Recapping the Chiu Chin Yin Fund Visiting Scholar: Public Lectures by Prof. Hsing I-Tien

With the support of the Chiu Chin Yin Fund, Prof. HSING I-tien, Academician of Academia Sinica and one of the most accomplished academics in the field of early China studies, was invited by the Department to be the keynote speaker of the Public Lectures for the Chiu Chin Yin Fund Visiting Scholar. The two lectures were well received by CUHK teachers, students and the general public.

The first lecture, entitled “The Plebeians and the Beacon Commanders: Rethinking the Literacy of Local Societies in Ancient China” (平民與邊塞隧長：對中國古代基層社會讀寫能力的再思) was held on 4 March 2019. According to Prof. HSING, there is still a great debate on this key issue. One of the mainstream opinions suggests that the literacy of plebeians was relatively low in the Qin-Han period (3rd century B.C.E.-3rd century C.E.) and common people of local societies within the empire generally lacked the capability of reading and writing. In terms of imperial offices, official documents could only be sent down to a certain level. Yet the opposite view believes that Qi-Han society was a learning society that provided many establishments to make the plebeians educated. Both points were supported by some texts from official historical records and unearthed manuscripts. However, Prof. HSING found that it was difficult to draw a clear and comprehensive conclusion at the moment, as it would need to face challenges posed by time and geospatial differences. Furthermore, the possibility of ghostwriting would also set an easy trap for an erroneous judgement.

Based on frontier administrative documents that were relatively rigorous and precise, Prof. HSING believed that some of the low-ranking officials who were selected from local societies to serve at the imperial frontier such as suizhang (beacon commanders), were fully capable of handling paperwork. Meanwhile, the government compiled statistics and administered based on clear and rigorous records, mobilising the talent in local societies who were literate. At the same time, low-ranking officials were able to develop the ability to handle paperwork through learning while in office. Lastly, Prof. HSING provided some thoughts for reflection, such as education methods for literary, and the relationship between the discovery of books in bamboo and wooden slips and the cultural expansion in Hexi during the Han Dynasty. On the other hand, Prof. HSING emphasised the social value of people recognising again listening and speaking while understanding literacy in ancient society.

The second lecture, entitled “Visibility of Politics: Yishou (seal ribbons) and Pannang (seal pockets) in Han Dynasty” (從可視性角度談漢代的印綬與鞶囊) was given on 8 March 2019. The talk began with Prof. HSING’s reflections on the traditional approach to the study of political institutions, which mainly relied on written materials and failed to pay sufficient attention to the “visibility” of artifacts and pictorial materials. However, since the stability and continuance of an institution to a greater extent could only be clarified and highlighted by relying on tangible symbols (including both script and non-script ones). Prof. HSING thus believed that the “visibility” had to be considered as an invaluable role when discussing a specific political institution.

During the Han period, yinshou (seal ribbons) and pannang (seal pockets) were regarded by Prof. HSING as two excellent mediums for discussing political visibility. Since official seals that stood for imperial authority were rather small in size, it required ribbons and pockets to enhance the expression of political power that the seals were supposed to possess. Meanwhile, the “visibility” reflected by the colours of ribbons and the forms of pockets had to be understood from the perspective of stability and highlighting power relationships. According to Prof. HSING, open display of officials’ political identity and status and the political order with these visible decorations could be an official requirement in Han society.

Recapping the “Lecture Series by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Scholars” held on 6 March 2019

Prof. WU Wenling from the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was invited by the Office of Academic Link (China) and the Department to deliver a lecture entitled “Contracts in the Han Bamboo and Wooden Slips” (漢代簡牘中的契約文書) on 6 March 2019.

Prof. WU has worked on the history of Qin-Han period for many years, specialising in the study of bamboo and wooden-strip. In this lecture, she focused on several typical contractual documents from the Han Dynasty such as buying and selling, lending, wills and partnerships. In particular, she offered new solutions to controversial interpretations. She also introduced various material forms of Han contracts such as contract splitting, tooth carving and wine, and contract making ceremonies, as well as making further observations on the relationship between contracts and the Han society.

Academic Seminar

Academic Seminar

Public Lectures on History and Business in China 2018–19

Public Lectures on History and Business in China 2018-19 will be held in March 2019. Professor Jean-François HUCHET, Professor of Economics and Vice-President for Research of National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisation (INALCO), has been invited as the guest speaker to deliver two public lectures.

Lectures will be conducted in English.

Admission is free; reservation is required. To reserve a seat, please
– Register online at www.history.cuhk.edu.hk/Event/2019_HBC/
– Call at 3943 8541

For more information, please visit www.history.cuhk.edu.hk/Event/2019_HBC/ or www.hkpl.gov.hk

Organisers: Department of History, CUHK; Centre for Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; MA Programme in Comparative and Public History, Department of History, CUHK; Hong Kong Public Libraries, Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Sponsor: Eminence History Department Fund, CUHK

Academic Seminar

Reservation is required. To reserve a seat, please register online at www.cuhk.edu.hk/adm/taster-fair

Organisers: Department of History, CUHK; Leung Po Chuen Research Centre for Hong Kong History and Humanities, Research Institute for the Humanities, CUHK

Academic Seminar

Workshops for the First-Year RPg Students 2018-19

Date: 29 March 2019 (Friday)
Time: 9:30am–12:30pm
Venue: Room 101, 1/F, Fung King Hey Building, CUHK
Moderator: CHEUNG Ka Lok

Date: 12 April 2019 (Friday)
Time: 9:30am-12:30pm
Venue: Room 101, 1/F, Fung King Hey Building, CUHK
Moderator: WANG Jiayao

Date: 12 April 2019 (Friday)
Time: 2:30pm-5:30pm
Venue: Room 101, 1/F, Fung King Hey Building, CUHK
Moderator: WANG Jiayao

For enquiry, please call 3943 8541.

For teachers and students who have information to share with the Department,
please email your articles in both Chinese and English to chanfiona@cuhk.edu.hk by 4:00pm every Tuesday.