From December 11 to 12, the 20th Annual Conference of Association of Literature in Tang of China and International Symposium on Literature in Tang Dynasty was held at IMU. The conference was co-sponsored by the Association of Literature in Tang of China(ALTC) and the School of Literature, Journalism and Communication(SLJC) of IMU. Due to the pandemic, the conference was held mainly online. Over 100 renowned scholars of Chinese Classic Literature at home and abroad submitted 133 papers, gathered online and enjoyed an academic banquet. Liu Zhiyu, secretary of the CPC Committee of IMU was present at the conference and delivered a speech at the conference. Prof. Wei Yonggui, dean of SLJC chaired the opening ceremony of the conference.
Conference
Liu Zhiyu introduced the development of IMU and the major achievements IMU has made. He pointed out that IMU has been completely carrying out president Xi Jinping’s key views about philosophy and social sciences and the essence of his instructions given while he inspected IMU. The university has achieved much in winning the approval of high-level scientific research projects and publishing high-quality academic papers and books. That the 20th Annual Conference of Association of Literature in Tang of China and International Symposium on Literature in Tang Dynasty was held at IMU will pave the path for the further development of Chinese classic literature research at IMU.
Chen Shangjun, chairman of ALTC, delivered an opening address. On behalf of ALTC and conference attendees, he expressed his sincere thanks to the hosts of the conference. He said that the academic spirit and research pursuit of those predecessors of Chinese classic literature have been passed down. The young scholars for Chinese classic literature have become academically mature. The research field for Chinese classic literature has been widened and research achievements made one after another, and a good job has been done for the popularization of Chinese classic literature. The members of the association have, based on their own inheritance from their predecessors, their interest and their understanding of academics, made their own unique and creative researches.
Prof. Liao Meiyu with National Cheng Kung University introduced her experience to attend the ALTC annual conferences. She said that she felt warm every time she attended the conference just like she visited relatives. Prof. Zhan Furui, who is with Beijing Foreign Studies University and former curator of National Library of China, said in his address that ALTC was established in 1982 and is the academic organization that is the earliest established and is most influential. With the conceited efforts of generations, important achievements have been made in research of literature in Tang Dynasty. ALTC is a developing association. He encouraged researchers to make more contributions to the research of literature of Tang Dynasty.
Conference
At the opening ceremony, conference attendees paid their respect to four deceased renowned scholars: An Qi, Luo Zongqiang, Wu Xiangzhou and Tong Peiji.
Soon after the opening ceremony, the keynote speeches were given by Zhang Furi, Lu Shengjiang, Dai Weihua, Qian Zhixi, Luo Shijin, Jiang Yan, Li Hao and Kang Zhen-eight renowned professors from mainland, Prof. Liao Meiyu from National Cheng Kung University, and Prof. Jiang Lan with St. Peter’s University. And keynote speeches were also delivered just before the closing ceremony of the conference by following 6 professors-Hu Kexian, Zha pinqiu,Zhu Yuqi, Liu Ning, Liu Minghua and Xue Tianwei.
The discussions of the conference concerned four aspects-block-printed and handwritten materials and new horizons for research of literature in Tang Dynasty; acceptance and communication and Chinese books of literature in Tang Dynasty in other countries; lives of poets in Tang Dynasty and their representative works; and subjects of poems of Tang Dynasty and research about the poems. And the discussions were conducted in 16 groups.
Prof. Zha Pinqiu with Fudan University summarized three characteristics that the submitted papers have. First, the empirical tradition for research in literature and literary history has been passed down and developed. Second, the research comes back to literary texts again and more attention is paid to literary texts. Third, the horizon for research is broader and shows signs of going international. The empirical research, literary texts and international horizon for research are 3 characteristics of the conference and where we should try to work.
Li Hao, newly elected chairman of ALTC, delivered the closing address. In his address, he introduced the election of the members of the board of ALTC. Hu Kexian, Zha Pingqiu, Zhu Yuqi and Liu Ning were elected vice chairmen of ALTC. 8 executive directors and 22 directors of the board were elected. Li Fangmin was elected secretary general of ALTC and Tian Miao and Guo Li deputy secretaries general. The next annual meeting would be held at Shaanxi Normal University. Besides, Prof. Li Hao talked about his plan for the future work, focusing on his plan for academic research.
At the two-day conference, the scholars had heated discussions online and offline and shared their new ways and paths for the study of poems of Tang Dynasty. The conference was successful.
