Dear Colleagues,
A ceremony held on 12 February celebrated a donation to HKMU from Dr Roland Soong and his elder sister, Mrs. Elaine Soong Kingman, administrators of Eileen Chang’s estate. The donation, including Eileen Chang’s manuscripts, relics and correspondence with her best friends, Stephen Soong and his wife, Mae Fong Soong, have drawn widespread attention from scholars of modern Chinese literature and the public locally and overseas.
The University formed a special task force to preserve and pass on these precious documents and drive related research to realise the full potential of the donated items. This includes building a database of archival documents and digital collections for researchers and the public.
The HKMU Library will establish two specific sections for the donation: the “Special Collection of Eileen Chang” and the “Special Collection of Stephen Soong and Mae Fong Soong”. Additionally, open exhibitions are being planned to allow viewers gain a deeper understanding of the literary works and the remarkable achievements of Eileen Chang and the Soongs, as well as Hong Kong’s crucial role in the development of modern Chinese literature worldwide.
Following the donation announcement, many people raised the question of why the estate administrators choose HKMU among several other institutions that are historically more closely related to Eileen Chang.
The donors explained that HKMU's willingness to accept the full set of documents would ensure that the works, relics and other items of Eileen Chang and the Soongs will reside in one place, facilitating deeper research into, and better understanding of, the relationships and interactions among the three.
I also believe that our success is a combination of HKMU's sincerity in preserving and popularising the literacy value of the collection; and respect for the donors' wishes. Ultimately, it is a matter of fate.
HKMU will work diligently and professionally to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy these treasures that have been bestowed upon us.
Paul LAM Kwan-sing
President
