Pre-trip Talk - Chinese Culture in Qinghai and Gansu

In conjunction with our September trip to Qinghai and Gansu, our resource person, Yeung Chun-tong (楊春棠), Director of the University Museum and Art Gallery will give a presentation and talk to share with us some of the highlights of the trip as well as some historical background of the places to be visited.

In ancient times, Qinghai and Gansu were on the Silk Road linking Eurasia and China. Both of these provinces have developed a mixture of cultures that are clearly reflected in their Buddhist art, as found in cave temples and Lamaseries.

Director Yeung will introduce the pottery finds from a Neolithic site in Qinghai and compare them with similar discoveries in other parts of Mainland China. The wall paintings and stucco sculptures in Gansu cave temples will also be highlighted to illustrate the Buddhist influence on the development of Chinese art and culture.

Do join us for an informative and enlightening evening talk on a part of China that is culturally diverse and fascinating.

在中國歷史上，青海和甘肅於絲綢之路未開拓前，是不受重視的地方。本講座將介紹這兩個省份的早期歷史，內容包括漢人文化和當地少數民族的融和，以及自漢代開始外地文化的傳入所帶來的影響。

本講座以青海甘肅兩地彩陶的發現，追溯新石器時代的歷史，並且利用甘肅石窟的壁畫和彩，說明當地在中國佛教史上的重要地位，同時帶出佛教思想和藝術與中國文化發展的密切關係。