Friday, October 27, 6:00 – 8:30PM
Speaker: Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai/ Bai Xianyong/ 白先勇; Ben Wang
Event Fees: Members: FREE; Non-Members: $10
Location: 40 Rector Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10006

A living legend and visionary of modern Chinese culture, Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai (白先勇), Emeritus Professor of University of California Santa Barbara, is an internationally acclaimed author generally considered among the greatest living stylists of Chinese fiction and prose. His works push bold modernist perspectives while exploring life in mid-20th century Taipei, China, and the United States. His publications include the collections of short stories Lonely Seventeen, Taipei People, and The New Yorker; the collection of prose writing Suddenly the Past; and the novel Crystal Boys. A higher proportion of Pai’s works have been turned into films, TV shows, and stage plays than almost any other contemporary Taiwanese writer. In recent years he has devoted his passion and energy to promote Chinese kunqu opera to the world. He is the general producer and artistic director of Peony Pavilion, which has toured China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the U.S.

This October Professor Pai will be visiting China Institute and its Renwen Society for an exclusive and rare opportunity to speak about his life’s work. On Friday, October 27, we will screen the documentary Multiflorate Splendor, which explores Professor Pai’s accomplishments as an artist to the backdrop of a staging of his landmark adaptation of the Peony Pavilion. Following the screening, Professor Pai will speak with the audience and answer questions. This film will be screened with Chinese and English subtitles. The post-screening discussion will be conducted in English.

Professor Pai’s writings and lectures on Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦) are considered major touchstones of interpretation for this key text in world literature. On Saturday, October 28, Professor Pai will return to China Institute to discuss his thoughts on this novel in conversation with Ben Wang, Senior Lecturer of Language and Humanities at China Institute. This event will be conducted in Mandarin and will be followed by a reception.