Seminars
ASSORTED INSIGHTS INTO THE SILK ROAD
March 2024, our guest speaker Li Qian shared untold stories behind the work of five renowned sinologists, based on her first-hand interviews with them. These anecdotes shed light on the lesser-known aspects of Silk Road archaeology research.
In addition, Li Qian elaborated on the findings of her Silk Road research project, offering remarkable detail and insightful observations. She also provided practical travel tips tailored specifically for cities along the route, with a particular focus on Dunhuang.
the starting point: Quan ZHou
The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics
The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics
Our member Bai shared her recent discovery at the pivotal origin of the ancient Maritime Silk Road in China's Fujian province. She presented a captivating and detailed account of her journey, delving into the rich tapestry of Quanzhou's food, culture, history, and religion.
The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics
The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics
The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics
Our host of March, Wang Jialu, presented an encyclopaedic work titled "The Golden Peach of Samarkand: a study of T'ang exotics.", a comprehensive Study of Tang Dynasty Silk Road. The book explores how many everyday objects we use today were introduced into China from the Western Regions along the ancient Silk Road over thirteen hundred years ago during the Tang Dynasty. These items have since become integral parts of our culture, cuisine, and way of life.
hormones and the balance
Our multi-field researcher Nancy, and Fei, who works in the NHS, both have been doing scientific research on hormones symptoms related health risks. They gave us a talk about three hormones: Sexual hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), stress hormones (cortisol) and blood sugar hormones (insulin). Further more, they advised us on how to manage and optimize the balance of sexual hormones.
BBC: China’s Greatest Poet DU FU
"Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet" is a 58-minute documentary released by the BBC. In the documentary, the host Michael Wood not only traces the turbulent life of the "Poetic Saint", but also follows his footsteps and retraces the path he took - Xi'an (Chang'an), Chengdu, Changsha... Wood uses a British perspective, with his questions, he tries to find "Du Fu" in China, which is changing with each passing day. The BBC also invited British actor Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings," to read in English 15 poems and articles translated from Du Fu.
Seminar about DuFu
January 2024, Associate Producer Tina Li shared with us her interesting experiences of working through the production of the BBC DU FU documentary, as well as many first-hand details behind the scenes. Yanyu shared her thoughts on the academic monographs Commentary and Biography of Du Fu by Yixin Chen.