In this second episode of “Simplicity in Complexity,” Dr. Gabriel Chai introduces a Wang Jingwei poem composed during his two-month journey from Shanghai to attend the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. China participated at the conference as a victorious nation and hoped to regain its rights and interests in Shandong, but was opposed by the other Allied powers. Wang’s poetic verse reflects his sentiments during the long journey to attend the Conference as a private citizen, contributing whatever he could on China’s behalf. The vivid imagery in his poem captures the mood in stark contrast to the dry reports that followed the Conference.

Click to watch the entire “Simplicity in Complexity” series. Read the poem on pages 33-34 in Wang Jingwe Poetry’s and also digitally.