A Tiny, Vibrant, Other China—
Some Unofficial Observations on Civil Society
The civil war of 1949 turned the Taiwan Strait into an invisible and impenetrable wall between the two Chinese peoples. Six decades later, people on both sides meet and are surprised by each other. Dancers dance, singers sing and writers write wherever they are, but what is it that makes the island so different from the Mainland?
About the Speaker
Lung Yingtai, Minister of Culture, is also a celebrated writer, literary critic and public intellectual. Having written 30 books, Lung not only has a large number of devoted readers in her native Taiwan, but her works also have great influence in the Chinese-language world in Hong Kong, China, and North America. After receiving her doctorate in English Literature from Kansas State University, Lung Yingtai taught in several universities, including City University of New York, Taiwan Central University and the University of Heidelberg. During the 13 years’ sojourn in Europe, Lung was a regular contributor to newspapers such as the Frankfurter Allgemeinung Zeitung and the Berlin Tageszeitung.
Recognizing Taiwan’s potential to share the global cultural spotlight, Lung entered public service as Taipei City Government’s first minister of culture in 1999. She quickly earned a reputation for implementing practical projects that successfully transformed rundown buildings into artist villages, literature houses and museums. The eye-catching results unlocked the cultural potential of the metropolis and ushered in a new era of living for residents.
Since 2003, Lung lived and taught at the University of Hong Kong and in 2008, she received the honor of being named the first “Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities” by the University of Hong Kong.
Lung Yingtai was appointed Minister of Culture in May, 2012.
- Start:
- 2012-08-31 1:30 PM
- End:
- 2012-08-31 3:30 PM
- Location:
- CBC Studio 700, 700 Hamilton St
- More info:
- http://ministerlungspeech.eventbrite.ca/
About The Techie
