Introduction
Date: 14th June 2025 (Saturday)
Time: 7:30-9:00pm
Venue: Rayson Huang Theatre, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
Guqin, or qin, is a Chinese instrument highly appreciated among scholars and literati. It is one of the “Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar” – namely the mastery of the qin, qi (chess), shu (calligraphy), and hua (painting) – whereby the qin holds the foremost position. For this event, two renowned guqin masters will showcase their individual, inherited guqin traditions. Mr. Yung Hak Chi carries on a family lineage of guqin studies; Dr. Tse Chun Yan learned his craft under the tutelage of Grandmaster Tsar Teh Yun. Both will discuss their artistic heritage and guqin playing styles and perform with silk strings. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, come listen to humanistic melodies and experience the beauty of traditional Chinese music.
Mr. Hammond Yung Hak Chi
The Yung family traces its roots to the Manchu people. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the family migrated to Panyu, Guangdong, and later relocated to Hong Kong in 1950. His learning of Guqin began with his great ancestor, Qingrui, and further his study under Li Chengyu in Zhejiang. This musical heritage has since been passed down through six generations over more than 200 years.
His style is known for its simplicity and depth. He performs over 30 works, including Stanzas of Siddham (釋談章), Clouds over the Rivers Xiao and Xiang (瀟湘水雲), Flourishing Orchid (猗蘭), and White Snow (白雪). After retirement in 2016, he has been dedicated to the research and teaching of qin.
Dr. Chun-Yan TSE
Dr. Tse is a Hong Kong-based guqin artist and Ph.D in ethnomusicology from CUHK. He studied music theory under Kwan Shing-Yau and guqin under Lau Chor-Wah and Tsar Teh-Yun. Active in composition, transcription, and promotion of qin culture.
He authored the Grade 6 exam piece Composition in Yifan Mode (雙乙反調) and published over 40 academic papers. His albums include The Oil-Lamp Flickered (一閃燈花墮) and Autumn Moon and Winter Frost (秋月清霜), and his books Exploring the Secluded (審律尋幽) and 72 Advanced Questions on Qin (古琴進階七十二問). He is Vice Chairman of the Deyin Qin Society and a guqin instructor and research associate at CUHK.
Event Recap
