7月1日北京舉行中國共產黨百年黨慶的盛大慶典後，7月3日至9日在香港灣仔會議展覽中心舉行為期7天的「百年偉業——慶祝中國共產黨成立100周年大型主題展覽」，標誌着香港特別行政區愛國主義教育新起點。這次展覽由中聯辦、特區政府主辦，紫荊文化集團及國家博物館聯合主辦。
香港愛國主義教育 不同形式全面展現
展覽內容分為兩個主要部分：第一部分介紹中國的歷史和中國共產黨的崛起及其近期成就；第二部分是「時代精神耀香江之百年中國科學家主題展覽」，主要介紹中國的科技成就和最新進展。 許多學校組織學生參觀了中國科學家主題展覽，許多市民和團體走進了描繪中國動盪歷史和中國共產黨崛起、壯大的展廳，包括展示當年在華南英勇抗擊日本侵略者的東江縱隊。
我們可以看到兩個展覽的幾項特點：首先，中國近現代歷史及最近的科學和經濟成就，不僅以描述性展板的形式呈現，而且以虛擬實境的方式呈現。展覽陳列了戰機、坦克和航空母艦的模型吸引年輕觀眾；二是動員愛國團體參觀展覽，據主辦方的報告說，為期7天的展覽吸引了62500名市民：三是展覽內容可以很容易地變成教科書和參考書的內容，正如一些愛國精英提倡的那樣，讓香港特別行政區的學生更加深入和全面了解中國歷史、中國共產黨的誕生和中華人民共和國的成就；第四，每天至少動員80名8至20歲的香港青少年軍擔任導賞員，為市民講解展覽內容。因此，展覽旨在教育香港年輕人了解中國、中國共產黨和中華人民共和國的歷史；第五，此次展覽的一大亮點是對晚清外敵入侵中國的詳細歷史記載及相關賠款的詳細紀錄，引來不少市民駐足拍照；六是全面描繪了中國共產黨的崛起，包括反覆播放毛澤東主席1949年10月1在天安門城樓上發表「中國人民站起來了」的講話。
未來西九文化區是否會有博物館會仿照這個大型展覽，仍有待觀察，但7天展覽所展現歷史細節的程度，客觀地說，是香港特別行政區成立以來前所未有、令人印象深刻。
愛自己的國家天經地義
最重要的是，舉辦展覽的同時，還有其他促進香港愛國主義教育的活動。
中學課程改革與愛國主義教育活動相伴而行，讓愛國主義精神深入到更多青少年的心中。 7月初，教育局頒布了兩份《「一國兩制」下的香港》教學簡報，內容涵蓋香港特別行政區政治制度和法治精神兩個重要方面。
7月10日，行政長官林鄭月娥出席愛國主義教育高峰論壇。她表示，國民教育過去被大肆「污名化」，「遺害甚深」，社會各界要「攜手合作，理直氣壯地在香港推行愛國主義教育，弘揚愛國主義精神，藉以糾正青少年的價值觀」。她補充說，「古今中外，愛自己的國家是天經地義的事，而背叛國家都被視為非常嚴重的罪行，是天理不容的」。 林鄭月娥指出，愛國主義教育可以更有系統地進行，因此，中國歷史科成為初中必修科，並已於2018學年在全港推行，讓學生有系統地學習國家的歷史，強化國民身分認同。
綜上所述，加上目前正在進行的課程改革，包括以公民與社會發展科取代原本的通識教育科、中國歷史科作為初中必修科，所有最近和正在進行的國民教育活動──從大型公開展覽到動員學生唱國歌，以及參加與中國歷史文化相關的問答比賽，都旨在促進本港的愛國主義教育。愛國主義教育的正式啟動，是2020年6月下旬《港區國安法》頒布後本港恢復穩定的顯著特徵。10年後，香港年輕人無疑會比他們的上一代更愛國。
The Beginning of Patriotic Education in Hong Kong
The seven-day exhibition of the centennial achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Hong Kong Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Center from July 3 to 9, immediately after the celebration of the CPC’s centennial anniversary in Beijing on July 1, has marked the beginning of patriotic education in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
The exhibition was co-organized by the Bauhinia Cultural Consortium and the National Museum of China with the collaboration from the Hong Kong Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Bauhinia Magazine and the Hong Kong Wen Wei Ta Kung Media Group.
The content of the exhibition was divided into two main parts: the first one covering the history of China and the rise of the CPC as well as its recent achievements; and the second one focusing on the scientific progress and achievements of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Many schools organized students to visit the exhibition on China’s scientific progress and achievements, while many individual citizens and groups went into the exhibition hall that depicted China’s turbulent history and the rise of the CPC, including the heroic Dongjiang guerillas that fought against the Japanese invaders in South China during the Second World War.
Several characteristics of the exhibition could be observed. First and foremost, the history of China and its recent scientific and economic achievements were depicted not only in the format of descriptive bulletin boards but also in the form of Virtual Reality. Models of airplanes, tanks and aircraft carriers were shown to attract the young audience. Second, patriotic groups were mobilized to visit the exhibition, leading to the report of the organizers that the seven-day exhibition attracted 62,500 citizens. Third, the content of the exhibition can be turned into textbook and references easily, as advocated by some patriotic elites, so that the school children in the HKSAR will be able to understand the history of China, the CPC’s rise and the PRC’s achievements in a more in-depth and comprehensive manner. Fourth, at least 80 Hong Kong scouts and the Hong Kong Army Cadets aged between eight to twenty were mobilized every day to act as tour guides and demonstrators, explaining to the visitors the content of the various bulletin boards. As such, the exhibition served the purpose of educating the young people of Hong Kong on the history of China, the CPC and the PRC. Fifth, an important highlight of the exhibition was a detailed historical account of foreign invasion into China during the Qing dynasty and all the related indemnities involved – a detailed account that attracted a lot of visitors to take photographs. Sixth, the rise of the CPC was depicted comprehensively, including the repeated television coverage of Chairman Mao Zedong’s remarks in Tiananmen rostrum that the Chinese people stood up on October 1, 1949.
It remains to be seen whether any museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District will perhaps imitate this large-scale exhibition in the future, but the extent of historical details as shown in the seven-day exhibition was, objectively speaking, unprecedented and impressive in the education history of the HKSAR.
Most importantly, the exhibition was accompanied by other activities to foster patriotic education in Hong Kong.
First, patriotic groups led by the Solidarity Force of Loving China and Protecting Hong Kong, together with some alumni of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, organized a series of national education activities on July 9 until the end of November. The activities include the mobilization of school children to sing the PRC national anthem, and to participate in the creative artwork and quizzes. It is expected that 600,000 school children will be mobilized to participate in these national education activities. The honorary chairman of the organizer, Yuan Mo, said that the education sector, the business, youth groups and patriotic organizations actively supported and participated in the “engineering” activities, which aimed at “promoting positivism, calling upon the young generation and recollecting Hong Kong’s momentum (Ta Kung Pao, July 10, 2021, p. A8).
Second, curriculum reform is accompanying the national education activities so that patriotism will be instilled into the psyche of more young people. In early July, the Education Bureau issued two teaching briefs on “Hong Kong under ‘one country, two systems.’” The teaching materials covered two important aspects: the HKSAR’s political system and the spirit of the rule of law.
In the curriculum concerning Hong Kong’s political system, six main points are emphasized. First, students must understand that the decision power of the HKSAR political system stems from the central government (Wen Wei Po, July 9, 2021, p. A7). Second, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR must be accountable to the central people’s government and the HKSAR in accordance with the Basic Law. Third, the HKSAR political system is characterized by its executive-led nature, the mutual checks and coordination between the executive and legislative branches, and judicial independence. Fourth, students must understand the duties and operation of the following leaders and institutions: the Chief Justice, the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary and their related government departments; the composition and the duties of the legislature; and the composition and duties of the judiciary. Fifth, students need to understand the principle and realization of “patriots governing Hong Kong,” the oath-taking of the Chief Executive and civil servants, and the National Security Law’s stipulation on “patriots governing Hong Kong.” Sixth, students should build up the value of loving and cherishing Hong Kong, respecting and protecting the HKSAR political system under “one country, two systems,” and recognizing their national identity.
Clearly, the emphasized features in the curriculum on Hong Kong’s political system, patriotic education and national identity are injected into the teaching pedagogy so that both teachers and students will understand their proper role in the society and politics of Hong Kong.
Regarding the curriculum on the spirit of the rule of law, five points are emphasized. First, students should understand the content of the rule of law and its spirit, including the respect of the authority of the law; the precondition of obeying the law; the support of judicial independence; and the upholding of the principles of equality before the law, fair trial, procedural due process, and the transparency and stability of law. Second, students should understand the important meaning of protecting the rule of law spirit, including the protection of human rights as an important element. Nevertheless, students have to understand that human rights are not without limits; one cannot affect the human rights of another person and one cannot affect social order and national security. If there are contradictions, individual freedom must be constrained by the law. Third, students need to realize that the protection of the rule of law is Hong Kong’s common value, thereby facilitating the establishment of good order, social stability and the foundation of Hong Kong’s society and China’s national development. Fourth, students should, through the court verdicts of the Court of Final Appeal, “correctly understand that whatever demands they request, any violent and illegal act must violate the spirit of the rule of law.” Fifth, students should understand that the judicial branches do not face any interference in its process of adjudication and that “the HKSAR enjoys independent judicial power and the power of final adjudication.”
Obviously, the revamped curriculum guide seeks to rectify the previously “distorted” societal interpretations over the meanings of the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong.
On July 10, Chief Executive Carrie Lam attended a high-level forum on patriotic education. She remarked that patriotic education was “stigmatized” in the past, and that “all societal sectors must implement patriotism education, promote the spirit of patriotism, and correct the values of the young people (www.hk01.com, July 10, 2021).” She added that loving the country is natural and necessary, while rebelling against the country is by no means acceptable. Lam pointed to the lack of systematic patriotic education in the HKSAR in the past, and she deplored the media distortion of the need for patriotic education. The Chief Executive also revealed that the Chinese history subject will become a compulsory subject in schools – a correct path away from the distorted development in the past when Chinese history was regarded only as an elective for senior secondary school children.
In conclusion, together with the ongoing curriculum reforms, including the replacement of the much criticized Liberal Studies subject with the Citizenship and Social Development Studies, and the requirement that Chinese History as a subject will be compulsory, all the recent and ongoing national education activities – ranging from large-scale exhibitions to the mobilization of students in singing the national anthem and attending quizzes related to Chinese history and culture – aim at reviving, reactivating and rejuvenating patriotic education in the HKSAR. The formal inception of patriotic education is the prominent feature of re-stabilizing Hong Kong after the promulgation of the national security law in late June 2020. A decade later, the young people of Hong Kong will undoubtedly become far more patriotic than their earlier generation.
原刊於澳門新聞通訊社（MNA）網站，本社獲作者授權轉載。
