Hong Kong mourned the loss of a number of major figures in 2018, marking the end of an era for some, but others say a new generation have much to learn from the departed
- Sinologist Jao Tsung-i, Nobel Physics laureate Charles Kao and writer Louis Cha were among those who died this year
- ‘Godfather of Hong Kong politics’ Chung Sze-yuen embodied a frankness and independence that was melded with pragmatism in the pre-handover era
In 2018, Hong Kong lost more than a dozen luminaries from politics, academia and culture who embodied the values of grit, passion and intellectual clarity so badly needed today in the city, say observers remembering those who died this year.
“Gone are the times that cultivated traditional and encyclopaedic intellectuals like Jao Tsung-i and Jin Yong. Also gone is the vibrant and complicated ‘big era of politics’ when elites like Chung Sze-yuen became leaders,” said Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of semi-official think tank The Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies.
“The past is the past. Each era has its problems and challenges. Their academic and political commitment, their passion and constant efforts to realise their beliefs, should serve as an example to us,” Lau added.
February 10 marked the death of renowned sinologist Jao Tsung-I at the age of 100, a passing that moved 11 current and former state leaders of China to express condolences, along with thousands more from academia and the general public.
Their academic and political commitment, their passion and constant efforts to realise their beliefs, should serve as an example to us
