Reviews
Art
Feast of all senses
The 798 Art Zone in northeast Beijing again proved its status as a haven for the country's creative communities during its 2007 798 Art Festival which ended last weekend.
A series of fine art exhibitions, film screenings, photo shows, video art shows, dances and live music from home and abroad during the two-week festival attracted thousands of visitors to the art zone, which was transformed from old factory houses a decade ago.
Some 20 films by students from top Chinese art academies are shown during the May Day holiday; the "affordable art fair" was held from May 3-12 at the 798 Creative Square for visitors; and "Out of the Center Stage", a comprehensive art exhibition of works from about 60 vanguard Chinese artists who were born in the 1970s, was staged from April 28 to May 13.
Also well received was "Mutations of the Dragon", a large-scale, experimental photo exhibition that tackled the impact of drastic social changes upon contemporary Chinese.
Zhu Linyong
Book
Confucious: A Philosopher for the Ages
By Xu Yuanxiang, China Intercontinental Press, 43 yuan ($5.60)
This instalment of the Ancient Sages of China series is the perfect primer for foreigners hoping to make sense out of their Confucian confusion. In simple terms, this brief book explains the basics of Confucian concepts and puts readers on the same page as this Sage of the Ages.
It's not exactly fodder for a dissertational philosophy bibliography; at 109 pages long and packed with half-page pictures, it's a one-sitting read. Still, it purveys the basics, gives a chronological account of this master's life and explains the historical context of his thought development, helping readers understand the mind behind his wise words.
But while the book examines multiple dimensions of Confucius - the academic, political and historical - the unabashedly humanistic Xu purposefully omits the mythology surrounding this saint. Instead, the author adamantly contends that this moral man was exactly that and nothing more. And his most important lesson for us in today's world is that we can be, too.
Erik Nilsson
Mencius: A Benevolent Saint for the Ages
By Xu Yuanxiang and Zhang Bing, China Intercontinental Press, 43 yuan ($5.60)
This book succinctly introduces to the Western world Confucius' little-known, dissident devotee: Mencius.
It opens with this firebrand risking execution by confronting the king to inform him he should step down or rule according to the Confucian concept of benevolence.
And from this starting point, the authors' portrayal of this sage as a radical rabble-rouser doesn't break stride.
Emphasizing humanistic interpretations of Mencius' identity, they focus on his calls for Confucian harmony during the blood-soaked Warring States Period (475-221BC).
This earned him reverence among Chinese but hardly any repute in the Western world.
The thrust of the book is that Mencius' lesson to people today would be perseverance in the face of harrowing trials. While perhaps we might never see the fruit of our determination, like Mencius, our moral resolve could have long-lasting effects beyond our awareness. And while idealistic people have been the lifeblood of China throughout its history, this lesson is, undeniably, universal.
EN
(China Daily 05/17/2007 page20)
