On Sept 21, Chinese and Thai poets celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival at a gathering in Bangkok, reading poetry and discussing closer literary ties.
The event, themed "A Shared Moment Across the World", brought Chinese poets Cheng Yong, Liu Liu and Zhang Huijun together with Thai poets and writers to read works in both languages and exchange ideas. It drew an enthusiastic response from readers.
The program comprised a literary salon and a seminar titled "Poetry Across Mountains and Seas". Participants discussed distinctive approaches to writing poetry, the transmission of literary traditions between generations, changes in media, literary translation and prospects for future exchanges. Alternating readings in Chinese and Thai brought out both the differences between the two poetic cultures and the feelings they share.
Cheng said classical Chinese and Thai literature have much in common in their treatment of human nature and the natural world. The internet has created new opportunities for poets and poetry enthusiasts to communicate, he said, calling for wider informal exchanges, deeper understanding and more opportunities to create new work together.
