The school motto is "寅畏上主是為智之本", which is the translation of Proverbs 9:10 in classical Chinese. Its English translation is "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (KJV). ("Timor Domini Principium Sapientiae" in Latin can be found in graduation certificates of earlier days.) The fact that the motto is in Chinese is significant. While it was the fashion at the time to use Latin for such a purpose, the far-sighted founders of the school saw St. Paul's College as a hub to foster bilinguals and to bring together the cultures of the East and the West.