Bulletin No. 2, 2011

22   Chinese University Bulletin No. 2, 2011 The University Lecture on Civility, a major component of CUHK’s I • CARE Programme, aims at bringing in scholars, artists and public figures in this region to CUHK to share their views on civility and value systems with our staff and students, as well as the public. The lecture debuted on 4 October 2011 with Lin Hwai-min , founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, as its first guest speaker. The 600 tickets were gone in no time and fans spilt out onto the corridors of Lee Hysan Concert Hall and adjacent lecture halls to hear him speak about his life of dance in the last 38 years. Lin was invited to give this inaugural lecture because his story and what Cloud Gate has achieved echo the spirit of I • CARE—‘Aspiration through reflection; Renewal through civility’. As a young man, Lin had determined to live a meaningful life against conformity. In 1973, he set up ‘Cloud Gate’ ( yun men ). It was the first contemporary dance company in Chinese society. Named after China’s most ancient dance, it strove to present dance choreographed by Chinese for Chinese. The status of dancers in Taiwan at the time was lowly, comparable to a beggar’s, and some even likened the company’s survival to that of flowers grown in cement.
 He believes in dreams, and dreams don’t come true in imagination. As his advice goes, ‘Don’t just keep thinking or talking. Venture out, Lin Hwai-min has shown us with his life the meaning of persistence and on the afternoon of 4 October 2011, he showed the students of CUHK how to take on the impossible. Growing Daisies in Cement