RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1981 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/ff36bt18m PRESIDENT'S REPORT FOR 1981 1 I am pleased to report, tonight, on your Society's activities over the last year: on our lectures, expeditions, publications and other projects, and on membership. I start with the lecture programme. Lectures to the Society Lectures during the year covered topics concerned with Chinese natural science, law, culture and society, and history, most of the material presented being based on original, sometime on-going, research, and the emphasis this time being on Hong Kong itself. We opened, however, with a film and short talk from Mrs. Peggy Craig on the culture and people of Rajasthan. This was in connexion with tours Mrs. Craig was arranging to Rajasthan later in the year. In May, a talk was given by Professor Ho Peng Yoke, who was a physicist at one time working with Joseph Needham on his Science and Civilization in China, and who had recently taken up the Chair in Chinese at the University of Hong Kong. He spoke on science and technology in ancient China. In June Professor Allyn Rickett spoke on Chinese law and thought. Professor Rickett is in charge of Chinese Studies in the University of Pennsylvania and in the "fifties had the dubious participant-observation experience of being caught up in the penal system of China when, while engaged in research, he was arrested and imprisoned for four years. Miss Barbara Ward, an old friend of the Society, spoke in November on the "real" boat people, the Tanka fisherfolk, whose way of life — literally on their boats as a floating population — is rapidly disappearing as they are becoming housed ashore. Also in November we welcomed Miss Betty Wei Peh T'i, whom many of you will know from her column "Sweet and Sour" in the South China Morning Post. Miss Wei, who had just completed her dissertation on Juan Yuan, Governor-General at Canton (1817-1826), spoke on her researches into his work. In January Dr. Mary Turnbull, who has lectured to us several times, spoke on Clementi, one-time Governor of Hong Kong, and his relation to the Chinese revolution. Dr. Turnbull is with the History Department of Hong Kong University. In February Dr. John Young of the Extramural Department of Hong Kong University (Hong Kong U was well represented this year) gave us a second lecture. His topic was Sun Yat-sen. Page 15 Page 16 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1986 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/jq08c7063 6 October, 1986: 19 January, 1987: 17 February 1987; 16 March 1987: 31 March (still to come): Dr. Betty Wei Peh T'i "Treasures from an Attic in Pennsylvania: Letters from the Chinese Countryside 1901-6" David Lung "Vernacular Houses in Fujian and Guangdong" Dr. Ronald Skeldon "Ladakh: Land, Peoples and Plays" Anthony Lawrence "The Long March: The Story of a Joint Venture" Mr. Geoffrey Emerson "Yankee on the Yangtse" Besides the lectures, eight local visits were made during the year to places of interest. They comprised the following: 9 and 30 August, 1986: Visits to the Museum of Teaware and Hong Kong's 1941 Underground Military headquarters David Pannach, Robyn McLean and James Hayes 25 October, 1986: Ta Chiu at Kat O island 9 November, 1986: James Hayes Walk from the Peak to Kennedy Town to view the fortifications which guarded the Western approaches to Hong Kong Phillip Bruce 29 November, 1986: Ta Chiu at Tuen Mun James Hayes 6 December, 1986: Fung Ping Shan Museum Dr. Michael Lau viii ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1987 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/rx919b522 June 24 July 15 Prof. Alan Griffiths "Victorian Flower Power' Mr. Phillip Bruce "The Bogue Forts' September 29 Dr. Elizabeth Sinn 'Kowloon Walled City' (repeat) October 17 Rev. Carl Smith "History of the Wanchai District' October 28 Mr. Mitya New 'Expatriates in Pre-Revolutionary China' November 27 Dr. Betty Wei Peh-T'i 'Shanghai: Crucible of Modern China' February 8 Ms. Veronica Pearson 'Health and Welfare in Modern China' February 27 Prof. Jean Chesneaux 'China in the eyes of French intellectuals' Local tours were made to the following places of interest: Wanchai and the Ruttonjee Sanitorium (7 November, led by Rev. Carl Smith and Dr. Elizabeth Sinn), Stonecutters Island (3 December, led by Phillip Bruce), the Hong Kong Bank Picture Collection (18 December, led by Mrs. Anita Wilson), Tai Po and Island House (9 January, led by Dr. Patrick Hase) and Sam Tung Uk Museum and Tin Hau Temple in Tsuen Wan (10 February, led by Dr. James Hayes). Tours outside Hong Kong included two visits to Shekou, Humen and the Bogue Forts on 18/19 and 25/26 July organised and led by Phillip Bruce, and an eight-day visit to the Yangtse River Gorges starting 29 August led by Dr. Michael Lau. You will, I am sure, agree that these activities have given a great deal of pleasure to members of the Society. Our thanks and appre- viii ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1996 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/3n209j641 14 February 28 February 7 March, Rethinking the Market Town Through Festivals in Contemporary China, ' Helen Siu Fung-har The Confucian Examination Hall at Jia Ding,' by Dr Betty Wei Peh-T'i "The Hong Kong Diary, 1849-1857, of John Francis Evelyn Wright, 'by Mr Christopher Munn. In addition the following three lectures were jointly organised by the Royal Asiatic Society and the Museum of Art in conjunction with the latter's exhibition on 'Views of the Pearl River Delta-Macau, Canton and Hong Kong." 23 November 24 November 'Two Hundred Years of Collecting Chinese Export Art at the Peabody Essex Museum,' by William Sargent. The Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou,' by Dr Joseph Ting. + 27 November Change and Continuity in Macau, 'by Reverend Carl Smith. In addition to lectures the Branch has organised a number of other functions, such as visits, both in Hong Kong and outside the Territory. These were as follows: 1996 Place 20 April Walking Tour of Historic Sites in Central District. 11 May Boat Trip to View Dolphins off Lantau. 8 June 13 July Historical Sites in Kowloon Guided Tour of Exhibition. 'Teatime in Flanders,' Museum of Teaware. xiv Page 15 Page 16 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1997 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/wp98g7579 20 June 18 July Kong's Battlefields and Wartime Sites. Dr Elizabeth Johnson, Women's Place; Women's Roles-Question of a Female Identity in a Tsuen Wan Village. M. Philippe Le Corre, The Hong Kong Handover: An Historical Perspective. 19 September Dr Judith Hollows, Hong Kong, Korean and Japanese Management: What is Different and Why? 31 October Dr Betty Wei Peh-T'i, Foreigners in China: A Bibliography. 28 November Ms Tess Johnston, Northern and Southern Treaty Port architecture in China. Dr Patrick Hase, Fung Shui in Action. 5 December 1998 16 January 6 February 20 March Mr Ko Tim Keung, An Illustrated Talk on Pre-World War II Kowloon. Mr Kevin Bishop, China's Imperial Way. Drs Gillian and Verner Bickley, Nineteenth Century Government-led Education in Hong Kong. Concert 21 June 1997, Chinese International Music Performance, Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra, organiser Dr Michael Lau. Excursions outside Hong Kong 28-31 March 1997 Visit to Shanghai, Drs Michael Lau and Joseph Ting. xxii T ================================================================================