RAS 2013 October Newsletter - Royal Asiatic Society in Shanghai

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013NEWSLETTERRoyal Asiatic Society ChinaOCTOBER 2013LECTURES & WEEKENDERSTue 15 th Oct – Julie ChunContemporary Chinese ArtThe Society provides a forum for thedevelopment and expression of interests andexpertise from within the local community, andfrom around the globe, to inspire and to enrichcultural life in Shanghai and beyond.Sun 27 th Oct– Liliane WillensEyewitness: Life in Shanghai during JapaneseOccupation, Civil War and Establishment of PRC(1949-1951)FOCUS GROUPSBook Club: Monday 21 st OctSu Tong “Boat to Redemption”Film Club: Sunday 27 th OctIntroduction to Chinese Silent FilmsStudy Group: Monday 14 th & 28 th OctFORTHCOMINGSat 9 th Nov – Nicolas GrevotTaiwanese Aborigines7pm Tuesday 26 th Nov - AGMPresident Katy Gow with Dr Greg Leck and newlyappointed Hon Programme Director Susie Gordon afterGreg’s presentation at the Glamour Bar, 14 th Sept.For full details and updates of all our eventsplease visit our websiteCopy deadline for next newsletter 20 th of next monthThe Royal Asiatic Society China is a branch of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013A Note from our PresidentI trust you all enjoyed Mid-Autumn Festival and the OctoberNational Holiday, at least it is now cooler than the heat of theShanghai summer. I can tell you that during the hot months,RAS China was administered from four continents, as membersspent time at home or holidaying abroad, but always near acomputer to make sure that RAS matters were being addressedand that the Autumn schedule was in place. You can read aboutall of our activities, both in Shanghai and Beijing, later in thenewsletter.The October Council meeting welcomed Neil Schmid, who has very kindly agreed to step into the role of HonoraryJournal Editor. This is perfect timing now that the 2013 edition has been published. Similarly, Susie Gordon, who isalready a Council member and very active at our events, has now taken over as Honorary Programme Director. Bothwere unanimously co-opted to Council and we are most grateful to them for agreeing to take on these important roles,further strengthening our aims and objectives. I know that both Neil and Susie will be very pleased to hear aboutsuggestions for forthcoming articles or speakers, so do get in touch at: editor@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn orprogramme@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn respectively.Many of you have now collected your copy of the new 2013 Journal. These will be available at RAS events and at theRAS Library. Extra copies can be purchased for 80 rmb.As Susie mentions below, September was a very successful month and I would especially like to thank Dr Greg Leck,Sven Serrano and Dr Betty Barr, for their expert contributions to the Shanghai Programme. Also to all those in Beijingfor such tremendous progress and putting RAS firmly on the map in that part of China.I am very much looking forward to Liliane Willens presentation. It was four years ago this month that I attendedLiliane’s previous lecture at the Glamour Bar, this was my first RAS event from which I then became involved onCouncil. I knew that the Royal Asiatic Society was something that I wanted to belong to and help grow. I hope thatsome of you will be similarly inspired to offer your support at our forthcoming Annual General meeting at the end ofNovember. This is the time when members have the opportunity of standing for office. We are grateful that someCouncil members are willing to stand for a further year, thus offering continuity, but there are those who will bestepping down and we do need new Council members to offer expertise and support. Full details are given below, soplease do consider helping… and not just as a Council member, but also with other aspects of RAS China. If you wouldlike to know more, please speak to our Honorary Secretary, one of our Council members, or myself.I would particularly like to mention two RAS members who have now left Shanghai and returned to their home inGermany. Anja and Hanno Hessmer attended manylectures and focus group events. Anja helped withthe new RAS Library, cataloguing many of the booksand Hanno ran the Film Club during the summermonths , they will be greatly missed and we thankthem for their friendship and assistance during theirtime in Shanghai and send them all good wishes forthe future.We hope to see many of you at the newly housedRAS Library (pictured here) and forthcoming events.Katy Gow2

36 th ANNUAL GENERALMEETING26 th November 2013RAS Library – 7pmWe will be holding our AGM at theend of November. Some of ourOfficers and Council members willbe standing again and others will bestepping down. We are now lookingfor new members to join us and helpto take forward our Society.CALL for NOMINATIONSfor COUNCIL positionsALL POSTS are available fornomination – see descriptionsopposite. Council members arerequired to attend approximatelyseven Council meetings a year -noneduring July to last week of August, aswell as a number of scheduled events.Nominees should email their name,RAS membership number andpersonal statement (max 200 words)on or before Wednesday, 23 rdOctober 2013, to the Hon Secretary,putting “RAS NOMINATION” inthe subject box:secretary@royalasiaticsociety.org.cnPlease consider standing for Councilas we do require new members tojoin and thereby help sustain andcontinue our programme of eventsand activities. It is important also tohave fresh ideas and new impetusfrom members. Please speak to anyCouncil member if you are interestedor want to know more, or e-mail theHon. Secretary for furtherinformation. Members will beinformed of the names of allNominees (including their personalstatements) together with the AGMAgenda, to be circulated at least twoweeks prior to the AGM.Patricia LambertHon SecretaryROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY CHINAOFFICERS and COUNCIL MEMBERS – not to exceed 20Elected for one year and may serve for a four-year period in the same post. Two postsmay be combined as necessary but only one vote.President - responsible for the general supervision of the affairs of the Society. S/Heshall preside at meetings of the Society and of the Council, conduct the proceedings,give effect to resolutions passed, and ensure the Constitution and Regulations of theSociety are enforced. Must have already served on CouncilVice-Presidents (maximum 4) - have the duty to maintain close communication withthe Honorary Secretary and to support the President’s activities. They have the powerto act for the President in cases of indisposition or emergency. Must have already servedon Council.Honorary Treasurer - responsible for the supervision of the financial records of theSociety and for producing accounts for each Council meeting. Year-end accounts to bemade available at the AGM and circulated to all members.Honorary Secretary - the general administrator of the Society and is responsible forseeing that minutes and reports from all the Society’s meetings are faithfully kept, andfor overseeing matters relating to membership. In the absence of the President and theVice-Presidents s/he shall, subject to the control of the Council, direct the executivedetails of the Society’s business.Honorary Librarian - to advise the Society on library matters and shall have generalcharge and custody of all books, manuscripts, pictures, memorials and other objects oflearning, curiosity or interest, in the possession, or likely possession, of the Society.Honorary Research and Publications Director - responsible for developing andoverseeing the production and publication of written works by Members of the Society– particularly the China Monograph Series with HKUP.Honorary Journal Editor - responsible for compiling and editing the Society’s Journal.Honorary Programme Director - responsible for managing matters relating to themonthly activities of the Society, and for communicating such matters to the Society’smembership and other relevant parties.Council Members - will be expected to actively participate in the general running of theSociety and its affairs including the following portfolios.Membership Secretary - responsible for the maintenance of membership records,issuing renewal notices and membership cards and collection of membership fees.Liaising with the Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary and CommunicationsDirector.Newsletter Editor - responsible for compiling, preparing, editing and producing themonthly newsletter.IT Support - responsible for IT in the form of maintenance of the RAS website and E-mail facilities.Communications Director – responsible for emails to membership and general mailinglist.ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER: CHAPTER VICE PRESIDENTS: s/he iselected by members of their Chapter and automatically has a seat on RAS Council.NON COUNCIL POSITIONS: A number of members serve as Conveners and assistwith various activities. These include the Focus Group Conveners: Book Club; FilmClub; Study Group, as well as Events Management and Library Roster volunteers. Weare always looking for further help.3

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013SHANGHAI SEPTEMBER HAPPENINGS & OCTOBER NEWSSeptember was a busy month for RASChina after the summer break. We kickedoff the lecture season for autumn with abrace of fantastic talks from Dr. GregLeck. On Tuesday 10 th September, Dr.Leck spoke at the Sino-British College onthe topic of the Internment of AlliedCivilians in Shanghai, 1941-1945 underthe title “Captives of Empire”. The subjectsparked a lively discussion afterwards, andquestions would have continued late intothe night if our President had not calledtime!The following Saturday (14 th September) Dr. Leck accompanied us on our walk through the former Lunghwainternment camp (now Shanghai Middle School). A repeat of a similar popular event in may this year, the walkwas led by Sven Aarne Serrano and Betty Barr, and toured the six surviving buildings from the LunghwaC.A.C. site including the former D, E, F Blocks, the Assembly Centre, the former Guards barracks, and theCommissary. Once again, the walk was a sell-out, and a great success. (Pictured above front row are Sven, Bettyand Greg, with Betty’s original tin plates)Dr. Leck took to the stage once again that afternoon at Glamour Bar to deliver his second lecture - Dancingon the Rim of a Volcano: Americans in Shanghai 1930 – 1945. Betty Barr, an expert on this period,introduced the talk (pictured below). Along with insights into the city’s former American community, Dr. Leckshowed a series of evocative photographs to bring his words to life. Once again, the event was very wellattended, and we extend our thanks to M on the Bund for welcoming us.It was an equally busy period for our focus groups, with two Book Club meetings along with our regular StudyGroup and Film Club. The Book Club met for a special session to discuss “Russian at Heart – Sonechka’sStory” by Olga and John Hawkes. The regular Monday night meeting covered James Kynge’s “China Shakesthe World”, and a vibrant dialogue ensued. Film Club screened “Centrestage”, the story of legendary silentfilm star Ruan Lingyu and her tragic life.October looks to be equally interesting, with Julie Chun speaking about Chinese contemporary art, andLiliane Willens talkingabout her experiences inShanghai during theJapanese Occupation, CivilWar and establishment ofthe PRC. Book Club willfocus on Su Tong’s “Boat toRedemption”, and FilmClub will begin a new seriesof silent movie screenings.Susie GordonHon Programme Director4

5RAS LectureTuesday 15 th October, 7pmRAS LibraryJULIE CHUNChinese Contemporary ArtRAS WeekenderSunday 27 th October, 4pmGlamour BarLILIANE WILLENSEyewitness: Life in Shanghai during JapaneseOccupation, Civil War and Establishment of PRC(1949-1951)In her presentation (with PowerPoint) Liliane Willenswill discuss life during the Japanese occupation, theChiang Kai-shek regime, the civil war between theNationalist and Mao Tse-tung forces, the arrival inShanghai of the People’s Liberation Army, andsubsequent societal changes. Dr. Willens’ talk will befollowed by a Q&A session and the signing of herbook Stateless in Shanghai (2010) published byEarnshaw Books. It is now in its fourth printing.To correspond with the exhibition"Portrait of the Times - 30 Years ofChinese Contemporary Art" at the PowerStation of Art, Julie Chun (MA, ArtHistory) will be giving a talk that seeks toenlarge your scope of understanding theobjects on display. This survey willintroduce the key artists who haveshaped the world of Chinesecontemporary art in the years followingthe Cultural Revolution. Pivotal politicaland social events will be used as aframework for introducing works of art togain a deeper insight into Chinese historythrough its visual culture.FULL DETAILS OF ALL OUR EVENTS ARE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.royalasiaticsociety.org.cnTO BOOK A PLACE AT THESE EVENTS, PLEAE EMAIL:bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn with the name of the lecture in the subject box.5

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013FOCUS GROUP MEETINGSRAS Book ClubMembers - 70 RMB, Guests 100 RMBIncludes a selected drink7pm Monday 21 st Octoberat Glo London (VIP Room)1 Wulumuqi Lu, near Dongping Lu(opposite American Consulate)乌 鲁 木 齐 路 1 号 , 近 东 平 路 .RAS Film Club7pm Sunday 27 th Octoberat CHAI Living Gallery370 Beisuzhou Lu, near Henan Lu北 苏 州 路 370 号 , 近 河 南 路 .Suggested donation members 20 rmb – guests 50 rmbAn Introduction to Chinese Silent FilmSu Tong“Boat to Redemption”For full details please see our website.Copies of the books will be available at RASevents prior to this meeting. You may also obtain acopy of the book by contacting the RAS BookClub.RSVP is essential as space is limitedbookclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cnConvenor: Sandy StrandThe popularity of September’s Film Clubchoice “Centrestage” has inspired us to runa silent movie season featuring the films ofRuan Lingyu. Check our website for furtherdetails. The November session will be onSunday November 24 th .RSVP is essential as space is limitedfilmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cnConvenor: Linda Johnson6

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013RAS Library - DirectionsThe Sino-British College, USST1195 Fuxing Zhong Lu,near Shaanxi LuShanghai, 200031 PRC1195 际 OCTOBEROpening Hours2pm – 5.30pmWednesday : 10 th , 17 th , 24 th , 31 st.Saturday: 13 th , 20 th , 27 th .Some of our events will also take placein the library.Members may borrow two booksRefundable Deposit: 500 RMB (cash)Hon Librarian: Ed AllenEnter the main gate and turn right towards the SBCLearning and Resource Centre Building with the whitebalcony. The RAS Library is situated on the first floorupstairs, at the top of the stairs turn right to the end of thecorridor.E-mail:librarian@royalasiaticsociety.org.cnLIBRARY REOPENINGWe are delighted to announce the re-opening of our libraryafter renovation and relocation. We still occupy space kindlyoffered by the Sino-British College, but have moved up afloor inside the Learning and Resource Centre Building.Honorary Librarian Ed Allen and a dedicated group ofvolunteers devoted their summer to dismantling bookshelves,shifting books, and re-assembling everything in the newlocation. Many thanks to everyone who helped out! We lookforward to seeing you soon in our new space.(Right: Librarian Ed contemplating the renovations)8

RAS BEIJINGThe waning of the Mid-Autumn moon has granted usenough time to partially – if not fully – digest themounds of moon cakes consumed for China’s harvestfestival. At RAS Beijing however, our plates had beenlooking rather full for the whole of September, and we’reonly at the pre-prandial tipple stage; October looks busierstill.First and foremost, we are all eagerly awaiting theimminent launch of the RAS BJ website which will proveof immense value to current friends and fellows as well asa useful guide to those wishing to learn more about usand how they might get involved with the Society inChina, and with other chapters within the region. Tocomplement the website, we will be using several forms ofsocial media to keep current and prospective membersinformed of upcoming publications, news and events.See www.rasbj.org for more.And indeed, our events calendar continues to strengthen.On September 4 at the Noodle Bar, 1949 Hidden City,and in association with Wild China, Jen Lin-Liu gave us areading from her book “On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome, with Love and Pasta”. Jen described howshe literally – and literarily – ate her way between the two ancient cities in pursuit of the origin of the noodle(or pasta if you want) and the location of the perfect jiaozi (or dumpling, if you really prefer). It’s a delicioustale of food and friendships. (Pictured above: Jen Lin-Liu signing copies of her book)While this earlier culinary journey mayhave gotten some tummies rumbling, theoverall effect on the midriff was ratherdifferent when we heard of the commonailments afflicting midshipmen during thetime of the Opium Wars with a wonderfulaccount of the journals kept by NavalSurgeon Charles Courtney by MichaelHumphrey at the Bookworm onSeptember 19. Moderated by AlanBabington-Smith, Michael presented TheSurgeon of the High Seas, Courtney’s firsthandaccounts of his travels in the regionand of the symptoms and treatments ofdiseases such as pox and typhoid heencountered, and the contribution of suchobservations to advances made in modernWestern and Chinese medicine.99

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013With appetites still in tact, Alan Babington-Smith and Melinda Liu were delighted to hosta lunch for six members of the Royal AsiaticSociety Korea Branch (RASKB) who werevisiting China from Seoul. The group soughtsafe harbour from an unseasonable rainstormat Xiao Wangfu restaurant inside Ritan park,former site of imperial rites held in the Altar ofthe Sun. Earlier, Melinda had visited theRASKB office in Seoul, where RASKBPresident Brother Anthony and librarianMichael Welles showed her some of the oldestbooks in their library, then treated to a dinnerof bibimbap. No noodles were harmed.(Pictured left: clockwise from left back row:Alan Babington-Smith and Melinda Liu hostedlunch for visiting RASKB members FrancescoScaglione, John Schuldt, Allison Schuldt, Robbie Schuldt, Fausta Giulia Finocchi and Bonnie.)Finally, we would like to thank Peter Batey, OBE, for hosting an important meeting of the RASBJ senioradvisory group and central committee at the China Club in early September, in which we discussed futureevents and where good ideas became great.Asiatically yours,Fergus NaughtonRAS BJ CommunicationsBEIJING UPCOMING EVENTS - Details to followOctober 19th 3:00 - 5:00 p.mRAS BJ invites you to join us for tea at 24Shijia Hutong in our first social event of theseason in this beautifully and caringlyrestored courtyard.October 25th 10:00 - 12:00 noonRAS BJ invites you to Lianhua Temple toget a first taste of our 2014 architecturetour series and learn about the challengesof living in a dilapidated heritage property.RAS CHINA – BEIJINGFurther details from Vice President Alan Babington-SmithE-mail: info.ras.bj@gmail.comWebsite: www.rasbj.org10

RAS CHINAJOURNAL 2013Vol 75 No 1Now Published. RAS membersreceive one free copy available forcollection at RAS events and theRAS Library.Further copies are available 80 RMB.SPECIAL THANKS to allcontributors and to EarnshawPublishers, for their support indelivering this issue.11Hon Journal EditorDr Lindsay ShenForewardCONTENTSNew PerspectivesPeer Reviewed Research ArticlesPaul Hansen - Xin Qiji (1140-1207): Patriotism, Idle Sorrow, and Poetic CreationPaul Gladston - Cultural Translation and Post hoc Intellectual Conceit: Critical Reflections on theConflating of Traditional Chinese Cultural Thought and Practice, and the Theory and Practiceof Deconstruction in Relation to the Theorising of Contemporary Chinese ArtIan Gow - The Scottish Shanghailander Alexander Wylie (1815-1887): Missionary, Man of Letters,MathematicianAnne Witchard - Harriet Monroe, Amy Lowell and Witter Bynner: the scramble for Chinese poetrySelected EssaysTim Chamberlain - Books of Change: A Western Family’s Writings on China, 1855-1949Sophie Leacacos - Lu Xun’s Thoughts on Parental Influence11

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013DiscoveriesPeer Reviewed Research ArticlesRon Suleski - Collecting Research Materials in Shanghai: A Qing Dynasty Astrologer’s Predictions for theFutureSelected EssaysLindsay Shen - Finding Eliza in the Bibliotheca ZikaweiTess Johnston - Managing Cinemas in Old ShanghaiSarah Keenlyside - The Story of the SketchbookPlacesPeer Reviewed Research ArticlesEric Politzer - The Early Hotels of the Shanghai Foreign SettlementPaul French - Gypsies of Shanghai: the Roma Community of Late 1930s and 1940s Shanghai and theirRole in the City's Entertainment IndustrySelected EssaysJeffrey Wasserstrom - A Brief History of Shanghai’s FutureKatya Knyazeva - The Seven Ages of Dongjiadu: Urban Form in Shanghai’s Old DocksMichelle Blumenthal - Yangpu: Past, Present and Future: The Engine of ShanghaiPeter Hibbard - A New Course in HistoryM A Aldrich - Fox Spirits, Gate Towers and Old PekingBill Savadove - Chasing Ghosts in Old TianjinGary Jones - The North Korea Mass GamesSam Chambers, with photographs by André Eichman - The Trading Melting Pot of KashgarBook ReviewsEileen Chang: Romancing Languages, Cultures and Genres, ed. Kam Louie reviewed by Karen S. KingsburyDictionary of Hong Kong Biography, eds. May Holdsworth and Christopher Munn, reviewed by Frances WoodDécadence Mandchoue: The China Memoirs of Sir Edmund Trelawny Backhouse, ed. Derek Sandhausreviewed by Paul FrenchQian Qianyi’s Reflections of Yellow Mountain: Traces of a Late-Ming Hatchet and Chisel by Stephen McDowellreviewed by Tamara H. BentleyLao She in London by Anne Witchard reviewed by Jo LusbyFlorence Ayscough: Knowledge is Pleasure by Lindsay Shen reviewed by Sue Anne TayWriting in(to) Architecture: China’s Architectural Design and Construction Since 1949 by Sylvia Chanreviewed by Austin WilliamsMidnight in Peking – How the murder of a young Englishwoman haunted the last days of Old China by Paul Frenchreviewed by Alex SparksShanghai Fury: Australian Heroes of Revolutionary China by Peter Thompson reviewed by Liu WeiThe Scramble for China: Foreign Devils in the Qing Empire, 1832-1914 by Robert Bickersreviewed by Derek SandhausOver There: The Pictorial Chronicle of the Chinese Labour Corps in the Great War by the Weihai MunicipalArchives reviewed by Alex SparksReluctant Regulators: How the West Created and How China Survived the Global Financial Crisis by Leo F.Goodstadt reviewed by Frank MulliganStructure, Audience and Soft Power in East Asian Pop Culture by Chua Beng Huat reviewed by William F. SmithBeijing Record: A Physical and Political History of Planning Modern Beijing by Wang Junreviewed by Jeremy GoldkornChinatowns in a Transnational World, Myths and Realities of an Urban Phenomenon, eds. Venessa Künnemann andRuth Mayer reviewed by Cindy Hing-Yuk WongChina’s Vanishing Worlds: Countryside, Traditions and Cultural Spaces by Matthias Messmer and Hsin-Mei Chuangreviewed by Neale McGoldrickEurope and China: Strategic Partners of Rivals? ed. Roland Vogt reviewed by Austin Williams12

13RAS China Monograph Series 3COMING 2014Mu ShiyingChina's Lost Modernist: NewTranslations and an AppreciationAndrew David FieldWhen the avant-garde writer Mu Shiying wasassassinated in 1940, China lost one of its greatestmodernist writers while Shanghai lost its mostdetailed chronicler of its demi-monde nightlife. AsAndrew David Field argues, Mu Shiying advancedmodern Chinese writing beyond the vernacularexpression of May 4 giants Lu Xun and Lao She toeven more starkly reveal the alienation of thecosmopolitan-capitalist city of Shanghai, trappedbetween the forces of civilization and barbarism.Each of these five short stories focuses on the author's key obsessions: the pleasurable yetanxiety-ridden social and sexual relationships of the modern city and the decadentmaelstrom of consumption and leisure in Shanghai epitomized by the dance hall and thenightclub. This study places his writings squarely within the framework of Shanghai's socialand cultural nightscapes."Better than that of any other writer, Mu Shiying's fiction encapsulates the cosmopolitan lifeof 1930s Shanghai (with its foreign concessions, cinemas, cafes and cabarets) thatunderlay modernist Chinese writing. Andrew Field's book is exciting not only because it is anew appreciation of this writer but because, through its translations of Mu's stories, itreveals the extent to which Shanghai-based writing was inspired by the styles ofinternational modernism." - Lynn Pan, author of Shanghai Style and Old Shanghai:Gangsters in Paradise.Biography / LiteraryFORTHCOMING 2014160 pp., 7” x 5”,PB ISBN 978-9888208142Price TBACOPIES WILL BE AVAILBLE AT RAS EVENTS13

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013RAS China Monograph Series 4COMING 2014The Happy HsiungsPerforming China and the strugglefor ModernityDiana Yeh‘Try Something Different. Something Really Chinese’The Happy Hsiungs recovers the lost histories of Shih-I andDymia Hsiung, two once highly visible, but now largelyforgotten Chinese writers in Britain, who sought to representChina and Chineseness to the rest of the world. Shih-I shot toworldwide fame with his play Lady Precious Stream in the1930s and became known as the first ever Chinese stagedirector to work in the West End and on Broadway. Dymia wasthe first Chinese woman in Britain to publish a fictionalautobiography in English in the 1950s. Through exhaustiveresearch and fieldwork among surviving family members andfriends, Diana Yeh traces the Hsiungs’ lives from their childhood in Qing dynasty China and youth amid theradical May 4 th era to Britain and the USA, where they became highly celebrated figures, rubbing shoulderswith George Bernard Shaw, James M. Barrie, H.G. Wells, Pearl Buck, Lin Yu Tang, Anna May Wong andPaul Robeson among others. In recounting the Hsiungs’ rise to fame, Yeh focuses on the challenges theyfaced in becoming accepted as modern subjects, as knowledge of China and the Chinese was persistentlyframed by colonialist legacies and Orientalist stereotyping, which often determined how their works wereshaped and understood. Yet, The Happy Hsiungs also shows how Shih-I and Dymia, in negotiatingacceptance, ‘performed’ not only specific forms of Chineseness but identities that conformed to modernideals of class, gender and sexuality, defined by the western middle-class nuclear family. Though fêted as‘The Happy Hsiungs’, their lives ultimately highlight a bitter struggle in attempts to become modern. DianaYeh lectures at Birkbeck College, University of London and at the University of East London. A formerFellow of the Sociological Review, she is currently a Research Fellow on the AHRC-funded project, China inBritain: Myths and Realities and on an AHRC Knowledge Exchange Partnership between Bristol Universityand Penguin Books China.She has published on race,ethnicity, diaspora, migrationand culture, and haspresented her research onBBC Radio Four, and atinstitutions such as the RoyalGeographical Society, theWellcome Trust, NationalPortrait Gallery and TateBritain.Biography / LiteraryFORTHCOMING 2014160 pp., 7” x 5”,PB ISBN 978-988-8208-17-3Price TBA COPIES WILL BE AVAILBLE AT RAS EVENTS“Thanks to the phenomenal success of his play Lady Precious Stream, Shih-I Hsiung was ahousehold name in the US and UK during the 1930s. The Happy Hsiungs tells the story ofhow Hsiung and his writer wife, Dymia, came to be feted across three continents, enjoyingcelebrity as part of a global cultural elite that included George Bernard Shaw, J. M. Barrie,H.G. Wells, Pearl Buck, Anna May Wong, Paul Robeson, Lin Yu Tang, and Chiang Yee. Yehexplores their role in representing China and Chineseness to the rest of the world forcing usto rethink our vision of the British Chinese as invisible and insular, with little social, cultural orpolitical impact on wider society.”—Dr Anne Witchard, University of Westminster and author of Lao She in London andThomas Burke’s Dark Chinoiserie .14

15RAS China - Monograph Serieswith Hong Kong University PressBoth Lao She in London by Anne Witchard and Knowledge is Pleasure by Lindsay Shen arenow available on Amazon Kindle.Hard copies are available for purchase at RAS events and during library opening hours. Toreserve your copies email enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn putting “Monographs” in thesubject box.The monographs have achieved wide acclaim since their publication last year. Reviews ofLao She in London include:"A beautifully written book that combines literary biography with a remarkably succinct account of Britishmodernism and an evocative portrait of interbellum London, as viewed through Chinese eyes. AnneWitchard reminds us eloquently of the key role played by Chinese influences - both classical and modern -in literary modernism, and makes a great contribution to our understanding of Lao She's London years."and for Knowledge is Pleasure:Julia Lovell, Birkbeck College, University of London“This is a sensitive and elegantly written biography of one of the most passionate Sinologists of the latenineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The author moves fluidly between closely shadowing FlorenceAyscough’s remarkable life and immersion in Chinese culture and stepping back to illuminate her setting andkindred spirits. Those previously familiar with only a few of Ayscough’s pioneering achievements will findin this monograph a coherent narrative unfolding before them; those for whom she is an unknown name arein for the delight of discovery. Lindsay Shen is to be admired for recognizing that this impressive story isworth telling and for giving it such vividly human character. “Elinor Pearlstein, Associate Curator of Chinese Art, Art Institute of ChicagoMonographs are 100 RMB each and available at RAS events and RAS Library (cash purchase only)15

Royal Asiatic Society China - Newsletter Vol 4 No 9 – October 2013We extend heartfelt thanks to all ourrecent sponsors:www.earnshawbooks.comwww.hkupress.org1195 Fuxing Zhong Lu/Shaanxi Nan Luwww.sbc-usst.edu.cn1 Wulumuqui Luwww.glolondon.comRm 201, Raffles City,268 Central Tibet Rdwww.interfaceglobal.comwww.coca-cola.comhttp://www.m-restaurantgroup.com410C North Suzhou RdHongkouwww.chailiving.comJiashan Market Shanxi Nan RoadLane 550 No. 37 Building Dwww.melange-oasis.com78 Xing Guo Road, Shanghai 200052www.radisson.com/shanghaicn_plazaRAS China Council Members 2012-2013President – Katy GowVice Presidents – Tess Johnston, Jan FlohrHon Secretary – Patricia LambertHon Treasurer – Peter MacInnes from May 2013Hon Librarian – Ed AllenHon Journal Editor – Neil SchmidHon Research & Publications Director – Paul FrenchHon Programme Director – Susie GordonCouncil Member – Ian CrawfordCouncil Member – IT matters – Lynn FawcettCouncil Member – Peter HarrisCouncil Member – Communication - Alexandra HendricksonCouncil Member – Liz JenningsCouncil Member - Membership – Wendy StockleyVice President Beijing Chapter – Alan Babington-Smith-----oOo---Hon Treasurer - Simon Drakeford – left Shanghai June 2013Council Member – Neale McGoldrick – left Shanghai July 2013Hon Vice President – Mike Nethercott – resigned July 2013VP Suzhou – Bill Dodson – resigned July 2013Peter Hibbard MBE – left Shanghai July 2013HONORARY PRESIDENTMr Brian DavidsonHM Consul GeneralBritish Consulate ShanghaiHON VICE PRESIDENTSCarma Elliot CMG OBE,Nenad Djordjevic,Professor Liu WeiPeter Hibbard MBEPAST PRESIDENTS2007-2011 – Peter Hibbard MBEEnquiries: enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn