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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is greatly honoured to welcome renowned scholar from Peking University, Prof. YUAN Xingpei, as the Jao Tsung-I Visiting Professor this year. Professor Yuan will present a public lecture on ‘The Possibilities and Limits of a Genre Lyrical Pictures From the Ming’. It will be held at 4:30pm next Wednesday (23 March) at Cho Yiu Hall, University Administration Building, CUHK. Prof Yuan will take up the topic of shiyi hua (lyrical pictures) and introduce notable examples of the genre produced by ink painters and woodblock-print artists from the Ming era, hoping to arouse public interest in Professor the Honourable Jao Tsung-I’s prominent achievements in the field of art, and promote cross-disciplinary studies between literary history and history of painting in the academic field. The lecture will be conducted in Putonghua. Members of the public are welcome. For enquiries, please call 3943-1710. 

Prof. Yuan Xingpei serves as Professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Director of the Faculty of Humanities, Dean of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Culture, Director of the International Academy for China Studies, and Editor-in-chief of Studies in Sinology at Peking University. Professor Yuan has held the posts of President of Central Institute of Chinese Culture and History, Vice-Chairman of China Democratic League, as well as a member of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. He was also a member of the Eighth and Ninth National Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the Tenth Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. 

Professor Yuan’s major works include: Research on Chinese Poetical Art; General Introduction on Chinese Literature; Research on Tao Yuanming; Annotations of the Complete Works of Tao Yuanming; History of Chinese Literature (Volume on five dynasties, including the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui and Tang, and a volume on the Yuan Dynasty) (Chief Editor); Studies on Chinese Poetry (Co-authored); Reference Materials on History of Literature in Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties (Chief Editor); Self-selected Works of Yuan Xingpei, Contemporary Scholars Series; The Style and Characteristic of Tang Poetry; A Study on the Poetic Circles of High Tang (Co-authored); History of Chinese Literature (Chief Editor); The History of Chinese Civilization (Chief Editor); and A Cultural Survey of Chinese Provinces (Chief Editor). 

About the Jao Tsung-I Visiting Professorship Scheme 

Since its inception in 1963, CUHK has devoted itself to the modernization and promulgation of Chinese culture through studies in the humanities and social sciences.  Professor Jao Tsung-I is an advocate of sinology through his immense contribution in boosting the academic and cultural exchanges between China and the West. CUHK shares the same mission to inherit and promote Chinese culture. In 2013, CUHK set up the Visiting Professorship Scheme under the Institute of Chinese Studies and the University is truly honoured to have this Scheme named after Professor Jao Tsung-I.  Through this Scheme, a world-class scholar on Chinese cultural research is invited for academic research and scholarly exchange at the Institute of CUHK every year. It is hoped that the Jao Tsung-I Visiting Professor will be able to inspire the young generation and further promote Chinese culture. Professor Nils Göran David Malmqvist, leading Swedish sinologist, and Professor Léon Vandermeersch, renowned French sinologist, were named as Jao Tsung-I Visiting Professor in the past years.