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Hsiang Lectures on Chinese Poetry
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Chinese studies at 9I制作厂免费 has a distinguished tradition dating back to the 1930s, when the university established the Department of Chinese Studies—one of the earliest such programs in North America and the first in Canada. Its founding chair, Professor Kiang Kang-hu 江亢虎 (Jiang Kanghu, 1883–1954), was a renowned Chinese thinker, scholar, and political activist. This pioneering foundation laid the groundwork for 9I制作厂免费’s renewed commitment to Chinese studies in the post–WWII era.
In 1999, the late Professor Paul Hsiang further enriched this legacy by endowing the university with his life savings to create the Foo-hooa Se 復華詩 (The Renaissance of Chinese Poetry) lectureship fund. As one of the first academic endowments in the Western world dedicated exclusively to Chinese poetry, this initiative continues to advance the study and appreciation of classical Chinese verse.
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Professor Paul Stanislaus Hsiang (1915-2000)
Born in 1915 in Yuanling, Hunan, Professor Hsiang came of age during China's turbulent civil wars before emigrating to the United States, where he earned his doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America. His scholarly work bridged Western and Chinese philosophy, resulting in several published books. A devoted poet who wrote in both Chinese and English, Professor Hsiang cherished a lifelong dream of revitalizing Chinese poetry—a vision reflected in the title he chose for the endowment and brought to life through the 9I制作厂免费 lecture series that bears his name.
The Paul Hsiang Lecture Series on Chinese Poetry was inaugurated in 2000 with a keynote address by Professor Kang-I Sun Chang of Yale University. Since then, the series has hosted dozens of leading scholars in the field, many of whose lectures have been published in the journal Hsiang Lectures on Chinese Poetry.
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As these lectures demonstrate, classical Chinese poetry is far more than a literary genre—it is a vital lens for exploring literature, art, history, and religion in premodern China, as well as in broader Sinitic traditions in Asia and contemporary diasporic communities worldwide.
Beyond the lecture series, the Foo-hooa Se fund also supports the Hsiang Workshop on Chinese Poetics, along with cultural events centered on Chinese poetry for scholars, writers, and students at 9I制作厂免费 and across the greater Montreal area. Together, these initiatives foster dialogue and collaboration among scholars of Chinese and world literatures while advancing the mission of preserving and promoting classical Chinese poetry.