Cindy Ho, a granddaughter of Wang Jingwei, invited Gabriel Chai, a director of Society of Hong Kong History, to appreciate with the audience a collection of precious manuscripts written in prison by figures associated with Wang Jingwei’s government, including Long Yusheng, Chen Bijun, Zhou Zuoren, Chen Gongbo, and Jiang Kanghu. These manuscripts were given to Wang Jingwei’s son-in-law Ho Mang Hang when he was released from prison in March 1948 and have been treasured for nearly 80 years, now collected in Prison Writings by Members of the Wang Jingwei Regime. During the conversation, Chai pointed out that these documents not only have literary value but are also important historical testimonies. The most touching among them are poems collectively created by fellow inmates in the spring of 1948 when Ho Mang Hang was about to be released. Seven scholars collaborated on a farewell poem on a single sheet, expressing their blessings and expectations for Ho. These poems not only reflect the deep friendship among the political prisoners at that time but also demonstrate their literary accomplishments:
I think these works are very special. Literature and history are inseparable. From a literary perspective, they are indeed poems that reveal why they wrote them, and they are worthy of study as calligraphy. As for their historical value, these were written by important historical figures expressing their feelings about the past and events that occurred in history, making them even more worthy of research.GABRIEL CHAI