香港中文大学(深圳)举行高桌晚宴

    Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    A traditional English-style High Table Dinner was held at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen last Thursday in Longgang District, offering a chance for the students and professors to communicate in English in a solemn environment.

    All students and teachers from the Science & Engineering School and the Graduate School attended the feast, wearing formal academic gowns, at the university’s great hall.

    “The High Table Dinner is an English tradition and is a great opportunity for us to experience authentic Western culture and to interact with others under this circumstance,” said Ye Xiaoxing, one of the students from the university.

    Ye said the dinner prepared him to interact with scholars and researchers in full English. “Even though I felt nervous at the beginning and did not know how to break the ice, after a few exchanges of opinions with the professors, I feel free to communicate with them now,” said Ye.

    Another student named Liu Yuhan said that he experienced an elegant way of living through the dinner. “We are taught to value social connections and Western etiquette while dining, which was also an experience of slowing down my life and finding peace at tense competitions,” said Liu.

    The university also invited a guest speaker, Lin Xiaofeng, to deliver a speech at the dinner. Lin is the president of the university’s alumni and is one of Hong Kong’s Top Ten Youths.

    Lin shared his childhood experiences and his life at The Chinese University of Hong Kong with the students and teachers at the dinner. Coming from a poor family, Lin’s childhood was not as smooth as many other kids. He gave up his piano dream because the family could not afford the expensive training fees.

    After entering the university, Lin worked hard to catch up with the others who had already learned how to use computers and coding. With constant and diligent efforts, Lin successfully finished his Ph.D. in engineering at the university and published an array of papers in various academic and science magazines.

    Lin encouraged the students attending the dinner to work harder and never give up their dreams. He hopes to commercialize his technology and inventions. He owns as many as 12 corporations in various fields.

    “Apart from the pleasant music and tasty pastries, what impressed me the most at the dinner was Lin’s inspiring speech,” said a student named Yan Zizheng. “In three months, Lin caught up with others who had learned coding for four years, which moved me the most.”

    All participants were required to communicate in English at the dinner. The High Table Dinner stems from Oxford University and Cambridge University in Britain. Participants are asked to dress formally and follow strict table manners. CUHK(SZ) has been following the tradition since its establishment.A traditional English-style High Table Dinner at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

    Ma Mingxia