Chinese Literature Week 2018

A group photo of the attendees during the opening ceremony

UTAR Chinese Literature Week 2018 (CLW2018) – Qian Su (第二届拉曼大学文学周“千溯”) was held at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Kampar Campus from 17 to 21 March 2018.

CLW2018 aimed to promote literary creation, improve the campus’ literary atmosphere and provide a valued platform for lovers of literature to share and exchange their thoughts. It was organised by the Chinese Studies Society of Kampar Campus (CSS) and supervised by the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS). The five-day event successfully attracted more than 1,600 participants from within and outside the campus.

The guests assembling the “Qian Su” puzzle pieces 

Declaration of the opening ceremony

Present were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, ICS Dean Assoc Prof Dr Chong Siou Wei, Kampar Campus’ Head of Chinese Studies Department-cum-CSS Advisor Toh Teong Chuan, CLW2018 Advisors Dr Lee Soo Chee and Yau Ai Ping, Head of Sinology Unit Dr Tan Beng Piou, Representative from Student Representative Council (SRC) Ng Shi Ting, and Organising Chairperson Ku Wan Syuen.

Ku thanking all the parties for their support and advice

In her welcoming remarks, Ku said, “I would like to thank ICS and Department of Student Affairs (DSA) for their support and advice, also for the cooperation and teamwork from our committee members and helpers who made the second UTAR Chinese Literature Week a rousing success.”

She added, “Chinese Literature Week provides us with an opportunity to convey and inherit the literary spirit. It is also a special occasion to connect literature lovers from a different background. We hope that the attendees will enjoy the activities we have arranged and listen to the messages that we would like to convey.”

Yau (left) presenting a token appreciation to Dr Chong

Dr Chong said, “The Chinese classical literature carries the essence of the Chinese culture. It is the spiritual outlook of a former literati and is worthy of our understanding. This event allows us to introduce the Chinese classical literature to the non-ICS students through these literary activities. It provides an opportunity for them to understand the beauty of Chinese classical literature. We hope the CLW2018 will aid in the cultivation of the literary atmosphere and the promotion of cultural activities in Kampar, as a give-back to the community. Besides that, we should also rethink how to popularise and disseminate literature through electronic technology in order to adapt to the current changes in learning and knowledge dissemination.”

He added, “Literature provides a safe haven for our souls and a good literary work allows us to see the world from a different perspective and understand ourselves better. At the same time, it also nurtures our sensitivity and observation ability. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parties for supporting the second UTAR National Varsity Chinese Writers Prize Awards, and I hope all the prize winners will continue to hone their talents by participating in other literary competitions in the future.”

Prof Choong thanked CSS for organising the extraordinary event and said, “Besides focusing on students’ academic performances, the University also encourages them to participate in extra-curricular activities and develop their personal leadership and communication skills which can never be replaced by the machines.”

He added, “Previously, I received some visitors from the arts and cultural group of the Liaoning Province. They truly admired UTAR for its rich cultural atmosphere and the inheritance of Chinese culture in the campus. Also, the Mencius Institute that is located in the ICS Kampar Campus, which is uncommon in China.” He also wished that the CLW2018 will become a significant event for the University and will continue to progress even further.

One of the highlights of the opening ceremony was the music video of CLW2018’s theme song— “Qian Shu” and live singing performance by Chinese Studies student Ong Yee Teng. The activities in CLW2018 included UTAR National Varsity Chinese Writers Prize Awards Ceremony, talks, film sharing, artistic concerts, exhibitions, workshops and a book fair. The Chinese classical literature exhibition, divided into four dynasties, namely Han, Tang, Song and Yuan, showcased the literary and artistic works elaborated by the CLW2018’s committees. The guest speakers for the literary talks were Mahua Literature writers Zhou Ruo Peng, Liang Jing Fen and Bing Gu. 

Performance by UTAR Chinese Orchestra during the opening ceremony

The Chinese traditional dance performance

Students reading the Chinese classical literature - Cao Zhi’s (曹植) “Ode to the Nymph of the River Luo (洛神赋)” and Sima Xiangru’s (司马相如) “Feng Qiu Huang (凤求凰)” at the exhibition

The CLW2018 saw more than 1,600 participants

Tea art corner

Four Treasures of the study (文房四宝) corner

Group photo of the facilitators and participants for the Hanfu workshop

A dancing performance by the committee members

A catwalk performance in Chinese traditional customs

The end of CLW2018