Take a stroll in the streets of Hong Kong and we can find history left many its footprints: from historical sites to old buildings in all sorts of styles reflecting the old times, as if each has a story to tell. The legacy of these sites are well kept through “Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme” imposed by Hong Kong Government to enhance the awareness about the importance of historic heritages through conserving and redeveloping historic buildings into good use. Located on a hillside at Lai Chi Kok, Jao Tsung-I Academy was formerly a hospital compound. The site was used as a seaside customs station at the end of the 19th century. In the many years followed, the site has been served as a quarantine station, a prison, an infectious disease hospital and a psychiatric rehabitation center before it was closed in 2004 and left vacant until Professor Jao Tsung-I, a world-renowned scholar on sinology, selected the site for revitalization. Today the Academy serves as a cultural hub to facilitate cultural exchanges and contribute to the society in need. 我自问未算是个文青,但每当放假想沾一身文化气息时,我总会向身边的文青朋友打探好去处,结果走了大大小小的展览、市集、咖啡室。。。走马看花过后,悟出一个真正具文化深度的地方需要环境人事兼备,单单在昏黄的灯光底下饮杯咖啡只能谈得上悠闲,称不上有文化。今次我又经朋友介绍香港文化游去处,到位于荔枝角的饶宗颐文化馆攒了大半天;喝杯茶、看本书、睇展览,就在鸟语花香中当半天文人。我经常很羡慕外地有很多古蹟,因为很喜欢那种历史沉淀的感觉。 其实香港也有充满历史感的地方,这里是饶宗颐文化馆。我早闻国学大师饶宗颐的大名,而文化馆以大师命名实有文化承传之意。一代国学大师饶宗颐教授在今2018年二月六日辞世,享年101岁。饶宗颐不但系国学大师、东方学家、艺术家,对书法、书画、诗词、古琴亦造诣极高。著作无数,亦获奖无数。佢嘅研究领域除了历史文化、宗教经典外,更系现今少有精通甲骨文及敦煌学嘅资深学者,对弘扬传统中华文化贡献良多,备受社会尊崇。 This is a good place to learn about the colonial past of Hong Kong, especially with buildings from the late 1930s. The complex has witness the colonial past and the changes that Hong Kong is undergoing in recent years. The management has felicitously divided the complex into three different zones. The lower zones include the main entrance, an Art Gallery and Museum where visitors can have a glimpse of the past development of the complex and how it has evolved into the face today. 坐落于山岗之上,翠绿环抱,分上中下3区的文化馆走香港买少见少的园林式设计路线,花草树木占地七成,红砖白墙小屋穿插其中,清幽淡雅的环境是孕育文化的好地方。不过,原来这片充满文化气息的地方在过去逾一个世纪曾作多项用途,包括海关分厂、华工屯舍、检疫站、监狱、传染病医院和精神病疗养院等,见证了历史和社会的转变。至2009年,香港中华文化促进中心以香港文化传承为主题将建筑群重新规划及改建为文化地标,于2012年夏天活化成饶宗颐文化馆,展出国学大师的真迹及举办文化活动。尽管角色不同,它们以其独特的位置和建筑,担当特别的角色,以回应当时社会的需要。 You can either choose to walk along the stone steps, or take the elevator to reach middle zone. It's also a location where functions rooms are situated, visitors can book them for their personal events. The two red brick houses in the Low Zone are The Gallery and the Heritage Hall displaying the history of revitalizing the site and the legacy of Professor Jao Tsung-I. A pond of lotus flowers sprouts between the red-brick houses; entitled The Pond “Light and Shadow”, the pond clearly mirrors the blue sky and the serenity of the surroundings. 红砖墙上椭圆形的窗是西式设计,整个建筑群见中西合璧的设计风格。 国学大师饶宗颐的铜。 The Upper zone has been designated for a Heritage Lodge, this Lodge welcomes visitors from all over the world to stay in. Each and every room of the lodge has been carefully refurbished with modernised oriental design, you will be indulged in classical oriental style during your stay. Their room rate is also quite reasonable, the standard suite only cost HK$700 per night (peak season may vary, accurate room rate should refer to their official webpage. http://www.heritagelodgehk.com Although the lodge seems good to go, the location of the lodge makes it difficult for first-time traveller of Hong Kong to get in and out of their rooms. They provide free shuttle bus service for guest and the public every 15 minutes to the Cheung Sha Wan MTR station. The Heritage Lodge is part of the Jao Tsung-I Academy revitalization project to promote Chinese culture and cultural exchanges.The location is perfect for finding some tranquility and peace in the middle of the bustling city. The interior is sleek and simplistic reflecting the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony. It’s a wonderful place to relax and breathe in a fresh breeze. 要作为有深度的文化游去处,环境其实很重要,遇上的人亦为重要。上区几间白色小屋之处是文化旅馆“翠雅山房”的所在地。翠雅山房由5座分别名为“琴”、“棋”、“诗”、“书”、“画”的双层建筑楼房所组成,房间采用古色古香的中式设计,房间简洁雅致。旅馆选址在一间文化馆之内,根据吸引力法则,到访的旅客我相信都是喜欢文化的人,才会选择在一间隐身在荔枝角山之上,被繁花绿树、文化展馆围绕的旅馆。没有奢华的大堂、泳池、健身室,这里的旅客看来较喜欢在阳光底下谈笑风生,即使静静地坐看山下的风景亦悠闲自得。 为配合不同文化创意活动、艺文交流、教育课程及文化观光等多元活动,中区六座建筑物提供一系列场地设施,如:演艺厅、展览馆、文化讲堂、会议室、活动室、咖啡店及餐厅,各场地均适合不同机构租用作会议及举办不同类型活动,如:工作坊、讲座、静修活动、艺术表演等。 白墙灰瓦的设计原来有段故。配合文化馆的氛围,翠雅山房走简约风雅的路线,每栋旅馆的大堂都有如此古色古香的设计。 There is also a restaurant where you can enjoy a cup of tea when you feel tired in the midst of visit. This restaurant set apart from the other restaurant in Hong Kong as it's a social enterprise. You won't find any teenage or young waiters, instead they hire those elder who are retired and have worked in the catering service sector or other sector before they retire. This restaurant is a social enterprise which provide job opportunities for the elder and encourage them to work and meet new friends in the restaurant workplace. You shouldn't miss out such a meaningful cause, stop by and patronise them for a meal or drink. 历史悠久的建筑盛载着回忆,沉淀出韵味,文化馆的砖瓦亦如是,长方型金字斜顶的楼房是此地最好的历史见证:典雅红砖墙采用传统的英式砌法,屋顶则是中式的双层瓦顶设计,中西合璧的设计记下香港的一段殖民地历史。不过当时令我困惑的是为何上、中区的双层小屋的墙身都是白色的? 原来小屋上的白色油漆是当年医院为防潮而漆上的,要把油漆抹去既花工夫又耗时,因此把上、中区的白墙保留下来。其实白墙灰瓦颇有小桥流水的古镇风味。我个人很喜欢这里的白色墙身,而且树木繁多,当光线打在叶子而散落在墙上时,给予人很纯洁的感觉,一深一浅,容易令人明白。偶尔去想,是什么东西令我们把事情弄得复习化,还是,要重新认识及学习“简单”这两个字 。 我漫步中区时望着天,望着眼前的绿荫,再看到夹在红砖小屋之间的荷花池,水面上的倒影解释了一切,是一潭诗情画意。在这个自然清幽的环境底下最好就是饮茶赏花;文化馆的范围内种有过千棵的树木,当中有宫粉羊蹄甲、鸡蛋花、细叶榕,亦有芒果、杨桃、柚子等果树,在鸟语花香下泡壶茶非常写意。 文化馆环境带来的是文化气息,文化的深度则取决于展馆的内涵。下区的展馆除了介绍香港历史、展馆由来,更有饶宗颐的作品坐镇。这些作品均是饶饶宗颐生前到访展馆后亲自拣选的,能一睹国学大师的作品的机会难得。除了常设的展览,展馆中、下区亦不时举办不同主题的展览与活动,使市民大众能透过这个平台,得以传承和体验中华传统文化以及香港文化。 Professor Jao Tsung-I passed away in February 2018 at the old age of 101. The death of Professor Jao is a great loss to academia and the Chinese community around the world. Revered as one of the most erudite sinologists of our era, the centenarian has left behind a lifetime of influence in a wide range of academic and artistic fields. His remarkable achievements in academia and arts and his contributions towards promoting traditional Chinese culture have won my deepest respect.
What set the versatile scholar apart from others is the fact that he had received no formal university education. Driven by a quest for knowledge, a younger Jao immersed himself in books of different kinds. He began with the study of the county records of his hometown, before widening to archaeology, literature, opera, ceramics and so on. His advice on learning was simple and yet practical. It was important to pursue a wide range of interests without any limits from the start. By making a modest start, one could move on to other relevant fields; make connections and develop insights. Professor Jao’s success was guided by his motto – seek the truth, seek the standard and seek the justness. Sadly, such principles may not resonate with Chinese souls today, who tend to care more about instant fame and success rather than holistic knowledge and commitment. Amid growing distortion in values and behaviour nowadays, the renaissance of legitimate traditional values and morals is just as important. His words of wisdom are food for thought for our generation and those to come. 饶宗颐嘅国学,好遗憾地其实离现代人越来越远。一路离开文化馆,我心入面谂,今时今日谈文化,似乎只有饮食文化、旅游文化、衣着文化、声色犬马。。。但真正喜欢文字嘅人不知有几个。时下嘅文字运用已经越来越泛滥住虚张声势与歌功颂德,无论系充满创造性嘅繁体字、或者曾经高尚优美嘅汉学,相信好快就会同我哋嘅下一代成为陌路人。
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
|