Prof Xu Zidong receives the title of Senior Lingnan Scholar from President Qin.
The ceremony was officiated by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, who extended a warm welcome to Prof Xu, stating “Prof Xu Zidong has long been a distinguished member of Lingnan University’s Department of Chinese, where his systematic and pioneering research in the field of modern Chinese literature has yielded valuable scholarly contributions. His return to Lingnan is not only a source of renewed vitality for the University’s humanities research, but also a profound inspiration for our students. With his broad literary vision, profound literary accomplishments, and wealth of experience, Prof Xu will cultivate students’ capacity for critical thinking and creativity while expanding their cultural horizons and global outlook.”
President Qin noted that Prof Xu’s appointment brings greater scope and strength to LUIAS in the realms of literary research and cultural studies, and that several LUIAS scholars have recently been named among the world’s top 2% of scientists by Stanford University, a fine testament to the international recognition accorded to Lingnan academics and to the University’s increasing international success. Looking ahead, Lingnan will continue to invite leading scholars from around the world to join LUIAS, stimulating innovative and interdisciplinary research in order to fortify the University's growing strengths in both the arts and sciences, while cultivating research-oriented liberal arts talent with broad interdisciplinary perspectives.
After the conferment ceremony, Prof Xu’s lecture gave an in-depth analysis of two interesting subjects of recent academic debate: the value of Chinese literature from the 1950s to the 1970s, and the identification of the true beginning of modern Chinese literature. He pointed out that traditional perspectives often regard the La Jeunesse (1917) as its origin, but a historical perspective reveals earlier contenders, such as Liang Qichao’s Novel Revolution, the four great late Qing novels, Han Bangqing’s The Shanghai Marvel (1892), and even Yang Tingyun’s works from the late Ming dynasty (1635), all of which may be considered starting points. Prof Xu argued that defining the origin of modern Chinese literature is not merely a matter of timing or definition, but also related to its role and value in society and history, prompting the audience to reflect on the relationship between literature and its era.
Prof Xu also spoke of his decades of academic research, and his recently completed book The Collected Works of Xu Zidong, which covers his extensive research in modern and contemporary Chinese literature, and features critical studies of modern authors, academic papers, thematic research, literary historical discussions, autobiographies, and media commentary. It guides readers toward a holistic understanding of the evolution of Chinese literature and culture, encouraging a re-examination of the value and significance of modern Chinese literature.
The collection delves into the historical context and social realities behind literary works, from Yu Dafu’s romanticism to Eileen Chang’sexplorations of love and war, and from a rereading of Lu Xun to analyses of contemporary novels. Reading about these key moments in a century of Chinese literature shows the interaction between literature and society as Prof Xu shifts his focus from author to textual studies. Through his own cross-disciplinary perspective, he explores the era in fiction, construction, and deconstruction, reflecting on history, examining reality, and envisioning the future to craft an alternative literary history for the contemporary age.
Following the lecture, attendees met Prof Xu at a lively and enjoyable book signing.
Prof Xu Zidong is a renowned scholar of modern Chinese literature who was Professor and Head of the Department of Chinese at Lingnan University, and is now the Zijiang Distinguished Visiting Professor at East China Normal University and an Honorary Professor of the School of Chinese at the University of Hong Kong. Beyond academia, he has gained prominence as a cultural commentator on TV programmes such as Behind the Headlines with Wen Tao, Round Table, and Letters Alive. His major works include New Perspectives on Yu Dafu, Impressions of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Notes on Contemporary Chinese Fiction, The Collective Memory to Disremember: An Interpretation of Fifty Works of Contemporary Chinese Fiction Related to the Cultural Revolution, Contemporary Chinese Fiction and Collective Memory: Narrating the Cultural Revolution, Outcry and Gossip, Eileen Chang and the History of Modern Chinese Literary, On Hong Kong Short Stories, Selected Works of Xu Zidong, Xu Zidong’s Lecture on Modern Chinese Literature in three volumes, A Close Reading on Eileen Chang, Re-reading 20th-Century Chinese Fiction, and The Collected Works of Xu Zidong. His publications and essays have received numerous domestic and international awards, confirming his considerable influence in both academic and cultural spheres.
