Ling U

The How to Read Chinese Poetry knowledge transfer project is undertaken by AIGCS’s director Prof. Zong-qi Cai and the AIGCS staff. This project consists of five series that aim at promoting Chinese poetry to a large audience at home and abroad. It is also an attempt to provide a good option for the Chinese Department’s 2026 Research Assessment Exercise. The first two of the five series were successfully completed respectively in 2022 and 2023, while the remaining three series are to be broadcast by mid-2025. Below please find the progress report and future plans of this KT project.

Completed

1st Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry English Podcast

2nd Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry Chinese Video: Artistic Vision of Tang Poetry

To Be Published

3rd Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry Chinese Video: Sounds of Tang Poetry

4th Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry English Video: From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry

5th Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry Chinese Video: From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry

Progress Report

1st Series

1st Series: How to Read Chinese Poetry English Podcast

On February 28, 2023, the grand finale of the English podcast series “How to Read Chinese Poetry” was held at Lingnan University. Professor Cai invited 14 prominent episode hosts to participate the online forum to share their passion and appreciation of Chinese poetry. This English podcast presents 17 captivating topics and delivered a total of 55 episodes with 133,914 plays across 97 countries and regions. It has achieved a remarkable global impact and has earned warm praise from audiences of various linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Podcast Posters

2nd Series

How to Read Chinese Poetry Chinese Video:
Artistic Vision of Tang Poetry

Following the global success of the English podcast, Professor Cai launched the Chinese video series. The aim is to provide in-depth interpretations of classical poetry in the Chinese-speaking world. This series covers various aspects including artistic techniques, poetic emotions, and historical contexts,  provide a visual feast an delightful aesthetic experience for the audience. As of December 27, 2023, the first series of Chinese videos has released a total of 33 episodes. The official account has gained 83,388 followers and accumulated 1,867,401 views across major platforms such as Bilibili, YouTube, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin.

Click the Picture to Play Video

Click the Picture to Play Video

To be Published

3nd Series

How to Read Chinese Poetry Chinese Video:
Sounds of Tang Poetry

Tang poetry is not only known for its beautiful artistic conception but also represents a pinnacle in the history of rhyme development. As a poetic form with the strictest constraints on tonal patterns, both jueju (绝句) and lüshi (律詩) epitomize Chinese poets' efforts to formalize and maximize the natural order of the Chinese language.

Following the conclusion of the first series, Prof Cai plans to produce the second series of Chinese videos, titled “Sounds of Tang Poetry.” This new program will analyse the preserved Middle Chinese tones in Cantonese, explore the fundamental principles of the regulated verse, and introduce innovate traditional approaches to understanding the rhymes and sounds of Tang poetry. It aims to help audience master the correct representation of tonal patterns, thereby gaining insight into the cultures and values encapsulated in Tang poetry. The second series of Chinese videos is scheduled to begin airing from March 1st, 2024.

4th Series

How to Read Chinese Poetry English Video:
From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry

This series is a “videolization” of selected English podcast episodes broadcast in 2022. The content will cover from the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty poetry, presenting a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Chinese poetry. This approach aims to provide audiences with a more holistic understanding of the historical development of Chinese poetry. The English video series is scheduled to commence airing in the second half of 2024.

5th Series

How to Read Chinese Poetry ChineseVideo:
From the Book of Poetry to Qing Dynasty Poetry

The final series is the Chinese version of the fourth series, scheduled for release at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025. Prof Cai and his production team will continue to deliver the best videos and to convey the beauty of Chinese poetry, thus bringing a fulfilling conclusion to the entire knowledge transfer project.