Hong Kong Metropolitan University has opened its Museum of Modern Chinese Literature, unveiling a rare collection of manuscripts, letters, and personal belongings of renowned writer Eileen Chang in its inaugural exhibition.
Located inside the Stanley Ho Library, the new museum begins its journey with “Beyond Distance: Half a Lifelong Friendship of Eileen Chang, Stephen Soong, and Mae Fong Soong.”
The show traces the four-decade bond between Chang and her close friends — literary critic Stephen Soong and his wife, Mae Fong Soong — a friendship forged in Hong Kong in 1952 and sustained across continents long after Chang emigrated to the United States.
To bring visitors closer to that era, the gallery recreates the Soong family living room, once a gathering place for writers and cultural figures. The space evokes the intimate setting where ideas were exchanged, manuscripts were refined, and the three friends shared quiet, defining moments.
The exhibition draws from an extraordinary donation of 17,000 items entrusted to the university by the executor of Chang’s estate.
Marking the 30th anniversary of her passing, 120 curated pieces are now on public view for the first time. Among them are Chang’s handwritten manuscripts, draft pages, keepsakes, and the original letters exchanged between her and the Soongs — correspondence that reveals how their friendship endured “beyond distance,” and how the couple became her most trusted literary partners.
The letters also shed light on their collaborative efforts in screenplay development and literary publishing, providing a rare look at the creative dialogue that influenced Chinese literature and the golden era of Hong Kong cinema.
New media installations and dynamic visual elements further explore how the trio’s artistic legacy continues to resonate, weaving together history, literature, and technology in a contemporary presentation.
The exhibition opens to the public on Friday. Visitors may reserve timeslots online.
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
