The Confucius Institute for Scotland is delighted to be sponsoring the Historical Chinese Sculptures and the Ann Paludan archive study day at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 30th March, 2019
For details please see:
Category: cultural
From Shanghai With Love – Fabulous Fashion Show in Edinburgh
Audiences were captivated by a fantastic display of Chinese Qipao dresses at the sell-out fashion show and exhibition From Shanghai with Love. This was a unique 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe event organised by the Donghua Edinburgh Centre for Creative Industries. It is a collaboration between the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation (SCF) at Donghua University and the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh.
The stunning Playfair Library at the University of Edinburgh provided a magnificent backdrop. Audience members gathered around beautifully preserved traditional Qipao at the exhibition specially curated by the Shanghai Museum of Textile and Costume. The oldest pieces included a brilliant red damask silk embroidered robe and a bold orange satin dragon emblazoned robe from the Late 19th Century. More fitted, contemporary Qipao were from the 1930’s and 1940’s when Shanghai was known as the “Paris of the East”.
All eyes were on the catwalk as the show began with upbeat music. The first collection was Shanghai style Qipao for the modern business woman – long, elegant cream and gold Qipao. Delicate design details included the traditional Chinese dragon and phoenix. A key theme for the fashion show was the traditional Chinese five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The earth designs were a brilliant yellow, a colour associated with prestige in China. Fabulous fire designs included flames lapping from the bottom of a long, slim dress and red velvety, figure-hugging Qipao with detailed Chinese designs.
The SCF Graduation Design Show from this year’s bachelor degree graduates showed off wild creativity. A large, exaggerated, chequered trouser suit and a red swimsuit on top of a cream knitted winter outfit made the audience sit up and ponder the extraordinary possibilities of fashion.
Finally we moved to the futuristic designs featuring new technology. Highly wearable silky peach Qipao gowns were accentuated with colour changing panels. The stage darkened as we were taken on a journey to the galaxy of luminous Qipao – flowing, swirling dresses with luminous turquoise, curly wires controlled from a switch in a handbag. Healthcare and fashion blended in designs with inbuilt devices to monitor the temperature and humidity of the wearer’s breasts. The finale was an ensemble of butterfly transforming Qipao. Special colour-changing yarn in the Qipao changed from grey to pink after being heated. The audience was awed.
The students of SCF created their own imaginative interpretations of the Qipao with influence from their Chinese and international teachers. Some of the designs were created in cooperation with SCF’s partners including various Qipao companies. A few of the designs used sustainable, environmentally friendly materials. The College encourages the students to develop creative fashion design using technology, material innovation as well as drawing on cultural heritage.
Thank you to audience members who provided us with excellent feedback.
Photos by Through the Curtains Productions, Creative Team & Models by Colours Agency
Free: Chinese Films on Fridays January – April 2020
Join us if you can for the regular programme of Chinese Films on Friday. All films screened have sub-titles. Viewing from 2pm-Screening Room, Room G04, 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LH.
Our Free Films on Friday programme is curated by Chinese Studies senior lecturer Dr Julian Ward whose core specialism is in Chinese literature and film.
The University library holds more than 600 films spanning China’s 20th century film history which are available for loan to those who have a library card.
Winter Term January – April 2020
| Film | DATE |
|---|---|
| The Urgent Letter (Shi Hui, 1953) | Friday 17 January |
| Before the New Director Arrives (Lü Ban, 1956) | Friday 24 January |
| Sacrificed Youth (Zhang Nuanxin, 1985) | Friday 31 January |
| Yellow Earth (Chen Kaige, 1984) | Friday 7 February |
| Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1991) | Friday 14 February |
| Red Sorghum (Zhang Yimou, 1988) | Friday 28 February |
| A Summer at Grandpa’s (Hou Hsiao-Hsien, 1984) | Friday 6 March |
| In the Heat of the Sun (Jiang Wen, 1994) | Friday 13 March |
| Shower (Zhang Yang, 1999) | Friday 20 March |
| In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000) | Friday 27 March |
| Still Life (Jia Zhangke, 2006) | Friday 3 April |
All welcome, no booking is required.
Chinese Films On FridayOct-Dec 2017 2pm
Join us if you can for the regular programme of Chinese Films on Friday. All films screened have sub-titles. Viewing from 2pm-Screening Room, Room G04, No 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LH
Autumn Term SEPT-DEC 2017
| Film | DATE |
|---|---|
| China in Revolution 1911-1936 (Documentary) Labourer’s Love (Zhang Shichuan, 1922) |
Friday 22 September |
| China in Revolution 1937-1949 (Documentary) The Dream of the Western Chamber (Hou Yao, 1927) |
Friday 29 September |
| Daybreak (Sun Yu, 1933) | Friday 6 October |
| The Goddess (Wu Yonggang, 1934) | Friday 13 October |
| New Year Sacrifice (Sang Hu, 1956) | Friday 20 October |
| Street Angel (Yuan Muzhi 1937 | Friday 27 October |
| Shop of the Lin Family (Shui Hua, 1959 | Friday 3 November |
| The Girl from Hunan (Xie Fei, 1986 | Friday 10 November |
| Myriad of Lights (Shen Fu, 1948) | Friday 17 November |
| Spring in a Small Town (Fei Mu, 1948) | Friday 24 November |
| This Whole Life of Mine (Shi Hui, 1950) | Friday 1 December |
Our Free Films on Friday programme is curated by Chinese Studies senior lecturer Dr Julian Ward whose core specialism is in Chinese literature and film.
The University library holds more than 600 films spanning China’s 20th century film history which are available for loan to those who have a library card.
All welcome, no booking is required.
Winter Term Jan-april 2018
Friday 19 January Before the New Director Arrives (Lü Ban, 1956)
Friday 26 January Yellow Earth (Chen Kaige, 1984)
Friday 2 February Black Cannon Incident (Huang Jianxin, 1985)
Friday 9 February Black Snow (Xie Fei, 1990)
Friday 16 February Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1991)
Friday 23 February Flexible Learning Week – no screening
Friday 2 March Red Sorghum (Zhang Yimou, 1988)
Friday 9 March A Summer at Grandpa’s (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 1984)
Friday 16 March In the Heat of the Sun (Jiang Wen, 1994)
Friday 23 March In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000)
Friday 30 March A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke, 2013)
Friday 6 April Black Coal Thin Ice (Diao Yi’nan 2014)
Taiwan’s Lost Commercial Cinema: Weekly on Thurs 6pm
Did you know regular filmmaking on Taiwan only started in the 1950s? With a Taiwanese-language film industry? Between then and the 1970s, 1000+ Taiwanese-language features were made. However, the budgets were miniscule, the companies short-lived, and there was no archive. They were quickly forgotten, and only 200+ survive.
With the establishment of the Chinese Taipei Film Archive in 1979 and the end of martial law in 1987, Taiwanese-language cinema of the 1950s–1970s, once seen as a disposable entertainment, is now being revalued as an art form and window on old Taiwan.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first Taiwanese-language film in 2016,Professor Chris Berry (King’s College London) and Dr. Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley (Centre of Taiwan Studies, SOAS) have co-organised the “Taiwan’s Lost Commercial Cinema: Recovered and Restored” project, jointly supported by the Ministry of Culture of the ROC (Taiwan), King’s College London and the Taiwan Film Institute (previously Chinese Taipei Film Archive).
The films, which are all subtitled in English, will be shown on Thursdays in October and November at 18.10 in the Screening Room, G04, 50, George Square. See the listing information below.
Thursday 12 Oct 2017
The Best Secret Agent (1964)
The Best Secret Agent, the first ever Taiwanese-language spy movie produced in Taiwan, is a remake of a 1945 movie of the same name that caused a sensation in Shanghai. Fuelled by a dog-eat-dog plot and the many changing faces of the protagonist, the film created a new Taiwanese box office record in the early 1960s and kick-started the popularity of the Taiwanese-language spy film genre for years to come.
Ms. Teresa Huang from theTaiwan Film Institute will talk about the restoration project and introduce this first film in the run.
Thursday 19 Oct 2017
Early Train from Taipei (1964)
A classic town-and-country melodrama.
Thursday 26 Oct 2017
Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters (1968)
Martial arts action.
Thursday 2 Nov 2017
Dangerous Youth (1969)
A critique of materialism and greed subverting the conventional gender hierarchy.
Thursday 9 Nov 2017
Brother Wang and Brother Liu Tour Taiwan (1959)
Laurel and Hardy-inspired comedy.
For more information on the individual films, please go here: https://taiyupian.uk/
Five Week Calligraphy Course January 2018
Discover the ancient art of calligraphy using the traditional Chinese brush and ink combination that has been in use for thousands of years.
The five week course starts on 23 January and runs to 20 February and will be led by Chi Zhang, the Institute’s experienced calligraphy teacher. Students will be introduced to the materials of ink, brush, stone and paper, and initially common techniques will be introduced.
This 5 week course will start by introducing common techniques related to the Chinese soft brushes and ink. Students will also learn the basic strokes of Regular Style (Kai Shu). Regular style is most common in writings and publications. This writing style is suitable for both beginners and students who learned Clerical Style before.
Students can anticipate completing at least one piece of Chinese calligraphy artwork per class. The contents of this work could be a selected Chinese poems or perhaps an ancient master’s quotation. Demonstration and plenty of personal attention will be provided during the class. This course is suitable for both beginners and advanced students.
With a maximum of 12 students in the class plenty of personal attention is guaranteed as well as clear demonstrations and instructions to help students develop their skills. Both beginners and advanced students are welcome in the class.
The cost is £100 for the 10 hour course which runs Tuesday evenings from 6pm-8pm from 23 January. There is a concession rate of £80, which is offered only to full time students. The fee includes all materials. A minimum of five students are required to ensure the class goes ahead.
To book download this Winter 2018 Half Term-Callig Reg Form then complete and return it to the Confucius Institute for Scotland with a cheque for the correct amount made out to the University of Edinburgh.
KEY INFORMATION
Course: Chinese Calligraphy Five Week Course
Date + TIme: Tuesdays Evenings 6pm-8pm 23, 30 Jan, 6, 13, 20 Feb.
Cost: £100 (£80) including all materials
Location: Confucius Institute for Scotland Campus, Abden House
China, Taiwan and Hong Kong @ Fringe 2017
Once again there is a wide array of artists, performers, and shows from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe. We highly recommend the first two listings (which are our own projects) but encourage you to scroll on through our date order listings to discover music, theatre, dance, puppetry, spoken word, circus and more – all bringing unique flavours from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to the Edinburgh International Fringe 2017.
Liu Zhenyun, winner of the Mao Dun prize for literature, will be in Edinburgh on 12th and 13th August. He will speak at the Book Festival at 12.15 on the 12th August about his novel I Did Not Kill my Husband. On Sunday the film of this book entitled I Am Not Madame Bovary will be shown at the Filmhouse at 14.30 following which there will be a Q&A with Liu. Bookings via Book Festival and Filmhouse.
From Shanghai with Love is a combined exhibition and fashion show. Discover elegant, enduring and evolving Qipao fashion, Shanghai Style, through the ages and into the future. Our exhibition features Qipao from 1840s-1940s. Our fashion show will feature contemporary and futuristic Qipao designs using the latest high tech materials and techniques, combining tradition with modernity.
25 Aug @ 18.00; 26 Aug @16.00 Venue 311, Playfair Library
ALL PERFORMANCES BELOW ARE LISTED IN DATE ORDER
A dark dynamic physical theatre piece from the National Theatre of China. With powerful visuals and almost no dialogue Luocha Land follows a central character through a world where the laws of good and evil have been reversed. The 12 strong cast blend elements of Chinese Nuo opera, puppetry and physical theatre with original music.
2-12 Aug@ 17.50 venue no 34 C Venues
Inspired by one of Pusongling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, The Cricket is a story of metamorphosis told as a classical dance drama. In the Ming dynasty and emperor obsessed with cricket fighting taxes his people heavily. A boy becomes a cricket to save his family.
2-19 August @ 14.35 Venue 34 C Venues
The Venerable Bird’s Eye View – a stunning cross-cultural performance without spoken language Three actors are transformed into birds and trapped within a cage – the human world. In this new life they must express their emotions and needs, and explore gender to forge a new, human identity. Artocrite Theatre create a multimedia experience bringing intense physical expression together with contemporary music. 2-10 Aug @ 22.10 venue no 41 C Venues c-primo
Taiwan Season: Ever Never In this theatre piece airport and airplane become vehicles where past and present collide; places of real and remembered, love and regrets, happiness and sadness, and loved ones and themselves. Following Co-coism’s guiding principle of cooperatively-devised theatre, Ever Never draws on the experiences of playwright Feng Chi-Chun and the rest of the creative team.
Aug 2, 4-6, 8-13,15-20, 22-27 @ 16.25 Venue 22 Dance Base
Taiwan Season: Heart of Darkness fuses instrument, voice, body, drama, ritual and environment with traditional and folk elements, symbolic objects and contemporary theatre to explore the inner self and attempts to understand women who are slowly forgotten. Long hair symbolises a woman’s pathway through life. Time shrinks in her shadow. Aspiration, expectation, fear, secrets & ambition lay hidden deep inside.
Aug 2-6, 8-13,15-20,22-27 @ 15.15 Venue 26 Summerhall
In Taiwan Season: The Backyard Story let your imagination run as the jackets, shirts, dresses and trousers make friends and form relationships, reflecting those between parents, children and others. Taiwan’s first black-light object theatre company, Puppet Beings Theatre, seek to summon back the innocence of childhood and inject fresh vitality into children’s theatre by using everyday items and combining the contemporary with traditional puppet arts.
Aug 2-6, 8-13,15-20,22-27 @ 11.45 Venue 26 Summerhall
Inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Peony Pavilion this vibrant production blends emotionally driven movement, a spine-tingling soundscape and striking visual storytelling to bring a new twist to these classic texts, performed by a Chinese cast. The Dreamer is an international collaboration between Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and Gecko, part of British Council’s 2016 Shakespeare Lives programme.
2-8 &10-15 Aug @ 13.30 venue no 33
China Goes Pop is an eye-popping, entertaining show direct from China, starring world-class acrobats, including Cirque du Soleil alumni. This story of an artist and his muse unfolds through dazzling acrobatics, martial arts, physical comedy, stunning video and costumes against a pop soundtrack. From the China Arts Entertainment Group.
3-27 August not Weds @ 16.20 Venue 35 Assembly Hall
Taiwan Season: 038 asks: ‘Where is home? What is home?’ Is it the ease we feel, seeing pictures on the projector screen and hearing tribal songs on the stereo? Or is it in the endless march of modernity? Contemporary but underpinned by traditional spirit, 038 reflects the anxieties and uncertainties of coming home in search of ourselves and our roots.
Aug 4-6, 8-13,15-20, 22-27 @ 15.15 Venue 22 Dance Base
Taiwan Season: Together Alone contemporary dance piece considers how we live together. Tasking ourselves to never let go of each other creates huge limitations. Tho’ only one couple the experience parallels society: how we deal with people, use use each other, collaborate. Sometimes we help , sometimes we are oppose; sometimes we need to negotiate.The relationship is always changing…nothing lasts forever.Aug 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-16, 18-20, 22-23, 25-27 @ 21.45 Venue 22
Blue Bird is a children’s show featuring shadows and classic physicality to a comedic, yet poetic adaptation of a forgotten Belgian tale. Impoverished siblings undertake a journey full of peculiar colourful characters to find a home for a blue bird. Under the direction of Paulie Caccamise, these Chinese middle school students perform a timeless story using classical theatre, shadow work, and Chinese cultural imagery. 4-6 Aug @ 10.30 Venue 39 theSpace on the Mile
After huge success in China, highly popular Oxygen Media brings Yayapa, a show for children to learn Chinese history and culture, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Time travel elements combined with ancient philosophical conflicts delivery comedy and history along with funny stories with audience interaction.
4-6 Aug @ 13.10 Venue 58 Space Triplex
Stories from China is a music and dance children’s show which brings you the essence of China: Beijing Opera, chorus, string orchestra, drama, traditional folk music and dance. Presented by talented Chinese teenagers, the show includes traditional costumes, musical instruments, hairstyles, and even an oriental dragon. Presented by Beijing Students Art Troupe 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 Aug @ 16.00 Venue 317
In this adaptation Macbeth will be performed in the style of a traditional Cantonese opera. Macbeth: Fringe of Cantonese Opera is from Zhuo Peili Cantonese Opera Studio. Combining the intrigue, jealously and deep levels of human emotions of Macbeth with one of China’s own most important art forms, this performance is must-see production.
7 & 8 August @ 12.00 venue no 7 New Town Theatre
The Story of China is a children’s show of music and dance from Beijing Students Art Troupe. Telling the story of China via opera, lingering melodies, traditional dance and martial arts this production presents an array of cultural treasures.
9 Aug @ 15.00 & 10 Aug @ 10.00 Venue 150 EICC
Little Shakespeare is big fun when two of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes are performed by fe nine to 16-year-old children from tChongqing Foreign Language School and Chongqing Renmin Primary School, each well known for their high standard of education and passion for theatre. A t family-friendly production, when superb young actors take on two iconic scenes in 40 minutes each.
9 &10 Aug @ 17.40 Venue 7 New Town Theatre
The Magical Trip of a Bead is a piece of new writing and musical theatre for children. Telling of a magical journey undertaken by three children, each with their own personality, who must complete a series of challenging trials. In this they are helped by objects including a glass slipper, and the witch’s mirror as well as by mythical Chinese characters, Nüwa and the Foolish Old Man. From Beijing Fengtai No 1 Primary School on 10 August @ 14.30 in Venue 150 EICC
The Hong Kong Three Sisters presents an adaptation of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters. During a run-through, one actor disappears. The rehearsal stops and dialogues between the director and the actors take place, revealing details of the other sides of the actors’ lives and the current scene in Hong Kong.Performed in Cantonese (English surtitles). 10-12 Aug @ 12.00 Venue 38 Space Triplex
Divine Melody from Chinese Fiddlers combines classic melody and innovative performance to show the charms of traditional Chinese music and dance. The programme include Chinese traditional music like Jubilance, Three and Six, Legend of Silk Road, Chinese traditional dance Girls Doing Paper-cut, and Classic Scottish Music played by traditional Chinese musical instruments.
11 Aug @ 15.00 Venue 150 EICC
2047 Apologue from talented director Zhang Yimou is a highlight of the first day of the Chinese Arts and Culture Festival. Combining Chinese folk arts with international technology creates a unique “concept performance”. The festival also features contemporary Chinese dance, Peking Opera, martial arts, folk dance and music along with an exhibition of Chinese painting, photography, tea art and calligraphy.
12 Aug @ 14.00 Venue 150 EICC; 13 Aug @ 13.30 Venue 150 EICC
Published in 1957, Teahouse is a masterpiece of modern Chinese drama. The narrative revolves around the Yutai teahouse in Beijing and the life experiences of shopkeeper Wang. Teahouse mirrors the social turmoil at three crucial moments in Chinese history from the twilight of the dynastic era to the dawn of the People’s Republic of China.
14-18 Aug @16.50 Venue 209 Greenside, Nicolson Square
This children’s musical theatre production tells the story of “Hua Mulan” who disguised herself as a man to take her father’s place among the recruits becoming a hero to the Chinese people and being awarded by the Emperor. The story has been told on the big screen in 1998 and 2004 by Disney. This production is brought to Edinburgh by Henan TV, Gahama Culture and Arts & Zhengzhou Linguaphone English Training.
14 Aug @ 14.00 Venue 150 EICC
‘I love this country, but who loves me?’ The play, Sink, is based on the true story of Lao She, a Chinese writer of great esteem, who, at one stage, was given the title of People’s Artist. However, this would all change during the cultural revolution as Lao She was deemed a reactionary and publicly humiliated. The production asks questions of freedom, identity, history and our own place and role in contemporary society. Aug 4-5, 7-12, 21-26 Times vary Venue 38 Space Triplex
My Journey through China sees Yi Dong makes her 16th annual return to Edinburgh. Part of 8th Glamour of Jasmine Chinese Arts Festival. She is one of the most celebrated international soloists of Chinese national musical instruments and one of the only five soloists who has given a recital in the Great Hall of the People. Venue 111 @ 12.30 and @ 14.30 on 20, 21, 22 August. St Andrew’s and St George’s West
Also at Venue 60 Canongate Kirk @ 19.00 on 18 August
Zheng Programme for Chinese Lovers’ Day Playing an instrument with over 2,500 years of recorded history, after some 100 public recitals in the UK, international classical Zheng performer Yi Dong, makes her 16th annual return to Edinburgh to ‘indulge us with a rich spa of the spirits and mind’ (China Xinhua News Agency), with music of love stories and poems from China. Historic concerto The Butterfly Lovers is featured 28 Aug @ 12.00 Venue 60 Canongate Kirk
8th Glamour of Jasmine Chinese Arts Festival sees three elegant women musicians from Suzhou, costumed in Whispering Lotus Chi-pao in concert on Chinese guqin, zheng, dizi and xiao (bamboo flutes) and pipa on the afternoon of Chinese Lovers’ Day. A fusion of Chinese poetry, music and fashion show of cheongsam.
28 Aug @ 19.00 Venue 60 Canongate Kirk
From Shanghai with Love: Fashion Show/Exhibition 24-25.08
After the sold-out success of 2017, Donghua Edinburgh Centre for Creative Industries is set to return Edinburgh Fringe this year. Join us in the stunning Playfair Library on either Friday 24th or Saturday 25th August for this combined exhibition and fashion show. Discover elegant, enduring and electrifying Qipao fashion, Shanghai Style, through the ages and into the future.
Our exhibition features Shanghai style Qipao from 1910s-1930s – when Shanghai was known as the Paris of the east. Our runway will feature contemporary and futuristic Qipao designs using the latest high tech materials and techniques, combining tradition with modernity.
There are only two opportunities to attend this event and exhibition Friday 24 August: 18.00 doors open 17.30 and Saturday 25 August 16.00 doors open 15.30. Tickets for Friday are almost gone! There are still tickets left for Saturday. Book yours now to avoid disappointment!
Visit our microsite here for more details here.
If you missed the show last year, here is a short video that was taken on the opening day, enjoy!
Venue
The venue for this unique event is the stunning Playfair Library. Doors will open 30 minutes before each show’s start time to allow viewing of the exhibition – or to try to secure front row seats!
A glass of fizz or a soft drink is included in the ticket price of only £8/£6. Audience members can view the exhibition both before and after the fashion show.
Bookings via the Fringe Box Office
Fringe Venue No 311:
Playfair Library, Old College Quad, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
Qipao: a widely worn one piece Chinese item of clothing featuring a mandarin collar. Origins of this item are widely disputed by academics but today most people recognise Qipao as based on the stylish and often tight fitting dress created in the 1920’s in Shanghai.
Liu Zhenyun: Book Festival and Filmhouse 12 & 13 Aug 2017
One of China’s foremost novelists, Liu Zhenyun, winner of the Mao Dun prize for Chinese fiction, will make two appearances in Edinburgh this August.
The first opportunity to hear from him is on the opening day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival 12th August at 12.15. Liu Zhenyun’s work reflects on aspects of China’s newly urbanised culture and his politically aware, satirical and darkly humourous writings have ensured his novels are widely translated. In an hour long conversation with Jenny Niven, Head of Literature, Creative Scotland, his latest novel ‘I Did Not Kill My Husband’ will be considered along with the tumultuous times in which we live.
For a different slant on this comic critique of the country’s one child policy, head to the Filmhouse to see a screening of the film of the book .On Sunday 13th August the early evening showing of the film, entitled ‘I Am Not Madame Bovary’ will be followed by a Q&A with Liu Zhenyun. To watch a short film clip here:
我不是潘金莲预告片 from CAHSS Webteam on Vimeo.
Bookings
The Book Festival programme is now available to book. For tickets for Liu Zhenyun at Sat 12th Aug at 12.15 please click here.
To book tickets for the special screening and Q&A session at the Filmhouse please book via the Filmhouse Box Office.
Biography
Liu Zhenyun was born in 1958 in Henan province. In 1973 he joined the People’s Liberation Army and spent five years in the Gobi desert. After graduating from Peking University where he first published work in campus journals, he himself suggests that his writing career really only started after he became a journalist. Novels and short stories which have been translated into English (and numerous other languages) include Tapu Township; Chicken Feathers Everywhere; Working Unit; Cell Phone; The Cook, the Crook and the Tycoon and most recently I Did Not Kill My Husband
Kunqu Opera performance10 June 2pm
The Scotland China Association which is now entering its 51st year is holding its AGM at Abden House on the morning of Saturday 10th June.
After the member’s lunch there will be a short performance of Kunqu Opera by Yanmei Wu, who is the co-founder of the Chinese Opera Association Scotland, will perform a short excerpt from the Peony Pavilion.
Kunqu – a Chinese musical theatre form that has been performed for over 600 years. Mu dan ting – The Peony Pavilion – was written in 1598 by the most renowned kunqu playwright Tang Xianzu.
Contemporary Chinese Fashion: 14 June 6pm
Dr Vera Bai is a graduate from Hong Kong Polytechnic University where she achieved her MA and PhD in the Institute of Textiles and Clothing. She is a lecturer in fashion design in Shanghai International College of Fashion, Donghua University. Prior to joining one of China’s leading Fashion Colleges, she worked in the Hong Kong fashion industry for two years before researching this topic. She is a member of the the Textile Institute (UK).
Dr Bai enjoys working in cross-disciplinary way combining fashion design, textile design, wearable electronics and interactive design. Her work is part of the permanent collection in the China Silk Museum
Her talk which is entitled ‘Contemporary Chinese Fashion Designers & Their Design Philosophy’ will take place in the Project Room, 50 George Square, EH8 9LH on Wednesday 14 June from 6pm. The talk will be followed by a Q&A and a networking drinks reception.
Dialogue with Emperor Qin’s Warriors: 3-30 June Summerhall
A stunning exhibition of 31 contemporary sculptures from Europe and China is on its way to Edinburgh. From 3-30 June 2017, Dialogue with Emperor Qin’s Warriors will be on display in Summerhall’s Church
Galleries in Hope Park Terrace. A few of the larger sculptures will be found around Summerhall with four sculptures in residence at Edinburgh Zoo.
Please visit our microsite for more information including images of all 31 sculptures.
Shanghai Story: Traditions and Modernity: 26 April 2pm
Join us on Wed 26th April at 2pm when we host a high profile cultural delegation from Shanghai who will present two very different aspects of Chinese culture.
Our first speaker, Shi Dawai will consider the tradition and evolution of Chinese painting arts over the centuries and the vision for its future development.
Our second speaker Wang Liping will reflect on societal norms exemplified today by young Chinese people to modern life, conflicts of ideas and concepts, passion and love – topics which form the basis of a prize-winning TV series she has written.
Biographies
Current President of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy and former president of the China Arts Museum, Mr Shi Dawai is one of the most important masters of Chinese painting in Shanghai. In addition to his many cultural posts such as vice Chair of the China Artist Association and chairmanship of Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, he is also a member of the CPPCC (the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) National Committee.
Mme. Wang Liping is a member of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee and a playwright of the Shanghai Film Group. She is also a hugely successful and prolific screenwriter who over the last two decades has developed some of the most popular series on Chinese TV, winning awards both at home and abroad. She also holds a number of high level posts in the industry including VIce President of the Shanghai Television Art Association.
Programme for the Afternoon- please note this event will be in Chinese with translation
13.30: Registration over tea & coffee
14.00: Welcome and opening remarks
14.15: The Traditions and Innovations of the Chinese Painting Art from Mr Shi Dawei
14.35: The Love of the Young Chinese in TV Series from Mme Wang Liping
15.00: Q & A session
15.30: Programme Ends
This visit has been organised by the Foreign Affairs Division of the General Office of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee.
Venue: St Leonard’s Hall, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Park Road, EH16 5AY
If you would like to attend please book via this link.
From Shore to Shore, Saigon Saigon, 8 June 7pm
Three stories, three lives, three journeys to find a place to call home. Join us for the Edinburgh leg of this nationwide site specific touring programme.
Cheung Wing is escaping from war, Mei Lan’s had enough of the potato peeler and Yi Di wants the impossible; her parents’ approval.
Award-winning writer, Mary Cooper, with multilingual collaborator, M.W. Sun, draws on real life stories from Chinese interviewees living in the UK to create a powerful new drama of love and loss, struggle and survival, performed alongside live music and great food.
Staged in Saigon Saigon restaurant, and accompanied a Chinese meal, From Shore to Shore features a cast of seven actor-musicians, and blends English, Mandarin and Cantonese to tell the stories of Chinese communities in the UK today.
The ticket price includes a selection of Chinese foods, rice and tea.
From Shore to Shore is presented by On The Wire in partnership with the Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds, The Confucius Institute for Scotland in the University of Edinburgh, and Saigon, Saigon restaurant.
The ticket price includes soup, an array of Chinese food, rice and tea. Please specify meat or vegetarian when booking.
Tickets are priced at £22.50/£17.50 and can be booked via the Traverse Theatre box office – or call 0131 228 1404.
Please speak to box office staff prior to booking if you have accessibility needs.
Chinese Silent Films, Bo’ness Hippodrome: 23 & 25 March
For the second year our Institute is supporting Hippfest – Scotland’s only festival 
dedicated to silent cinema with world-class music, red carpet glamour, and rarely-seen silent era films. Taking place in the retro surroundings of the Hippodrome, Bo’ness, the programme running on the afternoon of Thursday 23rd March focuses exclusively on China. Additionally, on Saturday 25th at 4.30pm, there will be a showing of The Goddess – a masterpiece of social realism.
Read on for more details or download the full programme for the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival 2017.
Thursday 23 March 2017: **Double Bill Offer**
Women in Chinese Silent Cinema 2pm-3.15pm
In this talk with screenings Prof. Paul Pickowicz will explore the golden age of Chinese silent cinema. The legendary actresses of the early Chinese film world dominated the silver screens of Shanghai and captivated the imaginations of the rapidly growing urban film audiences.
Accompanying the screenings selected by Paul will be Forrester Pyke, one of the most highly respected silent film accompanists in Scotland.
Around China with a Movie camera’ 4pm-5.10pm
This will be followed at 4pm with the first Scottish showing of ‘Around China with a Movie Camera’ from the British FIlm Archive. Featuring rare and beautiful travelogues, newsreels and home movies viewers are taken on a journey through time and across China. See Shanghai’s bustling, cosmopolitan Nanjing Road in 1900, and a day at the Shanghai races in 1937. Cruise Hangzhou’s picturesque canals and visit China’s remote villages in Hunan and Yunnan provinces. Made by British and French filmmakers – from professionals to intrepid tourists, colonial-era expatriates and missionaries – this programme explores fifty years of Chinese history and includes possibly the oldest surviving film to be shot in China, unseen for over 115 years.
Accompanying this silent film on piano will be Ruth Chan, who was commissioned by the BFI to compose the music for this programme. Ruth will introduce the screening and share her personal insight into her composition, the instruments used and the unique challenge of creating music for this extraordinary footage.
* DoUBLE BILL OFFER*
Call 01324 506850 to book these two events for only £10.00 inclusive of tea/coffee and cake! Or visit the website for full details of the Hippfest programme and to book online.
25 March 2017: The Goddess (Shen Nu) 4.30pm-5.45pm
A masterpiece of social realism featuring Chinese superstar Ruan Lingyu as a struggling mother who takes to prostitution on the streets of Shanghai in order to shelter her son from the corrupt city and give him a better chance in life.
This devastatingly beautiful and recently restored film was made by first time director/writer/designer Yonggang aged just 27-years-old, and draws its greatpower from the striking and subtle performance by Ruan. Ruan’s heartrending and sympathetic portrayal ofa self-sacrificing woman at the mercy of society’s hypocrisy was a sensation that was tragically echoed in her real-life. On the eve of her trial for adultery and after months of tabloid harassment Ruan killed herself, aged 24, just one year after the release of ‘The Goddess’.
Performing live to accompany this classic will be John Sweeney on piano
Director: Wu Yongang, 1934, 1hr 13m
With: Ruan Lungyu, Tian Jian, Zhang Zhizhi
Tickets: £9.50/£7.50
Call 01324 506850 to book your ticket or visit the website for full details of the Hippfest programme and to book online.
Four week Chinese Calligraphy Course Tuesday evenings from 10 October 2017
Discover the ancient art of calligraphy using the traditional Chinese brush and ink combination that has been in use for thousands of years.
The four week course starts on 10 Oct and runs to 7 Nov (no class on 24 Oct) and will be led by Chi Zhang, the Institute’s experienced calligraphy teacher. Students will be introduced to the materials of ink, brush, stone and paper, and initially common techniques will be introduced.
This 4 week course will start by introducing common techniques related to the Chinese soft brushes and ink. Students will also learn the basic strokes of Clerical Style (Li Shu). Clerical is a traditional artistic writing style dated back 2000 years ago and still widely used in signage and posters nowadays. This writing style is easier to learn and suitable for beginners.
Students can anticipate completing at least one piece of Chinese calligraphy artwork per class. The contents of this work could be a selected Chinese poems or perhaps an ancient master’s quotation. Demonstration and plenty of personal attention will be provided during the class. This course is suitable for both beginners and advanced students.
With a maximum of 12 students in the class plenty of personal attention is guaranteed as well as clear demonstrations and instructions to help students develop their skills. Both beginners and advanced students are welcome in the class.
The cost is £80 for the 8 hour course which runs Tuesday evenings from 6pm-8pm from 10 Oct There is a concession rate of £70. The fee includes all materials. A minimum of five students are required to ensure the class goes ahead.
To book and pay online please use the University ePay system. Alternatively download this Autumn 2017 Half Term-Callig Reg Form then complete and return it to the Confucius Institute for Scotland with a cheque for the correct amount made out to the University of Edinburgh.
KEY INFORMATION
Course: Chinese Calligraphy Four Week Course
Date + TIme: Tuesdays Evenings 6pm-8pm 10, 17 & 31 Oct and & 7 Nov (no class on 24 Oct)
Cost: £80 (£70) including all materials
Location: Confucius Institute for Scotland Campus, Abden House
Chinese Film Screening ‘The World’ – 24 March 2pm
Join us if you can for the regular programme of Chinese Films on Friday. All films screened have sub-titles. Viewing is from 2pm in the Screening Room, Room G04 at No 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LH
The next screening will be on Friday 24 March with ‘The World’ (Jia Zhangke, 2006) which scored 7.1/10 on IMDb and 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. Set in the World Park near Beijing, featuring lavish shows amidst replicas of some of the most famous monuments from across the globe, the film focuses on three workers in the park.
Our Free Films on Friday programme is curated by Chinese Studies senior lecturer Dr Julian Ward whose core specialism is in Chinese literature and film.
The University library holds more than 600 films spanning China’s 20th century film history which are available for loan to those who have a library card.
All welcome, no booking is required.
| Film | DATE |
|---|---|
| Yellow Earth (Chen Kaige, 1984) | Friday 20 January |
| Black Cannon Incident (Huang Jianxin, 1985) | Friday 27 January |
| Black Snow (Xie Fei, 1990) | Friday 3 February |
| Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1991) | Friday 10 February |
| Red Sorghum (Zhang Yimou, 1988) | Friday 17 February |
| Devils on the Doorstep(JIang Wen, 2000) | THURSDAY 23 February |
| Sacrificed Youth (Zhang Nuanxin, 1985) | CANCELLED |
| Dust in the Wind (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 1986) | Friday 3 March |
| In the Heat of the Sun (Jiang Wen, 1994) | Friday 10 March |
| In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000) | Friday 17 March |
| The World (Jia Zhangke, 2006) | Friday 24 March |
| A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke, 2013) | Friday 31 March |
| Black Coal Thin Ice (Diao Yi’nan 2014) | Friday 7 April |
Brush Painting:Bamboo & Trees 28 April-5 wks10.30-12.30
Below is information on the next Friday morning five week Brush Painting class running in April and May. On this 5 week course the focus will be on the painting of bamboo and trees.
This course runs every Friday morning from 28 April to 26 May 2017 from 10:30 – 12:30.
Bamboo has significant culture importance in China and other east Asian countries, being seen to represent good character as found in gentry and those of noble birth. The tradition of bamboo painting had been around for many centuries and some techniques have been used for over 1000 years.
The course will introduce the history of Chinese bamboo painting, then the common techniques relating to the use of Chinese soft brushes and ink.
Participants will have the option to select from a range of subjects demonstrated by the tutor, such as bamboo and trees.
As a student you can anticipate completing at least one Chinese artwork painting per class. Demonstration and plenty of personal attention will be provided during the class. This course is suitable for both beginners and advanced students.
There will be a maximum of 12 students in the class for which all materials are provided. The cost is £75 for 10 hours or £60 for concessions. Minimum enrolment of 6 is required to ensure the class goes ahead.
To secure your place on this enjoyable course please use the University’s ePay system or you can download this PDF Form which you will then need to complete and return to our office with a cheque made out to the University of Edinburgh for the appropriate amount. Cash payment can be made at the Institute in person.
If you have any questions please contact us on 0131 662 2180 or email info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk
Chinese Brush Painting – Birds and Flowers Jan 2018
In the winter term, apart from our regular evening calligraphy class, we will also run a 5 week day time Chinese brush painting class starts from 24 January 2018 from 10am – 12.30pm.
Birds and flowers painting were often used as decorative elements in pottery, appeared in screens and utensils. From Tang dynasty around the 8th and 9th centuries in China until today, Birds and flowers painting is a special school of Chinese brush paintings and it is widely popular for centuries.
This 5 week course will start with introducing the history of Chinese painting then the common techniques related to the Chinese soft brushes and ink. Participants will have the option to select from a range of subjects demonstrated by the tutor, such as crane, oriole, kingfisher, lotus flower, Chinese orchid etc.
Students can anticipate completing at least one piece of Chinese painting artwork per class. Demonstration and plenty of personal attention will be provided during the class. This course is suitable for both beginners and advanced students.
There will be a maximum of 12 students in the class for which all materials are provided. The cost is £125 for 12.5 hours or £100 for concessions, which is offered only to full time students. Minimum enrolment of 6 is required to ensure the class goes ahead.
To book a place on this rewarding course please book online or complete and return the registration form below along with your cheque payment made out to the University of Edinburgh. Cash payment can be made in person at the Institute office.
Registration form – Chinese Landscape Painting
China Quick-Fix Talk 19 Jan 2017 18.00 – Dr Bill Aitchison
Join us for this talk which considers a less visible aspect of China’s development. China Quick-Fix is a talk and slide show that offers a special opportunity to see a less well known side of China up close and in the company of artist Bill Aitchison.
Bill Aitchison has spent the last three years in China taking pictures of the sometimes ingenious, sometimes ramshackle, improvised repairs that are a feature of the Chinese urban landscape. He will provide insightful commentary which, starting from these humble quick-fixes using plastic bottles, coat hangers and pieces of cardboard, opens up into a discussion of contemporary China which connects documentary photography to craft techniques, generational politics, decision making processes, the status of public space, wealth distribution and recycling, to name but a few of the directions it shoots out in. Sympathetic to the creativity of quick-fixes, this talk is balanced between identifying positive features in them while never forgetting the problems that necessitate them in the first place.
The event will conclude with questions and discussion.
Bill Aitchison is an inter-disciplinary artist who divides his time between China and the UK. He has presented his performances, soundworks and videos in galleries, theatres and festivals in Europe, Asia, America, Australia and The Middle East. He holds a practice-based PhD from Goldsmiths College, has published critical, creative and journalistic texts in several countries, made several works for radio, regularly mentors creative projects and is currently setting up a performance studies strand at Nanjing University.
Where and When
This talk will take place on Thursday 19th January 2017 in the Project Room, 50 George Square, Edinburgh from 6pm. A drinks reception will follow.
Registration is required. Please book via this Eventbrite link