2012 Forum of Carmo Hall--Academic and Expertise Series

 

Kung Man:He had earned his bachelor and master degrees in literature and awarded Doctor of Letters from the National Chung Cheng University of Taiwan and Nankai University of Tianjin city respectively. He is currently the Associate Research Coordinator of Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of University of Hong Kong and majors in studies on classic fiction and popular literature. Over the years, he had published several types of monographs and presented over 50 academic papers.

 

Mr. Sun, exceptionally revered as the “gifted scholar of Cangzhou city”, had learned with Li Jinxi, Liu Fu, Huang Kan, Yang Shuda and was a genuine practitioner in adopting the Qianjia school of study method in his pursuance of academic studies, which were focused on Chinese operas and fictions. With his works, namely “Bibliography of Chinese Popular Fictions”, and “An Annotated Bibliography of Chinese Operas and Fictions”, Sun had laid down the principles and provided methodologies applicable to the study of Chinese operas and fictions. He remained in Beijing with Mr. Chan Yuan-an during the Second Sino Japanese War and were mutually appreciative of each other’s academic attainment and strength of character. Amidst the struggle against the Japanese invasion, Mr. Sun made use of his academic works to uplift the morale of scholars, a commendable initiative adopting the aspiring spirit of Chinese intellectual from the distant past.  

 

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Guest speaker:
Cheng Wai Ming: received a PhD in literature from the Central University for Nationalities (Beijing) and is known by his pseudonym, “Weiming”. During 1990 to 2000, Cheng had worked as assistant professor in the Department of Chinese and Institute of Chinese Studies of University of Macau and was the first to be appointed as the assistant to the Dean of the Institute of Chinese Studies. Nowadays, he is the researcher officer of Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of University of Hong Kong and concurrently a visiting professor of Yunnan University and Shandong University. Cheng’s published academic works span across a dozen disciplines, like the “Collection of Discussions on the History of Taipa and Coloane” and had over 100 papers published in assorted academic journals.

     Western scholars used to refer the study of Chinese culture as “sinology” while Chinese scholars named it as “guoxue” (studies of the nation). As for Jao Tsung-I, he breaks away from the conceptual frames placed upon scopes, subjects and geographic boundary of studies laid down by sinology and “guoxue” and calls it as “huaxue” (knowledge of China), which are the studies of traditional Chinese culture. The study method applied by Professor Jao to his “huaxue” involves three main aspects: (i) keep watch for newly discovered research materials and develop new topics for studies, or, to re-invent new topics from old ones or deepen investigation into old topics of study, all these to be followed by continuous research subsequently. (ii) migration from “Triangular Corroboration Analysis Method” to “Pentagonal Corroboration Analysis Method” ── extend and create multi-dimensional space for application of corroborative methods and theories; (iii) accomplishment in both scholarship and art – be erudite in scholarly learning and art knowledge; to overcome misunderstandings and barriers.  

 

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Guest speaker:
Wong Kit Wah:He is currently the deputy research coordinator of Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of University of Hong Kong and had earned his Doctor of Law and Master of Buddhist Studies from the Minzu University of China in Beijing and the University of Hong Kong respectively. He is into Tibetan studies, Tagut studies, Dunhuang studies, Buddhist studies and had already presented many papers on Tibetology.

   Tibetology, also known as Tibetan studies, is the knowledge of Tibet derived from studies of Tibet itself, which lies along the southwest border of China, as well as the Tibetan tribes that scattered about in Qinhai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Tibetology is a discipline of broad and comprehensive studies which involves subjects of sociology and natural science, like linguistics, archaeology, history, geography, religion, literature, arts, painting, folk narrative/storytelling, astronomy, music and sculpture art. The talk is composed of two sessions, one that talks about the scope of studies mainly involved in Tibetology and another to elaborate the research development of Tibetology in the East and West, as it has become a prominent school of study worldwide.

 

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Guest speaker:
Hu Xiao Zhong: He earned his Doctor of History from the University of Shandong and is currently a research assistant of Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of University of Hong Kong. He is specialized in studies on local chronicles and “Magnum Opus Chronological History of China” (Zizhi Tongjian, a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography) and had already presented many theses on history of Buddhism and of Macao. Over the years, he had participated in different international academic conferences held in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and prominent universities of China.

    With the depiction of the history of Macao, it makes the local chronicles of Xiangshan all the more extraordinary as they provide sumptuous information of Macau, which is rarely mentioned in Chinese history. The “Eight Sceneries” and “Eight Scenery-inspired Poetry” contained in the local chronicles of Xiangshan during the Ming and Qing dynasty are a collection of interrelated essays and poems depicting scenic views found in Shiqi district, Xiaolan town, Qianshan district and Macao. They convey the nostalgic sentiments of the local country gentry and scholars towards their beloved Xiangshan besides giving readers a glimpse of the natural and cultural landscape of Xiangshan along its vicissitudes from dynasty to dynasty. The series of poems and writings are valuable and thought-feeding references for Macao’s ongoing cultural evolution and tourist industry.