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21st Century China Center China Center

Salons

The center partners with Haili Foundation in San Diego to bring (mostly) Chinese-language salons to friends and supporters of 21CCC and Haili Foundation in the local community.

Organized by the 21st Century China Center and The Haili Foundation, San Diego 

Past Salons

Celebrating the Soundscape of Music and Calligraphy in Chinese Culture (境界层上,一步一重天”: 黄宾虹、潘天寿的书画天地与梁雷的声景世界)

Mar. 7, 2025

Speakers:

Zaixin Hong, Professor of Art History
Lei Liang, Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Music, UC San Diego
Kuiyi Shen, Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism, UC San Diego 

The spirit of Chinese art flows through music, calligraphy, and painting, and holds even greater relevance in the AI era. Professor Hong explores the depth and realms of art by analyzing professor Lei Liang’s music and its connection to masters Huang Binhong and Pan Tianshou.

中国艺术的精神贯通音乐、书法和绘画,在AI时代更具现实意义,洪教授通过梁雷的音乐及其与黄宾虹、潘天寿的关联,探讨艺术的境界与深度。 

 

Eighty Years of AI (人工智能80年:未来机遇与挑战)

Jan. 20, 2025     

Speaker: Rose Yu, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the way humans produce and live. Drawing on her research and teaching experience, Professor Rose Yu reviews the history of AI and explore the opportunities and challenges it presents for the future. 

人工智能正深刻改变人类生产与生活,虞琦教授将结合其科研教学经验,回顾AI历史并展望未来机遇与挑战。

 

Sino-USSR Alliance, the Korean War, and the PRC’s Predicament in Military Takeover of Taiwan (中苏同盟、朝鲜战争与中共武力攻台的困境)

Nov. 11, 2024

Speaker: SHEN Zhihua, professor of history at East China Normal University

Renowned Professor of History, Shen Zhihua, analyzes the reasons why the Chinese Communist Party failed to seize Taiwan in 1950 through historical documents from four sides and explores the impact of the Sino-Soviet alliance, the Korean War, and international relations on the Taiwan Strait situation and cross-strait relations. 

沈志华教授通过四方史料分析中共1950年未攻占台湾的原因,并探讨中苏同盟、朝鲜战争及国际关系对台海局势和两岸关系的影响。 

 

On the Linguistic Landscape of Chinese (趣谈汉语景观)

Oct. 25, 2024                

Speaker: Zhengshen Zhang, Professor of Chinese, San Diego State University

Professor Zhang explores the linguistic landscape of Chinese that not only showcases its formal styles and rhetorical devices but also conveys rich cultural, political, and social information, reflecting regional differences and immigration history.

汉语景观不仅展现了汉语的语体和修辞,还传递了丰富的文化、政治和社会信息,并反映出地域差异和移民历史,尤其在与外语碰撞时产生的翻译问题。

 

Looking for “Homeland” via Music and Sound (“走向新“山水”:用声音寻找故乡” )

July 4, 2024        

Speaker: Lei Liang, Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Music, UC San Diego 

"Homeland" is an important theme in Lei Liang's music compositions. Drawing from the influence of Inner Mongolian music and interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers, he explores the multidimensional meaning of "homeland" by transforming the visual information from Huang Binhong's landscape paintings into auditory experiences.

“故乡”是梁雷音乐创作中的重要主题,他结合内蒙古音乐的影响和与工程师等的跨学科合作,通过将黄宾虹山水画的视觉信息转化为听觉体验,探索“故乡”的多维意义。

 

Thirty Five Years After The Collapse of Eastern Europe (东欧巨变三十五年)

June 8, 2024                 

Speaker: QIN Hui, Professor of History, Emeritus, at Tsinghua University

Renowned historians Qin Hui and Jin Yan reflect on the 35th anniversary of the Eastern European transformation and the historical evolution of China-Russia relations.

著名历史学家秦晖、金雁夫妇反思东欧剧变三十五年,以及中俄关系的历史演变

 

The Effect of Immigration Experience on Intra-family Relations (移民经历对家庭亲情的影响)

May 19, 2024               

Speaker: Linna Wang, Professor Emeritus, California School of Professional Psychology

First-generation immigrant families often experience communication tensions due to differing educational backgrounds. Professor Wang explores the challenges of Chinese immigrants parenting in the U.S. from a psychological perspective, emphasizing less blame and more understanding.

第一代移民家庭因教育背景差异常有沟通紧张,本次讲座从心理学角度探讨中国移民在美为人父母的难处,并强调少责备、多理解。

 

Chinese Sense of Happiness (中国人的幸福感)

April 21, 2024               

Speaker: Dick Madsen, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, UC San Diego

China ranked 60th in the 2024 global happiness survey, but "happiness" holds different meanings across cultures. Professor Madsen explores the contemporary Chinese understanding of happiness through history, language, and numerous interviews. 

中国在2024年全球幸福感调查中排名60,但“幸福”在不同文化中的含义各异,赵文词教授通过历史、语言和采访探讨当代中国人对幸福的理解。 

 

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and Northern Song Society (清明上河图与北宋社会)

Feb. 19, 2024    

Speaker: Kuiyi Shen, Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism, UC San Diego

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" depicts the bustling scene of the Northern Song capital, Bianjing, showcasing the social, technological, and economic life of ancient China a thousand years ago. Professor Shen helps audience gain insight into the customs and culture of the time by examining this famous court painting.

《清明上河图》描绘了北宋汴京的繁华景象,展现了千年前中国城市的社会、技术和经济生活,并通过这幅宫廷绘画了解当时的风俗与文化。

  

A Cultural Tour of China via Sanxian Music (音乐之旅迎新年)

Jan. 1, 2024                  

Speaker: Gao Yizhen, Associate Professor, Tianjin Conservatory of Music

Talented young sanxian musician Gao Yizhen, an associate professor at Tianjin Conservatory of Music and a visiting scholar at the University of California, San Diego, takes us on a cultural journey across China, from Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Yunnan to Guangdong, Hunan, Shaanxi, Henan, and Beijing.

著名青年三弦演奏家高艺真是天津音乐学院副教授,加州大学圣地亚哥分校访问学者。她将用三弦琴声带我们领略中华大地的文化特色,从新疆、内蒙、云南、广东,到湖南、陕西、河南、北京,以音乐之旅开启新年。