Join us to reconnect with the power of poetry, and gain insight into how Lu Xun transformed Western symbolism!



Event Schedule

• First 90 minutes: Lecture and guided Q & A
• Final 90 minutes (optional): A free, informal session for participants to share cross-cultural thoughts inspired by the lecture
• Wine, coffee, tea, and light food will be served

As a foundational writer and thinker in modern China, Lu Xun (鲁迅 1881–1936) continues to shape societal discourse today. After studying in Japan and teaching in Beijing, he spent his final nine years writing in Shanghai, pioneering a unique examination of China through the dual lens of its historical legacy and contemporary Western thought.

Professor Gao Yuanbao (郜元宝) of Fudan University is a renowned Lu Xun scholar and a distinguished critic of contemporary Chinese literature. He will share his research on the Western allusions in Lu Xun's 1925 prose poem Dead Fire. This short work serves as a metaphor for the burning spirit of a people waking into cultural modernity, while inviting multiple interpretations.

Dr. Yanfeng Li, convener of the RAS Shanghai Book Club, will serve as the discussant.

Participants will receive an electronic version (approx. one page) of the translated Dead Fire via email prior to the event in email, with hard copies available onsite.