Palace of Puzzles - The Legacy of Legge :: China and the West

About

2 pm Palace of Puzzles Public Parade - The Utopia Group Deng Defai and He Hai, Beijing/China Start: James Legge House, 9 The Square, Huntly 4 pm Chinese Tea Ceremony and Discussion The Legacy of Legge: Understanding, Misunderstanding, Belief and Amnesia — China and the West Chair: Natascha Gentz, Director of the Confucius Institute for Scotland Norman Girardot - Lehigh University, Philadelphia. Author of 'Victorian Translators in China: James Legge's Oriental Pilgrimage' Gu Zhen Qing - Curator Li Space, Beijing Editor Visual Production Magazine Glen Dudbridge - Emeritus Prof of Chinese, University of Oxford Ewen MacDonald - Emeritus Rector of the Gordon Schools, Huntly 7.30 pm Ceilidh with Chinese food Gordon Arms Hotel, tickets £10 James Legge: born Huntly 1815 | Missionary + Translator in China 1837-1873 | Prof of Sinology / Oxford 1875-1897 James Legge left his Huntly birthplace in Aberdeenshire as a missionary to the Far East. Believing that he had to understand those he sought to convert, he learned Chinese and began a lifelong study of their language and culture. Later occupying the first chair of Sinology at Oxford, he published numerous monumental volumes of the Chinese Classics - including the Confucius Analects and the Book of Changes or Yijing. This opened channels of exchange that led to a deeper understanding of China and seeded early modern globalisation. The Utopia Group (Deng Dafei and He Hai) from Beijing are in residence with Deveron Arts between July and Sept 2009. During this time they developed a body of work celebrating Huntly's famous son — the great Sinolgist and translator James Legge. The work includes a treasure hunt game in the town and an exhibition of paintings and drawings in James Legge's House of childhood. The climax of the project will lead the towns' folk on a parade from the house to the river celebrating a fusion of Eastern and Western, Chinese and Scottish culture and the legacy of James Legge. info@deveron-arts.com :: 01466 794494 :: www.deveron-arts.com :: www.jameslegge.org