynasty.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and Patrick Ho Chi-ping, secretary for Home Affairs, have expressed support for compiling a Hong Kong gazetteer. Lingnan University urged the government to set up a research centre in a local university to conduct compiling and editing work of the gazetteer.

The “Compiling a Hong Kong Gazetteer Seminar”, organized by Lingnan's Centre for Asian Pacific Studies, welcomes local scholars, students and the public who are interested in Hong Kong's history to participate. The seminar will start at 10:00 am on June 9 in Lam Woo Theatre (MBG06) on Lingnan's Tuen Mun campus. Admission is free. For details please contact Dr Lau Chi-pang (Tel: 26167483) or Ms Doris Pai (Tel: 26167427).