March 14, 2012

Every week the Chinese Civilisation Centre contributes an article to the Chinese language newspaper Wen Wei Po. The topics of the articles include Chinese culture, heritage, history, literature etc. Given the pro-PRC nature of the newspaper, the contents should not contain sensitive issues or anything provocative.

Some of the articles are written by teaching staff of the Centre who share their latest research results, but most are accounts of the lectures by visiting scholars. Take for instance the article of 26 February 2012, which is based on the lecture ‘Between Loyalty and Treachery: Yan Song and Emperor Jiajing’ (see online version  忠奸之間：嚴嵩與嘉靖皇帝) by Lee Cheuk-yin, Professor at the National University of Singapore. This is an interesting historical probe into whether the Grand Secretary Yan Song was as evil and cunning as he is usually depicted.

Another recent article which was published on 4 March is ‘Behind the Glamour: Cultural Significance of Qing-dynasty Imperial Dress’ (see online version 華彩的背後－清代宮廷服飾的文化內涵) based on a lecture by Yan Yong, Research Fellow at the Palace Museum. This is very informative about the robes of the emperor, and the rules on what he should wear on which occasion and why.

If you are interested in the newspaper, please visit: Wen Wei Po. For more background information on this and other media in Hong Kong, you may wish to read ch. 5 ‘Media Structure and Regime Change in Hong Kong’ by Chin-Chuan Lee, in The Challenge of Hong Kong’s Reintegration with China, edited by Ming K. Chan (Hong Kong University Press, 1997).

Written by: Audrey

October 20, 2011

Next week on Thursday 27 October 2011, Professor Zhou Zhenhe will deliver his fourth of seven seminars in the CCIV Research Seminar Series. It will be on ‘Manchuria, the Provinces and Bureau of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs: The Administrative Structure of Qing Dynasty Territorial Geography.’ 

An expert in historical geography, Zhou is Distinguished Senior Professor and PhD Supervisor at the Institute of Chinese Historical Geography, Fudan University. He has published extensively on administrative geography and among his many books are Administrative Geography of the Western Han, A History of Regional Administrative Systems in China, and Dialects and Chinese Culture.

Previously Professor Zhou held a talk on chapter 129 ‘Biographies of the Money-Makers’ from the Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, which Zhou started with the advice that if you ever experienced putting the Shiji aside because you found the beginning boring, you should start reading from the end instead.

As the title suggests, this chapter 129 is about the rich, how they increased their wealth by making the right moves at the right time. Sima Qian points out that: The desire for wealth does not need to be taught; it is an integral part of all human nature. Sima then gives examples of how some families acquired wealth, for instance by smelting iron which they sold at a profit.

The most informative, of course, from Professor Zhou’s perspectives are the detailed geographical and administrative data within the text. If you ever hesitated because history is not your cup of tea, this chapter is definitely worth a read: there’s an excellent English translation by Burton Watson entitled Records of the Grand Historian, Han Dynasty II.

Written by: Audrey

May 20, 2011

A new exhibition was launched yesterday at the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. Entitled ‘Cultural Relics of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’, the exhibition marks the 160th anniversary of the start of the uprising in 1851 and offers insights into the establishment of the Society of God Worshippers, the uprising in Jintian village and eventually the fall of the Kingdom in 1864.

According to the press release (see link), the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had a close relationship with Hong Kong, as the Assistant Director (Heritage and Museums) of Leisure and Cultural Services, Dr Louis Ng noted: ‘Hong Ren’gan, later the Shield King, stayed in Hong Kong for several years, where he learnt English from missionaries and got to understand Western culture and systems. He wrote ‘The New Essay on Economics and Politics,’ which considered forward-thinking reforms to tackle the political and social problems at the time in China.’

To learn more about this intriguing period in Chinese history, visit the Museum of Coastal Defence, which is open daily, except on Thursdays, from 10am to 5pm. More details are available on the Museum of Coastal Defence’s website.

Written by: Audrey

March 3, 2011

Two days ago the new exhibition Centenary of China’s 1911 Revolution at the Hong Kong Museum of History opened. Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang officiated at the opening and was allegedly attacked by a protester. Although the violence is unacceptable the discussion in the news probably helped promote the exhibition.

The exhibition which marks the centenary of the 1911 Revolution showcases exhibits, historical images, videos and maps to illustrate the event. As the announcement indicates the exhibition not only reflects important changes in China’s modern history but also highlights the contribution of Hong Kong to the revolution.

The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Hubei Provincial Museum. It runs from 2 March to 16 May 2011. For details on venue and opening hours, please visit the website of Hong Kong Museum of History.

Written by: Audrey

December 21, 2010

Today and tomorrow ‘The First International Symposium on Intellectual Thought and Scholarship in East Asia: Zhang Taiyan and Late Qing Chinese Scholarschip’ is held at the City University of Hong Kong. Speakers at the symposium will share their views on intellectual thought and scholarship in late imperial China, with a focus on Zhang Taiyan and his works in particular. Perhaps better known as Zhang Binglin (1868-1936), Zhang was a Chinese philologist, linguist, philosopher and anti-Manchu revolutionary.

As explained on the website (see link below), the discussion at the symposium will include issues such as how Chinese scholars encountered Western civilisation in the late Qing, the role of Japan in the East-West encounter in China, the influence of the May Fourth Movement on modernizing scholarship in China, and other relevant historical events. In this context, Zhang Binglin played an important role as ‘his works constitute a kind of comprehensive conglomeration of learning both modern and traditional, from East and West, encompassing both Late Qing China and Meiji-era Japan.’

The symposium is organized by the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong, and co-organizer is UTCP, The University of Tokyo Centre for Philosophy. More information about the speakers and the schedule can be found on the website (http://zhangtaiyan.ctl.cityu.edu.hk/ZTY_index.html).

Written by: Audrey