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Mr. Gao Xiang, the Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Dean of the Chinese Academy of History, led a delegation to visit the University of Macau (UM) on 26 May 2021. The delegation was warmly received by the Rector of the UM, Prof. Song Yonghua. During the visit, the delegation visited the Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC) of the University of Macau at Cultural Building.

Prof. Zhu Shoutong, Director of the CCHC, reported the work content of the centre to the delegation, mainly from the establishment of the centre, the working principle of the centre, and the five constructions in the centre (activity promotion centre, education and training centre, academic exchange centre, academic research centre, publicity and publication centre). And the centre has achieved fruitful results throughout the four years since it has been established. In the end, Prof. Zhu Shoutong summed it up with the sentence “the relationship between homogenization, homochromization, and also specialization and popularization”.

Prof. Lam Iok-fong, Director of the Centre for Macau Studies (CMS), also introduced the contents of work and the books published by the CMS. The centre’s mission is to promote interdisciplinary research in Macao. In different historical periods, Macao has adjusted its goals in response to the development. In recent years, China has put forward the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, and Macao has entered a new stage of history. The future of Macao has a closer relationship with national policies.

After the visit, the CCHC and the CASS exchanged souvenirs. In addition, the UM and CASS held an exchange ceremony for the cooperation agreement between the two universities in Cultural Building, confirming that UM and CASS will jointly implement the “Student Recommendation Enrollment Plan Agreement” and the “Student Exchange Agreement”.

In addition, the delegation from the CASS also visited the “Signature Wonders” exhibition organized by the CCHC and the library. Accompanied by the UM Rector, Prof. Song Yonghua, the University Librarian, Dr.. Wu Jianzhong, and the Director of the CCHC, Prof. Zhu Shoutong. Mr. Gao Xiang, the Dean of the Chinese Academy of History, showed great interest in the exhibition and evaluated highly of the value of the exhibits.

On 14 May, 2021, the Centre for Chinese History and Culture staff visited the “National Security Education Exhibition” jointly organized by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR. The exhibition was held from 15 April to 16 May in the exhibition hall of the Commercial Cooperation Service Platform Complex between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.

The exhibition was divided into four parts, including “National Security under major changes unseen in a century”, “Adhering to the overall national security concept to build a general security pattern”, “Maintain national security and ensure the stability of ‘One Country, Two System’” and “The responsibility of the people for national security”. The exhibition focused on the remarkable journey of the country and Macao over the past year, the national people’s concerted efforts to fight the epidemic, and the latest progress of the country and Macao in improving the national security system through refined text, over 400 pictures and nearly 20 videos.

Through this exhibition, the Centre for Chinese History and Culture staff have a better comprehension of national security and the responsibility of the citizens. Meanwhile, they have a deeper understanding of the wisdom and experience of the country in fighting the epidemic, witness the Chinese spirit in epidemic prevention and control, and see the latest progress of the country and Macao in improving the national security system.

Prof. Pan Gongkai, a well-known artist and former dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, visited the Centre for Chinese History and Culture

Prof. Pan Gongkai, a well-known artist and former dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, visited the Centre for Chinese History and Culture on April 15^th ,2021 and held a humanities lecture at the lecture hall of Cultural Building. Prof. Pan was warmly received by Vice Rector Kee-long SO, Interim dean of  Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof. Xu Jie, director of the Department of Portuguese Prof. Yao Jingming, director of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Prof.  Wang Qingjie , and director of the Centre for Arts and Design Prof.  Lampo Leong. The director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture Prof. Zhu Shoutong introduced to Professor Pan the situation of the centre’s compilation of the “A Century of Chinese New Culture” series.

CCHC Director Prof. Zhu Shoutong Participated in the Online Outstanding Scholars Lecture of Chinese Culture and Religion held by Confucius Institute of Hong Kong

On April 12, 2021, the Confucius Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a lecture on the experience and challenges of The Story of the Stone in English through the online platform. The lecture invited Mr Pai Hsien-Yung and Ms. Chan Egan, the co-authors of The Story of the Stone – A Chapter-by-chapter Guide and Professor Zhu Shoutong, director of the Centre of Chinese History and Culture, University of Macau. The lecture attracted more than 300 people to watch, including undergraduates from the University of Macau, and other scholars and students from four places across the strait, referring to China’s mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

Ms. Chan shared her experience with Mr Pai and her knowledge of The Story of the Stone. She has studied the Chinese and English versions of The Story of the Stone many times, but she did not fully understand the book until after reading the guide by Mr Pai. In addition, Ms Chan talked about the challenges encountered in writing the English guide of the book, such as the translation of the names of characters.

Ms. Chan Egan

Mr. Pai firstly reviewed the history he had met with Professor Zhu more than 30 years ago and his contacts with Professor Chan and his wife for nearly half a century. He said that he was very happy to discuss his favorite book The Story of the Stone with two old friends. Mr. Pai considered it as the Mount Everest in literature. Later, he shared his teaching experience at National Taiwan University. He spent three semesters analyzing the book in detail for the students and taught them his lifelong study and experience on the book.

Mr Pai Hsien-Yung

Professor Zhu highly praised Mr Pai’s promotion of The Story of the Stone as an outstanding contemporary writer. He believed that one of the important ways for a national classic to spread should be the interpretation of the national classics by outstanding writers and a contemporary interpretation. Professor Zhu called on the Chinese Reading Festival to attach importance to such literary and cultural phenomena. Professor Zhu also put forward some topics for discussion on the translation of names in The Story of the Stone and the annotations in it by Mr Pai and others.

Professor Zhu Shoutong

Professor Zhu further asked Mr. Pai if he would continue to work hard on this marvellous book after he has done great work like Pai Hsien-Yung Explains the Story of the Stone and The Story of the Stone – A Chapter-by-chapter Guide. Mr Pai answered with great interest that The Story of the Stone is such a great work that one cannot finish reading or analyzing it. Mr Pai said sincerely that for his lifelong work on it, he could only understand about 80 per cent of the book, which is not bad. As an outstanding writer, Mr Pai treated Chinese literary classics with such a modest attitude, which left a deep impression on readers and listeners.

Lecture host