CityU dormitory wall painting activity relieves "anti-epidemic fatigue" with art

The City University of Hong Kong Student Dormitory Office held a wall painting workshop for the dormitory students on June 26, revitalizing the old walls of the dormitory to record the latest development of the university and local iconic attractions, and at the same time, through artistic creation to relieve the "anti-epidemic fatigue" for the dormitory students.

For dormitories, this is the first joint dormitory activity after the fifth wave of the epidemic. After a long period of isolation and strict social distancing restrictions, this "oil wall holiday" is definitely not easy to come by, and it can reunite the strength of each dormitory. , and also leave precious memories for the short-lived university dormitory life.

Photography: Zheng Zifeng

A heavy rain fell in the early hours of the event day, which made the staff very nervous.

After the fifth wave of the epidemic, it was rare to finally be able to gather all the residents and the dormitory to have fun together, but the event was postponed twice due to consecutive heavy rains.

Everyone said, "Don't reschedule!" Fortunately, the weather was clear after the rain, and the caps, towels, and cool gels that were prepared in the morning were all very useful.

On the day of the event, in addition to local and non-local dormitories, CityU Vice-President (Student Affairs) Professor Chan Hanfu, who planned the event, and many housekeepers also attended the event with their families to enjoy the wall painting.

Showcasing Hong Kong's beautiful sights and encouraging students to explore Hong Kong through sports

CityU's murals showcase many landmarks in Hong Kong and announce a series of activities prepared by the student dormitory for the next academic year, so that the new students can enjoy a colorful dormitory life.

Under the scorching sun, a group of participants, under the guidance of wall painting artist Wang Litong, painted one of the murals in the comprehensive auditorium of the City University Dormitory, Dakang Road, Kowloon Tong.

Professor Chen pointed out that the themes of the murals this time are very thoughtful, "On the left is a new farm for the City Jockey Club's School of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, and a new dormitory under construction in Baishi, Ma On Shan. On the right is a collection of Beacon Hill, Lion Rock, Anaconda Point and the main landmarks next to Victoria Harbour. The other picture on the opposite side depicts the beautiful beaches of Hong Kong, the world-famous Geopark and Ap Chau and other important local scenery. I hope that on the one hand, it can be used in the dormitory. The added color of the eye position also allows the new non-local students to get to know Hong Kong culture and landmarks more quickly, and also encourages the residents to do more exercise and explore Hong Kong through hiking and cycling.”

CityU’s Vice-President (Student Affairs), Prof. Chan Hon-fu (right), Dean of Students Prof. Chung Shu-hung (middle), and Director of Student Dormitory Office Dr. Lin Jian (left) painted the murals in the dormitory together.

"Students are already under great pressure from their daily studies and exams. Many extracurricular activities have been suspended due to the epidemic, and they have lost the opportunity to relieve pressure." Coupled with policies such as isolation measures, mask orders and restrictions on gatherings, Professor Chen said that in the past two years The number of cases of seeking help from the Student Affairs Office due to emotional problems has increased. "This long-awaited art activity is just to help students relieve their 'anti-epidemic fatigue'." In addition, the dormitory space at CityU has always been tight, and most students only have one year of accommodation. He hopes to leave precious memories for the residents who are about to leave the dormitory through this activity.

Under the explanation of wall painting artist Wang Litong, the participants learned about the precautions for making wall paintings.

Gather the strength of the dormitory to create collective creations to relieve the depression of the epidemic

In the CityU dormitory, more than 100 people have been diagnosed with the virus, and some dormitories need to be isolated.

Vivian, a dormitory tutor who is now a second-year doctoral student, admits that she has received many requests for help from dormitory students. Quarantine?” You know, they are going through the most active stage of their lives.” Vivian had to talk to the quarantined residents on the phone frequently, explain the reasons for the epidemic prevention policy, and try to unravel them to learn positive thinking.

Vivian missed the experience of the dormitory during her undergraduate and study period. The dormitory life in the past two years was also "not as expected". Most of the planned rich activities, dinner parties and joint dormitory competitions were cancelled due to the epidemic.

However, she believes that life is made up of all kinds of unexpected things, and she is fortunate to be able to help her younger brothers and sisters with her life experience.

As a sociolinguistic scholar, she believes in the power of language and the relaxation of the mind and body through artistic creation.

The wall painting not only relieved the feeling of being trapped under the epidemic, but also met the expectations of the residents for the joint dormitory activities.

Ye Yiyu (Vivian), a second-year doctoral student and dormitory tutor, believes that younger brothers and sisters can relieve their anxiety about epidemic prevention through artistic creation.

Reshape the wonderful life of the dormitory and find pure happiness

"When I was studying in France, I often saw street art in Lyon, but today I can actually participate in it." Vivian admitted that he has also been looking forward to the event for a long time. It is rare that the school has arranged a whole wall for them to be creative.

Although the layout of the murals has been decided, participants can choose their favorite colors to paint the two sides of the Victoria Harbour.

Vivian and most of the participants used colorful colors. "Although monotone (monotone painting) is popular nowadays, Hong Kong should be full of colors." The three wall painting workshops that day were fully booked, and the participants found their childhood graffiti At the same time of being happy, they also worked together to complete the revitalization of the old walls of the dormitory.

All the wall painting workshops were full on the day of the event, and the participants enjoyed the graffiti very much.

Professor Chen said that the painting also foretells a series of activities prepared by the dormitory for the next school year, including dolphin conservation and research work in collaboration with the CityU Marine Animal Imaging and Anatomy Research Group, an in-depth tour to explore places such as Ap Chau and the Global Geopark, and a pen holder. Mountain and Lion Rock hiking tours, Tai Wai cycling tours, etc., in order to allow the new boarding students to enjoy the colorful dormitory life and explore the other side of Hong Kong's concrete forest together.

Click the link below to learn more about CityU dormitory life: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/sro/

(Information provided by customer)