English Exhibition Guide
According to the article ‘A study of the characteristics and the impact of Zhejiang University in
Guizhou during the Anti-Japanese War’, published by Yang Ligan, living conditions in Guizhou
were very poor. “There was no electric light. Most of us used wood oil lamps in order to read, and
two people had to share one lamp. The price of commodities kept rising while the wages of
teaching staff remained low. Thus, living conditions were quite poor. However, the teachers and
students overcame their difficulties together - students kept studying ardently and teachers kept
researching pragmatically.”
Mr Lai King-man recorded the 20th anniversary of
naming of National Chekiang University on 1 April
1947 in his diary. As a graduating student, he praised the
university’s achievement of being recognized as the
“Cambridge of the East” during the war-torn years.
The University was forced to suspend activities when Japanese armies invaded nearby Guangxi
Province in 1944. Some students gave up their studies and went to fight the enemy at the
front-line. Following the surrender of Japan, the University moved back to Hangzhou in 1946. In
1948, it became a comprehensive university with seven colleges, covering Science, Engineering,
Agriculture, Medicine, Arts, Law and Normal Education. During the Chinese Civil War period
(1945-1949), some staff and students adopted more radical views and several patriotic professors
and university students were arrested because of this. Zhu Kezhen, as the President, worked hard to
help them.
After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Zhu Kezhen resigned and the
post of President was taken over by Ma Yinchu, a prominent Chinese economist. During 1952,
universities in China underwent a nationwide reshuffling and National Zhejiang University was
split into a number of single-discipline colleges. The Teachers College ceased to operate and
some of its disciplines were moved to the newly established East China Normal University. The
major part of the Teachers College, together with the College of Arts and College of Science were
merged with the College of Arts and Science of Hangchow University and the Zhejiang Teachers
School to form the new Zhejiang Teachers College. Later, in 1958, it merged into the newly
established Hangzhou University which was to be renowned in the field of teacher education.
Following these re-organizations, the Zhejiang University became a science and technology
university. In 1998, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University
and Zhejang Medical University amalgamated into the new Zhejiang University, enabling the
College of Education to be established. Today, Zhejiang University is one of the top-ranked key
universities in China.
Revisiting Modern Teacher Education in
Pre-1949 Chinese Universities
─an exhibition of Minguo books donated by
Dr. Lai Kwok-chan
About the Exhibition
China suffered from foreign invasion and internal upheaval during the first half of the 20th Century.
Set against this background, a large number of intellectuals worked hard under austere conditions
and made a remarkable contribution to the creation of a modern school system, including teacher
education, in China as a key for national survival and self-strengthening.
The establishment of a system of teacher education (shifan jiaoyu, literally normal education)
commenced in China at the beginning of the 20th century, which was relatively late when compared
with western countries and Japan. The Japanese educational model was very influential in the early
stages. In 1902, the Imperial University of Peking established the Normal College, marking the
formal commencement of tertiary teacher education in China. After the 1911 Revolution, normal
schools and colleges were set up in the country and women were admitted to teacher education
programmes for the first time. In 1922, with the implementation of “Reforms in School Education
System” by the Republican Government, a new school system was set up in China based on the
American model, and had a major impact leading to a re-structuring of the teacher education system.
At the tertiary level, the Beijing Higher Normal School was upgraded to the Beijing Normal
University in 1923, while the other higher teacher education institutions were changed into
individual departments or colleges of comprehensive universities. In 1938, in order to strengthen
teacher training, the Ministry of Education established a National Teachers College and set up
Teachers Colleges under five national universities. In 1939, it announced the new regulations and a
new curriculum structure for all Teachers Colleges in the country.
During this period many intellectuals who studied in America and Europe returned to China, and
were employed in these tertiary teacher education institutions. They brought in western educational
theories and research methods, and published textbooks and reference books, contributing
tremendously to the development of modern teacher education in China at the time. This exhibition
mainly showcases a number of textbooks and reference books used by Mr Lai King-man and
MsYeung Chung-wah while studying at the Teachers College (literally normal college) of National
Zhejiang University between 1943 and 1947. These have been generously donated to the Hong
Kong Museum of Education by their son (and now Director of Strategic Planning and of the Centre
for Development and Research in Small Class Teaching at The Hong Kong Institute of Education)
Dr Lai Kwok-chan.
English Exhibition Guide
This series of textbooks covers the major part of curriculum taught in university teacher education
in China during this politically and socially challenging time. Altogether 28 textbooks - mainly
covering educational research and theory during the 1930s and 1940s - have been selected for
display, including The University Collections (Da xue cong shu) published in Chinese by The
Shanghai Commercial Press.
Zhu Kezhen, who received a PhD in meteorology from Harvard University and a famous
meteorologist and geologist in China, served as the President of National Zhejiang University in 1936.
Zheng Zonghai (also named Zheng Xiaocang), then Registrar, served as the first Dean of the Teachers
College and as Head of the Department of Education. He graduated from Beijing Tsinghua University
with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and went to America after his graduation. Later he received a Bachelor
of Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Education from
In making this donation, Dr Lai commented that these books are a tribute to educators, teachers
and students of teacher education institutions who made a great contribution towards modern
education in China despite the wars and civil unrest of the 1930s and 1940s. Many graduates of
these institutions - including Dr Lai’s parents - moved to Hong Kong prior to 1949 and continued
to make a significant contribution to the rapid post-war development of education in Hong Kong,
particularly in the development of village schools and rural education.
Columbia University. Many well-known educators and psychologists at home and abroad, such as
Yu Ziyi, Meng Xiancheng, Zhuang Zexuan, Huang Yi, Chen Li, Wang Chengxu, Zhu Xiliang, and
Chen Xuexun once worked at the Department of Education.
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah were originally from the county of Maoming (now
known as Gaozhou), Guangdong Province. Because of their academic achievements, they were
sponsored by the government in 1943 to study at National Zhejiang University. The university
was then re-located to Guizhou Province in the interior, in order to avoid attacks from Japanese
forces, and here they had to live in very austere conditions. After the surrender of Japan, they
transferred back to the University’s original campus in Hangzhou via Hong Kong to finish their
final year’s study. They graduated in 1947 and stayed in Zhejiang Province to undertake their
teaching practice in a normal school. Soon after, China was embroiled in a civil war, and the two
of them settled in Hong Kong. They taught at a number of village schools for over 30 years,
dedicated to the nurturing of the next generation.
Following his parents’ footsteps, Dr Lai served as a secondary teacher, an Inspector of Schools, a
principal lecturer at the Grantham College of Education and later joined The Hong Kong Institute
of Education. Some twenty-three valued artifacts and a number of photos are on loan also from
Dr Lai, including a 1947 group photo of professors and graduates of the Department of Education
at National Zhejiang University and a staff and graduate list of the University in the same year.
Also on loan are the graduate certificates of Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah, issued
by the Governments of the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, as well as
photos taken whilst they were teaching at village schools in the New Territories and pursuing
further studies at the then newly established Grantham Teacher Training College.
The collection of books and artifacts on display survived the wars and unrest of the 1930s and
1940s, and had never been displayed previously. They provide an invaluable insight into the
historical development of teacher education in modern China during this era and the contribution
of Chinese intellectuals to post-war education in Hong Kong. (Visitors can use the computers in
the Museum to browse the full contents of the collection of textbooks on display in the
exhibition).
In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, and the University had to move five times inland to
avoid attack from Japanese armies, until it finally settled in Zhunyi and Meitam in Guizhou Province.
For two and a half years, the University had travelled through Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and
Guangxi provinces, covering 2,600 kilometers. The whole university worked hard under difficult
conditions and it became one of the top universities in China during this time, even being reputed to
be the “Cambridge of the East” by the well-known British scholar Joseph Needham. The decision
made by Zhu Kezhen to move the University to a rural and remote area in which no other universities
had been founded enabled the school to support the development of the inland provinces, and
provided the school with a relatively safe environment during the war-torn years. This effectively
brought together many powerful intellectuals and educated many elites including Li Zhengdao who
attended the University in 1943 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957. It has been estimated
that there were about 4,000 students on the campus of Guizhou during these seven years.
Photo of Ms Yeung
A group of Zhejiang University students originating from
Chung-wah with her
Guangdong (including Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung
other women
Chung-wah), stopping over in Hong Kong on 19 October 1946 on
schoolmates at National
their way from Guizhou to Hangzhou to resume studies after the
Zhejiang University
War. The photos show Hong Kong in 1946 with the Botanical
taken on campus in
Gardens (now Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens) in the
1946.
background (in the left picture) and Queen's Pier (in the right
picture).
English Exhibition Guide
Zheng Zonghai was Dean of Teacher College and head of Department of Education at that time. In 1947,
there were 45 graduates of Teacher College (including 8 female students), and 13 graduates from
Life of Mr Lai King-man(1919－2011）and Ms Yeung Chung-wah(1918－2011)
Department of Education.
Famous professors of the Department of Education at the time included:
Meng Xiancheng (1899-1967) was a famous modern educator in China. He graduated from St. John’s
University, Shanghai in 1916. Later he was awarded the Master of Education from the University of
Washington and went to the postgraduate school of the University of London for further studies. He was
the only professor in education studies amongst the first 29 professors appointed by the Ministry of
Education in 1942. He served as the Dean of the College of Arts at National Zhejiang University, and also
the first President of East China Normal University.
Chen Li (1902- 2004) gained his doctorate in Psychology from the University of London and was a
Mr Lai King-man graduated from Maoming County Normal School, then temporarily located at Yunlu of Gaozhou
pioneer in Intelligence theory and psychology testing in China. He later served as the President of
in 1941. Teacher training for primary school teachers was then conducted by normal schools and the graduates’
Hangzhou University. In 1997 and 1998, he was granted “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Chinese
education level was equivalent to senior secondary school. Photo of teachers and graduates from the 5th Class in
Psychological Society and “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Chinese Ergonomics Society.
Maoming County Normal School, 1941. Front Row (sitting), second from right was Mr Lai King-man; seventh
from right was the school principal. Students at the time were required to join military training and the school had
Wang Chengxu (1912-) received a Master of Education from the University of London and was the major
a military officer. (Front row, the fifth from the right).
founder of comparative education in modern China. He later served as the Head of the Department of
Education at National Zhejiang University. In 2003, he was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement for
Education Innovation Award” by UNESCO Asia-Pacific.
Zhu Xiliang (1900-1977) received a Master of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in
America and a Master of Science from the Institute of Psychology at Yale University. He was a famous
psychologist in modern China and was one of the founders of Chinese Psychological Society.
Yu Ziyi (1886-1970) was a famous educator and the pioneer in designing Chinese teaching and assessment
methods. He went to Japan to study in his early years and promoted the concept of “Saving the nation by
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah were both born in the county of Maoming (nowadays
known as Gaozhou City) in Guangdong Province. The father of Mr Lai was a teacher at a traditional
“sishu” or private school and because of his low salaries, Mr Lai had to suspend his studies for a
year after finishing primary education. After this, with his relatives’ help, Mr Lai was able to go
back to school, where he worked very hard. He attended Maoming County Normal School from
1937 to 1941, the only teacher training school in the county, and after graduation taught at its
attached primary school for a year. Ms Yeung lost her father before birth but she studied hard and
obtained good grades in primary school, which gained her a place at the prestigious Provincial
Gaozhou Middle School.
education” with Mr. Tao Xingzhi. He was also enthusiastic about establishing education for all. He
dedicated his whole life to experiments and research in primary education. He was the chief-editor of
national textbooks for mathematics. He later served as the Deputy Director of the Education Department
of Zhejiang province.
Chen Xuexun (1913-1991) graduated from the Department of Education of National Zhejiang University
and remained there to teach. In the 1930s and 1940s, along with Mr. Meng Xiancheng, he focused on
teaching and research in the area of education. He later served as a professor at Hangzhou University, the
Director-General of the National Research Society on Education History, and an executive member of the
Chinese Society of Education and so on. He was an expert in Chinese education history and published a
great many works in this area.
In October, 1943, because of their excellent school achievements, both were sponsored by the
government to study at the Teachers College (literally normal college) of National Zhejiang
University which was then re-located from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province to interior
Guizhou Province to avoid the Japanese forces. Similar to other students, they lived in very austere
conditions. After the War, the University moved back to Hangzhou in 1946 and in the same year
they returned to Hangzhou via Hong Kong to finish their fourth year’s study. In 1947, they
undertook teaching practice at Yanzhou Normal School in Zhejiang for a year.
English Exhibition Guide
Soon afterwards the Chinese Civil War broke out and in 1948 they both came to Hong Kong and
taught at a primary school, Zongfu School (nowadays known as Kam Tsin Village Ho Tung
School), which was a former sishu in Kam Tsin Village, Sheung Shui. They were married in
1950. Before their retirement, the couple taught separately at Hang Tau Public School in Sheung
Shui and Lung Shan School in Fanling. They were dedicated to the nurturing of the next
generation and contributed to the rural education of Hong Kong for more than 30 years. Their
story is an example of the significant contribution to education in Hong Kong made by
intellectuals from the Mainland after the War.
The history of Zhejiang University
Established in Qing Guangxu 23 (1897) in the city of Hangzhou, the Qiushi Academy was one of the
earliest modern academies of higher education in China to adopt a western education system, and was
also the predecessor of today’s Zhejiang University. In 1927 the Third National Sun Yat-sen
University was established on its site. Later, in 1928, its name was changed to National Zhejiang
University and three colleges were established, namely; the College of Engineering, the College of
Agriculture, and the College of Arts and Science. In 1935, the Republican government decided to
implement free education and strengthen teacher training. In 1938, it established Teachers Colleges
(literally normal colleges) in National Zhejiang University and four other national universities. Six
departments were set up under the Teachers College in Zhejiang, namely Education, Chinese
Language, History and Geography, Mathematics, Science and English.
Photo of teachers and graduates from the Education
Department of National Zhejiang University, 1947.
Photo of Ms Yeung Chung-wah and
Photo of Mr Lai King-man (the first
Front Row, from right to left: Professor Wang Chengxu,
her students taken at Zongfu School,
on the right, squatting) and his
Zhu Xiliang, Wu Zhiyao, Yu Ziyi, Meng Xiancheng, Li
formerly a Sishu located in the
students taken at “Zongfu School”,
Xiangxu, Wang Chang.
ancestral hall of Kam Tsin Village,
formerly a Sishu located in the
Middle Row, the first and the fourth from the right,
Sheung Shui, circa 1950.
ancestral hall of Kam Tsin Village,
respectively: Ms Yeung Chung-wah and Mr Lai King-man.
Sheung Shui, circa 1950. There was a
wide range of students’ ages within
Amongst all the graduates only three were women.
the same class at that time.
Since the New Culture Movement the concepts of
“Equality among men and women”, “Co-sex
Education” and “Liberation of Women” had been
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah attended
promoted and in 1922 the implementation of the
in-service training courses for serving teachers of the New
“Renxu School System” abolished restrictions on
Territories at the newly established Grantham Teacher
women going to colleges. Womens’ education
Training College after they arrived in Hong Kong. At the
gradually became commonplace but at this time there
time, Mr Lai King-man was teaching at Kai Man school in
were still hardly any places for women in tertiary
Hang Tau Village, Sheung Shui whereas Ms Yeung
education.
Chung-wah was teaching at Shing Ping School in Sheung
Shui. Photo of graduates of the class taken in August 1953.
The correspondence list of the faculty staff
Second row, second from the left was Ms Yeung
of National Zhejiang University, includes
Chung-wah and fourth from the left on the fourth row
the list of students graduating from the
from the back was Mr Lai King-man. The eighth from left
Department of Education in 1946/47. The
on the first row was the class teacher Mr Law Chung-kam,
cover page was inscribed by Zhu Kezhen
who later became the Assistant Director of Education in
who was the University President, 1947.
the government.
English Exhibition Guide
Soon afterwards the Chinese Civil War broke out and in 1948 they both came to Hong Kong and
taught at a primary school, Zongfu School (nowadays known as Kam Tsin Village Ho Tung
School), which was a former sishu in Kam Tsin Village, Sheung Shui. They were married in
1950. Before their retirement, the couple taught separately at Hang Tau Public School in Sheung
Shui and Lung Shan School in Fanling. They were dedicated to the nurturing of the next
generation and contributed to the rural education of Hong Kong for more than 30 years. Their
story is an example of the significant contribution to education in Hong Kong made by
intellectuals from the Mainland after the War.
The history of Zhejiang University
Established in Qing Guangxu 23 (1897) in the city of Hangzhou, the Qiushi Academy was one of the
earliest modern academies of higher education in China to adopt a western education system, and was
also the predecessor of today’s Zhejiang University. In 1927 the Third National Sun Yat-sen
University was established on its site. Later, in 1928, its name was changed to National Zhejiang
University and three colleges were established, namely; the College of Engineering, the College of
Agriculture, and the College of Arts and Science. In 1935, the Republican government decided to
implement free education and strengthen teacher training. In 1938, it established Teachers Colleges
(literally normal colleges) in National Zhejiang University and four other national universities. Six
departments were set up under the Teachers College in Zhejiang, namely Education, Chinese
Language, History and Geography, Mathematics, Science and English.
Photo of teachers and graduates from the Education
Department of National Zhejiang University, 1947.
Photo of Ms Yeung Chung-wah and
Photo of Mr Lai King-man (the first
Front Row, from right to left: Professor Wang Chengxu,
her students taken at Zongfu School,
on the right, squatting) and his
Zhu Xiliang, Wu Zhiyao, Yu Ziyi, Meng Xiancheng, Li
formerly a Sishu located in the
students taken at “Zongfu School”,
Xiangxu, Wang Chang.
ancestral hall of Kam Tsin Village,
formerly a Sishu located in the
Middle Row, the first and the fourth from the right,
Sheung Shui, circa 1950.
ancestral hall of Kam Tsin Village,
respectively: Ms Yeung Chung-wah and Mr Lai King-man.
Sheung Shui, circa 1950. There was a
wide range of students’ ages within
Amongst all the graduates only three were women.
the same class at that time.
Since the New Culture Movement the concepts of
“Equality among men and women”, “Co-sex
Education” and “Liberation of Women” had been
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah attended
promoted and in 1922 the implementation of the
in-service training courses for serving teachers of the New
“Renxu School System” abolished restrictions on
Territories at the newly established Grantham Teacher
women going to colleges. Womens’ education
Training College after they arrived in Hong Kong. At the
gradually became commonplace but at this time there
time, Mr Lai King-man was teaching at Kai Man school in
were still hardly any places for women in tertiary
Hang Tau Village, Sheung Shui whereas Ms Yeung
education.
Chung-wah was teaching at Shing Ping School in Sheung
Shui. Photo of graduates of the class taken in August 1953.
The correspondence list of the faculty staff
Second row, second from the left was Ms Yeung
of National Zhejiang University, includes
Chung-wah and fourth from the left on the fourth row
the list of students graduating from the
from the back was Mr Lai King-man. The eighth from left
Department of Education in 1946/47. The
on the first row was the class teacher Mr Law Chung-kam,
cover page was inscribed by Zhu Kezhen
who later became the Assistant Director of Education in
who was the University President, 1947.
the government.
English Exhibition Guide
Zheng Zonghai was Dean of Teacher College and head of Department of Education at that time. In 1947,
there were 45 graduates of Teacher College (including 8 female students), and 13 graduates from
Life of Mr Lai King-man(1919－2011）and Ms Yeung Chung-wah(1918－2011)
Department of Education.
Famous professors of the Department of Education at the time included:
Meng Xiancheng (1899-1967) was a famous modern educator in China. He graduated from St. John’s
University, Shanghai in 1916. Later he was awarded the Master of Education from the University of
Washington and went to the postgraduate school of the University of London for further studies. He was
the only professor in education studies amongst the first 29 professors appointed by the Ministry of
Education in 1942. He served as the Dean of the College of Arts at National Zhejiang University, and also
the first President of East China Normal University.
Chen Li (1902- 2004) gained his doctorate in Psychology from the University of London and was a
Mr Lai King-man graduated from Maoming County Normal School, then temporarily located at Yunlu of Gaozhou
pioneer in Intelligence theory and psychology testing in China. He later served as the President of
in 1941. Teacher training for primary school teachers was then conducted by normal schools and the graduates’
Hangzhou University. In 1997 and 1998, he was granted “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Chinese
education level was equivalent to senior secondary school. Photo of teachers and graduates from the 5th Class in
Psychological Society and “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Chinese Ergonomics Society.
Maoming County Normal School, 1941. Front Row (sitting), second from right was Mr Lai King-man; seventh
from right was the school principal. Students at the time were required to join military training and the school had
Wang Chengxu (1912-) received a Master of Education from the University of London and was the major
a military officer. (Front row, the fifth from the right).
founder of comparative education in modern China. He later served as the Head of the Department of
Education at National Zhejiang University. In 2003, he was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement for
Education Innovation Award” by UNESCO Asia-Pacific.
Zhu Xiliang (1900-1977) received a Master of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in
America and a Master of Science from the Institute of Psychology at Yale University. He was a famous
psychologist in modern China and was one of the founders of Chinese Psychological Society.
Yu Ziyi (1886-1970) was a famous educator and the pioneer in designing Chinese teaching and assessment
methods. He went to Japan to study in his early years and promoted the concept of “Saving the nation by
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah were both born in the county of Maoming (nowadays
known as Gaozhou City) in Guangdong Province. The father of Mr Lai was a teacher at a traditional
“sishu” or private school and because of his low salaries, Mr Lai had to suspend his studies for a
year after finishing primary education. After this, with his relatives’ help, Mr Lai was able to go
back to school, where he worked very hard. He attended Maoming County Normal School from
1937 to 1941, the only teacher training school in the county, and after graduation taught at its
attached primary school for a year. Ms Yeung lost her father before birth but she studied hard and
obtained good grades in primary school, which gained her a place at the prestigious Provincial
Gaozhou Middle School.
education” with Mr. Tao Xingzhi. He was also enthusiastic about establishing education for all. He
dedicated his whole life to experiments and research in primary education. He was the chief-editor of
national textbooks for mathematics. He later served as the Deputy Director of the Education Department
of Zhejiang province.
Chen Xuexun (1913-1991) graduated from the Department of Education of National Zhejiang University
and remained there to teach. In the 1930s and 1940s, along with Mr. Meng Xiancheng, he focused on
teaching and research in the area of education. He later served as a professor at Hangzhou University, the
Director-General of the National Research Society on Education History, and an executive member of the
Chinese Society of Education and so on. He was an expert in Chinese education history and published a
great many works in this area.
In October, 1943, because of their excellent school achievements, both were sponsored by the
government to study at the Teachers College (literally normal college) of National Zhejiang
University which was then re-located from Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province to interior
Guizhou Province to avoid the Japanese forces. Similar to other students, they lived in very austere
conditions. After the War, the University moved back to Hangzhou in 1946 and in the same year
they returned to Hangzhou via Hong Kong to finish their fourth year’s study. In 1947, they
undertook teaching practice at Yanzhou Normal School in Zhejiang for a year.
English Exhibition Guide
This series of textbooks covers the major part of curriculum taught in university teacher education
in China during this politically and socially challenging time. Altogether 28 textbooks - mainly
covering educational research and theory during the 1930s and 1940s - have been selected for
display, including The University Collections (Da xue cong shu) published in Chinese by The
Shanghai Commercial Press.
Zhu Kezhen, who received a PhD in meteorology from Harvard University and a famous
meteorologist and geologist in China, served as the President of National Zhejiang University in 1936.
Zheng Zonghai (also named Zheng Xiaocang), then Registrar, served as the first Dean of the Teachers
College and as Head of the Department of Education. He graduated from Beijing Tsinghua University
with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and went to America after his graduation. Later he received a Bachelor
of Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Education from
In making this donation, Dr Lai commented that these books are a tribute to educators, teachers
and students of teacher education institutions who made a great contribution towards modern
education in China despite the wars and civil unrest of the 1930s and 1940s. Many graduates of
these institutions - including Dr Lai’s parents - moved to Hong Kong prior to 1949 and continued
to make a significant contribution to the rapid post-war development of education in Hong Kong,
particularly in the development of village schools and rural education.
Columbia University. Many well-known educators and psychologists at home and abroad, such as
Yu Ziyi, Meng Xiancheng, Zhuang Zexuan, Huang Yi, Chen Li, Wang Chengxu, Zhu Xiliang, and
Chen Xuexun once worked at the Department of Education.
Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah were originally from the county of Maoming (now
known as Gaozhou), Guangdong Province. Because of their academic achievements, they were
sponsored by the government in 1943 to study at National Zhejiang University. The university
was then re-located to Guizhou Province in the interior, in order to avoid attacks from Japanese
forces, and here they had to live in very austere conditions. After the surrender of Japan, they
transferred back to the University’s original campus in Hangzhou via Hong Kong to finish their
final year’s study. They graduated in 1947 and stayed in Zhejiang Province to undertake their
teaching practice in a normal school. Soon after, China was embroiled in a civil war, and the two
of them settled in Hong Kong. They taught at a number of village schools for over 30 years,
dedicated to the nurturing of the next generation.
Following his parents’ footsteps, Dr Lai served as a secondary teacher, an Inspector of Schools, a
principal lecturer at the Grantham College of Education and later joined The Hong Kong Institute
of Education. Some twenty-three valued artifacts and a number of photos are on loan also from
Dr Lai, including a 1947 group photo of professors and graduates of the Department of Education
at National Zhejiang University and a staff and graduate list of the University in the same year.
Also on loan are the graduate certificates of Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung Chung-wah, issued
by the Governments of the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, as well as
photos taken whilst they were teaching at village schools in the New Territories and pursuing
further studies at the then newly established Grantham Teacher Training College.
The collection of books and artifacts on display survived the wars and unrest of the 1930s and
1940s, and had never been displayed previously. They provide an invaluable insight into the
historical development of teacher education in modern China during this era and the contribution
of Chinese intellectuals to post-war education in Hong Kong. (Visitors can use the computers in
the Museum to browse the full contents of the collection of textbooks on display in the
exhibition).
In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out, and the University had to move five times inland to
avoid attack from Japanese armies, until it finally settled in Zhunyi and Meitam in Guizhou Province.
For two and a half years, the University had travelled through Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and
Guangxi provinces, covering 2,600 kilometers. The whole university worked hard under difficult
conditions and it became one of the top universities in China during this time, even being reputed to
be the “Cambridge of the East” by the well-known British scholar Joseph Needham. The decision
made by Zhu Kezhen to move the University to a rural and remote area in which no other universities
had been founded enabled the school to support the development of the inland provinces, and
provided the school with a relatively safe environment during the war-torn years. This effectively
brought together many powerful intellectuals and educated many elites including Li Zhengdao who
attended the University in 1943 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957. It has been estimated
that there were about 4,000 students on the campus of Guizhou during these seven years.
Photo of Ms Yeung
A group of Zhejiang University students originating from
Chung-wah with her
Guangdong (including Mr Lai King-man and Ms Yeung
other women
Chung-wah), stopping over in Hong Kong on 19 October 1946 on
schoolmates at National
their way from Guizhou to Hangzhou to resume studies after the
Zhejiang University
War. The photos show Hong Kong in 1946 with the Botanical
taken on campus in
Gardens (now Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens) in the
1946.
background (in the left picture) and Queen's Pier (in the right
picture).
English Exhibition Guide
According to the article ‘A study of the characteristics and the impact of Zhejiang University in
Guizhou during the Anti-Japanese War’, published by Yang Ligan, living conditions in Guizhou
were very poor. “There was no electric light. Most of us used wood oil lamps in order to read, and
two people had to share one lamp. The price of commodities kept rising while the wages of
teaching staff remained low. Thus, living conditions were quite poor. However, the teachers and
students overcame their difficulties together - students kept studying ardently and teachers kept
researching pragmatically.”
Mr Lai King-man recorded the 20th anniversary of
naming of National Chekiang University on 1 April
1947 in his diary. As a graduating student, he praised the
university’s achievement of being recognized as the
“Cambridge of the East” during the war-torn years.
The University was forced to suspend activities when Japanese armies invaded nearby Guangxi
Province in 1944. Some students gave up their studies and went to fight the enemy at the
front-line. Following the surrender of Japan, the University moved back to Hangzhou in 1946. In
1948, it became a comprehensive university with seven colleges, covering Science, Engineering,
Agriculture, Medicine, Arts, Law and Normal Education. During the Chinese Civil War period
(1945-1949), some staff and students adopted more radical views and several patriotic professors
and university students were arrested because of this. Zhu Kezhen, as the President, worked hard to
help them.
After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Zhu Kezhen resigned and the
post of President was taken over by Ma Yinchu, a prominent Chinese economist. During 1952,
universities in China underwent a nationwide reshuffling and National Zhejiang University was
split into a number of single-discipline colleges. The Teachers College ceased to operate and
some of its disciplines were moved to the newly established East China Normal University. The
major part of the Teachers College, together with the College of Arts and College of Science were
merged with the College of Arts and Science of Hangchow University and the Zhejiang Teachers
School to form the new Zhejiang Teachers College. Later, in 1958, it merged into the newly
established Hangzhou University which was to be renowned in the field of teacher education.
Following these re-organizations, the Zhejiang University became a science and technology
university. In 1998, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou University, Zhejiang Agricultural University
and Zhejang Medical University amalgamated into the new Zhejiang University, enabling the
College of Education to be established. Today, Zhejiang University is one of the top-ranked key
universities in China.
Revisiting Modern Teacher Education in
Pre-1949 Chinese Universities
─an exhibition of Minguo books donated by
Dr. Lai Kwok-chan
About the Exhibition
China suffered from foreign invasion and internal upheaval during the first half of the 20th Century.
Set against this background, a large number of intellectuals worked hard under austere conditions
and made a remarkable contribution to the creation of a modern school system, including teacher
education, in China as a key for national survival and self-strengthening.
The establishment of a system of teacher education (shifan jiaoyu, literally normal education)
commenced in China at the beginning of the 20th century, which was relatively late when compared
with western countries and Japan. The Japanese educational model was very influential in the early
stages. In 1902, the Imperial University of Peking established the Normal College, marking the
formal commencement of tertiary teacher education in China. After the 1911 Revolution, normal
schools and colleges were set up in the country and women were admitted to teacher education
programmes for the first time. In 1922, with the implementation of “Reforms in School Education
System” by the Republican Government, a new school system was set up in China based on the
American model, and had a major impact leading to a re-structuring of the teacher education system.
At the tertiary level, the Beijing Higher Normal School was upgraded to the Beijing Normal
University in 1923, while the other higher teacher education institutions were changed into
individual departments or colleges of comprehensive universities. In 1938, in order to strengthen
teacher training, the Ministry of Education established a National Teachers College and set up
Teachers Colleges under five national universities. In 1939, it announced the new regulations and a
new curriculum structure for all Teachers Colleges in the country.
During this period many intellectuals who studied in America and Europe returned to China, and
were employed in these tertiary teacher education institutions. They brought in western educational
theories and research methods, and published textbooks and reference books, contributing
tremendously to the development of modern teacher education in China at the time. This exhibition
mainly showcases a number of textbooks and reference books used by Mr Lai King-man and
MsYeung Chung-wah while studying at the Teachers College (literally normal college) of National
Zhejiang University between 1943 and 1947. These have been generously donated to the Hong
Kong Museum of Education by their son (and now Director of Strategic Planning and of the Centre
for Development and Research in Small Class Teaching at The Hong Kong Institute of Education)
Dr Lai Kwok-chan.