Preserving Chinese heritage through exploring Korean culture: A review of the scholarly pursuits of southern-coming intellectuals in post-war Hong Kong

In the aftermath of World War II, Hong Kong emerged as a prominent refuge for Chinese intellectuals fleeing the political upheaval in mainland China. Notable scholars such as Jao Tsung-I (饒宗頤, 1917-2018), Lo Hsiang-lin (羅香林, 1906-1978), and Qian Mu (錢穆, 1895-1980) engaged deeply with Korean historical studies, perceiving Korea as a critical case for examining the dynamics of Chinese cultural transmission abroad. This article employs textual analysis of their contributions to Korean historical discourse to elucidate how these scholars conceptualized cultural inheritance within the distinctive colonial context of Hong Kong. Their investigations, which underscored the Korean adaptations and preservation of Chinese traditions, reflected their own concerns regarding cultural continuity amidst the challenges of modernity and Western influence. By situating their scholarship within the broader academic and cultural landscape of Hong Kong, this study highlights the importance of Korea-focused research in shaping the intellectual milieu of post-war Hong Kong. It posits that their contributions to Korean studies not only significantly advanced global Korean scholarship but also enriched the discourse surrounding modern Chinese intellectual and cultural history, particularly in relation to the preservation and transformation of cultural identity within diaspora contexts. Copyright © 2025 Korea University Institute for Sinographic Literatures and Philology.