We are pleased to announce a new series of programs on our YouTube Channel. Hosted by the Director of the Society of Hong Kong History, Gabriel Chai (PhD. New Asia Institute of Advanced Chinese Studies), the series delves into the complexities of Wang Jingwei’s works using simple language, with the goal to further the understanding of Wang Jingwei as a person.
The first program in the series focuses on the poem “On Double Ninth-Day I visit Xishiyan,” which Wang wrote when he was 14 years-old, one day after his father’s passing. A testament to the emotions he felt for both of his parents, the poem is the first entry in Wang’s poetry collection Shuangzhaolou Shicigao. Dr. Chai points out how the poem illustrates Wang’s extraordinary ability as a poet:
I suggest that Wang’s poem is likely influenced by Wang Wei’s “On Double-Ninth Day Thinking of my Brothers at Home.” Wang used Double-Ninth Day as a theme in several poems… Besides, as a Cantonese, his ability to grasp level and oblique tones was naturally superior, which was very useful for his poetic creations.GABRIEL CHAI
Click to watch the entire “Simplicity in Complexity” series. Wang Jingwei’s “On Double Ninth-Day I visit Xishiyan” can be found in Wang Jingwei Poetry along with his handwritten manuscript. Don’t miss it!
