The Chinese Occupational Education Association of Hong Kong (“COEAHK” or “the Association”), a non-governmental organization focusing on occupational education, held its founding ceremony cum dinner at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong today. Honorary Chairman of COEAHK, Dr. Liu Yung-chau, and Chairman of the Council, Prof. Wong Yuk-shan, attended the event. Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Eric Chan Kwok-ki, officiated and spoke at the ceremony. Other prominent guests present included Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, Mr. He Jing; Executive Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr. Guo Hanyi; President of the Legislative Council, Mr. Andrew Leung Kwan-Yin; Member of National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Ms. Starry Lee Wai-king; Secretary for Education, Dr. Christine Choi Yuk-lin; Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Prof. Sun Dong; Minister of the Education and Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, Prof. Wang Weiming; Minister of the Youth Work Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Zhang Zhihua; Vice Minister of the Education and Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, Ms. Wu Cheng; Deputy Director of the Education Department of Guangdong Province, Mr. Feng Wei; and Deputy of National People’s Congress PRC, Mr. Stanley Ng Chau-pei.
Group photo of officiating guests: From left to right, front row: Dr. Christine Choi Yuk-lin, Ms. Starry Lee Wai-king, Mr. Guo Hanyi, Mr. He Jing, Dr. Liu Yung-chau, Chief Secretary for Administration Mr. Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Prof. Wong Yuk-Shan, President Mr. Andrew Leung Kwan-Yin, Prof. Sun Dong, Mr. Stanley Ng Chau-pei; From left to right, back row: Ms. Gladys Yam Ying-sim, Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping, Dr. Liu Yi-man, Mr. Feng Wei, Mr. Zhang Zhihua, Dr. David Wong Yau-kar, Prof. Wang Weiming, Dr. Yau Sheung Mui Carrie Willis, Ms. Wu Cheng, Dr. Dorothy Chan Yuen Tak-fai, Mr. Perry Yiu Pak-leung
More than 300 guests from Hong Kong and mainland China, including leaders and experts from the Office of the Chief Secretary, Education Bureau, Innovation Technology and Industry Bureau, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau were present to celebrate the significant occasion for the occupational education sector. Together they discussed development opportunities for occupational education in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area (“Greater Bay Area” or “GBA”) in the new era and work to promote exchange and cooperation on occupational education in China and Hong Kong and even internationally, striving to groom for the sector more outstanding technical personnel able to meet the development needs in the new era.
COEAHK has Dr. Liu Yung-chau as Honorary Chairman, Prof. Wong Yuk-shan as Chairman, two Deputy Chairman Dr. David Wong Yau-kar and Dr. Liu Yi Man, and six council members namely Dr. Yau Sheung Mui Carrie Willis, Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping, Dr. Chan Cheuk-hay, Dr. Dorothy Chan Yuen Tak-fai, Mr. Perry Yiu Pak-leung and Ms. Gladys Yam Ying-sim. The 10 are all luminaries in the political, business and academic sectors who care about occupational education, and individuals from various sectors interested in occupational education will also participate in the Association’s work. Through exchange and cooperation, COEAHK will build a strong occupational education network and nurture talent with outstanding practical skills for society.
In his speech, Dr. Liu Yung-chau, Honorary Chairman of COEAHK, said, “I wish to thank our friends in and outside the industry for it is with their support and encouragement that COEAHK is officially founded. The Association will follow its mission of promoting development of occupational education in Hong Kong and exchange and cooperation between those in the sector in Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA, spreading the ‘craftsmanship spirit’ and nurturing various types of manufacturing and service talent in the new era. Also, on behalf of the Association, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you the cream of the crop in the community, and education and professional sectors for joining us tonight. We look forward to your continuing care and support, and also working with you to build and develop occupational education, helping groom talent and working hard for the prosperity and progress of Hong Kong and revitalisation of the Chinese nation.”
COEAHK will serve as a bridge that connects the government, and the business and occupational education sectors, heeding the perspective of students on the supply side, which is “to put to use what they have learned”, and that of enterprises on the demand side, which is “to hire the most capable for a job”. At present, the society has a strong demand for talent strong in practical skills, and there is a gap to be filled, yet occupational education colleges, employers and the Education Bureau have been working independently. The purpose of the Association is precisely to promote communication and cooperation between the education, business and political sectors between Hong Kong and mainland China, facilitating sharing of resources among occupational colleges, school-enterprise cooperation, industry-education integration and integrated development of the political and education sectors.
Currently, both Hong Kong and mainland China are facing labour shortage problem, especially in need of talent with specialized skills. Transformation and upgrade of young talent to meet social development needs is an important aspect in talent education. Prof. Wong Yuk-Shan, Chairman of COEAHK, said, “Based in Hong Kong, the Association has its eyes set on the GBA and the wider mainland China market. Our hope is to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages and marrying them with national development strategies, focusing not only on Hong Kong’s occupational education, but also paying attention to the talent gap in the mainland, so as to aid the prosperous development of occupational education in both places, nurture professionals for the business sector, and contribute to socio-economic development. Moreover, we look forward to via more in-depth industry-education integration projects helping students master professional skills that meet the needs of society and pave their career development paths.”
John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, pointed out in his 2023 Policy Address that “Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive” and thus it needs to “enhance the status of occupational and professional education and training and develop universities of applied sciences” to turn into a city with international and highly diversified post-secondary education and become “an international hub for post-secondary education”. Amid industrial upgrade and transformation, and rapidly developing technologies and as guided by the national strategy of “promoting the country through science and education”, young talent equipped with advanced professional skills are the solid force in “high quality development of occupational education”.
The setting up of COEAHK does not only match the development plan and economic transformation and upgrade of Hong Kong and the mainland, but agrees also to the urgent need for cooperation and inclusiveness among the different parties in society. Timely and trend commands, the Association can act as a bridge for the government, and the business and occupational education sectors in Hong Kong and mainland China to communicate and boost value, and does the same for the occupational education sectors of the two places. In the future, it will stive to pool all relevant forces and be devoted to developing occupational education and training talent, to the end of serving the country’s needs and promoting prosperity of the GBA. It will be a bridge that connects different parties in society, encouraging exchanges and cooperation and making positive contribution to the prosperity and development of occupational education.
About The Chinese Occupational Education Association of Hong Kong
The Chinese Occupational Education Association of Hong Kong is a non-governmental organization focusing on occupational education in the city. It is committed to promoting and strengthening the quality of occupational education in Hong Kong, exploring and engaging in exchange on occupational education theories and practices, helping promote development of occupational education in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, nurturing technological talent for innovation and technology companies, modern industries and service industries in the region. It endeavours to promote exchange and cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China on occupational education development, especially in GBA cities, as well as facilitate exchange between occupational education institutions in Hong Kong and overseas. The Association is committed to uniting all those who care about occupational education in Hong Kong and the GBA and working hard to develop education and nurture talent.
Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition: Tribute to the late Mr. Lee Leng Chong. As a tribute to the late Mr. Lee Leng Chong, a Chinese Calligraphy exhibition will be held at ION Art gallery, Level 4, ION Orchard. There will be 100 Chinese calligraphy art pieces on exhibit. A compilation of the Chinese calligraphy pieces on exhibit will also be launched during the exhibition.
The exhibition will be held from 14 July (Friday) to 18 July (Tuesday), 10am to 10pm.
The opening ceremony will be on 15 July 2023 (Saturday), 3pm at ION Art gallery. The Guest- of-Honour is Mr. Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law.
Mr. Lee Leng Chong’s Biography
The late Mr. Lee Leng Chong was a prominent and accomplished Chinese Calligraphy artist. Notably, he was listed as one of Singapore’s Top Teochew Famous People in the field of Cultural Arts in the book published in 2016 as part of SG50 collection, the editor was Mr. Phua Kok Khoo.
In his lifetime, he worked at the Singapore Press Holdings as an editor for the Chinese Newspapers (Lianhe Zaobao and Sin Chew Daily), which was also his first and last job, and devoted his time post-retirement on his passion for Chinese Cultural Arts and honing his craft for Chinese Calligraphy.
He had won several acclaimed Chinese Calligraphy awards including:
3. The Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore – Tan Keng Cheow Award
2013 Tan Keng Cheow Award
His works were regularly featured in all the major Chinese calligraphy exhibitions and events organised by the various Chinese Calligraphy Associations in Singapore and he has also represented Singapore in multiple International Chinese Calligraphy Cultural Exchanges (Singapore, China, Korea and Malaysia).
The late Mr. Lee Leng Chong had always been passionate about promoting Chinese Cultural Arts. The family of the late Mr. Lee Leng Chong hopes to continue his legacy to spread and instil the love and appreciation of Chinese Calligraphy and Chinese Cultural Arts in Singapore through the successful launch of this exhibition.
The son of the late Mr. Lee Leng Chong, Mr. Wayne Lee, is a veteran investment banker and is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of W Capital Markets Pte Ltd, a holder of the Capital Markets Services (“CMS”) licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct regulated activities of “Advising on Corporate Finance” and “Dealing in Capital Market Products that are Securities and units in a Collective Investment Scheme”, and is an accredited IPO Mainboard Issue Manager and Catalist Full Sponsor authorised by the Singapore Exchange. Wayne is also the Founder of W Capital Private Equity VCC. He recently won the EYA Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 – New Entrepreneur Category awarded by ASME and the Rotary Club Singapore.
Part of the sale proceeds from the exhibition art pieces will be donated to the Community Chest.
100% of donated proceeds to Community Chest goes to support over 100 social service agencies to meet underserved and critical social needs. The causes supported include the following:
– Adults with Disabilities – Children with Special Needs and Youths-At-Risk – Families in Need of Assistance – Persons with Mental Health Conditions – Seniors in Need of Support
About W Capital Markets
W Capital Markets Pte. Ltd. (“W Capital Markets”) is a holder of the Capital Markets Services (“CMS”) licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct the regulated activities of “Advising on Corporate Finance” and “Dealing in Capital Market Products that are Securities and units in a Collective Investment Scheme”.
W Capital Markets is an accredited Mainboard Issue Manager and Catalist Full Sponsor authorised by the SGX.
W Capital Markets provides a full suite of bespoke investment banking services, including M&As, IPOs, Pre-IPO & secondary fund raising and financial advisory, with a focus on mid-cap companies (S$50 million to S$1 billion enterprise value) in the Asia Pacific region.
Helmed by a team of reputable & highly experienced M&A and IPO investment bankers, it also has the privilege of having amongst its directors and shareholders, several prominent & well-regarded practitioners from the corporate finance/ private equity/ legal and business community. Nanshan Group, a Chinese conglomerate with diversified businesses globally and ranked among the top 200 enterprises in China is the second largest shareholder of W Capital Markets.
Led by its founding Chairman and CEO, Mr. Wayne Lee, the vision of W Capital Markets is to be an international financial group with presence in key financial centres and be recognized as a premier corporate finance powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region.
Find out more at www.wcapitalmarkets.com.sg/leadership.html
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2023 opens today (June 16) at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. After a three-year hiatus, this year’s COF will bring together nine quality operatic programmes from June to October to showcase the splendour of Chinese operatic arts in the city.
The opening programme of COF 2023 consists of performances by the Peking Opera Theatre of Beijing, highlighting the artistic legacy of Peking opera master Zhang Junqiu who was famed for his “qingyi” (virtuous female) roles and lauded as one of the four best performers of “dan” (female) roles. The first performance of tonight’s opening programme is the classic play, “Top Scholar as Matchmaker”, which premiered in 1960 and is celebrated as one of Zhang’s iconic works. This time, his disciple Wang Rongrong, currently the leading exponent of the Zhang style and a winner of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award, starred in the role of Princess Chai and led the Theatre cast to deliver a splendid performance, receiving warm applause from the audience.
The COF 2023 has invited an excellent line-up of Chinese opera troupes to stage stunning performances. Apart from the Peking Opera Theatre of Beijing, there are the Centre for the Safeguarding of Qu Opera of Henan, the Sichuan Opera Troupe, the Wuhan Han Opera Theatre, the Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre and the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu. Moreover, veteran local Cantonese opera artists as well as renowned Yue opera performances will stage “The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera” and “A Stellar Meet featuring Plum Blossom Award Winners in Yue Opera” respectively. The grand finale of the COF, “Bless This Land – Cantonese Opera Showcase under the Bamboo Theatre at Victoria Park”, will be held outdoors at a large makeshift bamboo theatre erected at Victoria Park. A series of extension activities, including talks, meet-the-artists sessions, exhibitions and Chinese opera film screenings, will be held throughout the festival period to promote the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera.
Since its inception in 2010, the COF has curated quality operatic programmes with the aim of promoting the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera. For more information on other fascinating programmes of the COF 2023, please visit www.cof.gov.hk.
To promote greater knowledge and understanding of the artistic features of Chinese opera, the Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2023 will organise a number of free art talks and exhibitions from May to August. These informative and educational events will delve into different theatrical genres, staging formats, repertoire appreciation and stage aesthetics from various perspectives.
Talks on art of Chinese opera
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This year’s COF will showcase the story of the White Snake in various theatrical genres, and different art groups will feature a number of classic excerpts. The two sessions of “Talks on the Art of Chinese Opera” will discuss excerpt performances and crossover presentations of theatrical stories, respectively. Both talks will be hosted by Adjunct Professor of the Department of Cultural Studies of Lingnan University Professor Li Siu-leung, with details as follows:
Topic: Chinese Opera Excerpts as Theatre in Practice: What to Perform? How to Enjoy?
Date and time: May 27 (Saturday), 3pm
Content: To discuss the significance of excerpts, as a common staging format, in terms of theatrical performance, and the various perspectives on the appreciation of excerpt performances.
Topic: Crossover Presentations of “The Legend of the White Snake” as Exemplified by Wu Opera, Peking Opera and Sichuan Opera
Date and time: June 3 (Saturday), 3pm
Content: To examine the similarities and differences among the three theatrical genres, as well as their respective aesthetics and cultural meanings through the story of the White Snake.
Talks and demonstration lecture on art of Kunqu opera
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“The Peony Pavilion” is a classic play in Kunqu opera that enjoys timeless popularity on the stage of Chinese opera. This year’s COF will again present the three-part full version of “The Peony Pavilion – The Youth Version”. In the three sessions of the “Talks on the Art of Kunqu Opera”, seasoned Kunqu researcher Cheung Lai-chun is invited to examine this famous opera from different angles. Details are listed as follows:
Topic: Classic Arias and Performances of “The Peony Pavilion” That Inject Poetry onto the Theatre Stage
Date and time: May 28 (Sunday), 3pm
Content: Taking several classic excerpts from the play to illustrate how texts are transformed into staging visual imageries with finesse in Kunqu opera.
Topic: Love Blessed by Mortals and the Gods Alike in “The Peony Pavilion”
Date and time: June 4 (Sunday), 3pm
Content: To introduce Du Liniang and several main characters of the play, as well as their importance in the development of the story.
Topic: Theatre Aesthetics as Shown in the Different Stagings of “The Peony Pavilion”
Date and time: June 11 (Sunday), 3pm
Content: To explore the influence of stage aesthetics on Kunqu opera by reviewing several stage versions of the play.
The “Talks on the Art of Chinese Opera” and “Talks on the Art of Kunqu Opera” will be conducted in Cantonese at AC2, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Moreover, the COF will organise a demonstration lecture, “From Scholar to King – on the Acting in the ‘The Peony Pavilion’ and ‘The Prophecies of Taoist Monk Iron Headgear'”, which will be hosted by performer Zhou Xuefeng from the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu. Zhou will share his performing experiences over the years and demonstrate techniques with other performers and the musicians of the troupe. The lecture (conducted in Putonghua) will be held at 7pm on July 31 (Monday) at the Theatre (Block I, Middle Zone), Jao Tsung-I Academy. Registration details of this talk will be announced in due course.
Thematic exhibitions
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Apart from talks, three thematic exhibitions will also be held at various venues. The exhibition “An Enchanting Convergence of Chinese Opera” will present the unique charisma of Chinese opera by using 3D video and animation techniques. “The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera” exhibition will introduce the intricate artistry of “wusheng” (martial male) characterisation through precious photos and textual explanations, while “The Art Form and the Repertory” exhibition will display the distinctive features and photos each performance of this year’s festival. Details are listed as follows:
“An Enchanting Convergence of Chinese Opera”
Date: May 31 (Wednesday) to June 18 (Sunday)
Venue: Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
“The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera”
Date: May 31 (Wednesday) to June 18 (Sunday)
Venue: Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Date: July 13 (Thursday) to August 20 (Sunday)
Venue: Arts Resource Centre, 10/F, Hong Kong Central Library
“The Art Form and the Repertory”
Date: June 20 (Tuesday) to July 9 (Sunday)
Venue: Foyer, Hong Kong City Hall
Date: July 18 (Tuesday) to August 10 (Thursday)
Venue: Exhibition Corner, Yuen Long Theatre
In addition to the stage performances and the above-mentioned talks and exhibitions, extended activities including meet-the-artists sessions and Chinese opera film shows will be held throughout the festival period to promote the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera. For more information about the events, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.cof.gov.hk/2023/en/index.html#outreach.
Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the COF has curated quality operatic programmes with the aim of promoting the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera since its inception in 2010. COF 2023 will once again bring together an excellent line-up of Chinese opera troupes to stage nine quality operatic programmes covering a variety of theatrical genres, including Peking opera, Qu opera, Sichuan opera, Han opera, Cantonese opera, Wu opera, Kunqu opera and Yue opera, from June to October, showcasing the splendour of Chinese operatic art in all its glory. Tickets are now available at all URBTIX outlets and at the Xiqu Centre Ticket Office. For more details, please visit www.cof.gov.hk.
Police yesterday (November 24) reclassified a case of practice of Chinese medicine without registration reported in Pat Heung on December 10, 2020 as manslaughter.
At 10.34pm on that day, Police received a report that a 55-year-old woman suffered from breath difficulty inside her residence in Kam Sheung Road, Pat Heung. Police sped to the scene. The woman was rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in conscious state and was certified dead at 11.42pm on the same day.
The District Crime Squad of Yuen Long District took over the case. Investigation revealed that the deceased for received acupuncture treatment from a now 74-year-old man at her residence at about 9.35pm on that day. He is neither a registered nor listed Chinese medicine practitioner.
At 5.25am on December 11, 2020, Police arrested the man for practice of Chinese medicine without registration and laid a charge against the man with one count of practice of Chinese medicine without registration on the same day. The case was mentioned at Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on December 12, 2020.
Further investigation revealed that the man had performed acupuncture treatment on the deceased for seven times previously. Post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was bilateral pneumothoraxes due to penetrative injuries to the back.
After consulting the Department of Justice, The case was reclassified as manslaughter. The charge against the arrested man was amended to one count of manslaughter and seven counts of practice of Chinese medicine without registration. The case will be mentioned at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on November 28.
