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To commemorate our 5th anniversary, we’ve invited eminent international scholars to deliver lectures on topics related to “Dream of Red Chamber.” The subject matter has been designed primarily to cater to the interests of Malaysian classical literature enthusiasts, with focus on aesthetics, film and television adaptation, medicine, and family ethics. These lectures will be carried out in a hybrid format, providing the public with the opportunity to relish high-quality lectures alongside UM students.
Date: 15th May 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Speaker: Mr. Hsu Hsiu-Jung (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Le Jin Books Co.)
Recap:
On 17 May, 2023, we are honored to invite Professor Sun Weike from the Chinese National Academy of Arts to deliver a lecture titled “The Aesthetic Appraisal of Character Analysis in the ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’.” The characters in the “Dream of the Red Chamber” represents the beginning of a profound and captivating aesthetic world. Professor Sun assumes that it is a process of psychological identification, emotional resonance, and seeking common ideology while still preserving differences between the reader and the author when we read novels. In life, people often seek to satisfy their moral sense through moral evaluation. So, in what aesthetic context should we evaluate the characters in “Dream of the Red Chamber”?
According to Professor Sun, the characters in “Dream of the Red Chamber” are literary and aesthetic rather than moral. While art may promote morality, if it is over-exaggerated, it can lead to misunderstandings of art, misunderstandings of self, and ultimately, misleading the society. During the two-hour session, Professor Sun provided numerous examples of characters in “Dream of the Red Chamber”, and his intriguing and inspiring speech are greatly beneficial to the students.
Date: 29th May 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Speaker: Professor CHU, CHIA-WEN (Director of the International Research Center of the Dream of the Red Chamber at National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan. )
Recap:
On 24 May, 2023, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Chang Yuming, a lecturer at Guangxi Normal University, who delivered a lecture titled “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Preservation in the ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’- An analysis of Qin Keqing, Wang Xifeng, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai.” The characters in a novel, particularly in “Dream of Red Chamber,” serve as the essential elements driving the plot forward. While their description of symptoms can be noticed as the observation of emotional externalization that affected by the characters’ personalities. Dr. Chang’s interdisciplinary analysis of the four women’s appearances, personalities, and symptoms from a physiological perspective was an attempt to reconcile disciplinary barriers.
Through the approaches of traditional Chinese medicine and health preservation, Dr. Chang’s interpretation enriched the characters in the “Dream of Red Chamber,” providing a fresh perspective for us. The lecture was well-received by the audience, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Mr. Chang, was even present to answer related questions and share wellness tips to us.
Date: 5th June 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Speaker: Assoc. Prof HSIAO FENG-HSIEN (Head of the Department of Oriental Language and Literature, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan)
Recap:
On 31 May, 2023, we had the privilege of hosting a lecture by the young scholar, Mr. Pu Hang, titled “Exploring the Literary Characteristics of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ from the Perspective of Artistic Adaptation”. In recent years, the transformation of novels into visual media, particularly film and television, has become a prevailing trend, leading to a proliferation of adaptations. However, artistic adaptations of novels face a delicate balance. Staying too close to the original text may fail to bring out its unique qualities, while making radical changes to the plot can invite scrutiny and criticism from the audience. This dilemma not only serves as a litmus test for the adaptors' comprehension of the source material but also challenges their ability to navigate the inherent narrative tensions.
Mr Pu Hang astutely noted that contemporary adaptation methods are multifaceted, encompassing various formats, each with its own merits and shortcomings. Looking ahead, it is incumbent upon creators to leverage the strengths of these diverse adaptation approaches while addressing their limitations, ultimately enriching the landscape of artistic adaptations with exceptional works.
