Virginia Woolf’s Kew Gardens Reprinted

I believe this reprint of Virginia Woolf’s short story set on a hot July day in Kew Gardens was republished last year, but I only chanced upon in a bookshop the other day. Woolf privately published the story in 1919 and then issued it more widely in 1921. Of course the cover immediately attracts a China Rhyming eye and the book, republished by Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, is beautifully illustrated too. According to the blurbs, ‘Woolf’s story creates an impressionistic world with snippets of conversation, wondering thoughts and sparks of colour. The gentle narrative drifts between different characters as they stroll through the world famous botanic gardens…’

Worth an hour or so of your time to read and enjoy before summer finally, irrecoverably departs….

Chinese Wallpaper in Britain and Ireland

Emile de Brujin’s comprehensive survey is a joy to read and browse…

Chinese wallpaper has been an important element of western interior decoration for three hundred years. As trade between Europe and China flourished in the seventeenth century, Europeans developed a strong taste for Chinese art and design. The stunningly beautiful wall coverings now known as ‘Chinese wallpaper’ were developed by Chinese painting workshops in response to western demand. In spite of their spectacular beauty, Chinese wallpapers have not been studied in any depth until relatively recently. This book provides an overview of some of the most significant Chinese wallpapers surviving in the British Isles. Sumptuously illustrated, it shows how these wallpapers became a staple ingredient of high-end interiors while always retaining a touch of the exotic.

Asia via Crime Novels

You may or may not be aware but I write a fortnightly column for The Literary Hub called Crime in the City. The idea is to look at city’s through the lens of the crime books – fiction and non-fiction with a bit of long form TV thrown in for good measure where appropriate. The series roams around the world but the last one was on Hong Kong so I thought I’d plug that and the other Asian cities I’ve covered as they migth be of interst to China Rhyming readers….

Hong Kong, Criminal City That Knows No Night

Shanghai Noir: How to Write Crime Fiction in a City with a 100% Conviction Rate

Crime in the City: Noir at High Noon in Duterte’s Manila

Crime in the City: Singapore, World Capital of the Cozy Mystery

China and the UN Charter, 1945

Here’s a little fact I did not know – China was the first country to sign the UN Charter on June 1 1945 in San Francisco. As it was deemed that China had been the first allied country to fall victim to fascist and militarist aggression they were accorded the honour of going first. Wellington Koo signed the document using a traditional Chinese calligraphy brush. Behind him stands PC Carson Chang (this photo has an arrow behind him for some reason), the playwright who became a  diplomat and introduced ideas of Confucianism into the diplomatic world and the UN. Both great diplomats (Koo of course signed the UN Charter but had previously, correctly, refused to sign the Versailles Peace Treaty at the end of WW1).

there’s a video clip of the Chinese signing here…

Royal Asiatic Society Shanghai in China Library Grand Re-Opening – 23rd September

This is very good news after a slightly hasty relocation….

Saturday, 23rd September 2017
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Royal Asiatic Society Shanghai in China Library Grand Re-Opening

It is with great pleasure we announce the grand re-opening of the library of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) China in Shanghai, located in the House of Roosevelt building on the Bund. The Roosevelt Club has provided a beautiful space on the third floor for the RAS library, which will be a resource centre and a quiet place of study for all RAS members. The RAS library will also host selected events and programs on the RAS calendar. The new library is near the site of the original RAS building, which is now the Rockbund Art Museum.

This move would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of the management team at the House of Roosevelt, the office of the British Consulate General in Shanghai and supporters of the Royal Asiatic Society China, whom we gratefully acknowledge.

Our grand re-opening will take place on Saturday 23^rd September at the library. Please join us in celebrating this event at the ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the Roosevelt Club’s private bar.

Date: September 23, 2017

Time: 5:00-8:00 pm

Location: The House of Roosevelt, 3^rd Floor

Address: 27 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (near Beijing Dong Lu)

中山东一路27号3楼, 近北京东路

RSVP: bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn

 

Please note that the Roosevelt Club has a dress code of smart business casual (please, no jeans, shorts or flipflops), and that this event is for adults over the age of eighteen. Thank you for understanding.

What’s for Tiffin? Restaurants in Old Shanghai – September 10

Historic Shanghai are organising a fascinating talk with veteran Shanghailander Bill Savadove – it’ll be great, just don’t be put off by the venue!!

What’s for Tiffin? Restaurants in Old Shanghai

What did they eat in old Shanghai? Intrigued by his grandfather’s reminisces about the Sun Ya restaurant during the 1940s, journalist Bill Savadove began asking that question. This talk, richly illustrated with images of old menus from his personal collection, provides some of the answers.

Following its development as a treaty port, Chinese and foreigners alike brought their home cooking to the city, creating a rich “stew” of Chinese regional and foreign foods. The old menus show what was on offer from as early as 1904 through to the 1940s – illustrating the international nature of cuisine and the vibrancy of the dining scene in old Shanghai. He will also go beyond the table and explore where the food came from

Venue: Disney Research Center
4/F, 624 Jianguo Lu, near Gao An Lu
Shanghai
RSVP: info@historic-shanghai.com to book and for venue

Sunday September 10, 4pm
RMB 50 members
RMB 150 nonmembers

Payment is via cash at the event or WeChat

The Australian Pursuit of Japanese War Criminals, 1945–1957 – From Foe to Friend

Dean Aszkielowicz’s new book looks like a good addition to the literature on the Far East War Crimes Tribunals after WW2….

Previous scholarship on trials of war criminals focused on the legal proceedings with only tacit acknowledgment of the political and social context. Dean Aszkielowicz argues in The Australian Pursuit of Japanese War Criminals, 1943-1957: From Foe to Friend that the trials of Class B and Class C Japanese war criminals in Australia were not only an attempt to punish Japan for its militaristic ventures but also a move to exert influence over the future course of Japanese society, politics, and foreign policy, as well as to cement Australia’s position in the Pacific region as a major power. During the Allied occupation of Japan, Australia energetically tried Japanese Class B and Class C war criminals. However, as the Cold War intensified, Japan was increasingly seen by the United States and its allies as a potential ally against communism and was no longer considered a threat to Pacific security. In the 1950s, concerns about the guilt of individual Japanese soldiers made way for pragmatism and political gain when the sentences of war criminals became a political bargaining chip.

Finding Kukan for Schools, Museums & Non-Profits

I’ve blogged before about the excellent documentary Find Kukan…Here more details and how you can use it as an educational tool…

Just in time for fall semester, DVDs and streaming versions of FINDING KUKAN are now available to schools, museums, corporations and non-profits. FINDING KUKAN has proven to be a great teaching tool, sparking thoughtful conversations about race, gender, history, and filmmaking. AND it’s inspired more than a few audience members to begin to document their own histories – something I’ve always hoped for. Please help me maximize the impact of FINDING KUKAN by forwarding this email to your educator friends who might be interested in it. And consider donating a copy of FINDING KUKAN to your public library where you can enjoy it too. Purchase information HERE.
**Note Educational DVDs of the film include the original 1941 KUKAN as an extra feature (all 85 minutes).