Ying Wa College
Encyclopedia
Ying Wa College formerly known as Anglo-Chinese College, abbreviated YWC), is the world's first Anglo
-Chinese
school. It has thrived on the vision of its founding fathers and the good work of generations of devoted principals and teachers, whose educational approach is particularly apt for Hong Kong, a place where East meets West, and where a healthy synergy between the two brings out the best of both worlds. Indeed, thousands of local youths have passed through its gates and benefited from its excellent care and nurture in over 191 years. Among them many are outstanding leaders in Hong Kong today.
The school building is currently located at Sham Shui Po
, Kowloon
, Hong Kong
. It was formerly a school of London Missionary Society
and later became a member school of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China.
The first institution with the name of Ying Wa College was founded in Malacca
in 1818 by Robert Morrison of the London Missionary Society
, the first Protestant missionary to China. The Rev. Dr. William Milne was then appointed Headmaster. The fundamental deed declared the object of the College to be The reciprocal cultivation of Chinese and European literature; and the diffusion of Christianity
. Apart from its work of a school, the Anglo-Chinese College (as it was then called) also trained evangelists and pastors. Leung Faat and the Rev. Hoh Fuk Tong were among the first Chinese to heed the call to preach the Gospel
.
The college was part of an even broader scheme by Morrison for the evangelization of China. This was, to build at Malacca what he called an " Anglo-Chinese College." Its object was to introduce the East to the West, and the West to the East ; in other words, to mediate between the two civilizations, and thus to prepare the way for the quiet and peaceful dissemination of Christian thought in China. The idea fired him with enthusiasm. He wrote home, urging the friends of China to take it up. Here, he said in effect, is a language which is the speech of something like one-third of all our species. Tens of thousands of English boys and girls are educated to know dead languages. Surely some may be found to learn this living one, and hence be enabled to make known the Christian faith to the many lands where Chinese is spoken. The college was to be open to all Chinese students of European literature, and European students of Chinese. Our missionaries, as they came out to the field, would learn in the college the language in which they were to preach.
The proposal was warmly taken up. The London Missionary Society
gave the ground. The Governor of Malacca and many residents subscribed. Morrison himself gave £1000 out of his small property to establish the college. The building was erected and opened. Printing presses were set up, and students were enrolled. Milne was the president ; and while no student was compelled to declare himself a Christian, or to attend Christian worship, it was hoped that the strong Christian influence would lead many of the purely literary students to become teachers of Christianity. Intense as were his Christian convictions, he could sanction nothing that would do deliberate violence to the convictions of another ; and he had a faith that Christian truth would eventually prevail on its own merits, and need never fear to be set side by side with the truths that other religious systems contain. Eight or nine years after its foundation, Mr. Charles Majoribanks, M.P. for Perth, in a Government report on the condition of Malacca, singled out this institution for very high praise on account of its thoroughly sound, quiet, and efficient work.
A settlement having now been established, under British protection, and in the midst of those islands which are inhabited by a large Malay and Chinese population, reinforcements were sent out from England. After a period in Malacca
they were sent on from there to various centers: Penang
, Java
, Singapore
, Amboyna
, wherever they could find a footing and establish relations with the people. In this way many new stations sprang up in the Ultra-Ganges Mission. A magazine was issued, entitled The Gleaner, the object of which was to keep the various stations in touch with one another, and disseminate information as to progress in the different parts. The various printing presses poured forth pamphlets, tracts, catechisms, translations of Gospels, in Malay or in Chinese. Schools were founded for the teaching of the children : for the great obstacle to the free use of the printing press was that so few of the people comparatively could read. The missionaries had to be many-sided, now preaching to the Malays, now to the Chinese, now to the English population ; now setting up types, now teaching in the schools ; now evangelizing new districts and neighboring islands, now gathering together their little congregations at their own settlement. The reports do not greatly vary from year to year. The work was hard, and seemingly unproductive. The people listened, but often did not respond. The converts were few.
After Hong Kong was ceded by China
to Britain
under the Treaty of Nanking
, the College was moved to Hong Kong Island
in 1843 by the Rev. James Legge
, the famous translator of the Chinese Classics
. The school building was situated at the junction of Hollywood Road
and Staunton Street
. At a time when the Christian church had yet to be officially established, the College was used as a religious centre where Christians assembled to worship the Lord. An important activity of the school was printing the Old and the New Testaments with its own printing press. Rev. James Legge continued to be Principal until he was appointed by the Government in 1864 to help prepare for the opening of Queen's College
. For lack of a successor, the Anglo-Chinese College ceased to operate.
In 1911 the elders of the To Tsai Church and the Revs. Cheung Chuk Ling, W. T. Pearce, and H. R. Wells revived the college so that the training of the sons of church members might be carried on. In 1913 the London Missionary Society
responded to the appeal of the To Tsai Church to provide a Headmaster for the project, sending Arnold Hughes to Hong Kong, and the college was re-opened as a middle school in 1914 in rented premises, first at 9 Caine Road
, later at 45 Caine Road
, and finally at 80 Bonham Road
(a former German Rhenish Mission property).
The school grappled with many financial problems and it was at this time that help was received from the China Congregational Church and the School Committee was enlarged to accept representatives from its new friend. Financial assistance was also received from the Government.
In 1917 Hughes was called up for service in the First World War and the Rev. W. T. Pearce became Acting Headmaster until Hughes returned at the end of the war. The school suffered a great loss in 1922 when Hughes became ill, and died in Japan
while on his way back to England on sick leave. In that year the London Missionary Society
transferred the Rev. L. G. Phillips from Xiamen
to Hong Kong and he served as Headmaster for over two years.
With Phillips's departure in 1924, and troubles in connection with the premises at 80 Bonham Road
, the school entered another difficult period. The premises were rented from the government who now wanted to auction them off. The school committee asked to be allowed to buy the property and there arose a dispute with the Rhenish Mission
even though the rental had originally been undertaken with a view to protecting the property and preserving it for the German mission. The committee contemplated closing the school, but eventually the dispute was resolve and the school continued under the guidance of Shum Wai Cheung.
in Mongkok with the understanding that the school was to share its new hall with Mongkok Church. The government withdrew its financial aid when construction work was underway and the school was completed in September 1928 with the aid of some loans.
In 1930 Shum resigned and the London Missionary Society
agreed to urgent appeals from the school committee that the Rev. Frank Short should be allowed to serve the school as Headmaster. Short administered and developed the school so well that it was restored to the Grant List and the extra funds thus gained made improvement installing possible. The Rev. Frank Short continued in office until 1938 when he had to devote more time to administrative work for the London Missionary Society
. Herbert Noble who joined the school in 1933, succeeded Short.
The school building, commandeered by the Japanese authorities during the Occupation of Hong Kong
in World War II
, was used as a P. W. D. depot. The Headmaster, a member of the naval volunteers, was taken prisoner of war and the staff became scattered. At the close of the war the building was restored to the school committee and re-opened in November 1945. Noble convalesced in London and was substituted by the senior master K. Y. Yung. When Noble resumed duty in 1946 the enrollment had increased to such an extent that almost 600 students were crowded into a building originally designed for 350. The College premises in Bute Street, Mongkok proved to be too small to operate an ideal school. A project for building a new school was therefore contemplated and negotiations resulted in the selling of the existing land and building to the friends of the Mongkok Church.
With a plot of land granted by the Government as the college site, the school authority started to erect a new building at Oxford Road
in Kowloon Tong
. The construction work suffered repeated setbacks concerning its location, foundation and plan. It was only through the zealous efforts of Noble, who exhausted himself, and the magnanimity of the public, who made generous donations, that the project became a reality in June 1962. In the same year Daniel P. K. Au officiated at the foundation ceremony. The new school was opened by the Governor of Hong Kong
, Sir Robert Black
, in October 1963.
After 8 years of service, Iles resigned in 1972 and was succeeded by Rex King who devoted his life and energy to the good of the school. In addition to improving the school facilities, he also attended to pupils' application, which resulted in marked progress in academic work.
In 1978, King resigned and was replaced by H. B. Mui (梅浩濱). After 12 years of service, Mui resigned in 1990 and was succeeded by P. K. Yeung. The college continued to expand, with classes extended to 31, the school curriculum constantly revised to tailor for students' needs and various innovations made. Being inheritor of a long and glorious tradition, the school will continue to follow the footsteps of its predecessors in carrying out its weighty mission.
The Foundation Period
Having a long history, our school was first established in Malacca in 1818. The founder, Rev. Robert Morrison from the London Missionary Society, was the first Protestant missionary coming to China , while Rev. William Milne was appointed as the first principal of the school. With the mission to bridge Chinese and Western cultures and to preach the gospel, Ying Wa was more than an ordinary school. She was also a place nurturing pastors and preachers, among whom were Mr. Leung Faat and Rev. Hoh Fuk Tong, pioneers of the missionary work in China .
The Restoration Period
In 1911, elders of the To Tsai Church, Rev. Cheung Chuk Ling, Rev. Pearce and Rev. Wells all agreed that the school should be re-opened in order that the nurture of the Church members could be carried on. In response to the request made by the To Tsai Church, the London Missionary Society decided to send Rev. Hughes to Hong Kong in 1913 to assume duty as the new principal. Ying Wa was subsequently re-opened as a secondary school in 1914 at a rented campus which was formerly a property of Rhenish Mission. The school was then relocated from 9 Caine Road to 45 Caine Road , and later to 80 Bonham Road .
The Struggle Period
The school faced serious financial hardships thereafter. At that time, assistance was received from the China Congregational Church, and the school committee was expanded to include its representatives. Meanwhile, the government also provided subsidies to Ying Wa . In 1917, as Hughes was called up for serving in the First World War, Pearce became the acting principal until Hughes returned when the war came to an end. Regrettably, in 1922 when Hughes was on his way heading back to England for recuperation, he died in Japan unfortunately. In the same year, the London Missionary Society transferred Rev. Phillips from Xiamen to Hong Kong to serve as the school principal for two years.
The Crisis Period
In 1924, the school experienced another difficult situation, on account of the departure of Phillips and the issue concerning the continuance of the campus at 80 Bonham Road , the former premises of Rhenish Mission. These premises were originally rented from the government which had then decided to put them up for auction instead at the time. The school committee even considered closing down the school owing to some other problems. However, having the way out at the end and under the leadership of Mr. Shum Wai Cheung, Ying Wa had been able to stay open.
Upon entering the Ying Wa College, new students are divided into five houses. The five houses compete every year in culture, music and athletics with a prize. The house with the highest overall score is awarded a trophy. Through this system, the competition encourages student excitement, achievement, school mate camaraderie and greater enthusiasm and school spirit.
The house colour of Morrison house is green and its mascot is the dragon.
Home of our youth,
To Thee we bring the homage of lives at the spring,
Training thy sons for the game of life,
Sending them forth to the age-long strife,
Ready thy name ever bright to uphold,
Ready 'gainst evil to fight and be bold.
May those who left thee in years that are past.
Guard well thy honour, to truth holding fast.
Home of our Youth to thee will we sing,
Long may thy name on our lips proudly ring.
Home of Our Youth in mp3
Words: Sebastian W. Meyer, 1908
We build our school on Thee, O Lord,
To Thee we bring our common need;
The loving heart, the helpful word,
The tender thought, the kindly deed:
With these we pray
Thy Spirit may enrich and bless our School always.
We work together in Thy sight,
We live together in Thy love;
Guide Thou our faltering steps aright,
And lift our thought to heaven above:
Dear Lord we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our school always.
Hold Thou each hand to keep it just,
Touch Thou our lips and make them pure;
If Thou art with us, Lord we must,
Be faithful friends and comrades sure:
Dear Lord, we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our School always.
We change, but Thou art still the same,
The same good Master, Teacher, Friend;
We change, but Lord, we bear Thy name.
To journey with it to the end:
And so we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our School always.
School Hymn in mp3
The School Hymn is also used in other Schools in Hong Kong:
}||1918||1919
|-
|align=left|Arnold Hughes||||1919||1921
|-
|align=left|Leopold Gordon Phillips||||1921||1924
|-
|align=left|Shum Wai Cheong||||1924||1930
|-
|align=left|Frank Short||||1930||1938
|-
|align=left|Herbert Noble||||1938||1964
|-
|align=left|Terence Iles||||1964||1972
|-
|align=left|Rex F. King||||1972||1978
|-
|align=left|Mui Ho Bun||||1978||1990
|-
|align=left|Yeung Po Kwan||||1990||2003
|-
|align=left|Lee Chee Wah||||2003||2011
|-
|align=left|Cheng Kwun Kit (acting)||||2011||
|}
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the terms Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American, Anglo-Celtic, Anglo-African and Anglo-Indian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British Isles descent in The Americas, Australia and...
-Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
school. It has thrived on the vision of its founding fathers and the good work of generations of devoted principals and teachers, whose educational approach is particularly apt for Hong Kong, a place where East meets West, and where a healthy synergy between the two brings out the best of both worlds. Indeed, thousands of local youths have passed through its gates and benefited from its excellent care and nurture in over 191 years. Among them many are outstanding leaders in Hong Kong today.
The school building is currently located at Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po
Sham Shui Po, or Shamshuipo, is an area of Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, situated in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, north of Tai Kok Tsui, east of Cheung Sha Wan and south of Shek Kip Mei. Sham Shui Po is known for its street market for electronic devices.-History:Sham Shui Po...
, Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It was formerly a school of London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
and later became a member school of the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China.
History
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
in 1818 by Robert Morrison of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
, the first Protestant missionary to China. The Rev. Dr. William Milne was then appointed Headmaster. The fundamental deed declared the object of the College to be The reciprocal cultivation of Chinese and European literature; and the diffusion of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Apart from its work of a school, the Anglo-Chinese College (as it was then called) also trained evangelists and pastors. Leung Faat and the Rev. Hoh Fuk Tong were among the first Chinese to heed the call to preach the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
.
The college was part of an even broader scheme by Morrison for the evangelization of China. This was, to build at Malacca what he called an " Anglo-Chinese College." Its object was to introduce the East to the West, and the West to the East ; in other words, to mediate between the two civilizations, and thus to prepare the way for the quiet and peaceful dissemination of Christian thought in China. The idea fired him with enthusiasm. He wrote home, urging the friends of China to take it up. Here, he said in effect, is a language which is the speech of something like one-third of all our species. Tens of thousands of English boys and girls are educated to know dead languages. Surely some may be found to learn this living one, and hence be enabled to make known the Christian faith to the many lands where Chinese is spoken. The college was to be open to all Chinese students of European literature, and European students of Chinese. Our missionaries, as they came out to the field, would learn in the college the language in which they were to preach.
The proposal was warmly taken up. The London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
gave the ground. The Governor of Malacca and many residents subscribed. Morrison himself gave £1000 out of his small property to establish the college. The building was erected and opened. Printing presses were set up, and students were enrolled. Milne was the president ; and while no student was compelled to declare himself a Christian, or to attend Christian worship, it was hoped that the strong Christian influence would lead many of the purely literary students to become teachers of Christianity. Intense as were his Christian convictions, he could sanction nothing that would do deliberate violence to the convictions of another ; and he had a faith that Christian truth would eventually prevail on its own merits, and need never fear to be set side by side with the truths that other religious systems contain. Eight or nine years after its foundation, Mr. Charles Majoribanks, M.P. for Perth, in a Government report on the condition of Malacca, singled out this institution for very high praise on account of its thoroughly sound, quiet, and efficient work.
A settlement having now been established, under British protection, and in the midst of those islands which are inhabited by a large Malay and Chinese population, reinforcements were sent out from England. After a period in Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
they were sent on from there to various centers: Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Amboyna
Amboyna
Amboyna can refer to:* Ambon, Maluku, a city in Indonesia* Ambon Island, sometimes named Amboyna, part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia* Amboyna burl of Pterocarpus trees* Amboyna , a moth genus* Amboyna , a play by John Dryden...
, wherever they could find a footing and establish relations with the people. In this way many new stations sprang up in the Ultra-Ganges Mission. A magazine was issued, entitled The Gleaner, the object of which was to keep the various stations in touch with one another, and disseminate information as to progress in the different parts. The various printing presses poured forth pamphlets, tracts, catechisms, translations of Gospels, in Malay or in Chinese. Schools were founded for the teaching of the children : for the great obstacle to the free use of the printing press was that so few of the people comparatively could read. The missionaries had to be many-sided, now preaching to the Malays, now to the Chinese, now to the English population ; now setting up types, now teaching in the schools ; now evangelizing new districts and neighboring islands, now gathering together their little congregations at their own settlement. The reports do not greatly vary from year to year. The work was hard, and seemingly unproductive. The people listened, but often did not respond. The converts were few.
After Hong Kong was ceded by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under the Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
, the College was moved to Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
in 1843 by the Rev. James Legge
James Legge
James Legge was a noted Scottish sinologist, a Scottish Congregationalist, representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong , and first professor of Chinese at Oxford University...
, the famous translator of the Chinese Classics
Chinese classic texts
Chinese classic texts, or Chinese canonical texts, today often refer to the pre-Qin Chinese texts, especially the Neo-Confucian titles of Four Books and Five Classics , a selection of short books and chapters from the voluminous collection called the Thirteen Classics. All of these pre-Qin texts...
. The school building was situated at the junction of Hollywood Road
Hollywood Road
Hollywood Road is a street in Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.Hollywood Road is filled with trinket and antique shops of all sorts: from Chinese furniture to porcelain ware, from Buddha sculptures to Tibetan rugs, from Japanese netsukes to Coromandel screens, from Ming...
and Staunton Street
Staunton Street
Staunton Street is a street in Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Together with the upper section of Elgin Street, it is the heart of the Soho entertainment area, featuring a number of restaurants, bars and shops...
. At a time when the Christian church had yet to be officially established, the College was used as a religious centre where Christians assembled to worship the Lord. An important activity of the school was printing the Old and the New Testaments with its own printing press. Rev. James Legge continued to be Principal until he was appointed by the Government in 1864 to help prepare for the opening of Queen's College
Queen's College, Hong Kong
Queen's College , initially named The Government Central School in 1862, later renamed as Victoria College in 1889, is a sixth form college for boys with a secondary school attached. It was the first public secondary school founded in Hong Kong by the British colonial government...
. For lack of a successor, the Anglo-Chinese College ceased to operate.
In 1911 the elders of the To Tsai Church and the Revs. Cheung Chuk Ling, W. T. Pearce, and H. R. Wells revived the college so that the training of the sons of church members might be carried on. In 1913 the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
responded to the appeal of the To Tsai Church to provide a Headmaster for the project, sending Arnold Hughes to Hong Kong, and the college was re-opened as a middle school in 1914 in rented premises, first at 9 Caine Road
Caine Road
Caine Road is a main road in Hong Kong connecting Bonham Road in the west and Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road in the east ....
, later at 45 Caine Road
Caine Road
Caine Road is a main road in Hong Kong connecting Bonham Road in the west and Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road in the east ....
, and finally at 80 Bonham Road
Bonham Road
Bonham Road is a road in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The road is a main road connecting Pokfulam Road in the west, near the University of Hong Kong, and Caine Road in the east, at the junction with Hospital Road and Seymour Road...
(a former German Rhenish Mission property).
The school grappled with many financial problems and it was at this time that help was received from the China Congregational Church and the School Committee was enlarged to accept representatives from its new friend. Financial assistance was also received from the Government.
In 1917 Hughes was called up for service in the First World War and the Rev. W. T. Pearce became Acting Headmaster until Hughes returned at the end of the war. The school suffered a great loss in 1922 when Hughes became ill, and died in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
while on his way back to England on sick leave. In that year the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
transferred the Rev. L. G. Phillips from Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
to Hong Kong and he served as Headmaster for over two years.
With Phillips's departure in 1924, and troubles in connection with the premises at 80 Bonham Road
Bonham Road
Bonham Road is a road in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The road is a main road connecting Pokfulam Road in the west, near the University of Hong Kong, and Caine Road in the east, at the junction with Hospital Road and Seymour Road...
, the school entered another difficult period. The premises were rented from the government who now wanted to auction them off. The school committee asked to be allowed to buy the property and there arose a dispute with the Rhenish Mission
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
even though the rental had originally been undertaken with a view to protecting the property and preserving it for the German mission. The committee contemplated closing the school, but eventually the dispute was resolve and the school continued under the guidance of Shum Wai Cheung.
Expansion period
In 1927, the school decided to build its own premises. Shum succeeded in raising over six thousand dollars from the staff and students. Together with fourteen thousand dollars from the Provident Fund and a government subvention of twenty thousand dollars, the school committee decided to construct the new school building on the site of Mongkok Church at Bute StreetBute Street
Bute Street is a street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong.On one east end the street, it is the exit to Mong Kok East MTR Station and Grand Century Place of an extensive elevated walkway in the eastern Mong Kok....
in Mongkok with the understanding that the school was to share its new hall with Mongkok Church. The government withdrew its financial aid when construction work was underway and the school was completed in September 1928 with the aid of some loans.
In 1930 Shum resigned and the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
agreed to urgent appeals from the school committee that the Rev. Frank Short should be allowed to serve the school as Headmaster. Short administered and developed the school so well that it was restored to the Grant List and the extra funds thus gained made improvement installing possible. The Rev. Frank Short continued in office until 1938 when he had to devote more time to administrative work for the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
. Herbert Noble who joined the school in 1933, succeeded Short.
The school building, commandeered by the Japanese authorities during the Occupation of Hong Kong
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was used as a P. W. D. depot. The Headmaster, a member of the naval volunteers, was taken prisoner of war and the staff became scattered. At the close of the war the building was restored to the school committee and re-opened in November 1945. Noble convalesced in London and was substituted by the senior master K. Y. Yung. When Noble resumed duty in 1946 the enrollment had increased to such an extent that almost 600 students were crowded into a building originally designed for 350. The College premises in Bute Street, Mongkok proved to be too small to operate an ideal school. A project for building a new school was therefore contemplated and negotiations resulted in the selling of the existing land and building to the friends of the Mongkok Church.
With a plot of land granted by the Government as the college site, the school authority started to erect a new building at Oxford Road
Oxford Road, Hong Kong
Oxford Road is a two-way street in Kowloon Tsai , Kowloon City District, Hong Kong. Completed in mid-1950s, it runs from Oxford Road Playground to Hereford Road near Sunderland Estate....
in Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong , formerly Kau Lung Tong, is an area in Hong Kong. Within New Kowloon, it is administratively divided by Kowloon City District and Sham Shui Po District...
. The construction work suffered repeated setbacks concerning its location, foundation and plan. It was only through the zealous efforts of Noble, who exhausted himself, and the magnanimity of the public, who made generous donations, that the project became a reality in June 1962. In the same year Daniel P. K. Au officiated at the foundation ceremony. The new school was opened by the Governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
, Sir Robert Black
Robert Brown Black
Sir Robert Brown Black GCMG, OBE was a British colonial administrator. He would spend three decades overseas and return to Britain in the 1960s: he was Governor of Hong Kong from 23 January 1958 to 1 April 1964, having been Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1952 – 1955...
, in October 1963.
Development period
After serving the College for 30 years, Noble retired in 1964 on account of his poor health. He was remembered for his dedicated service and remarkable contributions which helped enhance the prestige of the school. He returned to England soon after retirement and died in December 1964. Terence Iles who succeeded Herbert Noble as Headmaster was most active in organising various extracurricular activities with a view to developing students' all-roundedness.After 8 years of service, Iles resigned in 1972 and was succeeded by Rex King who devoted his life and energy to the good of the school. In addition to improving the school facilities, he also attended to pupils' application, which resulted in marked progress in academic work.
In 1978, King resigned and was replaced by H. B. Mui (梅浩濱). After 12 years of service, Mui resigned in 1990 and was succeeded by P. K. Yeung. The college continued to expand, with classes extended to 31, the school curriculum constantly revised to tailor for students' needs and various innovations made. Being inheritor of a long and glorious tradition, the school will continue to follow the footsteps of its predecessors in carrying out its weighty mission.
The Foundation Period
Having a long history, our school was first established in Malacca in 1818. The founder, Rev. Robert Morrison from the London Missionary Society, was the first Protestant missionary coming to China , while Rev. William Milne was appointed as the first principal of the school. With the mission to bridge Chinese and Western cultures and to preach the gospel, Ying Wa was more than an ordinary school. She was also a place nurturing pastors and preachers, among whom were Mr. Leung Faat and Rev. Hoh Fuk Tong, pioneers of the missionary work in China .
The Restoration Period
In 1911, elders of the To Tsai Church, Rev. Cheung Chuk Ling, Rev. Pearce and Rev. Wells all agreed that the school should be re-opened in order that the nurture of the Church members could be carried on. In response to the request made by the To Tsai Church, the London Missionary Society decided to send Rev. Hughes to Hong Kong in 1913 to assume duty as the new principal. Ying Wa was subsequently re-opened as a secondary school in 1914 at a rented campus which was formerly a property of Rhenish Mission. The school was then relocated from 9 Caine Road to 45 Caine Road , and later to 80 Bonham Road .
The Struggle Period
The school faced serious financial hardships thereafter. At that time, assistance was received from the China Congregational Church, and the school committee was expanded to include its representatives. Meanwhile, the government also provided subsidies to Ying Wa . In 1917, as Hughes was called up for serving in the First World War, Pearce became the acting principal until Hughes returned when the war came to an end. Regrettably, in 1922 when Hughes was on his way heading back to England for recuperation, he died in Japan unfortunately. In the same year, the London Missionary Society transferred Rev. Phillips from Xiamen to Hong Kong to serve as the school principal for two years.
The Crisis Period
In 1924, the school experienced another difficult situation, on account of the departure of Phillips and the issue concerning the continuance of the campus at 80 Bonham Road , the former premises of Rhenish Mission. These premises were originally rented from the government which had then decided to put them up for auction instead at the time. The school committee even considered closing down the school owing to some other problems. However, having the way out at the end and under the leadership of Mr. Shum Wai Cheung, Ying Wa had been able to stay open.
House system
There are five Houses in Ying Wa College.Upon entering the Ying Wa College, new students are divided into five houses. The five houses compete every year in culture, music and athletics with a prize. The house with the highest overall score is awarded a trophy. Through this system, the competition encourages student excitement, achievement, school mate camaraderie and greater enthusiasm and school spirit.
Hoh Fuk Tong House
Hoh Fuk Tong House is named after a Chinese pastor who helped Ying Wa College a lot, Hoh Fuk Tong. Blue is the colour of the house and its mascot is the eagle. The eagle's wings symbolises freedom.Leung Faat House
Leung Faat house was named after the first Chinese pastor, Mr. Leung Faat. Brown is the colour of the house and the mascot is a buffalo(or a bull).Milne House
Milne House is named after Ying Wa's first principal Milne (1785–1822)， He came to China in 1812 to be a missionary. Milne House is represented by the colour yellow，and its animal mascot is a unicorn.Morrison House
To remember the founder of the school, Dr. Robert Morrison，one of the houses is named after him. Dr. Robert Morrison was born in 1782 and became a pastor at age 16, and establishing the school in Malacca.The house colour of Morrison house is green and its mascot is the dragon.
Noble House
Noble house's name comes from the first principal after the school moved to its current address. Noble house was re-established in 1991. Noble house's mascot is a lion and its house colour is red.Home of Our Youth - School Song
Home of Our Youth , by Rupert Baldwin, 1938
Home of our youth,
To Thee we bring the homage of lives at the spring,
Training thy sons for the game of life,
Sending them forth to the age-long strife,
Ready thy name ever bright to uphold,
Ready 'gainst evil to fight and be bold.
May those who left thee in years that are past.
Guard well thy honour, to truth holding fast.
Home of our Youth to thee will we sing,
Long may thy name on our lips proudly ring.
Home of Our Youth in mp3
We Build Our School on Thee, O Lord - School Hymn
We Build Our School on Thee, O LordWords: Sebastian W. Meyer, 1908
We build our school on Thee, O Lord,
To Thee we bring our common need;
The loving heart, the helpful word,
The tender thought, the kindly deed:
With these we pray
Thy Spirit may enrich and bless our School always.
We work together in Thy sight,
We live together in Thy love;
Guide Thou our faltering steps aright,
And lift our thought to heaven above:
Dear Lord we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our school always.
Hold Thou each hand to keep it just,
Touch Thou our lips and make them pure;
If Thou art with us, Lord we must,
Be faithful friends and comrades sure:
Dear Lord, we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our School always.
We change, but Thou art still the same,
The same good Master, Teacher, Friend;
We change, but Lord, we bear Thy name.
To journey with it to the end:
And so we pray
Thy Spirit may be present in our School always.
School Hymn in mp3
The School Hymn is also used in other Schools in Hong Kong:
- Sheng Kung Hui Lam Woo Memorial Secondary SchoolSheng Kung Hui Lam Woo Memorial Secondary SchoolSheng Kung Hui Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School is an Anglican secondary school located at Kwai Shing Circuit, Kwai Chung, the New Territories, Hong Kong. The school was founded in 1970 by Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and was named after Mr. Lam Woo for his donations to promote education...
- Sheng Kung Hui Tang Shiu Kin Secondary SchoolSheng Kung Hui Tang Shiu Kin Secondary SchoolThe school motto is HYPOMONE, a Greek word meaning 'perseverance, forgiveness and tolerance'. The school aims to give young people a balanced education, based on Christian love, and promotes equally moral, intellectual, social, aesthetic and physical development...
聖公會鄧肇堅中學 - St. Paul's CollegeSt. Paul's College, Hong KongSt. Paul's College is an Anglican day school for boys in Mid Levels, Hong Kong and is located adjacent to University of Hong Kong. Established in 1851, it is the oldest secondary school in Hong Kong that is still in operation...
- St Stephen's Girls' College
List of Principals
| Name | Chinese name |
Start year |
End year |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Milne | 1818 | 1822 | |
| James Humphreys | 1822 | 1824 | |
| David Collie | 1824 | 1828 | |
| Samuel Kidd | 1828 | 1832 | |
| Jacob Tomlin Jacob Tomlin Jacob Tomlin was a Protestant Christian missionary who served with the London Missionary Society during the late Qing Dynasty in China.-Works authored or edited:... |
1832 | 1834 | |
| John Evans | 1834 | 1840 | |
| James Legge James Legge James Legge was a noted Scottish sinologist, a Scottish Congregationalist, representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong , and first professor of Chinese at Oxford University... |
1840 | 1856 | |
| Arnold Hughes | 1914 | 1918 | |
| Pearce (acting) |
|-
|align=left|Arnold Hughes||||1919||1921
|-
|align=left|Leopold Gordon Phillips||||1921||1924
|-
|align=left|Shum Wai Cheong||||1924||1930
|-
|align=left|Frank Short||||1930||1938
|-
|align=left|Herbert Noble||||1938||1964
|-
|align=left|Terence Iles||||1964||1972
|-
|align=left|Rex F. King||||1972||1978
|-
|align=left|Mui Ho Bun||||1978||1990
|-
|align=left|Yeung Po Kwan||||1990||2003
|-
|align=left|Lee Chee Wah||||2003||2011
|-
|align=left|Cheng Kwun Kit (acting)||||2011||
|}
Notable alumni
- Hoh Fuk Tong The first Chinese Reverend of the Protestant churches.
- Leung Faat
- Yuan DehuiYuan DehuiYuan Dehui was a Chinese imperial interpreter. He is best known for translating sections of Emerich de Vattel's Le droit des gens ....
- Antony LeungAntony LeungAntony Leung Kam-chung GBS JP was the former Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region...
- Samuel HuiSamuel HuiSamuel Hui Koon-kit , usually known as Sam Hui, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, lyricist and film actor. He is credited with popularizing Cantopop both with the infusion of Western-style music and using popular, street Cantonese jargon in his lyrics writing...
- Andrew LiaoAndrew LiaoAndrew Liao Cheung-sing, GBS, SC, JP is a Senior Counsel in Hong Kong. He was a non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009.-Education:...
- Ku Siu-cheung
See also
- Ying Wa Primary SchoolYing Wa Primary School""Ying Wa Primary School"" is a boys' primary school in Hong Kong. It is located in No. 3, Ying Wa Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon.-History:...
- Anglo-Chinese SchoolAnglo-Chinese SchoolThe Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
, another school in Singapore with a similar name. - The Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in ChinaThe Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in ChinaThe Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China is a Protestant Christian church organization in Hong Kong. The Church of Christ in China is a uniting church consisting mainly of churches with Congregational and Presbyterian traditions, including the London Missionary Society, British...
- London Missionary SocietyLondon Missionary SocietyThe London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
- List of secondary schools in Hong Kong
- Education in Hong KongEducation in Hong KongEducation in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernised by the British in 1861. The system is often described as extremely competitive by global standards....
External links
- The official website of Ying Wa College
- Ying Wa College Old Boys' Association
- Ying Wa Chain ( 英 華 點 將 錄 )
- HKCCCC Mongkok Church 中華基督教會望覺堂
- HKCCCC Ying Wa Church 中華基督教會英華堂
- Smith, Carl, "A sense of history (Part I). Ying Wa has longest link with the past", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch, pp. 144-264, Vol. 26 (1986)