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Public Lecture Series on “Lingnan Culture and the World” 2026 - Art and Literature of Lingnan: Craftsmanship, Poetic Painting, and Humanistic Landscape

The Public Lecture Series on “Lingnan Culture and the World” 2026, themed “Art and Literature of Lingnan: Craftsmanship, Poetic Painting, and Humanistic Landscape” and jointly organised by the Institute of Chinese Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Public Libraries, features two insightful talks exploring the aesthetic side of Lingnan.

The two lectures, one focused on the craftsmanship of the region during the Qing era, and the other on the humanistic landscape of Luofu, reveal how cross-regional interactions drove cultural and artistic production in Lingnan. The first lecture looks at how China’s trade with the West introduced Western decorative elements into Canton enamelled copperware, showcasing Guangzhou craftsmen’s innovative reinterpretation of Western techniques and aesthetics. The second lecture shifts focus to Su Shi’s Lingnan-themed verses, examining the construction of Lingnan’s humanistic landscape and cultural memory, as well as the creation of the Paintings of Fragrant Dream of Luofu during the Qing dynasty. Approaching the core theme through the lens of craftsmanship, poetic painting, and humanistic landscape, this series reflects the innovative dynamics of Lingnan culture in cross-regional and historical interactions.

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Activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series

Upcoming Activity

Su Shi and the Cultural Landscape of Lingnan: From Writing Local to Border-Crossing Transmission of the Paintings of Fragrant Dream of Luofu

Date:	2026/11/28 (Saturday)
Time:	2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Venue:	Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
Description:	The Song dynasty scholar-official Su Shi (1037–1101) is renowned for his accomplishments and extensive impact on literature and the arts. His works created during his later years in exile in Huizhou were crucial in reshaping the human geography and heritage of Lingnan. His writings praising Lingnan recorded the local places, customs, and natural products. Although he only visited Mount Luofu once, his timeless verses adorned the mountain, and he contributed to transform Lingnan from a peripheral region into a culturally significant one. This talk focuses on Su Shi's poems, calligraphy, and cultural heritage as a starting point to examine his promotion of local knowledge in Lingnan and his contributions to shaping the cultural landscape of Mount Luofu. It will further explore the origins of the landscape in the Plum Village of Luofu and the flourishing of the Paintings of Fragrant Dream of Luofu since the mid-Qing Dynasty, focusing on their visual representation and cross-regional transmission. It ultimately demonstrates Su Shi’s unique place in the construction of Lingnan’s historical sites and in Chinese art history.

Su Shi and the Cultural Landscape of Lingnan: From Writing Local to Border-Crossing Transmission of the Paintings of Fragrant Dream of Luofu

Inspiration from the West ── Creative Interpretation as Reflected in Qing-Dynasty Canton Enamelled Copperware

Date:	2026/10/25 (Sunday)
Time:	10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Venue:	Hong Kong Central Library (Lecture Theatre, G/F)
Description:	In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, China witnessed a flourishing export trade. As a major trading port, Guangzhou not only received a large influx of foreign merchants and imported goods, but also absorbed new technologies and decorative styles, actively participating in the production of innovative products. It was during this period that Canton enamelled copperware emerged as one of the most highly prized and sought-after items in the market. Workshops in Guangzhou applied enamelling techniques introduced from Europe to China in the early Qing dynasty to their copperware. Craftsmen painted and assembled a variety of decorations that blended exotic motifs with local visual elements, producing unique and novel items. On the enamelled copperware, stylish Western figures and classic Chinese settings were paired with patterns and borders drawing from both Chinese and Western cultures, creating fashionable items greatly admired in that era. Moreover, the production of basse-taille enamel copperware, featuring gold and silver foils placed beneath, between, and above layers of transparent blue and green enamel, was particularly representative. This technique can be seen as a reinterpretation and reinvention of the shiny decorative effects favoured in the West, achieved through local craftsmanship. This lecture will introduce the innovative decorations and techniques of Canton enamelled copperware from the Qing dynasty, exploring how Guangzhou artisans drew upon traditional techniques, applied their creativity, and responded to cultural stimuli from the West as well as market demands of the time.

Inspiration from the West ── Creative Interpretation as Reflected in Qing-Dynasty Canton Enamelled Copperware