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Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 19:30

From Imitation to Innovation: How Modern Dance in China Breaks the Mold

Aly Rose
Alison Friedman

Over the past decade the face of Chinese modern dance has changed just about as much as the country has itself. Struggling with whether to imitate vs. create, to reconstruct vs. demolish, or to absorb vs. reject, modern dance choreographers and their works function as outlets for creators and performers to speak out while also acting as a stage for the West to understand the turmoil within. Come enjoy a candid discussion hosted by Aly Rose and Alison Friedman who have studied and performed with distinguished modern dance choreographers Wang Mei and Wen Hui, respectively. Aly Rose is...
Thursday, November 25, 2004 - 19:30

The Rapidly Changing Face of Beijing: How to Preserve the City's Heritage

He Shuzhong
Founder, Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Research Centre

Recently the Beijing municipal government announced that the total volume of construction in one year in Beijing has exceeded that of all of Europe for the same period. Beijing is now the largest construction site in the world. As the city prepares for the 2008 Olympics, the pace of construction can be expected to become ever more relentless. What is the official vision for Beijing's future? Who influences the planning and implementation of Beijing's development plan? What can be done to preserve what remains of Beijing's historical built environment? He Shuzhong of Beijing Cultural...
Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 19:30

China's Water Crisis Threatens Global Prosperity

John McAlister
High-Tech Businessman

China has accounted for about one-third of the world's economic growth over the past four years. Global prosperity has become ever more dependent on China's growth. According to official estimates, China's water shortage is 30 to 40 billion tons annually. This shortage reduces annual industrial output by a reported RMB 230 billion or a reduction of as much as 20% of China's annual economic growth. Even more critical than actual water shortages is the water deficit from depletion of non-renewable ground water. China's water scarcity threatens global prosperity and stability not only because...
Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 19:30

An Unusual Odyssey in Rural China

Shang Lifu

Mr. Shang Lifu was born and raised in Gansu province, northwest China. In the late 90's he started to travel through western China on his bicycle. During that time and a few ensuing summers he covered thousands of kilometers traveling from village to village, sometimes on his bicycle and sometimes on foot. He has written several books on his reflections on rural people and rural education. Mr. Shang took thousands of photographs during his travels and a couple of years ago, when some of the pictures were on display in Beijing universities, hundreds of college students were so deeply moved...
Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 19:30

Fragile Ecosystems of the Mongolian Steppes

John Liu

Documentary Film Maker

John Liu is an American who has lived in Beijing for more than twenty years. Over the past ten years John has concentrated on ecological film making and has written, produced and directed films on many environmental issues. John will show two of his documentary films: “A Steppe Ahead”, about the pristine eastern steppe ecosystem in Mongolia and “A Line in the Sand”, about the desertification control efforts in Alashan in the Mongolian Autonomous Region of China. The two films show the importance of policy in relation to the viability of fragile ecosystems and specifically...
Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 19:30

What's New in the Chinese Contemporary Art Scene?

Joan Lebold Cohen
Art Historian and Photographer

Joan Lebold Cohen will present a selective review of themes and expressions of artists in current gallery exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai including the Biennales in both cities. She will also report on some of the shows of Chinese art in New York, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as some visits to artists’ studios. The dynamism of the art scene parallels China's remarkable economic development. After years of strictly limited and officially dictated artistic production, the new generations have leaped beyond the bounds of all that has come before. Ms. Cohen is a New York-based art...
Thursday, September 23, 2004 - 19:30

Witness to Time: Beijing's Venerable Trees Keep Secrets of History

Ginny Anami
Historical Geographer

The majestic trees scattered around the city and its environs, make a map of Beijing's past. Often it is only the trees that are left to mark the spot of a former temple, grave or imperial garden. This lecture with slides will look at these aged sentinels from the angle of what they teach us about history and local lore, how the old trees define a community and their importance in temple and grave design. Other topics will include trees that have been ascribed spiritual qualities and trees cults that persist in rural areas, as well as contrasting traditional and modern attitudes toward...
Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 19:30

The Diary of Ma Yan, A Young Girl from a Remote Village in Ningxia

Pierre Haski
Correspondent
French Daily Liberation

Ma Yan is a schoolgirl from northeastern Ningxia province who started a diary that described her life as a girl from a poor peasant family. Difficult conditions in this impoverished village force young girls to drop out of school, marry early, become young parents, and remain poor for the rest of their lives. Ma Yan's moving story has had a miraculous voyage since the day her mother handed it to a group of foreigners who were visiting her remote village. Among them was Beijing-based French journalist Pierre Haski, whose report sparked a spontaneous solidarity among girls who are deprived...
Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 19:30

A Summer Picnic with Music in the Garden of the British Ambassador's Residence

Beijing Bamboo Ensemble

Last year, following the cancellation of many events due to SARS, the British Ambassador and Lady Hum offered their garden for a picnic with music. This event was so well received, so very enjoyable and relaxing, that we have decided to repeat the picnic this year. Come and join us for this last BIS event of the 2003-2004 season. Enjoy the trees, grass, flowers, peace and tranquility of the British Embassy Residence's walled garden. Bring your picnic, wine, picnic rug, folding-chair or cushions, umbrellas, and find a spot on the lawn before settling down to an evening of...
Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 19:30

Exploring Old Tianjin: The Nine Old Foreign Concessions of Tianjin

Denny Barnes
Commercial Counselor,
U.S. Embassy

Tianjin is fascinatingly incongruent. Streets with names like “Liberation Road” and “New China Road” are lined with old buildings that look like abandoned pieces of 1930's London and Paris. From 1860-1945, nine distinct foreign concessions crowded along the river southeast of Tianjin's old walled city. Tens of thousands of foreign residents formed distinct communities that recreated the look and feel of their native countries – a patchwork quilt of different foreign cultures in one very international city. Denny Barnes has been walking the bustling streets of Tianjin since 1987...
Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 19:30

Exploring Chinese Ancient Pottery and Porcelain Kilns

Wang Guangyao
Deputy Research Director of the Palace Museum

Chinese ancient pottery and porcelain are considered as an illustrious chapter in the annals of world art. Professor Wang Guangyao, deputy research director of the Palace Museum and a member of the Research Society of Ancient Chinese Ceramics, will introduce us to the characteristics and the developmental process of ceramic art throughout the dynasties. As he spends some months of the year excavating the various kilns across China he will also lecture on the better-known kilns and the porcelain made and discovered at these sites. Prof. Wang is not an easy person to catch in...
Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 19:30

Jesuits in China (1583-2004): A Story of Friendship and Misfortune

Benoit Vermander, SJ
Jesuit Priest,
Director of Taipei Ricci Institute

The history of the Jesuits in China is long one, starting with the arrival of the Italian Matteo Ricci in China in 1583. Penetrating to the heart of the Imperial Court, in addition to Christian doctrine, they introduced Western science and technology, created educational institutions and fostered modern Chinese studies. But their passage in the Middle Kingdom has not always been smooth, and the intercultural exchange they initiated was disrupted at various times through the centuries, whether due to internal Church politics or events in China. BIS is honored to present Benoit...
Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 19:30

Preserving the Unique Life of the Moso

Namu Yang

Author

Author Namu Yang will graciously speak to BIS about her experiences growing up in the matriarchal Moso tribe in the mountains near Mother Lake in Yunnan. Namu is a well-known figure in China: a beautiful model, author and minority woman who descended the mountains to climb to the top of the world. Namu is looked up to by many young girls in China who admire her youthful courage, independence and vivacious personality. Namu will expand on childhood memories of her family, village and home as described in her popular book, Leaving Mother Lake.
Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 19:30

Making Music the 21st Century Way

Josef Fung
Composer

We are fortunate to have the multi-talented composer Josef Fung tell us about “Making Music the 21st Century Way.” For this lecture and demonstration, we move out of our usual embassy venue to the SiNordic Arts Space to enjoy a total multimedia experience. Fung is the Founding Director of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. In 1996 Fung was the first recipient of the International Creative Collaboration award, a grant for collaborative work by a non-American composer with American artists. With this honor he composed the music of the full-length music-dance-theater “After Sorrow”...
Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 19:30

Dashanzi: From Factory to Art District, A Reflection of China's Changing Society

Karon Morono Kiang
English Editor-in-Chief of FACTORY 798 art
Partner, Celadon Edge

The Dashanzi Art District is Beijing's most vibrant center for Chinese contemporary art and culture. Located in a complex of Bauhaus-style factory buildings between the Holiday Inn Lido and Capital Airport, Dashanzi's exciting transformation occurred only in the span of two short years. Originally built in 1954 to an East German design, the Dashanzi factory complex initially housed one of China's largest munitions manufacturing operations. Fifty years later, Dashanzi presents a very different face. Contemporary art galleries, artist and design studios, restaurants, bars, shops and...
Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 19:30

Voices from Disappearing Hutongs

Panelists:

Michael Crook
Liang Congjie
Catherine Walsh

In 2002, Ronja Yu made “The Time of Demolition”, a powerful documentary video on the demolition of some hutongs in Beijing. Resorting at times to the use of a hidden camera, Ms Yu recorded scenes of distressed hutong residents facing the rapid destruction of their long-time homes and airing their grievances to local bureaucrats. Born 1973 in Beijing, the young Ronja moved to Sweden at the age of nineteen and now works as a freelance filmmaker in Stockholm. Some of her earlier works include "Beijing, My Home Village" - a poignant documentary about a young woman, Ronja, who returns to her...
Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 09:00

Outing: Blossoms and Local Lore on Sheep Mountain

Lesley Walter, Hike Leader

April's events calendar kicks off with a spring hike with Lesley Walter. Lesley is a long-time Beijing resident who is interested in local history and folk culture. She dedicates one day a week to walking in the countryside. Last year, she led a fabulous spring outing with BIS members and this month Lesley is back with another exhilarating hike. The walk consists of two short hikes in Changping County, together totaling 4 hours. The first hike is to see the monastery ruins, some stupas, and what locals call a monks' prison. The second hike is to see more stupas and a hermit retreat...
Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 19:30

Assisting Tibetans in Tibet

Arthur Holcombe
President of the Tibetan Poverty Alleviation Fund

Arthur N. Holcombe was the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China from 1992 to 1998 and has been President of the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund (TPAF) since 1998. He travels frequently to Tibet and to rural communities in Lhoka and Nakchu Prefectures where much TPAF assistance is located. Arthur Holcombe will speak on the experience of his non-governmental organization, TPAF, in Tibet. His presentation will touch upon: • Recent socio-economic and development trends in Tibet and how they impact upon Tibetans; • The...
Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 19:30

Guqin: An Instrument At The Heart of Chinese Culture

Prof. Li Xiangting
Guqin Master

Dominique Dreyer
Lecturer

The Chinese name Guqin itself means “ancient stringed instrument”. Its history is closely linked to China's classical culture of understated brush painting, calligraphy and scholarly poems. "From the seven strings exquisite music rises As if it were the sighing wind amid the pines This is the ancient sound that I love above all One can scarcely find true players any more." Chinese intellectuals lamenting bygone days could have written this poem today, but in fact, it dates back to the Tang dynasty. Today, this 3000-year old musical instrument...
Thursday, March 4, 2004 - 19:30

Did Marco Polo Really Come to China?

Dr. Liu Xiao
Associate Research Fellow Chinese Academy of Social Sciences;

Dr. Dang Baohai
Peking University

Most people do not seem to know that some eminent Mongolists and Sinologists have raised a serious challenge to Marco Polo's popular status. Among them are the German Herbert Franke and the British Frances Wood, who both provoked quite an upheaval among the Chinese scholars. Their research on Marco Polo's texts, especially the "Description of the World", led them to doubt the popular idea of Marco Polo's travels to China. Their thesis is based on “the question of omissions” from Marco Polo's memoirs (found in different manuscript versions) about important aspects of Chinese civilization...
Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 19:30

The Soul of Old Beijing, The Hutongs, Yesterday & Today

Charles Chauderlot
Painter

Visiting Beijing without taking a stroll in the old hutongs would be missing a marvellous encounter with the past for it is in these narrow streets, amongst these buildings & inhabitants that one can breathe and feel the beat of traditional Beijing. The formidable impetus of modernisation in China had almost choked its very soul. The outcry of Beijingers and intellectuals has moved the authorities to begin to preserve the historic sites of the capital; to retain the best of what is left today. Charles Chauderlot, a Hispano-French lawyer by training and an artist by vocation,...
Thursday, February 5, 2004 - 19:30

Riverside Scene at the Qingming Festival: Scroll Painting, N. Song Dynasty

Prof. Bo Songnian
Chinese Art Historian

Riverside Scene at the Qingming Festival, a scroll-painting - 25.5 cm high and over 5 meters long - held in the Palace Museum of Beijing, epitomizes the highest level of skill attained in Chinese popular art. Little is known about the artist, Zhang Zeduan, other than that he lived during the first half of the 12th century, and was a member of the Imperial Academy of Painting during the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960-1127). The painting illustrates with remarkable detail the lively and vivid riverside scenes of Kaifeng ( the capital of China under the Northern Song Dynasty...
Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 19:30

Film: Blind Shaft

Li Yang

Film Director

The film Blind Shaft has been honoured by numerous international awards but is banned in China. It is the first feature film by the Chinese documentarist Li Yang. The story is centered around two weathered coal miners, Song and Tong, who, like many others, have been risking their lives in China's dangerous and often illegal coalmines. However, they have a plan to escape their hard life—one that involves murder and extortion. But, having won the trust of young Luan, the two have a crisis of conscience that leads to an unexpected turn. Director Li Yang blurs definitions of right and wrong in...