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“Inheriting the Legacy of Xuantang: Global Chinese High School Students’ Rhythmic Response and Poetry Competition Honoring JaoTsung-i” Awards Ceremony

The awards ceremony of “Inheriting the Legacy of Xuantang: Global Chinese High School Students’ Rhythmic Response and Poetry Competition Honoring Jao Tsung-i” was grandly held at Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) on 18 November, 2025. The competition was jointly organized by BNBU, the Jao Tsung-I Foundation of The University of Hong Kong, the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole Fan Club at The University of Hong Kong. Co-organizers include the Simon Suen Foundation, the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce, the Guangzhou Jao Tsung-I Academic and Art Academy, and the Jao Link.

The distinguished guests and presiding officials attending the awards ceremony included Ms. Angeline Yiu, Dr. Tang Wai Hung, Mr. Alberto Lei and Mr. Barry Lam from the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole Fan Club; Dr. John Yiu, Deputy Director of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole, The University of Hong Kong; as well as members of the Jury Panel and the Supervisory Committee of the Competition, including Professor Cheng Zhangcan, Mr. Yong Ping, Professor Dung Chau Hung, Dr. Meng Fei, Mr. Chan Yin Fung, Ivan, Mr. Zhang Zixuan, among others.

At the awards ceremony, Professor Chen Zhi, President of BNBU and concurrently Director of the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology at Hong Kong Baptist University, remarked that the competition, bearing the name of Professor Jao Tsung-i, aims to establish a spiritual exemplar for young people, encouraging students to advance concurrently in both their scholarly ethos and character development. He emphasized that the event transcends a mere display of poetic talent; it represents a cultural "enlightenment" and "bridge-building" initiative through university-secondary school collaboration, intended to cultivate more young scholars with a profound humanistic foundation and cultural confidence.

For this competition, participants were required to select one or two sets from the following four prompts based on Professor Jao Tsung-i's poems or Ci: "Gazing at the Sea," "To a Friend Who Plays the Qin in Hong Kong," "Huanxisha (No. 10): Tender Willows Burst Forth, the Rising Sun Shines Upon Them, Casting a Golden Hue, They Line the Road, Lovingly Pitiable," and "Huanxisha (No. 1): Late Spring." Their task was to emulate the rhythm and format of Professor Jao's poetry and compose original works adhering to specific rhyme schemes. The competition has received 286 submissions from high school students both domestically and internationally, with 44 outstanding entries ultimately selected as finalists. The High School Park of Shenzhen Experimental School and Pui Ching Middle School Macau were honored with the "Poetic Campus Award" in recognition of their high volume of participating students and the exceptional quality of the works submitted.

Professor Dung Chau Hung, Chairman of the competition's Judging Committee, noted that a defining characteristic of the entries was their "thematic closeness to everyday life." Many students drew inspiration from personal daily experiences, skillfully blending these with the artistic conception and metrical patterns of classical poetry. This approach resulted in a refreshingly sincere creative style, demonstrating the unique understanding that the new generation holds toward traditional culture.