HSK Exams 03 Dec 2011

The exam timetable for those students sitting HSK exams on Saturday 3 December is now confirmed. All registered students should have received their admission cards which must be brought to the exam. Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

HSK 5: 09.30-11.30
HSK 4: 09.30-11.10
HSK 3: 10.00-11.30
HSK 2: 11.30-12.20
HSK 1: 12.00-12.35

Good luck to all candidates! The next round of HSK exams will take place in May 2012. Registration should be available from March 2012. Please email us if you wish to be notified when the registration opens for the May 2012 exam diet.

Calligraphy and Beyond – November 2011

A special guest lecture by Antje Richter from the University of Colorado will examine the letters of Wang Xizhi in both form and content on Wed 30 Nov from 6pm.

Whilst famous for the beauty of the calligraphy, Prof Richter will consider more fully the content of this unique corpus of early medieval epistolary texts.

ABSTRACT

The scholar-official Wang Xizhi (303–61),famous for his calligraphy, is one of the greatest cultural icons of Chinese culture. Except for a handful of other pieces, we know of his handwriting exclusively from hundreds of very short, casual letters, which he wrote to friends and family. Celebrated as many of these letters may be, they are mostly appreciated for the beauty of their calligraphy, while their content remains largely ignored.

But Wang Xizhi’s letters also constitute a unique corpus of early medieval epistolary texts, unparalleled in transmitted literature, not only in terms of sheer quantity but also in their apparent informality and intimacy. In this talk Antje Richter will introduce the structure, main rhetorical strategies, and literary characteristics of these notes in the broader context of early medieval letter writing culture focusing on two recurrent topics: firstly, the lament of separation from the addressee and, secondly, Wang Xizhi’s epistolary treatment of his health or rather lack thereof. Analyzing the relation between the letters’ frequent use of epistolary clichés and set phrases vis-à-vis their power to convey authentic, personal sentiments, she will set out the argument that the overwhelming topicality of these letters does not reduce their epistolary efficacy. Even letters that seemingly lack any particular message and consist of nothing but convention have the potential to fulfill genuine communicative functions, to a great extent independently of their calligraphic appeal.

BIOGRAPHY

Antje Richter (PhD Munich, 1998) taught at the universities of Kiel and Freiburg (Germany) before she became an assistant professor of Chinese at the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2007. She is the author of two monographs and a number of articles on various aspects of Chinese literature, medicine and art. Her research interests include the epistolary culture of mediaeval China, literary thought (especially in Wenxin dialogue), reflections on nature and wilderness in the poetry of Xie Lingyun (385–433) and others, as well as literary representations of sleeping and dreaming. At the moment, she is Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Research Fellow at the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge and Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall.

VENUE: The Confucius Institute for Scotland, Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP

TIME : 6pm -7.30pm followed by a short drinks reception

BOOKING: no booking required, all welcome

HSK Workshop Sat 19 Nov

This Saturday will see a special workshop take place for those students who have registered for the December diet of the HSK Examination.

HSK is the only officially recognised qualification accepted in the People`s Republic of China. For those who want to study in China or work for a government agency a certificate at an appropriate level in this exam is vital.

With registration for December now closed the next opportunity to seek this door opening qualification will be in May 2012. For more details on HSK please click here.

If you have any questions please call us on 0131 662 2180 or email our office on info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk

Panda Pals Competition

With the arrival of the Giant Pandas to Edinburgh Zoo drawing ever closer a special competition organised by the Chinese Embassy in London is offering one lucky winner the chance to win a trip to China!

Entries are being sought from all primary schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland for the art competition. Secondary schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland where there the study of China and Chinese is underway can enter the secondary school competition.

Please read the three PDFs below which provide general background and detailed information on the the Primary and Secondary school competitions. But be quick! The deadline for entries is 15th December 2011.

To take part please complete and return the Confucius Institute registration form ASAP, then notify your pupils to start their preparations by visiting www.panda-pals.org to find out more about these very special creatures.