Coming Home to Ying Wa: A Joyful Reunion
Coming Home to Ying Wa: A Joyful Reunion
Julia Tsui (’71)
The Ying Wa Girls’ School 125th Anniversary was undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary events of 2025. For me, it was far more than a celebration of an educational institution’s illustrious legacy - it was a long-awaited homecoming. It felt like a loving call from my mother, Ying Wa.
The last time I stepped foot in the cherished halls of Ying Wa was in the summer of 1971. Over 50 years ago, I left beautiful Hong Kong and hadn’t returned to my alma mater since graduation. Though I carried these wonderful school memories in my heart all these years, the vivid details of my five years gradually faded. I had only a few snapshots of my classmates and activities in the student clubs. The absence has always hurt, and the sadness and longing lingered. Even more painful was eventually losing correspondence with most classmates and friends as we moved and immigrated across the world.
Then, unexpectedly, a message arrived last winter. A friend shared the news of an upcoming school anniversary celebration. Despite having just returned from a long overseas trip, there was no hesitation in my mind: I have to be there. With the help of three dear classmates, Sonja, Irene and Tina, I began a journey of rediscovery. Like the determined and hard-working student I once was at Ying Wa, I focused on finding whatever information I could, relearning names, matching faces in the few photos I had, and recalling long-lost details - as if I was preparing to sit for the HKCEE again!
The night before the gala celebration on March 29, excitement kept me awake. I was both eager - and a little nervous - to reunite with classmates I hadn’t seen in decades and the teachers who shaped our lives. That evening, I walked - well, ran - the 2.1 kilometers from my lodging to Hopewell Hotel, forgetting for a moment that I wasn’t a teenager anymore!
No words can truly capture how I felt - although I suspect every photo of me that evening showed a face beaming with uncontained joy. As I entered the hall and found my reserved table, a surge of emotion swept over me. It felt like an electric current - “I’m finally home with my family!” Within just minutes, we reintroduced ourselves and conversations flowed effortlessly. The bonds of sisterhood reawakened as if no time had passed.
When the ceremony began and we all joined in singing the school song, tears welled in my eyes. Memories of those five precious years came rushing back - the wooden desks with open tops, the blackboard we cleaned after each class, the science labs, the art and craft room, the library, and the basketball court. It was as if an old film was playing, filled with our quiet chuckles, loud laughter, silly jokes, and the shared anxiety over exams. All of it returned, carried by the melody of our school song.
The 125th anniversary celebration and gala dinner were absolutely beautiful. Yet for me, it was more than a joyous event - it was a miracle I never imagined I would experience again - to see these kind, familiar faces and to hear those recognizable voices. A soul, once uncertain and feeling a little lost, found herself embraced by a family that had never forgotten her. In fact, they have been looking for her too.
Ying Wa, my beloved mother, I am back! In truth, we never really parted. My heart has always remained with you, no matter where life has taken me. To be blessed with the gift of reconnecting with this cherished part of my life - I will treasure this memory forever.