The Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh

The Grampian town of Huntly will be host to a commerative weekend marking one of its famous sons, James Legge, a noted Scottish sinologist.

`The Legacy of J Legge: China and the West`

is the title of the commerative weekend which includes a diverse range of activities to involve people of the town and visitors.

Events listed below take place on Saturday 26 September with the exhibition element of the programme held in James Legge House open on 26/27 September from 10am-4pm.

2PM PALACE OF PUZZLES
Starting off at 2pm from James Legge House, 9 The Square, Huntly with `The Palace of Puzzles` a special public parade will launch the day`s events.

4PM CHINESE TEA CEREMONY & DISCUSSION
The afternoon moves onto a more thoughtful mood when Professor Natascha Gentz, Director of the Confucius Institute for Scotland chairs a discussion on the impact of James Legge. Entitled The Legacy of Legge: Understanding, Misunderstanding, Belief and Amnesia participants include

Norman Girardo of Lehigh University, Bethlehem USA, author of The Victorian Translation of China: James Legge`s Oriental Pilgrimage will consider The Legacy of James Legge

Gu Zhen Qing, Curator, Li Space, Beijing and Editor, Visual Production Magazine will consider Art in China: now and then

Glen Dudbrige, Emeritus Prof of Chinese, University of Oxford will consider A potted history of Religion in China

Ewan MacDonald, Emeritus Rector of the Gordon Schools, Huntly will reflect on James Legge in Huntly

7.30PM CEILIDH & CHINESE FOOD
Rounding off the day there will be a Ceilidh with Chinese food held at the Gordon Arms Hotel. Tickets are priced at £10 with proceeds going to the Gordon Dancer Beijing appeal.

FURTHER INFO
info@deveron-arts.com; 01466 794494; www.deveron-arts.com; www.jameslegge.org

JAMES LEGGE BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
James Legge was born in Huntly 1815 and was a Missionary + Translator in China from 1837-1873 before being appointed Prof of Sinology, Oxford 1875-1897.

James Legge left his Huntly birthplace in Aberdeenshire as a missionary to the Far East. Believing that he had to understand those he sought to
convert, he learned Chinese and began a lifelong study of their language and culture. Later occupying the first chair of Sinology at Oxford, he published numerous monumental volumes of the Chinese Classics - including the Confucius Analects and the Book of Changes or Yijing. This opened channels of exchange that led to a deeper understanding of China and seeded early modern globalisation.

ORGANISERS
The Utopia Group (Deng Dafei and He Hai) from Beijing are in residence with Deveron Arts between July and Sept 2009. During this time they have
developed a body of work celebrating Huntly’s famous son – the great Sinolgist and translator James Legge. The work includes a treasure hunt game in the town and an exhibition of paintings and drawings in James Legge’s House of childhood. The climax of the project will lead the towns’ folk on a parade from the house to the river celebrating a fusion of Eastern and Western, Chinese and Scottish culture and the legacy of James Legge.

Chinese Music - Old and New is the title of the concert taking place at Canongate Kirk on Saturday 22 August at 8pm

The ensemble are back again in this great acoustic setting, with the singing of Fong Liu and Cheng-Ying Chuang (also playing Ruan and Liu Qin), Kimho Ip (Yangqin; Chinese dulcimer), Eddie McGuire on Bamboo Flute (Di-zi) and Hooi Ling Eng on Chinese percussion.

Tickets £10/£6 at the door, from Fringe office or www.edfringe.com
Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8BR

For more information on Harmony Music Ensemble please visit their website

Ma Jian: `Beijing Coma`

On Sunday 16 Aug from 7.30-8.30pm Ma Jian, exiled from his native China, will appear at the Book Festival. Ma Jian has written a masterful account of one of the major political events of contemporary history, the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, and the journey that China travelled in the ten years that followed. Focusing on the life of one protester as he recovers from being shot during the protest, `Beijing Coma` shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, is a shining example of the immense power of literature.

Xiaolu Guo: `UFO In Her Eyes`

On Wed 26 August from 7-8pm the 2009 Edinburgh Book Festival will feature a welcome return by the popular author of `A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers`. Xiaolu Guo`s new novel `UFO In Her Eyes` is her most ambitious yet. The sighting of an alien space ship changes a Chinese peasant village forever and becomes an allegory for modern China.

Amnesty International:`Freedom`

To mark 2008`s 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Amnesty International invited a host of international authors to contribute a story on one right. The result was `Freedom`, an outstanding collection of writing which stands as a testament to the importance of the Declaration. Join Xiaolu Guo and Marina Lewycka to hear them read and discuss their stories. This special event takes place on 27 August 7-8pm.

Booking

To book please click here to go to the Book Festival website

Spend an hour in the company of Dong Yi, renowed international classical zheng performer on a musical journey through China.

Dong Yi will give two performances at St Andrew`s and St George`s Church, George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PA during the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Friday 14 Aug is an evening concert from 7.30-8.30pm while Saturday 15 Aug is an afternoon event from 2.30-2.30pm.

Tickets are priced at £10(£7) and tickets can be prebooked via the box office on 0131 225 3847 or online at the Fringe Box Office

For your chance to be among the first to see this spectacular show, brought to the Edinburgh Fringe by the Confucius Institute for Scotland, book online now for the half-price preview evening on Friday 14 August when all tickets are offered at £6.00

Already selected by Mark Fisher of the Guardian as a First Fringe Pick, this will be one of the most talked about shows in Fringe 2009. For more info please visit the website.