1.1 CulturalDiversity Notes
1.1 CulturalDiversity Notes
1. Chinese culture
◆ Hong Kong’s social culture is rooted in Chinese culture, and Chinese culture has
always been its mainstay.
Culture
◆ Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, law,
morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society. It can also refer to the way of life of an entire group of people.
◆ The nation creates the culture and the nation is also integrated by the culture.
Chinese culture
◆ Chinese culture has its origins in different regions and can be
traced back to the Neolithic period.
◆ The cultures of different regions have their own distinctive
Origin characteristics. Through long periods of cultural exchange,
pluralistic unity has been formed in Chinese culture.
◆ Examples: The Yangshao culture in the Yellow River Basin,
the Liangzhu culture in the Yangtze River Basin.
◆ Chinese culture has a long history. It is extensive and
profound, manifested in different fields.
◆ China is an ancient civilization in the world. Chinese culture
has never been interrupted and has continued to this day.
Characteristics ◆ Chinese culture is jointly created by the Chinese nation. China
has a vast territory. Due to factors such as geographical
environment, topography and climate, different regions have
developed their own unique local cultures on the basis of the
culture in common.
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◆ Chinese culture includes the diverse cultures of the various
regions of the country.
Diversity ◆ People of the same and different regions, cultures, races, and
religions within the country have similarities and differences
in their traditional customs and practices.
◆ The archaeological sites in Hong Kong are mainly distributed on Hong Kong
Island, in Tuen Mun, Lamma Island, Sai Kung and Lantau Island.
◆ The cultural features of Hong Kong are similar to those of other areas in South
China. A large number of Chinese-style historical buildings are preserved, all
with the architectural style of South China.
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Hong Kong as a Chinese-dominated society
• As a free port bounded by China, Hong Kong attracts foreign businessmen and
missionaries to move in, which increases the number of people of other
ethnicities living in Hong Kong.
• The population in Hong Kong is still dominated by Chinese, and Cantonese is
used as the main communication language, creating a social culture of Chinese
and foreign fusion with Chinese culture as the mainstay in Hong Kong.
Pearl
Fishing Salt Incense
Agriculture fishing
industry industry industry
industry
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館) in the Late Qing Dynasty, and a scholar on the Guimao Jinshi List (癸卯榜進士)
in the 29th year of Guangxu) and Dr. Au Dadian (the editor of the Hanlin Academy
(翰林院) in the late Qing Dynasty, and a scholar on the Guimao Jinshi List (癸卯榜
進士) in the 29th year of Guangxu) as Chinese lecturers, who were respectively
responsible for teaching History and Literature courses in the four-year traditional
Chinese curriculum. Dr. Lai was the teacher of History, who taught the history of the
Three Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty. Dr. Au was the teacher of Literature, who
taught Zhu Xi and other scholars' commentaries on the "Four Books" and "Five
Classics".
Post-war to present
◆ In 1950, the Korean War broke out. The United Nations imposed embargoes
on China. Hong Kong merchants and ship owners used different channels to
trade with the Mainland, taking opportunities for the development of Hong
Kong’s shipping industry.
◆ Hong Kong has always played the role of the country’s window to the outside
world, serving as a bridge for exchanges and contacts between China and the
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West. Mainland China supplies Hong Kong with water, food and raw materials
to support the stable development of Hong Kong society.
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Factors promoting the integration of Chinese culture and different cultures
2. Leadership of intellectuals
◆ When the political situation in China was turbulent, some intellectuals who were
well-educated in Chinese studies, such as Qian Mu and Jao Tsung-I, went south
to Hong Kong, set up schools, and promoted Chinese studies in Hong Kong.
◆ Chinese leaders, such as Sir Kai Ho and Samuel Robbins Brown, encouraged
local Chinese to learn advanced knowledge from the West and cultivated local
talents for China’s modernization. They played an active role in promoting the
integration of Chinese culture and different cultures in Hong Kong.
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◆ Local Chinese elites attached great importance to education which put equal
emphasis on that of the Chinese and the West, used both Chinese and English as
the medium of instruction.
◆ Education in Hong Kong has not only retained Chinese language, history and
philosophy education, but has also taught English, natural sciences and social
sciences, obtaining both Chinese and Western knowledge.
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sheet newspaper published daily. It was published for a total of 61 years before its
cessation of publication.
Commerciality Inclusiveness
Characteristics of
Hong Kong culture
Openness Diversity
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3. Education gradually internationalized
Language of instruction
◆ Both Chinese and English are official languages in Hong Kong.
◆ Since 1997, Hong Kong has implemented the “biliterate and trilingual”
language education policy, enhances students’ language ability and
consolidates Hong Kong’s status as a cultural exchange centre.
Chinese English
Cantonese is the mother tongue of English is an important language in the
most Hong Kong people and the business community and the legal
language commonly used in society. profession.
Putonghua gradually become a The Government implemented the “Native
common language used by Hong English Teachers” scheme to provide an
Kong people in their daily lives and authentic environment for students to learn
at work. English.
Higher education
◆ Internationalization is the goal pursued by many institutions in Hong Kong.
◆ Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions actively recruit world-class talents and have
a high proportion of overseas employees. Frequent academic seminars and
lectures help the academic community stay informed, understand the
development trend of international academia.
◆ Various tertiary institutions have overseas exchange programmes and regularly
hold exchange tours to provide students with overseas academic exchange
opportunities to broaden their horizons.
◆ The courses of many higher education institutions in Hong Kong are also
internationally accredited and students can use their qualifications to study
overseas.
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4. Rapid economic development
Cultural
Diversity Economic
devleopment
Discussion What impact does the integration of Chinese culture and foreign
cultures have on Hong Kong society?
Free answer. Any reasonable answer is acceptable. For example, the culture in Hong
Kong society is rooted in Chinese culture and has been exposed to exchanges with
Western culture for a long time, which contributes to the formation of the unique
Hong Kong culture. People from different backgrounds live in Hong Kong with
mutual tolerance and respect. Different ethnic groups and religions co-exist
harmoniously, forming a harmonious society.
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Topic 3 Characteristics of cultural diversity of the Hong Kong society
Learning Focus 2 Positive significance of the characteristics of cultural diversity to
the Hong Kong society
⚫ Hong Kong’s culture is based on the Chinese culture and influenced by different
cultures.
⚫ The blending of Chinese and foreign cultures, traditional and modern mixtures, has
contributed to Hong Kong’s reputation as a “culinary capital” and “tourist paradise”,
attracting foreign visitors and bringing business opportunities to the city.
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• Different religions coexist in Hong Kong, such as
Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Catholicism,
Religions
Christianity. Many religious festivals have been
declared Hong Kong public holidays. For
Cultural content
Cultural industry
• Many Hong Kong films, TV programmes and literature draw their themes from
Chineseculture.
• Costume designs incorporate foreign cultures to create new fashions.
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3. Reflecting the significance of cultural diversity to Hong Kong
◆ Cultural diversity fosters cultural exchange and promotes cultural development
and innovation.
◆ Hong Kong’s inclusive culture has fostered the development of its own culture
through clashes and exchanges with foreign cultures.
Cultural diversity
• Chinese culture
• Foreign cultures
Economic development
and social progress Cultural exchange
fosters promotes
Cultural development
and innovation
Ethnicity Language
◼ The population in Hong Kong is ◼ All ethnic minorities have their
dominated by Chinese own languages and scripts, and
Hong Kong population in 2016 have gradually mastered Chinese
and English.
8% ◼ Ethnic minorities can read and
write both Chinese and English,
92%
with a higher proportion of the
younger generation being able to
Chinese Other ethnicities
read and write Chinese.
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Supplementary information: ethnic minorities in Hong Kong
The ethnic minorities in Hong Kong mainly comprise Indonesians (153,299),
Filipinos (184,081), Whites (58,209), Indians (36,462), Pakistanis (18,094),
Nepalese (25,472), Japanese (9,976), Thai (10,215), other Asians (19,589) and
others (68,986). Among them, Filipinos and Indonesians make up the majority,
who mostly come to Hong Kong for work as foreign domestic helpers.
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◆ Some ethnic minorities encounter problems in language, education and
employment, making it difficult for them to integrate into society. Providing
comprehensive support to ethnic minorities so that they can enjoy equal
opportunities and integrate into the community is a concrete manifestation of
Hong Kong’s core values.
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Establishing relevant departments
◼ To promote racial harmony and equality, three relevant departments have been
set up under the Home Affairs Department (HAD).
The Committee on ◼ Proposing on promoting racial harmony, advising the
the Promotion of Government and community organizations and
Racial Harmony encouraging society actively to promote awareness of
(CPRH) the issues entailed
◼ Providing a channel of communication between the
Government and Hong Kong’s minority communities
The Ethnic
and the organizations dedicated to serving them,
Minorities Forum
keeping the Government informed of the concerns and
needs of the ethnic communities
◼ Rendering secretarial support to the CPRH and the
Ethnic Minorities Forum, and providing a range of
The Race Relations
support services, either by implementing its own
Unit
programmes or through sponsoring non-governmental
organizations
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◼ seekers find suitable full-time or part-time permanent jobs
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usually comes from negative news coverage, most Hong Kong people have
negative impressions on ethnic minorities.
➢ During the pandemic, South Asian ethnic minorities faced more discrimination
than usual.
Employment difficulties
➢ In Hong Kong, most jobs require employees to be highly proficient in Chinese
reading and writing. Yet, most ethnic minorities are not good at reading and
writing Chinese. Thus, their competitiveness is lower than that of the locals,
which causes serious unemployment among them.
Encouraging self-cultivation
◼ As citizens rooted in Chinese culture with a global perspective, we should
promote the fine traditions of Chinese culture, and explore the positioning of
Chinese culture in modern society.
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Core ideology
• emphasizing benevolence, love and people-oriented principles, abiding by
honesty and trust, upholding justice, promoting harmony and seeking
commonwealth
Traditional virtues
• improving oneself, respecting and enjoying work, helping the needy and
doing justice, and upholding filial piety
Other ideological and cultural content
• the approach to the world of seeking common ground and harmony while
reserving differences, the ideology of educating people through literature,
and the philosophy of living in harmony with frugality and self-control
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exchanges between China and foreign countries and to bring Chinese culture
to the world.
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