Lingnan University and Education Bureau co-organise Territory-wide Junior Secondary Chinese History and Culture Quiz for over 120 secondary schools and 16,000 students

The finals of the 2023/24 Territory-wide Junior Secondary Chinese History and Culture Quiz, organised by the Hong Kong Government Education Bureau (EDB) and co-organised by the Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme (HKSCHRP) of Lingnan University, were held on campus today (18 May). Officiating guests were Ms Teresa Chan Mo-ngan, Deputy Secretary of the EDB, and Prof Lau Chi-pang, Associate Vice-President (Academic Affairs and External Relations) and Co-ordinator of the HKSCHRP. Prof Vincent Leung Sueh-han, Head and Associate Professor of the Department of History at Lingnan University, Prof Tam Ka-chai, Associate Professor of the Department of History at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Dr Fan Wing-chung, Senior Lecturer of HKBU, and Dr Law Yuen-han, Lecturer I at the Department of History at HKBU, judged the competition.

This was the first time Lingnan University and the EDB to have organised a competition aimed at increasing students' interest in learning, improving their understanding of Chinese history and culture, and encouraging them to study independently, to consolidate and extend their knowledge, and thus develop an appreciation of their heritage of Chinese history and culture. Over 16,000 participants from more than 120 secondary schools across Hong Kong participated, and, faced with fierce competition, the 12 teams that advanced to the finals had to contend with mixed-level secondary students ranging from Forms One to Three. Following a selection process with both compulsory answers and buzzers, four teams advanced to the final round.

The competition covered a broad range of topics, from the origins of Chinese ethnicities and early states to the People's Republic of China. There were also sections on cultural relics and the intangible cultural heritage. After the tight race, Shun Tak Fraternal Association Tam Pak Yu College stood out from the crowd and took home the championship. Ying Wa College was the runner-up, and St. Paul's College and Buddhist Tai Hung College were awarded third and fourth place, respectively.  Besides trophies and certificates, book vouchers valued at HK$5,000, HK$4,000, HK$3,000, HK$2,000, and HK$1,000, were given to the winners.       

In her address, Ms Teresa Chan Mo-ngan, Deputy Secretary of the EDB, said, “The final rounds were packed with excitement and suspense from start to finish. The standout moment came with the Cultural Relics Unlocking challenge, a new addition this year. The students impressed everyone with their deep knowledge of culture and history, as well as their sharp strategic thinking and quick decision-making. We hope these young competitors will take the determination, focus, and teamwork they showed here and apply it to their daily lives, setting themselves up for a successful future.”

Prof Lau Chi-pang, Associate Vice-President (Academic Affairs and External Relations) and the Co-ordinator of the HKSCHRP, said “Lingnan University places great emphasis on the inheritance of history and culture. The HKSCHRP focuses on researching the history of Hong Kong and South China, and we are honoured to co-organise the competition with the EDB. Through this competition, we aim to bring the programme’s extensive research findings to junior high school students in an engaging and captivating way, which also helps them strengthen their reasoning, analytical, organisational, and communication skills. We are pleased to see students discover the joy of learning history and deepen their understanding of its importance through this event.”

To assist students in preparing for the competition, the organisers provided a self-learning Chinese history platform with details of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. For more details, please visit the competition website: https://chist-competition24.ln.edu.hk/.

Competition Results:

Champion: Shun Tak Fraternal Association Tam Pak Yu College

Runner-up: Ying Wa College

Third Place: St. Paul's College

Fourth Place: Buddhist Tai Hung College

Alphabetical Listing of Finalists

Buddhist Tai Hung College

Cognitio College (Kowloon)

Good Hope School (Secondary School)

La Salle College

Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College

Shun Tak Fraternal Association Tam Pak Yu College

SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School

St. Paul's College

True Light Girls' College

Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College

TWGHs Wong Fut Nam College

Ying Wa College