Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai

RAS China in Shanghai - Newsletter Vol 2 No 11– December 2011
2010
NEWSLETTER
Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai
Our Society provides a forum for the
development and expression of interests and
expertise from within the local community, and
from around the globe, to inspire and to enrich
cultural life in Asia’s most dynamic metropolis.
President Peter Hibbard
hands over the ceramic
brush-holder to newly
elected President Katy Gow,
at the Society’s Annual
General Meeting held at the
elegant Le Sun Chine hotel.
RAS members joined
Council members for a
Council Dinner, which took
place in the sumptuous
surroundings of
“Hazelwood” (Villa No 1) at
the Radisson Plaza Xing Guo. This former Butterfield and Swire
manager’s residence completed in 1934 by the famous British architect
Clough William-Ellis was commonly known as ‘The Palace’ in days
gone by. It was indeed an unexpected pleasure to have access to this
very special, and generally out of bounds building, where Peter
Hibbard spent many memorable weekends in the early 1990s. Before
him came the likes of Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai and the building
today is still a Shanghai home for many top party dignitaries. It was a
wonderful evening and experience for all those in attendance.
DECEMBER 2011
RAS WEEKENDER
Chris Hall
Saturday 3 rd Dec
4pm
Heavens’
Embroidered Cloths
RAS WEEKENDER
Alvaro Leonardo
Sunday 4 th – 4pm
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
An Imprint of Spain in
China – Abelardo
Lafuente (1871-1931)
RAS LECTURE
Lynne Joiner
10 th December – 4pm
HONORABLE SURVIVOR: Mao's China,
McCarthy's America and the Persecution
of John S. Service
RAS LECTURE
Anna Greenspan
Tuesday 13th Dec - 7pm
Shanghai and
Retrofuturism
For full details and updates of all our events
please visit our website
www.royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Copy Deadline for Next Newsletter 20 th of this month
RAS China in Shanghai is a branch of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

RAS China in Shanghai - Newsletter Vol 2 No 11 – December 2011
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RAS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
7pm - 29 th November 2011
Le Sun Chine, No 6, Lane 1220 Huashan Lu, Shanghai
AGENDA
RAS Annual Review 2011 - President, Peter Hibbard MBE
RAS Financial Report - Honorary Treasurer, Jan Flohr
ELECTION of Officers and Council Members for 2011-2012
2011 ANNUAL REVIEW – President, Peter Hibbard MBE
First, I would like to welcome you all to our fourth RAS China in Shanghai AGM, and thank you
for your generous support for the Society over the last year. The Society has again gone from strength to
strength over this period and we are looking forward to exciting new developments in the near future. It is
now over four years since the Society reconvened the activities of the North China Branch of the Royal
Asiatic Society (NCBRAS). In fact the first lecture under the aegis of the RAS in Shanghai took place in May
2007 and the Society was formally reconvened in September. My inaugural lecture on the history of the
Society and its former building was made a month later. It is a day that I remember with great pride, and I
must admit some trepidation, anticipating a new beginning for a Society that was at the core of foreign
cultural life in the city for near on a century. With the voluntary support of many amongst us, it has stayed
true to its historical objectives and developed as one senior British diplomat remarked over 70-years ago
as, and as I see it today, ‘one-bright spot’ in Shanghai.
Given an enlarged and strengthened Council following the last AGM in November 2010, much has moved
forward and new initiatives have been taken. Coordinated by Michelle Blumenthal, in her inimitable
professional manner, our events programme has also gone from strength to strength - encompassing a rich
variety of activities and events, and covering a wide range of topics and interests. We have had the pleasure
and honour of hearing from visiting academics, professionals and authors on topics ranging from Yuan Mei
to the Scramble for China and urban youth culture. From within our local community came a wealth of
insights on topics as diverse as British and European influences on early Chinese University Education to
Shanghai nightlife, and from the restoration of the former RAS building to sketches of the Shanghai Old
Town. For the first time, our activities spilled into the summer months with two series of well-attended and
very well received lectures on Looking at Chinese Pictures by Dr. Ni Yibin. Highly successful weekend
excursions included visits to Museum of Architecture and Urbanity, to Suzhou in an event superbly hosted
by the new Suzhou chapter, and to the Shanghai Rugby Club with Simon Drakeford. I am indeed excited
that Simon, with his vast experience in both business and in club management, is standing for Council
this evening. His research on the history of the Shanghai Rugby Club, which will soon be delivered in book
form, was partly inspired by discussions within the RAS a couple of years ago. I wish to express my sincere
thanks to all who have given so much in contributing to the RAS programme.
I would also like to convey a special note of thanks to Jennifer
Wen and Stephen Cunsong, who have selflessly and generously
supported the events programme and other aspects of RAS
development over the last four years. Amandine Crey, who
came onto Council last year, also made a valuable contribution
to the programme before her return to Europe in June. We
wish her all the very best for the future.
Two popular and welcome additions were made to the
programme this year. The advent of the RAS Film Club in
July under the leadership of Charles Johnson got off to a
great start, Sadly for us, Charles returned to the UK in the
summer, but luckily for us his shoes were filled by another
Johnson named Linda (pure coincidence, she asserts), who has built
upon the popularity of this activity.

Our best wishes go to Charles in his future career, which is related to China, and our sincere thanks go to
him for his initiative in overseeing the distribution of our journal and in fostering contacts with sister RAS
branches in Asia. The RAS Modern History Study Group, which began under the leadership of Katie Baker
in September, has also proved to be a popular event that has encouraged lively discourse and debate
among members.
Alexandra Hendrickson hosted the last session of the RAS Book Club, at least for the time being, a couple
of weeks back. However, I am delighted to say that Alexandra will again be standing for Council in a muchneeded
administrative role for the coming year.
The programme itself would be nothing without the support of you, our members, and that of our friends,
and it is heartening to see that most of our lectures have regularly attracted audiences numbering
upwards of forty and quite a few more on occasions, with Amy Sommers presentation on the status of old
properties in Shanghai attracting around 100 members and friends? Our membership has grown from
around 100 in 2008 to 221 active members, with many more on our mailing list.
I would also like to express our thanks to our event patrons, particularly the Radisson Plaza Xing Guo
Hotel which has successfully hosted many of our events over the last year and to Le Sun Chine for
tonight’s meeting. Thanks also to Melange Oasis, Sasha’s, Chai Bites, The Puli Hotel, T8 Club Lounge and
InterfaceFLOR. The Sino-British College, along with the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, has
also supported us by providing facilities for RAS Council meetings.
In a very exciting recent development, the Sino-British College has
also very generously offered the Society an annex to its main library
as a home for our expanding and impressive library collection. The
College will also provide much needed administrative support and
the room will double up as an RAS office. Enormous thanks are due
to Principal, Professor Ian Gow OBE, and his colleagues, in
affording this great opportunity for the RAS. The library will be
moved into its new, historical and centrally located, premises in the
early new year, with Kim Taylor, who is standing again as Hon.
Librarian, managing the transition. We hope that this new facility
will hold great attraction for RAS members.
As you may have seen from Tess Johnston’s candidate statement for tonight’s elections she will be
donating her remarkable personal research library, a rich life’s work, to the RAS at some time in the
future. Personally I am ecstatic that this large, uniquely valuable, collection will remain in Shanghai for the
appreciation and enlightenment of future generations. However I hope that the wait will be a prolonged one
and something to look forward to, with great anticipation, two decades or more hence.
I’d like us all to raise a glass for Tess whose talent, dedication, character and wit have filled many lives
with inquisitiveness, understanding and pleasure and who has been an inspiration to myself and countless
others. She has done so much in making Shanghai. I am so happy that she is standing as vice-president
this evening, and in doing so convinced that she will continue to
enliven the Society with her matchless insight and advice.
During the year the library received substantial donations from Paul
French and the Suzhou Bookworm, as well as a magnificent
collection of titles from the Hong Kong University Press. I was
particularly pleased to announce at last year’s AGM that Paul
French, on behalf of the Society, had secured an agreement with the
Hong Kong University Press (HKUP) for the publication of an RAS
imprint series. This major step in reasserting the Society’s academic
pedigree and offering opportunities for scholars and writers in
finding an audience is soon to bear fruit. Dr Lindsay Shen’s
Knowledge is Pleasure: A Life of Florence Ayscough and Professor Anne Witchard’s Lao She, London and
China's Literary Revolution are scheduled to be published in late summer/early autumn 2012. Both
publisher Michael Duckworth at HKUP and Paul are excited about these titles, as am I. Esteemed member
Lynn Pan has been acting as the official external reader for the series.
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In terms of the Society’s development the highlight of the year was the
inauguration of the new Suzhou chapter, under the direction of vicepresident
Bill Dodson, in March. It was a very memorable day, with a talk
on Shanghai life in the 1980s by Tess and addresses from Bill and our good
friend Robert Nield, President of the Hong Kong Branch of the RAS, as well
as myself. Hopefully it won’t be that long before RAS branches are
established in other Chinese cities.
I am thoroughly heartened that two people who are very special to me,
Lindsay Shen and Mike Nethercott, will be standing, following a muchmissed
absence from Council, for election this evening. Both Mike and Lindsay were by my side when we
together took the first steps to resurrect the Society in 2007, following its move to the city from Hangzhou
by the Judith Kolbas and Justin O’Jack. Lindsay will be standing as Hon. Journal Editor with the purpose
of making it a prestigious peer-reviewed publication. I am pleased to say that Spencer Dodington, who is
now in the final stages of putting our next journal together, will be standing as vice-president along with
Mike Nethercott, who together with Tess will provide vital support
for the President and for the Society’s welfare.
I am also very happy that Lynn Fawcett and Wendy Stockley are
standing for re-election this evening. Lynn has offered invaluable
assistance in maintaining and developing our website and email
facilities. Wendy has pushed through the arduous tasking of getting
our membership list in order and in masterfully managing matters
demanded from an ever-increasing membership. Two other
members who will be very familiar to many of you, Liz Jennings and
Neale McGoldrick are standing for election to Council this year.
Both have been ardent and active RAS supporters over the years
and bring a wealth of experience and professional expertise to us. I
trust that you will give them and all our candidates your whole-hearted support. We continue to rely on
your support to maintain the everyday activities and long-term ambitions of the Society, and there are still
a number of Council Member places, including the important Hon. Secretary position, that are waiting to
be filled.
As my words draw to a close - so does my four-year term as president. It has been a privilege and an
honour to be part of something so special and to be standing here now having seen the Society flourish.
However, it is with a great sense of confidence and pride that this evening I will be passing on the reins to
president-elect Katy Gow. Katy, with her great organisational skills and personality, alongside her
dedication and commitment that has shown itself in many facets of the Society’s development, will I am
sure lead the Society to greater heights. I am looking forward to working with her and other members of
Council next year and will be devoting my energies to developing the history page and to the digitisation of
RAS-related archive material on our website. I believe that it is vitally important to promote our past and to
recognise what great contributions our forbears made to scholarship and to public life. We are again
making history and our new legacy shared among us here will I trust,
inform and guide future generations. Many thanks for coming along
on this special evening and I will now pass you over to our valued
and very valuable Treasurer Jan Flohr, who I’m very pleased to say,
will be standing for a further year.
2011 FINANCIAL REVIEW – Hon Treasurer Jan Flohr reported that
the Society currently held a healthy balance, but that funds would be
used this coming year for the moving and stocking of the library, the
printing of the second edition of the Society’s Journal and the
publication of the first two books in the Monograph Series. With the
increased volume of administrative work, it was also planned to take
on some much needed paid assistance.
2011-2012 ELECTION OF OFFICERS and COUNCIL Members: all
those nominated for Council positions were duly elected. A full list
appears on the back page of this Newsletter.

November has been an active month for
RAS EVENTS
the RAS Programme with three RAS
Weekenders, a RAS Lecture, two
meeting of the RAS Modern Chinese
History Group, the last of the RAS Book Club meetings as well as a very
successful RAS Film Club. Congratulations to all our leaders and presenters
for providing us with such a rich and diverse programme.
Simon Rom Gjeroe’s presentation on Zhang Zuolin and his Danish
weapons advisor was an exciting window on China of the period with
wonderful material including a short documentary film which Simon hopes
to further in the near future. His passion for the subject shone through and
we wish him the best for the next steps of his research with a view to
welcoming him back once he completes the book! (pictured right)
The following weekend
Alvaro Leonardo, lead us
on a bus tour to look at
the remaining Aberlardo
Lafuente architecture in
Shanghai. As with Alvaro’s
last presentation to RAS, it
was a passionate journey
with several new
discoveries of surviving
architecture. He too will
continue his work on
Lafuente with an exhibition
in December (see below).
I understand that some of
our members have
assisted with links,
knowledge and
information that has
helped with this new
discovery.
The weekend after, a few of us Puxi(ites) joined a group of Shanghai’s Rugby players on a bus out to the
WaiGaoqiao grounds to hear Simon Drakeford talk about the history of Shanghai Rugby. Once again
we were lucky enough to have Simon’s passion for the subject which, with his content made it a highly
enjoyable presentation. A number of the rugby club members joined us for the talk and helped us to
negotiate watching the game of the season.
We rounded off the month with a lecture by Paul
Gladston on Contemporary Chinese Art in Shanghai
where a number of the artists examined in Paul’s
book were part of the audience. Again he shared his
insights into the world of art in Shanghai in a
different but highly informative manner. Some of
you were surprised that he did not show many
images of the art. Art is not just about the image
but rather the work itself and we hope to illustrate
this to you in the forthcoming programme for next
year.
Continued……….
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RAS China in Shanghai - Newsletter Vol 2 No 11 – December 2011
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FOR DECEMBER while a little lighter in quantity because of the festive
season and holiday travel plans for many of you, it is by no means less in quality.
Chris Hall a long time Hong Kong resident and ardent and passionate collector of
Chinese Antique Textiles will share with us from his highly acclaimed collection at 4pm
on Saturday the 3 rd at T8 Club Lounge.
Abelardo Lafuente (1871-1931) – An Imprint of Spain in China exhibition and special
tour – with Alvaro Leonardo at 4pm on Sunday the 4 th at: The Bund 22 Floor 1, 22
Zhongshan East Road.
Lynne Joiner is a veteran broadcaster and journalist and will present, HONORABLE
SURVIVOR: Mao's China, McCarthy's America and the Persecution of John S. Service,
at 4pm on Saturday the 10 th at: Radisson Plaza Xing Guo.
Anna Greenspan, a Canadian teaching here in Shanghai, will share with us about her
research and findings concerning Shanghai and its Retrofuturism, at 7pm on
Tuesday the 13 th at Radisson Plaza Xing Guo.
We wish you well for the festive season and hope you will enjoy some of the
programme as well as the forthcoming holidays.
RAS MODERN CHINESE HISTORY STUDY GROUP
Due to holidays please note
NEW DATES for December
6.30pm will start promptly at 7pm
CHANGE of VENUE: Melange Oasis,
Jiashan Market Shanxi Nan Road Lane 550 No. 37 Building D
The RAS Modern History Study Group has changed the dates and the venue for the forthcoming
meetings, they will be meeting on Monday 12 th and Monday 19 th December at Melange Oasis.
12 th December: Resisting Japan (1937–1945).
Chiang’s last stand (1945-1949).
19 th December: The Chinese people have stood up.
Korea, Taiwan and the Cold War (1950–1954).
Michelle
MONDAY
12 th and 19 th December
We are enjoying the lectures of our "DVD Professor" and the personal input and contributions from the
diverse membership of the group. RSVP is essential as space is limited.
Further details and RSVP to studygroup@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Katie Baker

RAS FILM CLUB
at Chai Bites
Embankment Building, Ground Floor
410C North Suzhou Road
3 rd Sunday of the month
18 th December – 6.00pm
film starts promptly at 6.30pm
Guizi Lai Le, 2000
Devils on the Doorstep
Directed by Jiang Wen
Produced by Jiang Wen
RSVP is essential as space is limited
filmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
RAS FILM CLUB LAST MONTH….. saw a full house for
the Stanley Kwan masterpiece Yanzhi Kou or Rouge and I
was sorry to have to disappoint several members on the
waiting list. Set in Hong Kong in both the 1930’s and 1987
the film combines two classical literary themes, the ghost
story and love for a concubine, to create a metaphor for
the political uncertainties that dominated Hong Kong
culture. The extraordinary performance given by Anita Mui
attracted many comments by members; it is her body
language and beauty that give the film its resonance. The
opulence of the 1930’s segments, Stanley Kwan’s
directorial style in this and other films, and the tragic lives
of Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung all featured in the
discussion.
Continuing our exploration of this multi-faceted genre, the
film for December is Jiang Wen’s Guizi Lai Le or Devils on
the Doorstep. Made in 2000 in black and white, the movie
gives a rare glimpse of China under Japanese occupation.
Considered a masterpiece, winning awards at Cannes and
in Japan, it is an anti-war movie that through comedy and
tragedy reveals the hideous effects of war on the weak
and the strong. Banned in China, the film confirmed Jiang
Wen not only as a brilliant actor (he plays the lead role)
but also as one of the leading 6 th Generation Directors.
Book early to avoid disappointment!
THE FILM CLUB WANTS YOUR INPUT… there are a
huge number of Chinese movies worth watching and
deciding on a programme of films raises an array of
possibilities as to where to draw the parameters of what
we screen. From time to time we will ask members to give
us their opinion on whether a particular category of film
should be excluded or included from consideration. This
month we are posing the second question:
DO WE WANT TO EXCLUDE MOVIES MADE IN
HONGKONG AND TAIWAN AND CONCENTRATE ONLY
ON MAINLAND DIRECTORS?
The term Chinese Film is generally taken to mean Chinese
language films and whilst excluding areas outside the Mainland
would cut down the numbers it would also mean excluding
influential directors like Wong Kar-Wai, Edward Yang, Hou
Hsiao-Hsien, Ang Lee, Stanley Kwan and Tsui Hark.
Email your opinion to filmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Linda
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RAS China in Shanghai - Newsletter Vol 2 No 11 – December 2011
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RAS BOOK CLUB
Monday 6.30pm
The PuLi Hotel and Spa
16 th JANUARY 2012
MIDNIGHT IN PEKING
by PAUL FRENCH
published by PENGUIN
Event: RAS Book Club
Location: The PuLi Hotel and Spa,
The Library –
Ground floor off the Long Bar.
1 ChangDe Road,
between Nanjing Xi Lu and Yan’an
Lu,
Jing’an District
Shanghai 200040 China
T +86 21 3203 9999
F +86 21 3251 8988
information@thepuli.com
RAS BOOK CLUB
SPECIAL OFFER – SPECIAL OFFER
SPECIAL OFFER
We are very excited to advise you that the RAS Book
Club will start again on Monday 16 th January, 2012
with Paul French leading the discussion with the
group on his latest release, Midnight in Peking.
For this special occasion Penguin have offered to
supply RAS Members with the book at a special
discounted price of RMB 170 per copy (less 15%)
and your copy can be gift wrapped in the Midnight in
Peking wrapping paper ready for your Christmas
stockings.
A specific Midnight in Peking bookmark will be
included with the book.
We will expect to receive your order to the RAS Book
Club email: bookclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
by the latest Monday 12 th December, then you can collect and pay for your copies
at: RAS Lecture on Tuesday 13 th ; RAS Film Club on Sunday 18 th; or RAS Modern
Chinese History Group on Monday 19 th December.
bookclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
RSVP REMINDER….
Using the correct e-mail address will ensure a quicker
response, especially on oversubscribed events. Please
remember to include the appropriate date and event
title in the subject box.
As members, please try to take advantage of the lead-time
on special and limited number events, you have the chance
of priority booking, but we do want our events full and
available to others. Let us know if you have any particular
comments and we will try to take these into consideration
in the planning of forthcoming lectures, events and interest
groups.
RAS Lectures & Weekenders
bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
RAS Modern Chinese History Study Group
studygroup@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
RAS Book Club bookclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
RAS Film Club filmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn

RAS China in Shanghai - Newsletter Vol 2 No 11– December 2011
2010
THANK YOU to all our recent EVENT
PATRONS………
www.waldorfastoria.com
1195 Fuxing Middle Road
www.sbc-usst.edu.cn
1 ChangDe Road JingAn District
www.thepuli.com
www.earnshawbooks.com
sasha’s
restaurant and bar
11 Dongping Lu
www.sashas-shanghai.com
RAS Council Members 2011-2012
President – Katy Gow
Vice President – Tess Johnson, Spencer Dodington, Mike
Nethercott
Hon Secretary - Vacant
Hon Treasurer - Jan Flohr
Hon Programme Director - Michelle Blumenthal
Hon Journal Editor – Lindsay Shen PhD
Hon Librarian - Kim Taylor PhD
Hon Research & Publications Director – Paul French
Council Member - Membership – Wendy Stockley
Council Member - IT – Lynn Fawcett
Council Member – Simon Drakeford
Council Member – Alexandra Hendrickson
Council Member – Liz Jennings
Council Member – Neale McGoldrick
Ex Officio – Jennifer Wen
Past President 2007-2011 – Peter Hibbard MBE
Vice President Suzhou – Bill Dodson
410C North Suzhou Rd,
Hongkou
www.chailiving.com
SUZHOU Gunxiufang
77, Shi Quan Jie.
www.suzhoubookworm.com
T8 Club Lounge
No.8 Xintiandi North Part, Lane 181 Taicang Road
www.t8shanghai.com
www.hkupress.org
www.britishchambershanghai.org
Rm 201, Raffles City,
268 Central Tibet Rd
www.interfaceglobal.com
78 Xing Guo Road, Shanghai 200052
www.radisson.com/shanghaicn_plaza
RAS JOURNALS
Journals are available at RAS events
Members – one free copy
Further copies available - 150rmb
Enquiries: enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn Hon Vice Presidents: Membership: membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Carma Elliott CMG, Nenad Djordjevic, Professor Liu Wei

RAS MEMBERSHIP FORM
Any foreign passport holder interested in Asian culture and in promoting the aims of the Society may apply for
membership. (PRC law unfortunately prohibits us from admitting Chinese nationals.)
The Society operates a rolling membership system – membership is valid for one year from the date of
registration. Payments are only possible in cash – please remit your fee and completed form to a Council
member at one of our events.
PLEASE VISIT the Society’s website for up-to-date news of all events.
Past newsletters are also available:
Membership Enquiries: membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
General Enquiries: enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Event Bookings: bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
Film Club: filmclub@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn Study Group: studygroup@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn
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