page_title: Ying Wa College
section_title: Early period (1818–1858)
hierarchical_section_title: Ying Wa College / History / Early period (1818–1858)
caption_attribution_description: English: Original caption: "Dr. Legge and his three Chinese students, from a painting by H. Room"
context_page_description: Ying Wa College is a direct subsidised boys' secondary school in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was established in Malacca in 1818 by the first Protestant missionary to China, Rev. Robert Morrison. In 1843, the college was moved to Hong Kong. Being the only school with over 200 years of history, it is the oldest school in Hong Kong.
  The College Deed, signed in 1821, stated that the objective of the school was the reciprocal cultivation of English and Chinese literature as well as the diffusion of Christianity. These aims remain today in the context of a very different world.
context_section_description: Apart from its work as a school, the college also trained evangelists and pastors. Amongst them, former student Rev. Hoh Fuk Tong (何福堂) was made pastor in 1846. He preached in Foshan and Canton to his fellow Chinese people. Liang Fa (also known as Leung Faat), who was a craftsman in the printing centre of the college, also heeded the call to preach Gospel. A printing press was set up within the school premises to publish translated Bible and other religious publications.
  In 1840, noted sinologist Rev. James Legge became headmaster. Two years later, Hong Kong was ceded to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. The London Missionary Society thus decided to move the college to Hong Kong in 1843. The school building was situated at the junction of Staunton Street and Aberdeen Street. At that time, Christian churches had not yet been officially established. Thus the college was used as a religious centre where Christians assembled to worship. Since the London Missionary Society deemed that the college should focus more on the training of evangelists after the relocation, The college was renamed The Theological Seminary of the London Missionary Society in China. When Legge returned to Britain in 1846, he brought with him three of his Chinese students. Legge and the students were received by Queen Victoria.
  Another important task of the College was printing the Bible and other religious publications with its own printing press. In 1853, the first Chinese newspaper, Chinese Serial, was published by the college's printing press.
  Legge held his headship until he was appointed by the Hong Kong Government in 1864 to help prepare for the opening of Queen's College. Due to the lack of a successor as well as political instability, the college ceased to operate at the end of 1856 and teaching ended in 1858. But the printing press continued its work until 1870 when it was sold to Wang Tao and Wong Shing.
caption: Legge and his three Chinese students
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