CFP: 26th CHIME Conference
Sustainability and Chinese Music
University of Music, Drama and Media
Center for World Music, University of Hildesheim, Germany
3-6 October 2024 https://www.chimemusic.net/chime-26-hannover
Call for Papers
Theme: Sustainability and Chinese Music
Urgent contemporary challenges have brought sustainability (可持续性) into sharp focus as a basic concern across musical worlds and research into music and sound. What are the historical and contemporary threats to the vibrancy of traditions and practices in Chinese music (technological, economic, political developments) and how have people acted to secure dynamic futures (heritage work, education, advocacy)? How has Chinese music been affected by the acute climate and environmental crisis, and can it become a potent force for change? Against these backdrops, how do individual musicians and researchers build lasting careers?
We welcome the following forms of proposal engaging with the broad theme of sustainability and Chinese music:
Individual paper (20 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions): submit an abstract of max. 250 words
Panel sessions of three to four papers: submit a panel abstract of max. 250 words plus abstracts of max. 200 words for each contribution
Performances, workshops, film screenings or roundtable discussions: submit an abstract of 250 words; please indicate the length of the contribution. Continue reading →
The ‘Global Diasporic Chinese Museums Network Initiative Public Talk Series’ will host the 7th talk on Thursday 11 April 2024. Our speaker is Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO, the Chinese Canadian Museum. She will give a talk on Chinese Canadian Museum – Diasporic Voices across the Pacific Ocean 加拿大华裔博物馆之设立: 追寻跨越太平洋的移民心路历程. The talk will be given in English. Simultaneous translation into Mandarin Chinese will be provided.
Date: Thursday 11 April 2024 Time: 12:00 pm to 13:30 pm (BST) Venue: Online via Zoom
The event is free to attend and open to all. Please register via Ticket Tailor here.
Chair: Yow Cheun Hoe, Director, Chinese Heritage Centre, Nanyang Technological University Speaker: Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO, Chinese Canadian Museum
Abstract
This talk features the Chinese Canadian Museum, a new cultural institution partnered with the Province of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. This inaugural public museum honours the history, contributions, and cultural heritage of Chinese Canadians. Since its founding seven months ago, the museum has launched three exhibitions, secured a permanent museum site in the oldest building in Vancouver Chinatown, and received several Canadian heritage and museum awards. Lee will discuss the new Canadian museum as well as its featured exhibition ‘The Paper Trail’ on the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada from 1923-1947. Continue reading →
Lin Qi spent millions to buy the rights to a Chinese science-fiction novel called “The Three-Body Problem” but was murdered before it launched as a television series. Credit…Zhang Zhi/Red Star News/Visual China Group, via Getty Images
Lin Qi was a billionaire with a dream. The video game tycoon had wanted to turn one of China’s most famous science-fiction novels, “The Three-Body Problem,” into a global hit. He had started working with Netflix and the creators of the HBO series “Game of Thrones” to bring the alien invasion saga to international audiences.
But Mr. Lin did not live to see “3 Body Problem” premiere on Netflix last month, drawing millions of viewers.
He was poisoned to death in Shanghai in 2020, at age 39, by a disgruntled colleague, in a killing that riveted the country’s tech and video-gaming circles where he had been a prominent rising star. That colleague, Xu Yao, a 43-year-old former executive in Mr. Lin’s company, was last month sentenced to death for murder by a court in Shanghai, which called his actions “extremely despicable.”
The court has made few specific details public, but Mr. Lin’s killing was, as a Chinese news outlet put it, “as bizarre as a Hollywood blockbuster.” Chinese media reports, citing sources in his company and court documents, have described a tale of deadly corporate ambition and rivalry with a macabre edge. Sidelined at work, Mr. Xu reportedly exacted vengeance with meticulous planning, including by testing poisons on small animals in a makeshift lab. (He not only killed Mr. Lin, but also poisoned his own replacement.)
Mr. Lin had spent millions of dollars in 2014 buying up copyrights and licenses connected to the original Chinese science-fiction book, “The Three-Body Problem,” and two others in a trilogy written by the Chinese author Liu Cixin. “The Three-Body Problem” tells the story of an engineer, called upon by the Chinese authorities to look into a spate of suicides by scientists, who discovers an extraterrestrial plot. Mr. Lin had wanted to build a franchise of global television shows and films akin to “Star Wars” and centered on the novels. Continue reading →
Bruce Lai’s “Representations of Christianity in Chinese Independent Cinema: Gan Xiao’er’s Postsocialist Religious Critique” is an open access article that investigates representations of Christianity in contemporary China in independent filmmaker Gan Xiao’er 甘小二’s feature film The Only Sons 山清水秀 (2003), Raised from Dust 舉自塵土 (2007), and Waiting for God 在期待之中 (2012).
Contemporary Chinese cinema offers limited representations of Christianity, leaving this area of study largely underexplored. Gan Xiao’er made three feature films, which are examined in this article within the context of postsocialist China. Gan’s films explore the religious experiences of Chinese Christians and provide a religious critique uncommon in Chinese cinema. These films engage with the struggles of marginalised individuals during the Reform era, addressing their spiritual needs. Gan’s films also interrogate local religious institutions, challenging rigid separation between the ‘holy’ and the ‘unholy,’ and seeking an inclusive interpretation of religious concepts of ‘love.’
This article is part of the journal Religions‘ special issue Celluloid Jesus—Beyond the Text-Centric Paradigm (ISSN 2077-1444). Special Issue Editors: Dr. Chan Sok Park, Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh, and Dr. Teng-Kuan Ng
Lai, Yung-Hang Bruce. 2024. “Representations of Christianity in Chinese Independent Cinema: Gan Xiao’er’s Postsocialist Religious Critique” Religions 15, no. 4: 443. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040443
A middle school literature exam in Chengdu has triggered the latest outburst of anti-Japanese nationalism. Students were asked to analyze an excerpt from “Fallen Azaleas,” an amateurish piece of fiction by the virtually unknown author and educator Li Jiaqian. The selection that went viral follows a Japanese colonel in World War II pursuing a band of Chinese Communist guerillas he holds responsible for the disappearance of his son. Nationalists accused Li—and Chengdu’s bureau of education—of insulting the legendary Eighth Route Army and glorifying Japan’s invasion of China. The author of the piece was subsequently sacked from his position as principal of a school in Henan, and the head of the education department in the Chengdu district that offered the exam has been suspended from duty.
Renowned scholar, educator and writer Chi Pang-yuan. CNA file photo
Taipei, March 30 (CNA) Renowned scholar, educator and writer Chi Pang-yuan (齊邦媛), who was instrumental in introducing Taiwanese literature to the Western world through her translations, has died at the age of 100.
Feng Te-ping (封德屏), president of Wenhsun Magazine, said Friday that Chi’s death was confirmed by friends who were familiar with the retirement home where she resided.
Chi was known for her autobiography “The Great Flowing River” (巨流河), which recounts the ups and downs of her eventful life in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and then her relocation to Taiwan. Through the memoir, she addresses the world about the historical past that should not be forgotten. Continue reading →
Hong Kong’s new law imposes severe punishments for interference by foreign forces deemed to threaten national security. PHOTO: JAE C. HONG/ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONG KONG—Radio Free Asia, a U.S. government-funded news operation, closed its office in Hong Kong, an early sign of the impact that a new national security law is having on some media operations in the Asian financial center.
The law, which went into effect Saturday, imposes severe punishments for interference by foreign forces deemed to threaten national security and criminalizes the possession or disclosure of state secrets.
RFA, as a publication supported by the U.S. federal gov-ernment, was potentially more exposed than commercial media outlets to provisions in the new law. In a news briefing last month, Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang criticized RFA for what he called incorrect reporting that some of the new law’s offenses target the media, and noted that the publication is funded by Washington.
RFA President Bay Fang said Friday that the news outlet closed its Hong Kong bureau in response to the law and no longer has full-time staff in the city, but it is keeping its official media registration there.
Actions by Hong Kong authorities “raise serious questions about our ability to operate in safety,” Fang said. The news outlet maintains an organizational firewall to safeguard its editorial independence from its funder, the U.S. Congress, Fang added. Continue reading →
“I always strive for creative freedom,” Wang Xiaoshuai said. “But it’s become impossible because of the circumstances.” Credit…Olivia Lifungula for The New York Times
China’s film industry was operating under a planned economy when Wang Xiaoshuai graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 1989. Only a few studios, all state-owned, were allowed to make movies.
Eager to start careers as filmmakers, Mr. Wang and some friends scraped together about $6,000, borrowed a camera and persuaded a company to give them film for free. His directorial debut, “The Days,” about a despondent artist couple, was screened at film festivals in Europe in 1994. The British Broadcasting Corporation listed it as one of the 100 best films of all time.
But the Chinese film authorities weren’t happy. They barred Mr. Wang from working in the industry because he had screened “The Days” at foreign film festivals without their permission.
Mr. Wang, like many other artists in China, found ways around the ban, and he went on to become one of the country’s most acclaimed directors as the restrictions loosened. But last month, history repeated itself. When he screened his latest film, “Above the Dust,” at the Berlin International Film Festival, his company got a call from China’s censors. He was ordered to withdraw it or risk severe consequences.
“I didn’t expect that after 30 years, I would end up back in the same place,” he told me in an interview from London, where’s he’s staying for now. Continue reading →
Summer Translation Collaborative II with Julia Keblinska and Patricia Sieber
June 10-14, 2024
The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH, U.S.A., in person)
Module development for the Chinese Theater Collaborative (CTC)
Cover of the 1982 lianhunahua comic of The Injustice to Dou E, one of Guan Hanqing’s signature plays. Image credit: Screenshot from lhh1.com by Julia Keblinska.
In this week-long workshop on the OSU campus, CTC co-editors Julia Keblinska and Patricia Sieber will guide a small group of participants in authoring new modules for the Chinese Theater Collaborative (CTC) digital resource center. The program will feature presentations on how to handle different texts and diverse media, hands-on module development, and spirited peer review. This year’s workshop will focus on the modern afterlives of Guan Hanqing’s plays in any media (e.g., different traditional theatrical/operatic styles, spoken drama of any tradition, films, animation, TV drama, graphic renditions, prints, etc). The goal is to create draft modules that can eventually be published on CTC.
We would like to recruit a diverse cohort of advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent MFAs and PhDs. Required qualifications: advanced command of modern Chinese, professional fluency in spoken and written English. Experience with translation, theater or other media is desirable, but not required. We welcome participants, who are interested in developing either individually authored or collaborative written modules. CTC modules are backed by scholarly research but presented in an accessible and visually appealing style to cater to diverse publics. We especially welcome applications by members of traditionally underrepresented groups. Continue reading →
Source: NYT (3/26/24) Why Are China’s Nationalists Attacking the Country’s Heroes? Online vitriol has targeted the country’s richest man, erasing billions of dollars of his company’s market value, despite Beijing’s courtship of entrepreneurs.
By Joy Dong and Vivian Wang (Joy Dong reported from Hong Kong and Vivian Wang reported from Beijing)
An installation of the Chinese Communist Party flag, at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing in 2022. Credit…Florence Lo/Reuters
To get the economy back on track, China is trying to champion its domestic companies and reassure entrepreneurs that it’s ready for business.
Its efforts are running into a problem: an online army of Chinese nationalists who have taken it upon themselves to punish perceived insults to the country — including from some of China’s leading business figures.
In recent weeks, bloggers who usually rail against the United States have turned on China’s richest man, calling him unpatriotic, and encouraged boycotts that have wiped out billions from his beverage company’s market value. When fellow tycoons defended him, they were attacked as well, by users whose profiles featured photos of the Chinese flag.
As the fervor spread, social media users also hounded Huawei, the crown jewel of China’s tech industry, accusing it of secretly admiring Japan. Others accused a prestigious university of being too cozy with the United States, and demanded the works of a Nobel-winning Chinese author be removed from circulation for purportedly smearing national heroes.
The state has often encouraged such nationalist crusaders, deploying them to drum up support, deflect foreign criticism or distract from crises. Social media users have suggested that the coronavirus originated in an American lab, and staged boycotts against Western companies that criticized China’s human rights record. Self-styled patriotic influencers have made careers out of criticizing foreign countries. Continue reading →
Zoom panel discussion with Evans Chan (moderator), Gina Marchetti (Women Filmmakers and the Visual Politics of Transnational China in the #MeToo Era, 2023), Zhang Zhen (Women Filmmakers in Sinophone World Cinema, 2023), Ma Ran (Independent Filmmaking across Borders in Contemporary Asia, 2019), and Elena Pollacchi (Wang Bing’s Filmmaking of the China Dream, 2021).
Format: This panel brings together four authors who have recent publications on contemporary Chinese cinema from Amsterdam University Press. After an introduction by moderator Evans Chan, each panelist will present an illustrated overview and some key takeaways from her book of about fifteen minutes. Q&A follows.
Conference – Tenth Annual Trans-Asia Graduate Student Conference: Bridging Glocal Asias – University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Tenth Annual Trans-Asia Graduate Student Conference, themed “Bridging Glocal Asias,” is scheduled for April 19th and 20th at Ingraham Hall in rooms 206 and 336. This event presents a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together, sharing, learning, and discussing a wide array of Asian-related topics in a transregional and interdisciplinary context.
Over the span of two days, the conference will encompass sixteen panels (hybrid), two keynote speeches (hybrid), a roundtable discussion, and a celebratory dinner open to all campus community. These sessions will delve into various research fields, including literature, linguistics, history, art history, theater, geography, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, folklore, gender and women’s studies, and political science.
Attendees from UW-Madison will have the chance to engage with panelists from across the world. They can participate in discussions, exchange research ideas, and receive valuable feedback from both their peers and experienced researchers. This interaction promises to offer fresh insights into the latest developments in Asian-related studies.
Source: China Media Project (3/22/24) Pleas and Appeals After it went viral in China this month, video footage of a woman wailing before the altar of Bao Qingtian, an 11th-century official who has become a popular symbol of justice, drove a debate online about the difficulties of seeking recourse for official wrongs.
By Alex Colville
Women kneeling before an image of Bao Zheng.
Footage of a woman wailing on her knees before a memorial to a Song-dynasty official went viral on the Chinese internet last week. Despite popular demand for more information, a lack of any press follow-up has instead let rumors fill the void. The question of why she would be kneeling before the image of an official who lived almost a thousand years ago goes to the heart of present-day questions of corruption, malfeasance, and social justice.
Bao Zheng (包拯), the historical figure at the heart of this mystery, who can also be referred to as Lord Bao (包公) or Justice Bao (包青天), was famed for his honesty and upright ways following his death in the 11th-century. Bao Qingtian (as he has come to be popularly known) served as magistrate for the Song capital in present-day Kaifeng, Henan province. Bao initiated judicial reforms that let petitioners lodge complaints against corrupt local administrators — and for this reason his name has become a byword for justice and good governance.
Some nine and half centuries later, the unknown woman appealing to Bao at his memorial temple in Kaifeng is believed to be a petitioner herself, eager to present some grievance to a higher official who can help her seek justice — and what higher official than a celestial one?
But the highest appeal here may also be to the internet and social media. Continue reading →
I write with some informal responses to three questions posed by Daisy Yan Du as part of her invitation to give a lecture in the Association for Chinese Animation Studies’ series: “Why did Animating Film Theory [published in 2014] not cover China or Chinese animation? A gap for future scholars? Will Chinese animation be important for animation theories?” These are good and challenging questions that identify one of the limitations of that edited collection and I am grateful for their provocation. I enter this conversation in the spirit of what British feminist scholar Jacqueline Rose describes as “an ethics of failure” in her important essay, “Why War?” There, she describes a relationship between being willing to fail, “resisting the conviction of absolute truth,” to the avoidance of war and warlike violence.[1] Within Rose’s war-resistant ethics of failure, recognizing the limits of one’s own knowledge helps to make more conscious the things one did not even know one did not know in ways that make space for the limitations of others. As such, failure has relational potential that demonstrates little interest in moving toward triumphalist completion. No doubt my introduction to Animating Film Theory should have made the limits of its roots, frameworks, and concerns more explicit. Although we cannot travel backwards in time, the composited nature of animated time, like feminist theoretical critiques of linear and unidirectional temporalities, invites what Patricia White has described as “retrospectatorship.”[2] In trying to address Du’s questions, I am keenly aware of my lack of expertise in the area of Chinese animation theory; this project has helped me to think more deeply about how we define fields and subfields, and how we do or don’t foster dialogue across such categories of knowledge.
Rose’s “ethics of failure” resonates with the innovative scholarly paradigm Alix Beeston and Stefan Solomon foreground in their recent edited collection, Incomplete: the Feminist Possibilities of the Unfinished Film (2023), where the editors consider “unfinished projects as both projections and projectiles, pitched forward in time and space to new worlds, even as they manifest so clearly how the old worlds could not, or would not, sustain their development.[3]” I also hear a resonance between the ethics of incompletion, and Baryon Tensor Posadas’s discussions of science fiction and its affinity with what Arjun Appadurai calls “the ethics of possibility,” which requires us, Posadas suggests, to “break open the continuity of the present.”[4] Animation, with its frequent use of frame-by-frame and variable frame rate processes, is particularly adept at challenging linear time and inventing temporal visualizations that offer different ways to conceptualize and express time, and this inventive quality has sometimes been seen as limiting its utility for engaging the past and historical time. In “Animation, the Obsolescence of the Image, and the Disappearance of Hong Kong Architecture,” Yomi Braester registers a distinction—one that he suggests is “bound to fail”—between “medial time” and “historical time,” and asks, “Is animation especially equipped to address the link between medial time and historical time?”[5] In this paradigm, the “craft of the single frame” is linked to “pushing aside historical time” in favor of “fantastic temporalities,” but Posadas’s work on science fiction, along with other theoretical work I’ll discuss in these reflections, suggests that non-fantastical temporalities, more predictable and predetermined outcomes, are just as fabricated, just as much the product of particular imaginations of the future, as more fantastical variants. In short, I think there is exciting work to be done at the intersection of transnational animation studies, genre studies, intermedial animation studies (including between animation and built space), and the philosophy of history. Scholars of Chinese animation are among those playing a leading role in thinking across these areas. Continue reading →
