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Telephone/fax : 2813 7500
email address : membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk
web address : www.royalasiaticsociety.org.hk
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20 NOVEMBER 2006
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FUTURE ACTIVITIES
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Friday 1 December Local Event Visit to the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg
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Friday 8 December Lecture Daniel Caldwell: Churchman, Freemason, Policeman
… and Pirate Accomplice?
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Saturday 9 December Local Visit Visit to Chiu Yuen Cemetery, Mount Davis
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Friday 12 January 2007 Lecture From Tangled Jungle to Hidden Paradise
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Saturday 20 January Local Visit Visit to the Temple of Hidden Peace and Tranquillity
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Friday 26 January Lecture Putting Hong Kong on the Map: The Strange Story of
Captain Daniel Ross, Marine Surveyor
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Friday 9 February Lecture Bordercrossing Practice and the Integration Process –
Hong Kong and Macau in Comparison
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19 28 February Overseas Visit Study Tour to Bhutan
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Friday 27 April Annual Event AGM and Annual Dinner
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LATE BREAKING NEWS SPECIAL EVENT
A replica of the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg will be arriving in Hong Kong very soon, and will
be docked at Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui. The original ship sailed between Götheborg, Sweden,
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and Canton in the 18 century and sank in 1745 in Swedish waters while returning from her third
voyage to China. The present ship is a replica which “in terms of lines, hull and rigging corresponds to
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an 18 century merchant frigate. Traditional 18 century craftsmanship meets modern technology in a
ship approved to sail in the new millennium”. She has already visited Guangzhou and Shanghai.
While it will be open for public viewing (and no doubt very popular and crowded) the RAS has
managed to secure a limited number of tickets and a special time for us to visit. As usual it will be a
matter of first come, first served. As there is not sufficient time for a Reply Slip, please telephone
2813 7500 or email info@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk to reserve tickets. The visit will take place on
Friday, lst December – meet at 5:45pm just inside Ocean Terminal by the gangway. If you do not hear
from us, you may assume a ticket will be reserved for you. There is no charge for this event but it is
limited to RAS members only.
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Central Library Lecture Friday 8 December
Daniel Caldwell:
Churchman, Freemason, Policeman … and Pirate Accomplice?
Daniel Richard Francis Caldwell (18161875) was a Freemason popular enough to be twice elected
Master of one Lodge and thrice of another. His grave near the entrance to the Happy Valley Cemetery
is one of the most magnificent there and was set up “as a token of their affectionate regard and
appreciation of his long and faithful services to the Craft” by the Freemasons of Hong Kong, among
the most senior of which were such LegCo members as Sir Paul Chater and Phineas Ryrie. Caldwell
was “the best colloquial linguist Hong Kong ever possessed” (E.J. Eitel, 1895 – another Freemason),
and an “an assiduous Anglican” (Chris Haffner, 1988 – another Freemason). As Supreme Court
Interpreter, he was “indispensable” (the Governor, Sir John Davis); as Assistant Superintendent of
Police, he was “attentive, zealous and willing” (Superintendent of Police Charles May) and “highly
effective, particularly in connection with piracy cases” (Eitel).
However, Caldwell was dismissed as Assistant Superintendent after being accused of being “a
speculator in brothels and brothel licences, and … [of having] had association with pirates” according
to “the appalling Thomas Chisholm Anstey” (Welsh, 1997), the Attorney General, who also said
Caldwell was “apparently of mixed blood … his youth was passed in various inferior occupations
ashore and afloat”. Anstey was hardly an unbiased observer.
Caldwell had, however, the last laugh, being rehabilitated by the next Governor, Sir Richard
MacDonnell, (who was not a Freemason!) who employed him at a “monstrous” salary as an adviser
“on licensing gaming establishments and establishing a Chinese detective force”.
Professor Mark MacAlpine spent 31 years in the Electrical Engineering Department of the HK
Polytechnic University and published some 100 research papers in the 10 years before his retirement
two years ago. Many years ago he obtained a BA and MA in Natural Sciences (Physics) at
Cambridge, followed by a PhD in Electrical Engineering at London. He continues to do the fun stuff –
research and teaching – variously in Australia, Hong Kong and elsewhere in China and is a Guest
Professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University. His interest in nineteenth century Hong Kong history is
very much as an amateur! As is his interest in MG cars, and also hill walking and running.
Speaker: Prof Mark MacAlpine
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Activities Room 1, G/F, Central Library, Causeway Bay
Cost: The lecture is free and open to the public
Booking: No booking is required
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Local Visit Saturday 9 December
Visit to Chiu Yuen Cemetery, Mount Davis
A short history of the Chiu Yuen Cemetery is given in a memoir about Ho Komtong published by
some of his descendants:
“During most of the nineteenth century, there was no burial ground for Eurasians in Hong Kong. The
Colonial Cemetery was exclusively for Westerners, and the Chinese Permanent Cemetery for Chinese.
Being friendly with many officers, Ho Komtong and his brothers (Ho Tung and Ho Fook) were able to
persuade the Government to let them buy part of Mount Davis off Pokfulam Road, which was under
military command at the time. As private cemeteries were not permitted under English Law, however, Ho
Komtong had to go to London personally to obtain written authorization from the military. Thus, in 1897,
Chiu Yuen Cemetery for Eurasians was established on Mount Davis, with the Ho brothers as trustees.
“Since Ho Komtong had negotiated the deal, he was able to acquire the choicest part of Mount
Davis for his own private cemetery. Being knowledgeable in feng shui, he selected a hillside adjacent to
Chiu Yuen Cemetery with a scenic view of Hong Kong harbour, and personally designed the layout of the
graves. He named it ‘Ho Chong’, which means ‘Farmstead of the Ho family’.”
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Some of the most prominent Eurasians of Hong Kong are buried in the Chiu Yuen, including Sir
Robert Ho Tung’s second wife, Clara, Sir Mankam Lo and Sir Robert Kotewall. It is hoped that Ho
Komtong’s greatgrandson, Andrew Tse, will lead this visit.
The number we can accept for this visit is limited. As the site is a private family cemetery,
successful applicants are asked to keep together as a group, to treat the graves with respect and to dress
appropriately.
Transportation will be provided from Queen’s Pier, City Hall. The morning will end with a lunch
at a Chinese restaurant in Cyberport.
Time: 10.00am
Meeting Place: Queen’s Pier, City Hall, Hong Kong
Cost: Members $200. Guests $250 (includes lunch)
Booking: Please complete the booking form on page 12 and return to May Holdsworth
Enquiries: Phone May Holdsworth at 2818 8425
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Lecture at the Helena May Friday 12 January
From Tangled Jungle to Hidden Paradise
RAS member Ron ClibbornDyer will give an illustrated talk on the trials and tribulations of restoring
an abandoned nunnery garden and trying to keep livestock in the remote hills of the New Territories.
He will speak of how he and his wife Veronica came to be asked to be the guardians of The Temple of
Hidden Peace and Tranquillity after his retirement from the Hong Kong Police in 1996.
This private temple is located in the far north east of the New Territories and was previously
occupied mostly by Hakka ladies whose only way to avoid traditional arranged marriages was to join
together and live a simple but active life in a nunnery growing fruit and vegetables and worshipping
Buddhist, Taoist and other Chinese deities. Believed to have been established before the coming of
the British, it has undergone several building transformations, the last being undertaken in the early
1970s after the Waterworks Department built a road through the valley and up into the hills enabling
easier access for building materials.
The last of the occupants died some five years before the arrival of Ron and Veronica and some
local villagers believe the temple to have been haunted.
This talk is not for the squeamish or faint hearted as it includes descriptions and pictures of
livestock being devoured by and disgorged by creatures of the wild.
Ron came to Hong Kong in 1965 to join the Hong Kong Police after serving four years in the
Northern Rhodesia Police in Central Africa. Being a Country Boy he has always had an abiding
interest in the countryside and all the wonderful things that Mother Nature has to offer.
Speaker: Ron ClibbornDyer
Time: 6.00 for 6.15pm
Venue: The Garden Room, The Helena May, 35 Garden Road, Central
Cost: $50 for Members, $70 for Nonmembers (there will be a cash bar)
Booking: Please complete the booking form on page 13 and return to Geoffrey Emerson
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Local Visit Sunday 21 January
The Temple of Hidden Peace and Tranquillity
Following his talk the previous week Ron and Veronica have kindly invited members to visit the
temple, which is located in the far north east of the New Territories, close to Sha Tau Kok. This is a
true retreat, hidden away far from even a paved road. Those who have not already visited the Temple
Garden will enjoy this opportunity to escape the hectic pace of Hong Kong for a few hours, to walk in
the garden, mix with the dogs and the goats, and to see for themselves the transformation that has
taken place at this remote temple.
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Visitors are asked to respect this special place and to comply with the local Rules of Engagement
for Temple Visitors:
§ No four legged Animals
§ No smoking in the grounds or temple
§ No mobile phone use in the temple precincts
§ No computer games, ipods or Walkmen
People who visit the temple do so entirely at their own risk. By joining the temple garden visit, all
visitors are automatically seen to have agreed to have entered into a disclaimer which exonerates the
temple guardians and the organizers from any personal or public responsibility whatsoever and for any
claims, injuries or damages arising therefrom.
The charge for this event includes transport and a catered curry lunch. The buses, which seat 20
persons, will leave the back of the YMCA in Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui at 10.00am and will arrive
back at around 4.00pm. Anyone wishing to make their own way by car or by public transport is
welcome to do so and will be sent directions. These instructions are detailed and very clear – they
have to be as this place is truly hidden. Very few people have ever got there without them!
Time: 10.00am
Meeting Place: Behind the YMCA, Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Cost: By bus: $300 for Members, $350 for Nonmembers
By car: $200 for Members, $250 for Nonmembers
Booking: Please complete the booking form on page 14 and return to Jenny Day
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Lecture at Central Library Friday 26 January
Putting Hong Kong on the Map:
The Strange Story of Captain Daniel Ross, Marine Surveyor
From his achievements, Daniel Ross should be as well known as Matthew Flinders. Between 1804
and 1821, with his subordinate Lt Philip Maugham, both officers of the British East India Company's
navy, the Bombay Marine, he was employed on the first modern surveys of the South China coast and
the South China Sea. It was work which 'put Hong Kong on the map' and thus played an important
part in changing the subsequent history of China.
Daniel Ross's story could have been written by Patrick O'Brian. His birth as the bastard of Lord
Nelson's West Indies Station prize agent and a quadroon exslave concubine. His initiative, as a 14
year old, in signing himself on for a working passage from England to Bombay when missing baggage
meant a missed berth. His 'blooding' in battles against pirates in the Persian Gulf and the taking of
Ternate. His finding of his métier in his brilliant surveys in the China Seas with the attendant tales of
shipwreck, chase and capture, incarceration and liberation, a stormy salvage and a chance meeting
with a longlost cousin, culminating in his election to a Fellowship of the Royal Society and
promotion to be the EIC's Marine Surveyor General in Calcutta.
If what followed was a sadder story of loss, bereavement and frustration, the whole is one of the
more dramatic lives of the era and one undeservedly, thanks to the work of white ants, cockroaches
and Admiralty Jobsworths, little known.
Stephen Davies grew up by the sea in Devonshire, with a father in the Royal Navy and an uncle
who ran a boatyard. At age two, he was introduced to Hong Kong when his father was appointed
chaplain to HMS Tamar. He trained as a deck officer in the Royal Navy and then as a Marine
Commando subaltern and left the military in 1967. After university, he found a happy niche in
academia for 21 years, 15 of them at the University of Hong Kong.
Stephen then became a freelance writer on marine topics and, with his partner, Elaine Morgan, a
former RASHKB Librarian, they sailed their 11.5 sloop twohanded some 50,000 miles from Hong
Kong to Australia and New Zealand, Fiji, the Marshall Islands and through SE Asia, the Red and
Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic Ocean to Britain, and then back to Singapore.
Stephen was appointed as the Director of Hong Kong’s new Maritime Museum at Stanley in
April 2005. His specialist area of interest is the history of eastern waters hydrography between 1750
and 1850, specifically in the work of Captain Daniel Ross, FRS, IN, on the China Coast and in SE
Asia, 18041821, and that of Captains Thomas Elwon and Robert Moresby in the Red Sea, 18291834.
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Speaker: Stephen Davies
Venue: Activities Room 1, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library, Causeway Bay
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Time/Date: 6.30pm, Friday 26 January
Cost: This event is free and open to the public with no booking required
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Lecture at the Helena May Friday 9 February
Hong Kong and Macau – A Comparison of Integration with the Mainland
Dr Werner Breitung, Associate Professor of Geography at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou and a
German living in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, is interested in the human aspect of the integration of
Hong Kong and Macau with the Mainland. Based on research in Macau and Zhuhai, he argues that the
integration process of Hong Kong and Macau depends on the people’s attitudes and everyday
behaviour as much as on political and economic factors. In both places, people have developed trans
border activity spaces and increased their familiarity with the respective other side of the boundary.
The attention given to Macau is due to the extraordinarily high degree of everyday integration between
this smaller SAR and Zhuhai.
With degrees in geography and mathematics from Free University, Berlin, Werner did his PhD in
geography at the University of Basel, Switzerland. He has lived in Hong Kong since 1994 and taught
at the University of Macau from 2001 to 2003, the University of Hong Kong since 2001 and Sun Yat
Sen University since 2004. He was a research scholar of the Instituto Cultural do Macau and has
recently been appointed Regional Editor for China of the German geography journal “Geographische
Rundschau International”.
Speaker: Dr Werner Breitung
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Time/Date: 6:15pm, Friday 9 February
Venue: The Blue Room, The Helena May, Garden Road, Central
Cost: $50 for members, $70 for nonmembers (there will be a cash bar)
Booking: Please complete the booking form on page 15 and return to Valery Garrett
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Overseas Visit 19 – 28 February
(BangkokBhutanBangkok)
Study Tour to Western Bhutan
More than 25 members have signed up for this tour (which we are arranging directly with the land
operators); we could still include a few latecomers. We are hoping to be able to announce a modest
reduction in the costs, based on the final numbers: this will be clear by the end of November. A second
deposit (to secure air bookings) has already been called up from local members; the final payment is
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due, as already announced, by 15 December. Details of the revised balance due will be sent by the
end of November to all who have signed up.
Members are reminded that the governmentset allinclusive charge for each night halt is
expected to be increased to US$250 a night from 2008 (the year of Bhutan’s installation of its fifth
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monarch, the first nationwide general elections, and the 100 anniversary of the establishment of
monarchy).
Members are also reminded that it may still be possible for singleoccupancy rooms to be
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available at Phobjikha on 25 February – we hope to confirm this also by the end of November.
Anyone with enquiries should contact Brian Shaw at bcjshaw@gmail.com or Felicity Shaw at
fmshaw@hkucc.hku.hk.
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FUTURE EVENTS IN THE PLANNING…
Some future events to bear in mind for the early part of next year are a weekend trip to Guangzhou at
the end of March, a day visit to Sha Tau Kok with Patrick Hase (date to be arranged), and a talk on the
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cinnamon trade by Miles Young on 2 March. The trips are still in the planning stage and all
arrangements, plus details of other lectures, will be confirmed in the January newsletter.
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RECENT ACTIVITIES
China’s Cosmopolitan Age: Between Empire and Communism
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On 22 September Frank Dikötter spoke to the Society on the topic of China’s Cosmopolitan Age:
Between Empire and Communism. In this controversial and stimulating talk he argued that this period
should be viewed as a time when China engaged with modernity and was open to progressive ideas.
He spoke about this openness being evident in four areas: in governance and the advance of the rule of
law and of liberty; in freedom of movement in and out of the country; in open minds thriving on ideas
from the humanities and sciences; and in open markets and sustained growth in the economy.
While discussing each of these aspects, Professor Dikötter devoted most of his talk to the topic of
open governance. He argued that most writing on the period, by focusing on revolution and warlords,
discredits the positive aspects of the associated federalist tendencies and ignores the very substantial
advances in civil government that occurred throughout China. In particular he focused on the
continuity of bureaucratic activities that brought about great progress in such areas as prisons, and the
administration of justice. As further evidence of the continuity and development of administration, he
cited the considerable achievement of the diplomats such as Wellington Koo who managed, despite all
the challenges, and the weakness of the state, to maintain the integrity of the Qing realm.
At the end of his talk he spoke briefly about each of the other aspects of openness that he had set
out in the introduction to his talk, and concluded with a reiteration of his view of the period as one of
Chinese cosmopolitanism.
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Visit to the Conservation Department at the HK Museum of History
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On Saturday 14 October Council member Valery Garrett led some 20 members and guests to the
Hong Kong Museum of History. Divided into two groups, they visited the textile, paper and metal
working laboratories in the conservation Department. Technicians explained in some detail how they
tackled the problems of restoration. Nothing done to the object must be irreversible. One thing which
everyone noticed particularly was the amount of patience needed to work there, some items having
been worked on for over two years.
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Stewart Lockhart and the Six Day War 1899
Former RAS President Dr Patrick Hase very kindly stepped in to replace former RAS President James
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Hayes on 10 November. James, who was to talk to the Society about the New Territories,
accidentally fell last month in Australia and broke several bones. As a result, he was unable to come
to Hong Kong and his talk had to be postponed. More than 60 members of the RAS together with
members of The Helena May attended Patrick’s talk, enjoying an opportunity to socialise before the
talk in the lovely Garden Room of The Helena May.
Patrick’s talk was one he presented last month at Weihai, Shandong, China, at the International
Conference on the History and Culture of the British Concession in China during the Late Qing
Dynasty. The Six Day War will be the subject of a book Patrick is now writing to be published by the
Society and Hong Kong University Press in 2007. It is a particularly fascinating topic because the fact
that nearly 500 New Territories villagers died in the resistance to the British lease of the New
Territories was more or less covered up by the official government reports.
The day following Patrick’s talk, an interesting article about the event and Patrick’s research
appeared in the South China Morning Post. We are pleased to report that James is planning to visit
Hong Kong next year and will speak to the Society then. His book has just been published by HKUP
and is entitled, The Great Difference – Hong Kong’s New Territories and its People 1898 – 2004.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE
HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE BRITISH CONCESSION IN CHINA
DURING THE LATE QING DYNASTY
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20 –22 October, Weihai, Shangdong Province
Seven RAS members, including myself, were lucky enough to attend the recent International
Conference on the History and Culture of the British Concession in China in the Late Qing Dynasty.
Organised jointly by The Weihai Municipal Archives, The Hong Kong Museum of History and The
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University of Shandong at Weihai, the conference took place in Weihai on 20 –22 October.
The location of the conference was particularly relevant as Wei Hai Wei was leased to Britain, for
strategic purposes, in 1898 the same year that the lease on Hong Kong's New Territories began. Wei
Hai Wei remained a British concession until 1930, although the Royal Navy still used the naval base at
Liu Kung Tau until 1940. The first Commissioner of Wei Hai Wei, taking up his post in 1902, was
James (later Sir James) Stewart Lockhart, formerly Assistant Colonial Secretary in Hong Kong.
Amongst the participants at the conference was Clive StewartLockhart, Sir James' greatgrandson.
Also present was Duncan Clark, whose grandfather operated Wei Hai Wei's first hotel and a number of
other businesses.
The first of what will hopefully become a series of similar events, the conference was a
resounding success, and hailed as such by all who attended. The attention to detail on the part of the
organisers was particularly impressive, as was the genuine hospitality shown to all who attended.
There were 40 participants in all, of whom 17 presented papers. The main proceedings were opened
by our own Dr Patrick Hase who presented a paper on "Stewart Lockhart and the Six Day War of
1899", (subsequently given at greater length to the Society – see above.) This was an account of the
background and conduct of serious resistance that was put in the way of the British administration of
the then newly acquired New Territories. Other presentations covered such diverse topics as the legal
framework that gave rise to Britain's occupation of Wei Hai Wei; the charting of the China Coast; the
postal history of the Chinese Labour Corps during the First World War; and ChineseEnglish bilingual
policy in colonial Hong Kong.
Scottish historian and biographer Shiona Airlie, author of the biography of James Stewart
Lockhart, presented a paper on Reginald Johnston and his time in China. Shiona has been researching
Johnston, a long time colleague and friend of Lockhart's, for many years and we hope that her
biography of this fascinating man will be published soon. (See below for a review of her shorter
biography.) Johnston was spoken of in very revered terms by many of the speakers from the People's
Republic as his commitment to and understanding of China and the Chinese people are recognised as
having been very strong and sincere. Johnston spent a month in the 1920s in the library of the North
China Branch of the RAS in Shanghai, conducting his own research. We hope that connections made
and friendships established during the Weihai conference will help to open once more this library,
which is presently closed to the public.
It was a refreshing experience to have such full and frank discussion, in China, of a period of
China's history that until recently would not have been welcomed. There was full agreement by the
organisers and the participants that there should be more conferences of a similar nature in the future.
We will keep you informed. A copy of the papers presented at the conference is available in the RAS
Library.
Robert Nield, President
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BOOK REVIEW
"Reginald Johnston" by Shiona Airlie
Published by National Museums of Scotland, 2001 (104pp.)
This slim volume came into our hands from the author herself, during the recent International
Conference on the British Concession in China during the Late Qing Dynasty in Weihai. Airlie was
one of the many scholars who attended this conference, having published two books about men who
played key roles in the British administration of this leased territory in China's northeast Shandong
Province. Her earlier work, "Thistle and Bamboo The Life and Times of Sir James Stewart
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Lockhart", was published by Oxford in 1989. As Lockhart and Johnston enjoyed an intimate personal
friendship, writing to each other regularly over the course of many years, as well as being close
colleagues in Hong Kong and then again in the rather remote colonial outpost of Wei Hai Wei, it is
inevitable that there will be a good deal of overlap when telling their stories in separate volumes.
However, both books stand well by themselves.
Of the two, Johnston, although junior to Lockhart, is the more interesting and deserves the greater
amount of study. Why then is he awarded only 100 pages compared to Lockhart's 250 or more? Airlie
tells me that she had substantially completed a 340,000word biography of Johnston when she was
approached by the National Museums of Scotland to produce a condensed version for their "Scots'
Lives" series. And so the main work was put on hold for a while. I sincerely hope that this will see
the light of day in the not too distant future as there is much of interest in the shorter version that whets
the appetite for more indepth study.
Almost from the beginning of his life as a colonial servant, Reginald Johnston was unorthodox in
his approach and, apart from by his friend Lockhart, underappreciated by his superiors. Although in
later life he was to prove a scholar of tremendous ability and insight, publishing many books in very
specialised areas of study, Johnston had a muddled university career, emerging from Oxford at the age
of 24 with a second class degree. He then sat the exam for a cadetship in the Hong Kong service, and
arrived here in late 1898. After a couple of weeks, as was the norm in those days, he was sent to
Canton to be immersed in Chinese language study, and here must have started his love of China and
all things Chinese. His time in Canton was cut short, however, owing to the needs of the Hong Kong
Government in connection with administering the takeover of the New Territories, a task for which
Lockhart was chiefly responsible.
At this early stage in his career, Johnston's abilities were recognised by his superiors and he
worked extremely hard holding down three jobs at the same time Assistant Colonial Secretary,
Private Secretary to the Governor, and Clerk of Councils. By the time his first period of long leave
arrived, he had well earned it, and it would have been natural for him to have returned to Scotland for
a break. Instead he embarked alone on a long journey through southwest China through Vietnam to
Burma. In fact he was not to return to Britain for fifteen years, preferring instead to take similar long
and at times perilous expeditions around China, usually by himself. These are described in some detail
in Airlie's book, as is his time as the first District Officer in Wei Hai Wei, where Lockhart was the
Commissioner (equivalent to governor.)
His new home being very much smaller than Hong Kong, and as District Officer he was more or
less isolated from the outside world for long periods of time, it was easier for Johnston to live as he
wished. And how he wished was to live in a Chinese house in a totally Chinese manner and eating
exclusively Chinese food. At first he was very happy, but increasingly his masters in the Colonial
Office in London were writing him off as a crank, albeit a harmless one. Maybe it was for this reason
that nobody of any importance deigned to see him when he visited London, enquiring about
opportunities for career advancement. He was beginning to despair of living anywhere other than Wei
Hai Wei when, in late 1918, a unique and irresistible opportunity presented itself to him come to
Peking and be the young emperor's tutor! Of course he immediately accepted, and remained in the
Forbidden City for six years. Uniquely amongst foreigners, Johnston was promoted a number of times
within the Imperial Household, and was ultimately awarded the title of Mandarin of the First Rank.
All good things come to an end, and Johnston had to leave the emperor's employ when Pu Yi
joined the Japanese camp in Manchukuo. He returned to Britain, although he continued to jump at any
opportunity to return to visit China and see his "beloved emperor." He died in 1938 almost alone, but
having touched the lives of many.
This is but one of the fascinating and enjoyable volumes in our Library. Go and visit our
collection, and see for yourself!
Robert Nield, President
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LOCAL EVENTS
Royal OverSeas League, Hong Kong Lunch Talk
All RAS members and friends are invited by the Royal OverSeas League, Hong Kong, to their lunch
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to be held on Thursday 7 December. The guest speaker will be the Hon Henry Tang, GBS, JP, the
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Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR. Mr Tang’s address will be introduced by ROSL Branch
Patron, Mr Stephen Bradley, the British ConsulGeneral.
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The event will start with cocktails at 12.15pm on the 14 Floor of the China Club, Old Bank of
China Building, Bank Street, Central. A multicourse Chinese lunch will be served from 12.45 and
with traditional Christmas cake for dessert.
Mr Tang has kindly indicated that he will be prepared to take questions from the audience at the
end of his talk.
Advanced booking is necessary. The booking fee, $350 for members, $400 for nonmembers,
includes the initial cocktails or soft drinks and tea or coffee afterwards.
Anyone interested in attending this event should telephone Mrs Amanda Kinnison at 2881 6151
or email amkinnison@hotmail.com.
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The Hong Kong Sociological Association Annual Conference 2006
The Department of Sociology, Hong Kong Shue Yan College, will be hosting the Hong Kong
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Sociological Association’s Annual Conference on 2 December 2006 at Hong Kong Shue Yan
College, Braemar Hill.
The conference theme is “Narratives and Perspectives in Sociology: Understanding the Past,
Envisaging the Future”. The Keynote Speaker will be Professor Jonathan Unger, Head of the
Contemporary China Centre, Research School of Pacific Asian Studies, Australian National
University. RASHKB member and Past President Dan Waters will be giving a paper, “A Comparison
of Western and Chinese Humour”. A detailed conference programme can be downloaded from
www.hksyc.edu/sociology/hksa/hksa2006_eng.htm. All are welcome. Enquiries: email Dr Cheung
Siu Cheng at hksa2006@hksyc.edu or telephone Dr Selina Chan at 2806 5142.
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The Textile Society
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On Wednesday 13 December Jennifer Craik will be giving a lecture on “The History and
Significance of Uniforms”. From religious orders to the military, from schools to fetish clubs,
uniforms shape identities. What does it mean to wear one? Why do certain professions require them?
Why are uniforms so alluring when they inspire so many ambivalent feelings? Uniforms express
certain implicit, and sometimes explicit, codes about power, transgression and masquerade. Jenni
Craik will discuss the social and cultural significance of these ordinary and yet extraordinary
garments.
Venue: The Helena May, 35 Garden Road, Central
Time/Date: 6.30 drinks (cash bar) for 7.00pm talk
Cost: $50 Textile Society members, $100 nonmembers
Booking: No need to register
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Hong Kong University Libraries Reading Group
Every few weeks, the Libraries Reading Group at Hong Kong University sponsors a book talk
featuring a leading member of Hong Kong’s intellectual community. Past speakers have included
Anson Chan, Regina Ip, Sir David AkersJones and Steve Tsang. The November event will have
taken place by the time this newsletter is circulated, but it is well worth bookmarking their website,
www.lib.hku.hk/friends/reading_club and checking frequently for the latest update as at least one
event is being planned for the near future. These events are varied and stimulating – some speakers
review a book of special significance to them, others talk about their own most recent publication.
nd
The talks, which are open to the public, are held in the Special Collections Library on the 2 floor of
the University Library, usually on a Thursday evening.
Asian Art History Courses
th
A third lecture series will begin on 12 January 2007 called “Legitimacy to Literati: Ming Emperors,
Architecture, Painting and Society”. Ten lectures, given by an international team of speakers, will
cover the building and design of the Imperial City in Beijing under the Emperor Zhu Di, the role of the
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Literati in cultural life, Ming gardens and the links between Buddhist doctrine and monastic
architecture. Ming paintings will be considered both in the terms of the artistic traditions involved and
the textured, social and economic fabric that formed the background of the artists’ lives. The lectures
will be supported by a practical painting workshop and the opportunity to view the fine collection of
Ming paintings at the Hong Kong Museum of Art under the guidance of Dr. Yan Chailing, the
course’s painting lecturer. Anyone wanting further details should email info@asianarthc.com or call
Ursula HowardSneyd at 9831 5353, or Honora de Basto at 6290 8992, who can also provide a
brochure with full details of the lecturers and their talks.
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OTHER SOCIETIES
The Hong Kong YWCA, Macdonnell Road, holds a wide variety of classes at its premises at 1
Macdonnell Road, including courses in Cantonese and Mandarin for both beginners and minimally
experienced speakers of the siu siu variety. Under the Out There heading are numerous wellorganised
hikes to the wilder parts of Hong Kong and historical walks in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island,
and for the less energeticallyinclined there are classes in Asian cooking. For information on the
current programme and news of upcoming classes in the New Year, call 3476 1340.
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, at 73 Collier Street, London N1 9BE, has a
busy lecture programme which may interest members visiting London. For further information email
info@royalasiaticsociety.org or go to www.royalasiaticsociety.org.
The Oriental Ceramics Society provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information in study
sessions and travel programmes, a platform for scholarly lectures by distinguished speakers and a
medium through which members may show their collections to other members and the public. For
further information email ocs@orientalceramics.org.hk or leave a message at 2527 0696.
The Siam Society in Bangkok has a very active programme of talks and visits and welcomes any of
our members who may be visiting the city. For details of their current programme, call (+66)02 661
6470, email info@siamsociety.org or go to www.siamsociety.org.
The Hong Kong Natural History Society is open to anyone with an interest in the Hong Kong
countryside. The Society organises monthly outings, which consist of hikes in the winter months and
boat trips to the remoter islands during the summer months. Most outings take place on a Sunday and
have leaders who will guide the party and point out items of interest. Memoirs are published from
time to time, which are available to members, and there is a small library of natural history books that
members can access. Membership is only $100 for a year for an individual or $150 for a couple.
Further details may be obtained by writing to the Hon. Secretary, The Hong Kong Natural History
Society, GPO Box 4369, Hong Kong or email to hellojan@netvigator.com.
The Hong Kong Gardening Society
A friendly group that shares a love of gardening, whether it is with pots on a balcony, houseplants or a
garden. They don’t all have ‘green thumbs’, but they share tips and advice from a monthly newsletter
and coffee mornings and arrange visits to gardens and places of horticultural interest. For information
email membership@gardeninghongkong.com or call 2719 4870. There is also readily available
information on the website, www.gardeninghongkong.com
The Women’s Corona Society also welcomes ladies who are new to Hong Kong as well as those who
are not. They meet each Monday morning in the Mariners’ Club in TST and enjoy coffee and a chat
as well as interesting speakers; they also arrange local visits and social activities. For more
information call Min Long on 2243 1486.
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A GIFT IDEA
It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to what to give as seasonal gifts. Do you have a friend
who is interested in RAS, sometimes comes to our events and has been meaning to join for ages, but
never gets around to it? Do you know a student who would benefit from access to all the wonderful
books in the RAS library? Why not give them the gift of a year’s membership to our Society? We can
put together a membership package which can be given as a gift, including the most recent journal,
and the ‘donor’ will receive two RAS journals of their choice. If you are interested in this idea,
contact Jenny Day at 2813 7500 or email info@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk.
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JOIN THE GROUP EMAIL LIST
When joining the Society, members are asked whether they would prefer communications by mail or
email and nowadays nearly everybody chooses email. Some, however, even though they have an
email account, choose not to be on the email news list, maybe because they do not want to add to their
already overburdened mailbox. Some members who joined earlier have also stayed with the original
arrangement of mail only.
The recent cancellation of James’s Hayes talk was a good example of the benefit of using email
as we were able to notify everyone in the email group mailing list of the change of event. (Those who
had already signed up but were not on email were telephoned.) There was no problem on that
occasion but it did point up the benefit of instant communication.
If anyone would like their address added to the group mailing list, please let Jenny Day know.
You will not be inundated by unwanted messages, simply activity reminders a couple of days prior to
the event, notices of local events and special invitations to RAS members and of course – although we
hope extremely rarely – changes in the planned programme.
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ADVERTISING IN THE RASHKB NEWSLETTER
In an effort to defray newsletter costs, we are accepting ads that would be of interest to RAS members.
Would you like to advertise a business or a service you can provide, or do you know someone who
might be interested? Our rates are very reasonable: Full Page $1,150.00; 2/3 Page $850.00; 1/2 Page
$725.00, 1/3 Page $450.00. If you have a short ad and would like to pay according to the number of
words in the ad, you may do so at the following rates first 10 words $70.00, each additional word
$2.50. Phone/fax 2813 7500 or email info@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk.
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