On July 6th, the SCU sponsored international symposium on Chinese pop culture and the publication ceremony of Xiangchu Academic Collection ( Mr. Chu Xiang is the author ) was held in Chengdu. Among the scholars and leaders present at the symposium were President Yanrong Li of Sichuan University; distinguished liberal arts professor Chu Xiang; SCU vice president Shijing Yan; Party Secretary Yi Jiang of Sichuan Provincial Social Science Federation; Jun Xu, general manager of Zhonghua Book Company; director of Academic Committee of China Institute of Popular Culture; Yongquan Zhang, a senior professor of Zhejiang University, and more than 100 experts and scholars from over 50 universities and research institutes at home and abroad, including the United States, Japan, Germany and India.
In his opening address, Yanrong Li extended his congratulations on the convening of this symposium as well as the publication of Xiangchu Academic Collection. He said that pop culture is an important component of excellent Chinese traditional culture and plays a significant role in carrying on the ethnic spirit and reflecting the aesthetics of the masses. The study of Chinese folk culture is not only of great academic value, but also of great historical and practical significance. Over the past 123 years of education, Sichuan University has accumulated profound humanistic connotations, given rise to a humanistic school represented by the new Shu culture study and produced a large number of scholars. Mr. Chu Xiang is a banner for the pop culture study and Dunhuang Studies at Sichuan University. On the occasion of Mr. Xiang’s eightieth birthday, Chuxiang Academic Collection has been published. The book is a masterpiece of pop culture studies at Sichuan University, and will definitely promote the development of liberal arts and humanities at Sichuan University
Mr. Jun Xu, on behalf of Zhonghua Book Company, congratulated the symposium and the publication of Xiangchu Academic Collection. He said that Mr. Chu Xiang is not only an outstanding professor of liberal arts in Sichuan University, but also a world famous linguist, philologist, literary historian, scholar of Dunhuang Studies and Buddhism.Xiangchu Academic Collection is a landmark book of Zhonghua Book Company. Spanning six years of compiling and proofreading, this collection consists of 11 volumes and 5 million words of Mr. Chu Xiang's academic research. These works are of great academic significance, and its excellent editing and proofreading work can be regarded as a benchmark for compilation and publication.
Being a student of Mr. Chu Xiang, Yongquan Zhang expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards Sichuan University and all the teachers for their help and support during his studies at the University. He congratulated them upon the publication of Chuxiang Academic Collection. He said that it is the greatest luck in life for a student to meet a good teacher at school. I am very fortunate to have studied under Mr. Xiang Chu as a doctoral student, and have received intensive teaching and warm care from teachers and the university. I am indebted to the doctoral study at Sichuan University for my academic achievements.
Yi Jiang, Shijing Yan and Jun Xu unveil the collection at the opening ceremony.
Mr. Chu Xiang shared his academic life with the participants with "gratitude" and “touching memories”. He said that the 1980s was an exciting era. Chinese academics were re-constructing in a difficult environment. Opportunities and challenges coexisted. As a newcomer to the academic circle, I began my academic pursuit under the guidance of master scholars at Sichuan University. With their support and help, I made research findings one after another. My heart is filled with gratitude and touching stories when I look back nowadays. He further indicated that he would attribute his academic achievements to Mr. Wentong Meng, Mr. Zhongshu Xu, Mr. Yue Miao, Mr. Shizhao Pang and Mr. Mingzhao Yang, among others. He hoped that SCU liberal arts would continue to grow and develop to a new high in the new era.
It is reported that the two-day symposium will focus on themes of Dunhuang studies, Chinese popular literature, popular beliefs, and popular language. The symposium will facilitate the exchange of ideas, and promote the study of Chinese popular culture.
