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Theme: 6. Using the Arts, Media and Culture: Contestations and Collaborations
Jia Ma
Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York University, Canada
Pietro Giordan
Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York university, Canada
Jia Ma
Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York University, Canada
Pietro Giordan
Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York university, Canada
.jpg "Xueqing Xu photo")
Xueqing Xu
Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York university, Canada
Yan Lu
Department of French and Asian Studies, Huron University College at University of Western Ontario, Canada
From the Tang dynasty to the Qing dynasty, Di Bao and Jing Bo emerged successively and became symbols of so-called ancient Chinese newspapers. However, the first modern Chinese daily was established only in 1874, when Wang Tao founded the "Tsun-wan yat-po" (Universal Circulating Herald).
Following the emergence of print media in Chinese, Chinese literature and culture immediately became prominent topics on newspapers and periodicals, both in China and overseas. The paper by Ma Jia and the one by Xu Xueqing and Wu Hua examine the cultural phenomenon from different perspectives. Ma's paper analyzes the characteristics and purposes of the newspapers and periodicals run by missionaries in the late Qing and Republican era, exploring the cultural interaction between Western and Chinese culture in these publications. In addition, it elaborates on the significant contributions by missionaries in bridging the gap between the West and China. On the other hand, Xu and Wu's paper focuses on the poems published in a Vancouver-based Chinese language daily, the Chinese Times (1910-1992). It examines poetic expressions of home concept by the Chinese Canadians under three topics: nostalgia, resistance, and integration, which reflect an ongoing process of reconfiguring the idea of home and sense of belonging within the Chinese community.
While print media continued to play a significant role, new communication media emerged through mediums such as radio, film, tv, and the internet in the 20th century and the power of mass media soon became pervasive. During the transition period, some writers held dual roles as both writers and screenwriters, while others frequently had their works adapted into films or TV dramas. Giordan's paper focuses on how, at the end of the last century, Wang Xiaobo, a rare polymath (fiction writer, screenwriter, sociologist, and software developer) initially established his reputation within the literary field through publications on middle and high-brows journals, culminating in two collections. Furthermore, the paper argues that these collections embody the tension between a postmodern stylistic orientation and an enlightenment-inspired discourse, and that they connect Wang's work to that of contemporary influencers. Lu Yan's paper, on the other hand, takes a comparative look at the film and television adaptations of Chinese Canadian writer Zhang Ling's novella "Aftershock." It elaborates on how cinematic and television adaptations shift the focus from psychological trauma in the novella to family reunions enveloped by a warm sense of healing, while revealing mixed messages about forgiveness and reconciliation.
Presenter: Jia Ma – Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York University
Presenter: Pietro Giordan – Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York university
Presenter: Xueqing Xu – Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics at York university
Presenter: Yan Lu – Department of French and Asian Studies, Huron University College at University of Western Ontario