Stories from the Library – what's new and what's happening
As a Hongkonger, I like to browse information about Hong Kong’s past through various media. When I look at posts and photos of Hong Kong’s past, I have an opportunity to see things that remind me of my childhood, which makes me feel excited. In our library, there are many books and periodicals that discuss…
Did you know that the little hill beside the North Gate bus stop has a name? It is called the Fung Shui Ridge! Do you know what its name, “Fung Shui”, means? Fung Shui (風水) is the traditional Chinese practice of arranging buildings and spaces. Even thousands of years ago, people understood the importance of…
In a remarkable team effort, the University Archives recently completed installation of a memorial corner dedicated to our late founding president, Prof. Chia-Wei Woo. Did you know that it was Prof. Woo’s vision back in 1990 to establish a university archive for preserving historically significant materials relating to our university? This memorial corner could not…
I was sad to hear the news. He will be missed. I want to share a couple of anecdotes – two of my encounters with him in the early days of the University. I was a very junior staff and only ever knew the President casually, but he knew who I was and always had…
You might have heard the Italian name Ricci – perhaps Ricci Hall, one of the oldest residential halls at HKU. But do you know who Matteo Ricci was? The man who made this Italian name famous in China. Who was Matteo Ricci? Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) was one of the first Jesuit missionaries who tried to…
Did you know this is one of the most glamorous items in our Special Collections? Known as 坤輿萬國全圖, in elegant classical Chinese, literally meaning Map of the Ten Thousand Countries of the Earth, it also has a nickname in English – Ricci Map. Why Ricci in English? Why does this map, titled in Chinese, carry…
Part 1 discussed how students can fight monsters of anxiety about grades & GPA by laughing and learning with the Wisdom Stone Game. But, some carry around other fears. Since childhood, we’ve become familiar with the idea or cliché of corpses and skeletons coming to life. Others may fear living creatures like spiders or snakes….
If you have ever been to one of the congregation ceremonies at HKUST, you might be wondering ─ what is that long stick the procession leader is carrying? A staff of some sort, perhaps, but what is it for? Despite its unconventional appearance, this is the University’s ceremonial mace. Most universities have a ceremonial mace…
Are you a nostalgic person? Will you long for the chance to visit a place you stayed in before again? To me, HKUST library is the place I would never feel bored visiting again and again. As a patron… I am a HKUST 2017 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. But before…
Old maps are visually beautiful; and they carry a lot of interesting stories. The Library hosted a 3-day research symposium last December with map historians from local and overseas institutions. One really memorable talk in the symposium was about this famous Chinese map dated 1644, the year the Ming Empire collapsed: <天下九邊分野人跡路程全圖> (A comprehensive map…
