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Friday, December 18, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Tianqiao Teahouse

The Tianqiao (Bridge of Heaven) area of Beijing was well known for its colorful nightlife as early as the Yuan Dynasty. In its theatres, teahouses and performing grounds, many famous artists, story tellers, magicians and other performers grew up and became famous, while playwrights and dialogue writers contributed to successful performances. It was where the people of Beijing, regardless of their means, could go and enjoy themselves to their hearts’ content. After forty years of inactivity, Tianqiao is being revived. The first step in this direction is the opening of the Tianqiao...
Wednesday, December 16, 1992 - 19:30

Avant Garde Neo-Realism in Contemporary Chinese Literature

Wang Meng, former Minister of Culture

We are very honored that the talented and prolific writer and former Minister of Culture, Mr. Wang Meng, has agreed to address BIS members. Wang Meng began his career as a writer in the early fifties. He has written many novels, short stories, and novelettes, many of which have won national prizes. Quite a number have been translated into various languages. Some of his earlier works created quite a controversy, resulting in has being dubbed a “Rightist” and being expelled from the Party in 1957. He did physical labor in Xinjiang, and after 1973, worked as a translator of the Uighur...
Tuesday, December 8, 1992 - 09:00

History of Porcelain, Part I: Han through Yuan Dynasties

Chinese History Museum

Tiananmen Square

Although the Chinese History Museum is closed for approximately two years for repairs, a special visit has been arranged for BIS members to learn more about proto-porcelain. An expert research curator from the museum will discuss the early porcelain-type ceramics from the Han Dynasty through the Yuan Dynasty, using carefully selected pieces from the museum's collection as illustrations.
Saturday, December 5, 1992 - 09:00

Art Show: Beijing's Hutongs

Weng Li, the author of the popular book, Beijing's Hutongs, published in Chinese earlier this year, will give a talk on the history and characteristics of the city's famous lanes. As a child he lived in six different hutongs and as a teenager he was already collecting historical information about hutongs. He is now working on a second book, a collection of historical and contemporary photographs of Beijing sites, to be published early next year. His lecture will be accompanied by an exhibition of watercolors of hutongs by Cheng Yuanan, a painter who specializes in Beijing scenes....
Friday, December 4, 1992 - 19:30

Beijing's Hutongs

Weng Li, Author

Weng Li, the author of the popular book, Beijing's Hutongs, published in Chinese earlier this year, will give a talk on the history and characteristics of the city's famous lanes. As a child he lived in six different hutongs and as a teenager he was already collecting historical information about hutongs. He is now working on a second book, a collection of historical and contemporary photographs of Beijing sites, to be published early next year. His lecture will be accompanied by an exhibition of watercolors of hutongs by Cheng Yuanan, a painter who specializes in Beijing scenes....
Thursday, November 19, 1992 - 19:30

Acupunture

Prof. Chen Xinnong, Beijing Acupuncture Hospital

Professor Chen Xinnong, renowned therapist at the Beijing Acupuncture Hospital will be delivering a lecture on acupuncture – the highly sophisticated system which is an integral part of Chinese medicine. Dr. Chen is well-known throughout the world for having made a major contribution in this extraordinary field and he recently attended an important conference in Oxford on this subject.
Tuesday, November 17, 1992 - 19:30

Law, Rights and Government

Jonathan Hecht, Program Officer for Rights and Governance,

Ford Foundation

Jonathan Hecht is the Program Officer for Rights and Governance with the Ford Foundation here in Beijing. Previously a practicing lawyer in New York, he has been living here since 1990. He has kindly agreed to talk to us about the role of foreigners in legal reform in China and about the contributions they can make in this area.
Thursday, November 12, 1992 - 19:30

Lecture and Film: Linjia Puzi (The Lin Family's Shop)

Zhang Shuihua, Director;

Qian Jiang, Cinematographer;

Zu Shaoxian, Art Director;

Xie Tian, Actor

We will have the opportunity to see one of the most successful films of the ‘50s and meet its director, Zhang Shuihua, as well as the cameraman, Qian Jiang; the art director, Zu Shaoxian; and the star, Xie Tian. The film's script was written by Xia Yan and is based on Mao Dun's novel Linjia Puzi which depicts the ups and downs of the Lin family in the early ‘30s. Before we view the film, Mr. Zhang will give us a short introduction to Chinese films of the 1950s.
Saturday, November 7, 1992 - 09:00

Visit: Rare Books Collection

Mr. Xu, Director, China National Library

The Chinese National Library founded in 1909 was since 1929 located in a building erected on the site of the Ming Imperial Opera, on Wenjin Jie next to Behai Park. The library moved again in 1987 to a new modern building in the western suburbs of Beijing and the old location, now called the “fenguan,” has since then been devoted to the famous rare books collection. Mr. Xu, the director, has kindly agreed to give us a talk about his treasures and will let us see some of them.
Friday, November 6, 1992 - 19:30

Film: Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China

We are very pleased to be able to show this fine film which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1981, and many other awards besides. The film shows the visit to China in 1979 by Issac Stern, the famous violinist. He spent a month travelling through China learning about this vast country and meeting the Chinese people “first as musicians and then as friends.” Maestro Li Delun who spoke to BIS last month is featured in the film.
Saturday, October 31, 1992 - 09:00

Outing: Three Imperial Gardens

The Chinese garden has been created over the centuries with the consummate skill of Chinese designers. With a limited amount of space they have succeeded in creating a seemingly limitless number of vistas that not only imitate nature in miniature, but also surpass it. An expert of the imperial gardens at the Gugong will give us a lecture about this art, its aesthetic conception, specific features and characteristics, and will lead us through Yuhua garden, Qianlong's garden and Ciming garden. These last two will be opened especially for us.
Saturday, October 17, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Lingguangsi, Dabeisi and Wofosi

These three temples are not only among the Beijing area's most beautiful scenic spots and particularly lovely places to visit in the autumn – they are also important places for Buddhists and people interested in Chinese Buddhism. Lingguangsi (Temple of Divine Light) and Dabeisi (Temple of Great Compassion) are two of the Eight Great Temples of the Western Hills (Badachu). Lingguangsi is especially important because it was here, in the large octagonal Liao dynasty pagoda, built in 963 A.D., that one of Buddha's teeth was found – one of only four which are said to have remained after...
Thursday, October 15, 1992 - 10:00

Visit: Chinese Traditional Medicine

College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine is the crystallization of long experience. It is still widely used in China today, showing its time-tested efficacy and vitality. A prominent professor at the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine will tell us about the natural materials and plants used to cure many illnesses – even ones considered incurable. He will take us around two exhibitions there: one of the development and history of this unique system, the other of the actual herbs, plants and animal parts which are used to cure disease and promote health.
Thursday, October 8, 1992 - 19:30

Film: Iron and Silk

We are happy to be able to show this popular film once again, members who saw it last May enjoyed it very much. Iron and Silk is based upon the autobiographical book by Mark Salzman. Shot in early 1989 in Hangzhou, it is a true and winning story of a young American in China, who is devoted to all things Chinese but is really betrothed to Wushu and to his iron-fisted Kung-Fu master. The lead role is effectively played by the author himself. Iron and silk shows clashes between Eastern and Western culture with warm, wry humor.
Tuesday, September 29, 1992 - 19:30

Relations between China and Europe

Dr. Han Suyin, Author

In the context of our East meets West – West meets East series, we are pleased and honored that Dr. Han Suyin will speak to us during her very short visit to China. Most of you will be familiar with her many works on recent Chinese history, her auto-biographical books, and her novels. Dr. Han, whose father was Chinese and mother Belgian, was born in China and educated at Yenching, Brussels and London universities. She was a practicing doctor until 1964. She wrote her first novel, Destination Chungking, in 1942, and her second, A Many Splendored Thing, in 1952. She...
Wednesday, September 23, 1992 - 19:30

Trends in China's Social Development

Dr. Gordon White, Professorial Fellow,

Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK

Dr. Gordon White is a Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in England. Over the years he has been involved, in collaboration with Chinese organizations, in several research projects in China, including a current one in Zhejiang Province. He has degrees from Oxford, Cornell and Stanford universities, has studied Chinese in Taiwan, and has done research in Hong Kong. Among his major research interests are politics and the state in Third World contexts, and comparative development strategies in Third World socialist countries with a...
Tuesday, September 15, 1992 - 19:30

Performance: Puppet Show

China Puppet Art Troupe

BIS is offering members something very special for the first event after the holidays: the China Puppet Art Troupe! Their program will include song, dance, fables and comic segments. Puppetry is a gem among traditional Chinese art forms and dates back more than 2000 years. It is said that in the Tang dynasty puppets were as lively as real people and could do things like play musical instruments and drink wine – nowadays, puppets in the hands of the China Puppet Artists can do even more! We anticipate a thoroughly entertaining evening for young and old.
Friday, June 26, 1992 - 19:30

Concert: Traditional Chinese Folk Music

For the last event of this season, BIS members and their friends are invited to the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador and Mrs. Van den Berg for an open-air concert. Four musicians of the Central Academy of Music and the National Music Ensemble of China will play on typical Chinese instruments such as the erhu, the guja and the xun – the oldest instrument of them all. We are all looking forward to this evening hosted by the popular Dutch couple before they move on and the BIS family is scattered to the four corners of the earth for the summer holidays.
Wednesday, June 17, 1992 - 19:30

Chinese New Year Paintings

Li Zhiqiang, Director, Yangliuqing Art Society

What are the historical roots of the so-familiar Chinese New Year paintings? What is their role in the Lunar New Year celebrations? What do all the symbols mean? How is their artistic value to be appreciated? Mr. Li Zhiqiang, director of the well-known Yangliuqing Art Society, will answer these and many more questions related to this Chinese folk art.
Saturday, June 13, 1992 - 09:00

Outing: The Jesuit Cemetery

Following the lecture in May about the Jesuits' mission to China in the 17th century, BIS is organizing a visit to the former “Catholic Cemetery” where noted missionaries were buried. The site was originally given to the Jesuits by Emperor Wanli in 1610 for the burial of Matteo Ricci. Later on other Jesuit missionaries were also buried there, among them the Dutch Adam Schaal, the Belgian Ferdinand Verbiest (Emperor Kangxi's astronomer), as well the Italian Joseph Castiglione (Emperor Qianlong's court painter). The original cemetery was destroyed in 1900 and has been restored by the...
Thursday, June 4, 1992 - 19:30

Cultivating and Exercising Daoist Qigong

Master Shi Hongli, Disciple of the late Abbot Liu Zhiwei,

White Cloud Monastery, Beijing

Master Shi Hongli, disciple of the late Abbot Liu Zhiwei of the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing, has been studying and practicing Qigong for the past twenty years. As well-versed in the theory as he is in the practice, he will explain how Daoist Cultivation can be integrated into everyday life.
Tuesday, May 26, 1992 - 19:30

Ancient Chinese Architecture: The Differences between East and West

Tao Zhongzheng, Author,

The History of Beijing City Architectural Development;

Member, Chinese Society of Professors of Architecture and City Planning

Professor Tao Zhongzheng, who spoke to us on April 9, will be with us again to provide the second portion of his talk. His focus this time will be on the development of city planning during the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han periods. Professor Tao is a member of the Chinese Society of Professors of Architecture and City Planning and is the author of many books, including The History of Beijing City Architectural Development.
Monday, May 18, 1992 - 19:30

The Jesuit Mission in 17th Century China: Our Changing Perspective

Dr. E. Zürcher, Sinologist,

Professor of Contemporary History,

University of Leiden, The Netherlands

Professor E. Zürcher, sinologist and professor of contemporary history of the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, has kindly agreed to give a lecture during his short visit to Beijing. The lecture will treat the subject of the seventeenth-century Jesuit mission in the light of recent developments in the studies pertaining to that period.
Saturday, May 16, 1992 - 19:30

Concert: Buddhist Music at Guang Hua Si

The Buddhist music group, with its headquarters at the Guang Hua Temple, will perform Buddhist music on special instruments. This “Temple of Great Religious Transformation” was built in the Yuan Dynasty and repaired in 1634 by a eunuch, Zhao Hua Qun. The concert will last for one-and-a-half hours and will be performed in the courtyard – hopefully, under the light of the full moon. Chairs will be available. You are invited to come at 6:45 pm in order to visit the temple and see an interesting display of paintings and old books. The concert will start at 7:30 pm sharp. Mr. Yu Qilong will...
Friday, May 15, 1992 - 19:30

Film: Iron and Silk

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Shirley Sun, Chinese-American film-maker and winner of the blue and red ribbon awards at the American Film Festival, will be in Beijing in May. She has kindly agreed to show to BIS her latest film, Iron and Silk, based upon the autobiographical book by Mark Salzman. The film, shot in early 1989 in Hangzhou, is a true and winning story of a young American in China, who is devoted to all things Chinese, but is really betrothed to Wushu and to his iron-fisted Kung-Fu master.
Thursday, May 14, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Central Academy of Arts and Design

Professor Chang Shana, Academy President

The Central Academy of Arts and Design, established in 1956, is a comprehensive center for teaching, design and research in the fields of ceramics, textiles and garments, graphic art, decorative art, environmental art and industrial design. Our group will be greeted by the academy's president, Professor Chang Shana, and our tour will include both exhibition rooms and classrooms. There may be an opportunity to purchase items after the tour. The Academy is willing to arrange small group instruction in Chinese painting, calligraphy, batik and ceramics, for those interested at a later date....
Wednesday, May 13, 1992 - 19:30

The History of Chinese Dance

Dai Ailian, Dancer, Choreographer and Director

Dai Ailian is China's most celebrated authority on dance. She is, or has been, a dancer, a choreographer, director, teacher, coach, notator, researcher and author. In her fifty-year career, she has been involved in ballet, modern dance and Chinese folk and classical dance. Born in Trinidad, she studied in the UK under several well-known dance teachers, then first came to China during the Sino-Japanese war. Since then, Dai Ailian has been intimately involved with the development of ballet and Chinese dance.
Monday, April 27, 1992 - 19:30

Forty Years of Modern Chinese Drama

Yu Shizhi

Su Min

Vice-directors, Beijing People's Art Theatre

A saying goes, “A drop of water can reflect the sea;” in like manner, the forty-year history of the Theater of Dramatic Arts in Beijing reflects the historical development of dramatic art in China, including its ups and downs, as well as the joys, sorrows and hopes of its artists. Famed actor, Mr. Yu Shizhi, and well-known stage director, Mr. Su Min, have kindly agreed to talk to us about all of these topics. We will also have the opportunity to meet some actors from this theater and, maybe, to enjoy a sampling of their artistic skill.
Thursday, April 23, 1992 - 19:30

Wildlife and Conservation in China Today

Maja Boyd

Maja Boyd of the Department of Zoology, Oxford University, has been working in China since 1984. On April 23, she will talk about the need for wildlife conservation in China as the needs of increasing population put pressure on natural habitats, and about the reintroduction into China of Père David's deer, for which she was responsible. These native deer died out in China years ago, but thanks to conservation and breeding efforts abroad, the species survived and a herd now lives in the Milu Nature Reserve, south of Beijing. This reserve is also the site of the Biodiversity...
Thursday, April 9, 1992 - 19:30

Ancient Chinese Architecture: The Differences between East and West

Professor Tao Zhongzheng

Member, Chinese Society of Professors of Architecture and City Planning

Professor Tao Zhongzheng is a member of the Chinese Society of Professors of Architecture and City Planning. In his lectures, he will discuss the different characteristics of Chinese architecture during the Tang, Liao and Song Dynasties. He will also tell us about the development of town planning during the earlier Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han periods. Professor Tao has written many books and articles on this subject, including The History of Beijing City Architectural Development. In addition, he is a member of the National Cultural Relics Bureau, Conservation and Restoration...
Thursday, April 2, 1992 - 19:30

What is Daoism (Taoism)

Dr. R.J. Zwi Werblowsky,

Professor of Comparative Religion

Professor R.J. Zwi Werblowsky from the Netherlands, is Professor of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. At the beginning of this year, Professor Werblowsky gave a series of lectures at the University of Manchester, England. He will be in Beijing for a short time attending a conference and has kindly agreed to give a lecture on Daoism. In May 1989, BIS members enjoyed a fascinating lecture by Professor Werblowsky on the Western perception of Chinese civilization from 1700 to 1900. His lecture, “What is Daoism,” will certainly be of great interest for many BIS members...
Wednesday, March 25, 1992 - 19:30

Ancient China's Relations with Central Asia and Europe, the Great Migrations

Yu Taishan, Researcher, Chinese History

Here is another lecture about how East meets West and West meets East, this time from the historian's point of view. Mr. Yu Taishan, a life-long researcher of the history of China's foreign relations, will discuss the very beginning of East-West relations. He will explain how Chinese scientists interpret their huge collection of historical documents about the peoples and ethnic groups which, from the 7th century BC to the 6th century AD, gradually migrated to Central Asia and Europe. He will focus on the five most important migration waves before the 6th century AD: the Sakas, the Great...
Saturday, March 14, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Newly Renovated Courtyard Houses at Ju 'er Lane

We will visit the housing project discussed by Professor Wu Liangyong on 10 March. All of the 46 apartments in the new building open onto four small courtyards. These are called “semi-quadrangles.” The apartments include a kitchen, bathroom and balcony, giving 12.4 square meters living space per person, as compared to 5.3 square meters formerly.
Tuesday, March 10, 1992 - 19:30

Slides from the 60's

Mieke van den Berg

Professor Wu Liangyong, of Qinghua University, will kindly tell us about the renovation project in the Dongcheng district, at Ju'er Lane, that he has been in charge of designing. He has described the construction of the new compound as, “putting a patch on the old but precious clothing of Beijing,” because “we cannot discard it simply because it is old. We should mend it with suitable patches.” Professor Wu is a noted architect who gave a lecture for the BIS in March 1987, when this project had not yet started.
Thursday, February 27, 1992 - 19:30

Architecture in China

He Hongyu, Architect;

Joseph Carter

He Hongyu is a Chinese architect whose doctoral thesis concerned the regeneration of old Beijing housing districts. She will talk about this and her work at the Beijing Municipal Housing Reform Office. Her husband, Joe Carter, is a Canadian architect who has lived in China since 1986. He will talk and show us slides on his work and experience here, as a teacher of architectural design at Tianjin University School of Architecture; as a housing researcher in Beijing; and as an architect with a Chinese design office, Zhong Jing Architects and Engineers. The talk will be held at the...
Monday, February 24, 1992 - 19:30

Costume in Ancient China

Prof. Wang Yarong, Institute of History,

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Professor Wang Yarong of the Institute of History at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is a specialist in the history of textiles, dyes, weaving, folk embroidery, clothes and fashion of ancient China. She has reproduced a full size costume from the Warring States period, using as models ones found in tombs of that period. This costume will probably go into a museum, so BIS members will have a rare opportunity to see it when she brings it along to illustrate her talk about Chinese costumes and textiles. We also hope she will bring some of the beautiful Ming and Qing embroideries she...
Saturday, February 22, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Yun Ju Si, Dwelling in the Clouds Temple

In the Sui Dynasty (589-618) the monk Jingwan started to carve the Buddhist text in stone. This work continued for more than 1000 years under the Tang, Liao, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties. Today we can see the complete inscriptions on 14,620 rocks and steles at the largest reserve of early Buddhist scriptures on stone in China – indeed in the whole world. It is unparalleled in several respects – the scale of the project, the length of time it took to complete it, the abundance of material and the magnificence of the site. The temple itself is from the Tang period, but the buildings...
Saturday, February 8, 1992 - 10:00

Outing: Yan Huang Art Museum

Named after two legendary emperors: Yandi and Huangdi, considered to be the ancestors of the Chinese nation, this first non-governmental museum of art was opened on 1 October 1991 and aims to promote China's top artists. It was built with private donations and the collection was donated by China's most noted artists. We will be able to see an exhibition of 40 works by Ren Bonian, one of the most famous artists of the late Qing dynasty, and 300 works by fourteen well-known creators of traditional Chinese paintings.
Wednesday, January 29, 1992 - 19:30

Film: Obsession (Judou)

We are pleased to be able to show this prize-winning film with the original Chinese soundtrack – no subtitles – however, a synopsis in English will be available before the start of the film. The book Obsession has recently been translated into English and was reviewed in the China Daily of Tuesday 5 November 1991. As there will be a limited number of seats, members are asked NOT to bring guests.
Wednesday, January 22, 1992 - 19:30

Characteristics of Chinese and European Mediaeval History

Prof. Ma Keyao, Dean, Department of History, Beijing University

We are happy to be able to continue our series of lectures whose main theme is East meets West, West meets East. Professor Ma Keyao, Dean of the History Department at Beijing University, is a leading Chinese authority on comparative studies. He has kindly agreed to talk about Chinese and European mediaeval history. He will compare the social conditions of the peasantry, the role of the cities and the characteristics of the feudal monarchy in mediaeval Europe and China.
Wednesday, January 15, 1992 - 19:30

Evaluating Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture

Mr. Tian Jiaqing, Scholar

Wandering through the old furniture markets of Beijing, we always wonder how to recognize a good piece of furniture from a copy. On Wednesday 15 January, Mr. Tian Jiaqing, a young, part-time scholar who specializes in classic Chinese furniture, will explain how. A disciple of Wang Shiyang, China's foremost antique furniture scholar, he has set up a kind of point system which he presented recently in Hong Kong to researchers and curators from around the world. Although many books have already been published about Ming furniture, Mr. Tian's system will add a new dimension to this...