Confucius, to many of Hong Kong's young people, is just a historical figure. Many people believe endorsement of Confucian values would help stem what they see as moral decay in the city. For that purpose followers of Confucius want an annual holiday to honor the sage. Tong Yun Kai, president of The Confucian Academy, would like to see a holiday set on Confucius' birthday - August 27th of the Lunar Calendar.

In view of what he calls a general weakness in the concept of morality in Hong Kong: increasingly distant moral relationships, confusing social values, the frequent occurrence of domestic violence and child abuse, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) lawmaker Chan Kam-lam proposed to designate the birthday of Confucius as "Confucius Day", to establish the esteemed sage as key figure in the intellectual and moral thinking of Hong Kong.

Chan sought to replace an Easter holiday with the birthday of Confucius, to maintain the maximum 17 general holidays. However, the motion failed to pass. Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing claimed that the society has yet to reach a consensus for designating Confucius's birthday as a public holiday. Apart from that, Tsang believes that promoting Confucianism and designating another holiday are different matters. The SAR government is inclined to promote social harmony without altering holidays, just like what the mainland has been doing, he said.

Tong sees the failure of the motion as partisan politics, "The motion was proposed by a DAB legislator; legislators from other political parties would not help pass the motion when they argue literally on every subject," Tong noted.

Hong Kong was a British colony for 99 years before the handover in 1997. Tong believes the British influence remains immense - and that Hong Kong people remain indifferent to the virtues of Confucianism.

Confucius has been regarded as one of the greatest thinkers in human history. However, during the tumultuous "cultural revolution" in the 1960s and '70s, Confucianism was banished as the pillar of feudalism.

"Every civilization has its own core value. England has the Protestant Anglican Church, Europe is guided by the Roman Catholic Church and so on. But what are the core values of China - a nation of 1.3 billion people?" Tong asked.

"Confucianism has been the core value of the Chinese nation, which emphasizes the moral imperative of virtue and harmony, since Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty accepted court scholar Dong Zhongshu's suggestion to take Confucianism as the sole spiritual compass of the nation," he added.

Designating a public holiday is never easy in Hong Kong. It may take years to reach a consensus. That will be followed by lengthy legislative procedures. It surely is a tough job for Tong, but he keeps his optimism to tackle the obstacles ahead.

"Rome was not built in a day. The Buddhist community fought for more than 20 years to make Buddha's birthday a public holiday in Hong Kong. We have suggested it for more than 10 years too and we are well prepared to fight a long war to make this proposal come true," Tong concluded.

(HK Edition 02/18/2010 page1)