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Local students have not only broadened their reading scope, but also have expressed their innovative thinking on modern China through participating in a creative writing competition with the theme ˇ§China Todayˇ¨. They did this by reading books, articles and news reports on Deng Xiao-ping, Yao Ming, Li Ning, the Beijing Olympic Games, the Sichuan earthquake, Shenzhou VII, the tainted milk scandal, wildlife conservation, modernisation and the development of Chinaˇ¦s cultural values and traditions.
The ˇ§4.23 World Book Day Creative Competition in 2009ˇ¨ with the theme ˇ§China Todayˇ¨, organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), celebrates "4.23 World Book Day" and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Peopleˇ¦s Republic of China.
Here are the thoughts of some students:
ˇ§Li Ning has risen above the rough sailings of his life with his smile. At rough times, this smile, deeply imprinted in my heart, will prod me to look into the future with tenacity and stand back up, not letting failure pulverise me.ˇ¨
ˇ§The Sichuan earthquake made many people feel sad. We understand that life is so vulnerable and natural disasters are very frightening. When we think of rebuilding, we must also think of rebuilding the broken hearts.ˇ¨
ˇ§Chinese tradition may seem to be an old topic for many of us but it is in fact the concentrated wisdom saved for us by our ancestors. We must learn to embrace them, learn them and practise them in our everyday lives.ˇ¨
Sports stars Yao Ming, Li Ning, Chinese leaders Deng Xiao-ping, President Hu Jin-tao and Dr Sun Yat-sen and film star Bruce Lee are the idols of many senior primary students. The students are impressed not just by their achievement and success, but also their dedication, optimism and courageous spirit in facing challenges and rising up from failures. Junior secondary students demonstrated their understanding of contemporary China by expressing their own opinions on current affairs, while senior secondary students expressed their analytical views and feelings on the preservation of values, culture and modernisation.
In support of World Book Day, the HKPL has, since 2004, organised diverse extension activities including seminars and competitions to encourage students to broaden their reading and develop diversified perspectives. ˇ§China Todayˇ¨ was chosen as the theme this year for students to gain a deeper understanding of modern China through reading and analysing selected Chinese issues from different angles.
Speaking today (April 18) at the prize presentation ceremony of the creative competition, the Assistant Director (Libraries and Development) of the LCSD, Mr Lee Yuk-man, pointed out that what made a piece of writing truly good and timeless was not its informative data but its insights.
ˇ§We (the HKPL) organised this World Book Day Creative Competition not only to promote extensive reading, but also to help students widen their horizons, engage in active thinking and map out a bright future through reading,ˇ¨ he said.
ˇ§From the entries, it can be seen that our students are keenly aware of current affairs, and from their skillful and persuasive accounts of Chinaˇ¦s developments today we find some most innovative ideas. They serve as good examples of creative writing,ˇ¨ he added.
About 1,300 entries from more than 200 schools were received. The competition consisted of four groups: collage works by junior primary students expressing their knowledge and sentiments towards China; reading reports on biographies of contemporary Chinese celebrities by senior primary students; comments on news reports on China by junior secondary students, and research essays on issues relating to modern China by senior secondary students. The latter three were further divided into Chinese and English categories.
Winning works from the competition will be on display at the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) from tomorrow (April 19) to April 25. A roving exhibition will also be held at 19 public libraries from May 4 to September 13. The winning entries will also be uploaded on HKPL's website.
To coincide with the celebration, the Shenzhen Library also organised a writing competition on "China Today" for its readers. To promote cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the award winning works of the competition in Shenzhen are now on display at the HKCL and selected winning works will also be displayed in the roving exhibition.
Readers borrowing library materials from the HKPL on April 23 (Thursday) will receive a souvenir on a first-come-first-served basis while stocks last.
A "Meet-the-Author" talk is also being held to herald World Book Day, during which the famous journalist-writer Qian Gang will share his experiences in writing and his reflections on life. The talk, at 2.30pm today at the HKCL, will be in Putonghua.
For programme enquiries, please visit the website www.hkpl.gov.hk or call 2928 4603 or 2921 2660.
Ends/Saturday, April 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 13:54
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