The moon is always round – synergising arts and science
by Wood Summer
The moon is always round is the title of the late Prof Leong Weng Kee’s book and poem in Chinese (in Hanyu Pinyin, it is “Yue Zhang Yuan”). It showed his giftedness in synergising arts and science. The moon is there even though we cannot see it because the earth is blocking the light of the sun. When it is a full moon in fact we only see the half that is facing the earth. Since many thousands of years in both East and West civilisations, the moon has been a favourite object of many artists’ paintings, poetries, oracles, lyrics, sculptures, handicrafts, etc. The moon as earth’s only natural satellite has been a subject in the science curriculum for many hundreds of years.
Today, people study the moon using telescopes and space crafts. For example, NASA’s robotic spacecraft, the Luna Reconnaissance Orbiter, has been circling the moon and sending back measurements since 2009. On 2019 January 3, China’s robotic spacecraft Chang’e 4 made a soft landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin area of the moon. It is the first spacecraft in history to attempt or achieve a landing on this unexplored area, which is not visible from earth.
Prof Leong was a soft-speaking humble Confucian man. In Howard Gardner’s theory of eight multiple intelligences, he would have scored very high in linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence. He also would have scored high in spatial intelligence, bodily kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence and naturalistic intelligence. In addition to being a beloved uncle to his nephews and nieces in his extended family, Prof Leong was also a patient and respectful befriender of his senior colleagues such as Liu Tien Zhong, a pioneer in civic education (in Chinese language) in Singapore. About two decades ago, Prof Leong informed me that the 80-year-old lonely single senior Liu had become blind and also had difficulty in walking. As the chairperson of SAGE (Singapore Action Group of Elders) Counselling Centre, I referred Liu to a senior social worker called Winnie Phoon so she could help him with community resources. Moreover, in the 1990s and 2000s, Prof Leong often conducted free classes of Chinese calligraphy and painting at the SAGE elders’ village at Toa Payoh West.
Prof Leong obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in
mathematics and honorary degree in Chinese at the Malaya University (Singapore)
in 1960 and 1961 respectively. In 1965, he was conferred a Master of Arts degree
by the Hong Kong University, sponsored by the Singapore Ministry of Education
scholarship for postgraduate studies. Two years later, he obtained the Taiwan
National University doctoral degree in arts. In the past six decades, his
academic appointments included the Singapore Teachers’ Training College’s maths
department’s acting head, Chinese studies’ department head, Institute of
Education’s head in Chinese, National Institute of Education’s head in Asia
languages, supervisor and examiner of doctoral degree students and Nanyang
Technological University’s associate professor.
Prof Leong was a grand master in Chinese calligraphy and painting, a well-known researcher of Song poetry, and an author-cum-publisher of two books on his poems and paintings. He was invited to perform Chinese calligraphy and painting in numerous exhibitions and held solo exhibitions at Hong Kong University’s Feng Ping Shan Art Museum, Singapore Nanyang Technological University’s art museum and Huaqiao University’s Du Siduan Museum in Xiamen, Fujian, China. He was also the honorary president of the Chinese Art Collectors Association and an ardent supporter of the Chinese Theatre Circle which was co-founded by Wong Sze Ying and his wife, Joanna Wong Quee Heng in 1981. It has been promoting the art of Chinese opera, dance and music in Singapore and beyond. It has staged more than 2,000 performances in Singapore as well as 23 countries and territories.
On March 30, 2022, 89-year-old Prof Leong left this earthly world for his rest in lasting peace, after several months’ battling multiple medical challenges. At his wake, the condolence messages board showed that he was a highly respected teacher. Over six decades as an academic, he would have more than 3,000 students. In his retirement, he had numerous Chinese calligraphy and painting students including some retired teachers from Nan Hua Primary School. His long-time bosom friend, Professor Cho-Yee To, sent a couplet in Chinese to accord him the title of “Great grand master” who is a brilliant scholar.
I was deeply impressed by the sincere respect and care that Prof To and Prof Leong demonstrated when they visited Dr Lau Wai Har and her sister Wai Ping. Prof To is a professor emeritus of University of Michigan, US and a researcher professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I helped them arrange such visits in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Before the COVID-19 restrictions, September 9, 2019 was a special date for the catch-up meeting of Prof To with his favourite master’s degree student Seah Jaik Choo. It was also the very last time I saw Prof Leong.
The poem I wrote below was inspired by Prof Leong’s book “The moon is always round”.
The moon
is always round, palm trees are forever green
The Moon is always round, palm trees are forever green.
Rain or shine, sad
or mad, they are there to keep me cool and calm.
Flowers bloom
and droop, rivers web and err.
Time is bad or
good, clocks carry on ticking;
Life goes on whether it’s poor or rich, sweet or bitter.
Viruses are around though we can’t see them,
Remember to
mask up, wash hands,
get vaccinated,
tested for Covid-19,
Let’s propose a toast to frontline workers – nurses,
doctors, swabbers, lab researchers and support staff.
On August 1, 2022, which was nurses’ day in
Singapore, Minister Ong Ye Kung (Minister of Health of Singapore since 2021)
said: “Today is nurses’ day. In many countries this is celebrated on May 12,
the birthday of Florence Nightingale. In Singapore, it is celebrated on August
1, to mark the beginning of the development of nursing 137 years ago. Over the
past week, hospitals have been holding events to recognise the immense
contributions of our nurses. As I have told a few groups of nurses – NURSE
stands for ‘Nurses, u r so extraordinary!’ We cheer and clap for nurses and all
their colleagues.”
For more information on Prof Leong Weng Kee, please see 梁荣基 https://5gsg.net
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Wood Summer
“Wood Summer” is the author’s
pen name in Chinese publications. It is translated from the first character of
her middle name “Hah” (a Cantonese pronunciation), which means a hardy
hackberry tree (Celtis sinensis) that is native to slopes in East Asia.
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