Stay True to the Root, the Origin and the Lingnan Spirit
 
“Perseverance always helps us overcome difficulties in life, make improvement and achieve our goals - this is my belief and my attitude,” said Mr. Day        Kwei Kwan, an alumnus who graduated from Department of Chinese at Lingnan College in 1973. Mr. Day is a Chinese calligrapher who studied under his late grandfather Wang Ding-xin and late uncle Wang Shu-zi. His works span the styles of seal, clerical, regular, semi-cursive and cursive scripts. After graduation, he worked as a secretary at Po Leung Kuk, founded “Lok Ngai She” to promote Chinese calligraphy and painting, and even worked overseas as the private secretary at a consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa. Today, Mr. Day recounts with us the intriguing stories of Lingnan College in Stubbs Road and his life journey.
 
Cherishing the Campus Scenery and the Bond with Teachers
Mr. Day was born in Shanghai and came to Hong Kong for higher education in 1968. He first enrolled in Tsing Hua College and hoped to study Marine Navigation. However, his father, who was a senior ship captain working in China Merchants Group, did not approve of this as he did not want Day to be always away from home like himself. As a result, Day changed to study Chinese literature, and a year later transferred to Lingnan College. Mr. Day recalled that one of the main reasons he chose Lingnan was its beautiful campus environment and the availability of dormitories. Even after all these years, the memories of every detail of the campus are still fresh in his mind. “Lingnan College was initially built on a slope, with a pavilion right in front of the main entrance. Upon entering the gate, there were the administrative office, the assembly hall, the library and the canteen. A few steps up was a playground, and further up was the four-storey academic building, with classrooms and laboratories lining the corridors. The classroom windows on the left offered a view of Stubbs Road and Happy Valley, with fresh air and a pleasant landscape.” At that time, Lingnan College only had three faculties - business, science and arts. The intimate relationship between teachers and students fostered a harmonious atmosphere. “For business faculty, the most impressive teacher to me was Mr. Ko Chan Kwong who taught mathematics. In science, there was Mr. Chan Kam Suen who frequently appeared on TV programmes teaching medical knowledge. As for arts, we had the humorous psychology teacher Mr. Pang Woon Keung who was then an editor at “Wah Kiu Yat Po” (Overseas Chinese Daily News), as well as the renowned Sinologist Prof. Chan Chim Tsuen who taught us classical Chinese poetry and texts.” Whenever Mr. Day had free time, he would go on outings with his classmates and tutors. He would also go to the Ruby Restaurant in Central District to drink coffee and listen to music with his roommates, and then walk along Bowen Road to the Victoria Peak.
  
Active Engagement in Student Activities, Paving the Way for Career Pursuits
Mr. Day not only focused on his studies, but also devoted to various student activities, among which the most memorable experience must be founding the student newspaper Lingnan Folk. “We debated with the President, Dr. Yuen Hong-shing for over an hour in his office to get approval for starting the student newspaper. Finally, he agreed to let us, the student union, publish the paper.” Mr. Day also wrote editorials for Lingnan Folk, including one titled “Responsibilities of Lingnanians”. In addition, he assisted Mr. So Hing Bun from the History Department in collecting research materials during his spare time and this sparked his interest in history. Mr. So commended his deep insights and analytical abilities on historical events, and strongly encouraged him to pursue further studies in history. Aware that the New Asia Institute of Advanced Chinese Studies was headed by Tang Chun I, a disciple of the renowned scholar Ch'ien Mu, and filled with many famous scholars such as Yen Keng-wang, Mou Zong-san, Sun Kuo-tung, and Yu Ying-shih, Mr. Day adored them very much. Therefore, he went on to pursue postgraduate studies in history there after graduation.
 
At almost the same time, Mr. Day began working as a secretary at Po Leung Kuk, responsible for managing the archives and organizing the 100^th anniversary art exhibition which involved renowned Hong Kong artists like Chao Shao-an and Yang Shan-shen. Later on, he co-founded “Lok Ngai She” with his colleagues in Po Leung Kuk, holding a range of exhibitions to promote the arts of calligraphy and painting. The diverse experience and network he built up during his study equipped him well for his future career. In order to further expand his career, Mr. Day once worked in Johannesburg, South Africa, and served as the private secretary to the honorary consul at the Republic of Guinea-Bissau Honorary Consulate. Finally, took on the role of secretary general of the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau Commercial Liaison Association and the Teochew Association of South Africa.
 
Love for Calligraphy from a Young Age Inspired by Grandfather
Mr. Day has been keen on Chinese calligraphy since he was young. His passion has never faded. In fact, he was first inspired by his grandfather’s calligraphy work. “When I was in 4^th grade, I saw a piece of calligraphy that my grandfather had written for my uncle, and I found it very pleasing. My grandfather was an educator and a calligrapher. His calligraphic style, known as the Ding-xin style, developed from the “Epitaph for Zhang Heru” and the “Stele of Zhang Meng-long” in the Northern Wei dynasty, and was highly acclaimed in Chenghai, Shantou and Southeast Asia.” Even though the environment at the time did not allow him to practice calligraphy on Xuan paper, he did not slack off. “My grandmother would make me a brush by attaching cotton to chopsticks and let me practice on the red brick floor with that. Not until I entered middle school did I start writing on old newspapers. Luckily, my neighbourhood who was making pine smoke inksticks, and they provided me with free ink.” Mr. Day’s calligraphy works have been exhibited by various organizations and have won many awards both domestically and internationally. Until today, his grandfather's work continues to inspire his passion and perseverance in calligraphy.
 
Nowadays with the rapid growth of information technology, traditional calligraphy faces many challenges. When asked about how to encourage younger generations to practice calligraphy, Mr Day explained that calligraphy is a form of artistic expression and cannot be compelled to perform. “When you develop an interest in something, you will naturally continue to explore more about it, and become more eager to delve deeper into it.” Many universities in China have recently started calligraphy programs, likely to encourage and emphasize the inheritance of this art form, in addition to the longstanding fine arts programs. Calligraphy and Chinese painting are the quintessential Chinese art forms.
 
Inheriting the Century-old Red Grey Spirit, Entrusting the Mission of Lingnan to the Successors
From Mr. Day’s point of view, the essence of Lingnan culture lies in “pragmatism, inclusiveness, flexibility and innovativeness”. Professors and students study together with mutual respect and inclusiveness, upholding an open attitude to accept diverse cultures and different opinions, safeguarding academic freedom of speech, taking responsibility for own words and actions and actively contributing to society - as long as such a learning environment is created, the Lingnan spirit will be fully embodied. Mr. Day always participates in alumni activities, such as Lingnan University Open Day and fundraising activities. He has also hosted calligraphy lecture on Alumni Homecoming Day and organized a calligraphy exhibition for the university library. He firmly believes that the sense of belonging and affection displayed by participants in alumni activities are the manifestation of Lingnan culture. “Every time when I take part in Lingnan University alumni gatherings or celebrations, the activities held by alumni associations of North America, or even the online Lingnan community, I can strongly feel the ever-lasting Lingnan spirit.”
 
Just as the Alma Mater Song states, “Wondrous land our fathers gave us, True to both we are!”, Mr. Day exhorts young Lingnanian to “keep up with the times, inherit the past and build the future”. He embraces the motto “Education for Service”. The core value of Lingnan spirit lies in closely uniting Lingnan people together, with enthusiasm, sincerity, perseverance, and inclusiveness of different thoughts and cultures, cultivating a sense of social responsibility, personal integrity, all-rounded knowledge, and a lifelong learning passion. Mr. Day reminds, “These Lingnan spirits are correct wherever they are applied, as they are our lifetime endeavors.”