Audio Archives: Lectures on Chinese Classics from the Hok Hoi Library and others

The Digital Platform

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library has received a few donations of prominent scholars’ lecture recordings on Chinese classics in recent years. Library has decided to digitize the recordings for permanent storage and have them uploaded in stages onto the newly established open access digital platform titled “Audio Archives: Lectures on Chinese Classics from the Hok Hoi Library and Others.” The first batch will be launched with two sets of recordings of the lectures on Chinese classics delivered by Hok Hoi Library from the 1970s to 1990s, which serves to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Hok Hoi Library in 2023.

The Lecture Recordings 

Hong Kong has attracted a multitude of talents over the years and many of those who migrated from the Mainland in early times were erudite and eminent scholars. With the passion to promote Chinese classics and uphold traditional Chinese culture, these scholars either gave talks at Hok Hoi Library, taught courses at universities and tertiary institutions, or delivered private lectures. Their contribution is remarkable, in leaving us invaluable documents and records, together with sound recordings of their lectures. In listening to the audio recordings, readers can conjure up the images of the speakers’ gracious demeanor and understand the sentiments of classics through their heart touching recitations which would set an exemplary role for the young scholars to follow. Hence, these collections of writings, poems, and calligraphies, together with audio recordings are essential heritage of Chinese studies that needs immediate preservation.  The CUHK Library has always been keen to collect materials of traditional culture.  Batches of donations in cassette tapes on lectures by renowned scholars during the 1980s and 1990s namely, Chen Zhanquan (陳湛銓) (1916-1986), He Shuhui (何叔惠) (1919-2012), and Chen Yaonan (陳耀南) (1941-) were received in recent years.  Since cassette tapes are fragile and magnetic tape recorders are going to be obsolete, the Library has then decided to systematically digitize the tape recordings for permanent preservation.  At the same time, two other batches of tape recordings from Hok Hoi Library lectures were donated to the Library in 2011 and 2014 respectively.  The first set came from the lecture attendant Ms. MoLuo Miaoxin (莫羅妙馨), and the second set donated by the Director of Hok Hoi Library, Ms. Janet Tang (鄧巧兒).  These recordings, made on the spot by attendants upon consent of the speakers, recorded Hok Hoi Library’s public lectures that covered the topics of traditional Chinese classics, poetry and prose writings. The two sets of donations add up to a considerable number of approximately three thousand cassette tapes, and with the enthusiastic support of the Chairman of Hok Hoi Library, Professor Fung Kwok Pui (馮國培), the Library has succeeded to obtain funding from the Bei Shan Tang Foundation to have the cassette tapes digitized and added to the library collection.  The Year 2023 marks the hundredth anniversary of the founding of Hok Hoi Library, and at this juncture, the Library is glad to open the access of the platform to the public.

Founded in 1923 by the late-Qing Han-lin Lai Jixi (賴際熙) (1865-1937) who resided in Hong Kong after the 1911 revolution, the Hok Hoi Library conducted weekly free lectures to the public.  Early speakers included the late-Qing scholars such as Chen Botao (陳伯陶) (1855-1930), Wen Su (溫肅) (1879-1939), He Zaoxiang (何藻翔) (1865-1930) , Yu Shuwen (俞叔文) (1874-1959) and etc., as well as the renowned post-war scholars like Li Jingkang  (李景康) (1890-1960), Chen Zhanquan (陳湛銓) (1915-1986) ,Wen Zhongxing (溫中行) (1918-1986), Pan Xiaopan (潘小磐) (1914-2001), Su Wenzhuo (蘇文擢) (1921-1997) and etc.. Most of them were distinguished figures in the academia.  Their lecture recordings well qualify as important heritage of Chinese studies that deserve to be preserved, and it is a valuable opportunity for the public to be able to transcend time and space to listen to their lectures through Library’s digital platform.

Coverage

Planned to be uploaded in stages, the digital platform consists: 

I.    The Hok Hoi Library’s Lecture Recordings (Uploaded by stages from January 2023 onwards):

A.    The collection of Ms. MoLuo Miaoxin (1,034 cassette tapes): Donated in April 2011;
B.    The collection of Ms. Janet Tang that came from another attendant (1,714 cassette tapes): Donated in November 2014.

The topics covered are :

  1. Chen Zhanquan(1915-1986): Yuan Haowen’s (1190-1257) Poetry, Northern Song Lyric Poetry, Book of Changes, Zeng Guofan’s (1811-1872) Selected Works by Eighteen Poets. Selected Chinese Prose Writings, Selections of Refined Literature of the Resplendent Brilliance, Selections of Refined Literature, Du Fu’s (712-770) Poetry, Su Shi’s (1037-1101) Poetry, Selected Poems across Dynasties, The Mao Commentary on the Classic of Poetry, Zhuangzi, Origins of Chinese Characters, The Analects, Han Yu’s (768-824) Prose Writings, Huang Tingjian’s (1045-1105) Poetry, Selections of Refined Literature, etc..
  2. Pan Xiaopan(1914-2001): Selected Classical Writings, Ten Thousand Chinese Quatrains by Tang Poets, Commentaries of Tang Poetry, Selected Tang Prose Writings, A Brief Introduction to Tang Prose Writings, Song Lyric Poetry, Shu Menglan’s (1759-1837) Selection of a Hundred Lyric Poems.
  3. Wen Zhongxing(1918-1986): Lyric Poetry by Renowned Song Poets, Selections of Refined Literature of the Resplendent Brilliance.
  4. Su Wenzhuo(1921-1997): Yuan Plays, Tao Yuanming’s (365-427) Poetry, Selected Prose Writings by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan (773-819), Tao Yuanming’s Nine Imitations of Ancient Poems, Zhuangzi (Talk conducted by the Hong Kong Taoist Association)
  5. Chen Jiehuai (1937-2004): Tao Te Ching, Zhuangzi, The Analects, Book of Changes.
  6. Li Yan (1907-1996): Oracle Bone Scripts, Ancient Poetry.
  7. Wang Weichang (1902-1993): Selections of Refined Literature.
  8. He Peixiong(1932-2013): Rhapsody Poetry of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties.
  9. Wang zhaoxian(1934-): Selected Poems and Lyrics, Poetry of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Selections from the Four Bibliographic Categories, Book of Documents, Stories from the Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, Continuation to the Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, Poetry of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Selections of Refined Literature.
  10. Chang Zonghao (1937-2010): The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons.
  11. He Naiwen (1933-): Literary Classics, Selected Prose Writings by Han Yu.
  12. Hong Zhaoping(1946- ): Lu You’s (1125-1210) Poetry.
  13. Chen Yaonan (1941-): An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Prose.
  14. Others

II.    Lecture recordings of Chen Zhanquan (Upload date to be confirmed)

III.    Lecture recordings of He Shuhui (Upload date to be confirmed)

IV.    Lecture recordings of Chen Yaonan (Upload date to be confirmed)

V.    Others (To be determined)

Y.W. Chau
Former Hong Kong Studies Librarian, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library
November 23, 2022