“Chung Hwa and China’s Education” Seminar: Promoting Chinese Culture Via Education and Publishing

The “Chung Hwa and China’s Education” seminar, organised by EdUHK’s Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, was held on 7 October 2022 (Friday). Keynote speakers include three important managers from Chung Hwa Book Co., namely Ms HOU Ming, Managing Director and Chief Editor, Ms WU Lai-shun, Manager of Chung Hwa Educational Publishing Branch, and Ms HUNG Hau-ching, Associate Manager of Extraordinary Publishing Branch, attracting a huge audience from across the university community.

Ms Hou shed light on Chung Hwa’s over 110 years of history, its role in the development of China’s education and publishing industry, as well as its influence on the modernisation of China’s education. Chung Hwa, as a leading publisher in China, is a multi-faceted business offering services of editing, printing, publishing, and distributing. With deep roots in Hong Kong, the publisher has been operating as an integrative, special cultural organisation, driven by its mission and vision --- “To promote Chinese culture and develop modern civilisation”. Another speaker, Ms Wu, spoke on the relationship of education and publishing, as well as Chung Hwa’s publications such as reference books for teachers, books for young people in promotion of Chinese traditions and culture, reading on civic and national topics, etc. The company’s many services and collaborating projects were also highlighted, such as quizzes, competitions, seminars, and forums, demonstrating Chung Hwa’s continuous effort in upholding its mission for education, and its dynamic response to the evolution of local education.

Apart from the display of Chung Hwa’s selected publications prepared by the Department, the speakers brought along some banknotes from the Chinese Republican Period, and some remastered tickets of the Hong Kong Tramways produced by Chung Hwa many years back, giving the audience an opportunity to see relics from the past. The seminar was a valuable learning experience, for students seized the chance to mingle with the speakers, and all participants were able to gain a more profound understanding of Chung Hwa’s direction of publishing, which focuses on promoting Chinese culture, self-declared duties to cultural education, scholarly works, originality and local culture.