Hong Kong’s oldest education institution has a rich past and has made a profound impact Hong Kong’s education system
The current campus opened 15 years ago in Sham Shui Po.Ying Wa College, in Sham Shui Po, is the oldest school in Hong Kong. While it opened in Kowloon in 1843, the institution was actually established 200 years ago.
When Reverend Robert Morrison, the first Protestant Missionary to ever set foot in China, arrived in Macau in 1807, the destiny of Ying Wa College was set in stone. Morrison believed that it was essential to set up a school to introduce Western ideals into Chinese communities. And so, he started the planning for what would be the world’s first Anglo-Chinese school.
Anglo-Chinese College (later renamed Ying Wa College) was established in Malacca, Malaysia in 1818, by Morrison and Reverend William Milne. With the motto “The reciprocal cultivation of English and Chinese literature and the diffusion of Christianity”, the College aimed to cultivate the cultural exchange between East and West civilisations, while spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. The College also trained pastors of Chinese descent - including Leung Faat, the first ever Chinese Protestant minister - and published first Chinese translation of the Bible.
The school relocated to Hong Kong Island, at the junction of Hollywood Road and Staunton Street, in 1843. Under the guidance of then-principal James Legge, the College continued to spearhead the development of printing and translation services. The first Chinese newspaper, Chinese Serial, was published in 1853 through the College, which also published the world’s first English translations of famous Chinese literature such as the Confucianist text Four Books and Five Classics.
The College was forced to close from 1871 to 1914, due to the lack of young people willing to be trained as preachers. However, new life was breathed into the College in 1914, and a new campus opened on Bonham Road under the leadership of Reverend Arnold Hughes.
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The College continued to prosper, develop and expand from that point until 1938, adhering to the principles of educating and nurturing students along with spreading the Christian faith. It moved to an even more spacious campus in Bute Street, Mong Kok, in 1928.
However, their reversal of fortunes came during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1938, lasting until 1945. The College faced severe problems in terms of everyday operations, and then-principal Herbert Noble was captured by Japanese forces in 1941 and detained in a concentration camp, signalling an end to the operations of the College yet again.
Fortunately, the College resumed operations in 1945 after the Japanese forces retreated. A period of prosperity soon followed, with the College expanding and advancing once again under the leadership of Noble and successive principals. It moved into a more modern campus at Oxford Road in 1963, and in 1964, published Torch, one of the first school magazines in Hong Kong, once again signalling the trailblazing contributions Ying Wa College has made to the publishing industry.
HK Post releases new stamps to commemorate Ying Wa's bicentenary
For the past few decades, there has been a series of reforms to help modernise the school environment, such as the relocation of campus to Nam Cheong in Sham Shui Po, and reopening the primary school section in the year 2003, along with the adoption of the Direct Subsidy School system in the year 2008, which helped to increase the school's flexibility and allow it to better cater to students' needs.
The anniversary celebrations include a set of stamps issued by Hong Kong Post and an exhibition on the College's history hosted at the Hong Kong Museum of History. Other celebration activities held a music video featuromg famous alumni such as Antony Leung Kam-Chung, former financial secretary of Hong Kong, for the 200th anniversary theme song, which is performed by veteran cantopop singer Sam Hui Koon-Kit, another Old Boy.
When asked about the significance of the celebrations, Allan Cheng Kwun-Kit, Principal of the Ying Wa College, said that “through the celebrations, which include the hosting of academic conferences with international scholars, the school aims to show not only the historical significance of the school, but also the profound, long-lasting impact that it has made on Hong Kong society, such as the introduction of a bilingual school system to China.”
A look at Ying Wa College through the ages
While the activities are meant to be fun, the principal thinks they have a greater importance. He said: “After the enjoying the celebratory events of the bicentennial anniversary, I hope that the students can revisit and recommit to the founding principles of the school.”
He added, “After the celebrations, I hope that Ying Wa boys will be inspired to carry forward the missions of our predecessors and be thankful for what we have received.”
Others have also echoed his sentiments.
Ying Wa College student Argus Lam, 16, told us: “After the celebratory events I feel like my sense of belonging to the school has strengthened, and I am eager now to get to know more about the history and the principles of our school.”
Fellow student Alvin Leung, 16, said: “The celebrations taught me to be grateful for what I have now and they really gave me a chance to build a closer rapport with my fellow schoolmates through organising these celebratory events.”
After the actual anniversary on November 11, a few more events will take place, including a two-day funfair open to the public on November 30 and December 1 on the school grounds.