Our Students' Literary Journey in Beijing: Lu Xun Writers' Institute, "China Merchants Cup" Book Month, and "China Exploration" Study Tours
On 2 April, the opening ceremony of the Lu Xun Writers’ Institute Hong Kong Youth Creative Writing Class was held in Beijing. Thirty-five young students from secondary schools across Hong Kong gathered in the capital for a week-long literary programme. Distinguished guests attending the ceremony included Wu Yiqin (Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the China Writers Association, and Dean of Lu Xun Writers’ Institute), Li Yongming (Deputy Party Secretary and Director of China Merchants Group), Li Donghua (Executive Vice Dean of Lu Xun Writers’ Institute), Zhang Mingyuan (Vice Dean), Zhao Yang (Chairperson of the Hong Kong Youth Federation of China Merchants Group), Chan Dion (Vice Chairperson of the Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council and Principal of Ying Wa College), and Kwok Yih Feng (Deputy Principal of The Chinese Foundation Secondary School).
Our student Wang Ho Lui was honoured to speak as the representative of the participants. She shared that her passion for writing began with a pure love of literature in her early youth. She spends her spare time reading and recording her daily life and inner thoughts through words. She specifically mentioned that the “1872 Hong Kong Youth Creative Writing Class” had enriched her literary journey. She encouraged her fellow students to stay true to their literary aspirations and to write about their youthful visions, their love for home, and their concerns for the world.
Meanwhile, the award ceremony of the 6th “China Merchants Cup” Hong Kong Youth Reading Month and the opening ceremony of the 14th–16th “China Exploration” study tours were held at the China Modern Literature Museum. Our student Chu Ho Wang won the Gold Award and delivered a speech as the awardee representative. Wang Yan Tung received the Silver Award, while Lee Hiu Lam Hillary and Chung Man Yin received Merit Awards. Students from our sister schools—Shanghai Nanyang Middle School and the Affiliated High School of Beijing University of Technology—also won multiple awards, further strengthening inter-school exchanges.
In his speech, Chu Ho Wang shared what he had gained from participating in the Reading Month for three consecutive years. He emphasised that reading is not for grades or vanity, but a way to find one’s spiritual homeland in the classics, which broadens the mind and deepens one’s thinking. He also mentioned that regular correspondence with his mentor, Mr Zhao Yang, helped him develop the habit of recording his thoughts in writing, and some of his works have been published in Hong Kong Literature. He encouraged everyone to “read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles,” to understand themselves and the world through deep reading, and to let the fragrance of books illuminate a more wonderful life.
In this event, a total of 11 students from our school took part in the 14th, 15th and 16th study tours, travelling across China—from Changchun and Shenyang to Shanghai, from Xi’an and Dunhuang to Lanzhou, and immersing themselves in the literary atmosphere of Beijing. We look forward to their return, when they will share their experiences and insights with the entire school.
