The Last Lecture: A Book for Future Reunions at the End of an Era

Chan Kin-man, Chan Cho-wai, Ying Fuk-tsang, Cheung Chan-fai
Four Hong Kong professors, thirty years of life confessions, about knowledge, education, life, beliefs, and love.
When an era comes to an end, at the moment of farewell, they write a book of reunion for the future…

In different eras, how do teachers deliver their "last lesson" before leaving their teaching positions?
How do these scattered fragments of thought penetrate layers of barriers to reunite with readers in the future?
Fleur de Chine Publishing curates "The Last Lesson" series; the first work includes records of lectures and essays by four Hong Kong professors—

A Farewell on the Eve of Trial | Chan Kin-man
On November 19, 2018, the "Occupy Nine" case began its trial; the following year, Chan Kin-man was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Just five days before the trial began, Chan Kin-man delivered his last lesson at the Chinese University, with over six hundred people attending. Having taught in the Department of Sociology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for many years and actively participated in the civil movement, Chan Kin-man's class was a farewell to everyone on the eve of his imprisonment, and a precious lesson of life influencing life.

The Last Lesson That Never Happened | Chan Cho-wai
In 2021, Chan Cho-wai, who had taught in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong for thirty years, went to Taiwan to serve as a visiting scholar at the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica, and resigned from HKU at the end of the year. Unable to bid a proper farewell to his students on campus, he wrote "The Last Lesson That Never Happened" from a foreign land, using words as his farewell.

"I'm on a lonely road again" | Ying Fuk-tsang
In November 2023, Professor Ying Fuk-tsang, former Dean of Chung Chi College Divinity School, Chinese University of Hong Kong, held a farewell lecture in the university auditorium, attended by over four hundred people. Ying Fuk-tsang lectured on the historical writing between "past" and "present," accompanying everyone in finding a steadfast path in a great era. At the end of the lecture, he sang "Who Understands a Prodigal Son's Heart," lyrics by Poon Yuen-leung for Dave Wong: "I hear that all ideals are unreachable / I'm on a lonely road again / Where will there be happiness, happiness..."

The Age of the Pandemic, Waving Goodbye Through the Lens | Cheung Chan-fai
In May 2022, Hong Kong had just experienced the fifth wave of the pandemic; at the same time, Cheung Chan-fai, who had taught in the Department of Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for many years, delivered his last online lecture before retirement, discussing the philosophy of death and old age. "As life continuously moves forward, its interior also cycles and reflects repeatedly. Therefore, whether it's teaching and learning itself, or the past and the various issues explored above, they are all timeless."

｜Profound Quotes｜

"The long road ahead is vast and dim, with streetlights flickering. The night is long, where is the guidance? I think in the darkness, one can only look at the stars." — Chan Kin-man

"I hope the university authorities can uphold the principles of 'independent spirit and free thought' (Chen Yin-ke's words) and 'tolerance and inclusiveness' (Cai Yuan-pei's words) in running the university. Otherwise, faculty, staff, and administrators will not have a sense of belonging to the university, and the university cannot continue to be a beautiful feast. In today's difficult environment, holding such hope may lead to deeper disappointment. But I firmly believe that only by adhering to this spirit in running the university can it demonstrate its integrity and value, and only then will there be a scene where 'new generations surpass the old.'" — Chan Cho-wai

"When we find ourselves in a great era and have to make choices within it, we feel various struggles and tensions. We are all in the present moment of history, unable to foresee the outcome when participating in history, and truly experience the unbearable lightness and heaviness in life." — Ying Fuk-tsang

"I have taught for decades, and still, I return to explore issues such as death, old age, and the meaning of life with everyone, combining the words of Confucius and Eliot. As life continuously moves forward, its interior also cycles and reflects repeatedly. Therefore, whether it's teaching and learning itself, or the past and the various issues explored above, they are all timeless." — Cheung Chan-fai