October 2014

General Highlights:

Gallery
Mao's Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution ~ Through April 26, 2015
Around half a century ago during the Cultural Revolution（1966 – 1976）, China was in a political “mango-fever.” In 1968, after receiving a gift of mangoes from the visiting Pakistani foreign minister, Mao Zedong sent the fruit to the “Worker-Peasant Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Teams.” It coincided with a turning point in the Cultural Revolution from student-leading to worker-peasant-leading. Mangoes, an unfamiliar fruit at that time in China, became a temporary political symbol of Chairman Mao’s benevolence and love for the people. Illustrations and photos of mangoes appeared in publications, paintings, posters and badges, as well as on everyday objects such as mirrors, quilt covers and enamelware. Wax mango models were displayed in glass boxes to express respect for Mao, along with circumstances of the gift printed in red on the cases. By showcasing over 80 mango-related objects, Mao’s Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution will explore the interaction of material culture and politics during this period. This exhibition is organized by the Museum Rietberg Zürich and is curated by Alfreda Murck and Alexandra von Przychowski. The China Institute Gallery showing of the exhibition has been expanded to include loans from the Collection of Judy Manton and from an Anonymous Private Collector. More...

Education
For K-12 Students:
Private Tutoring：PreK-12 Students ~ Fall 2014
Back to School Discount in October：Sign up for 10 sessions, get 1 session free! The start of the new school year is a great time to get extra help with Chinese! Whether your child is new to the language or would like to improve his or her skills, our experienced language tutors can tailor customized curriculums to meet individual needs and learning styles. Our tutors have flexible schedules and can travel to your home. Private tutoring is offered to students ages 3-17. For more information, please contact Valerie Ong at vong@chinainstitute.org or 212-744-8181, ext. 110. More...

Chinese for Children 2014-2015 ~ Fall 2014
Learn Chinese in a fun and immersive environment! Registration for Fall classes is open for one more week. Sign up for the full Academic Year and receive a free China Institute family membership! NEW 5% sibling discount! To register, please contact Valerie Ong at vong@chinainstitute.org or 212-744-8181, ext. 110. More...

For Adults:
Adult Chinese Language & Studio Classes ~ Fall 2014
Fall classes are in session now! China Institute offers a wide range of Chinese Language Group Classes for students at every proficiency level. We are very pleased to announce that a NEW course, Chinese for Heritage Learners, has been added to our course offerings in the Fall semester. This course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills, but little reading and writing skills in Chinese. It introduces functional vocabulary and provides a systemic review of grammar through various cultural related topics.

We continue to offer FREE one-on-one tutoring sessions to registered students while group classes are in session. Each tutoring session is a 45-minute one-on-one segment that students sign up for on a first come first served basis. The tutoring office hours are available on Monday through Thursday from 10:30am-12:45pm and 5:30-7:45pm.

In the adult studio program, we continue to offer our long-standing and well-received art and culture courses, including Chinese calligraphy, brush painting and Taijiquan.

Short Course – Songs of the Heart：Magnificent Poetry from the Tang Dynasty ~ Starts October 7, 2014
Discounts for educators are available. In this lecture series, Ben Wang, Senior Lecturer of Language and Humanities at China Institute, will introduce selected works by three of the towering masters of the Tang period：Li Bai（701-762）of the high Tang Period, and Du Mu（803-852）, and Li Shangyin（812-858）of the twilight years of the dynasty. The final session will feature a performance by musical guest Chen Tao. More...

Short Course – The Cultural Revolution on Film ~ Starts October 15, 2014
Discounts for educators are available. A thought-provoking series of documentary and feature films, produced by both Chinese and Western filmmakers about the Cultural Revolution, will be screened in conjunction with the exhibition, Mao's Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution. An expert in the fields of Chinese and cinema studies will introduce each film. More...

Members' Events
SOLD OUT! Lecture & Reception：Shanghai Deco with Tess Johnson ~ October 10, 2014
China Institute Gallery cordially invites Friends of the Gallery and Members to a lecture and reception with Tess Johnson, co-author of Shanghai Art Deco, who will share the exquisite Deco style of Shanghai. Johnson's illustrated lecture will feature stunning images of Shanghai's Art Deco icons that range from the luxurious Sassoon House to many apartment and office buildings in the city. FREE to Friends of the Gallery and Members. Space is limited and reservations are being taken on a first-come-first served basis. More...

Exhibition Tour：Ai Weiwei 艾未未 at Chambers Fine Art ~ October 18, 2014
Please join us for a tour of Ai Weiwei：Part 1 at Chambers Fine Art on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 11:30 am. The tour will be led by Gallery Director, David Clements. More...

Programs & Events
Useless Rock：Youth Culture in the PRC ~ October 9, 2014
This lecture and discussion will explore the changing significance of rock music in China – including its critical potential – in a debate between Liang Long, the lead singer of Second Hand Rose, and Dr. Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau, the band's percussionist and a scholar of Chinese Studies. More...

We All Live in the Forbidden City Launch Party ~ October 25, 2014
FREE! This October China Institute is kicking off our exciting new publishing and educational program We All Live in the Forbidden City. Join us at 19 University Place for the New York City launch party for the books In the Forbidden City and This is the Greatest Place!. At this family festival celebrating Chinese history and culture, there will be music and dance performances, games, crafts, and more. Prizes will be given out throughout the day and to the first 50 guests. Registration is not required. More...

Corporate Programs
China Impact Speaker Series：Social Innovation and Impact Investing - How the Gates Foundation is Making a Difference in China with Jane Xing ~ October 2, 2014
Ms. Jane Xing, Deputy Director of the China Representative Office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leads the strategy development and the program management of the China Office, and the Foundation's Program Related Investment work and partnership development in China. Ms. Xing's talk will focus on social innovation and impact investment in terms of how the Gates Foundation is making a difference in China. More...

China Impact Speaker Series：Keeping Up with China - From Revolution to Evolution with Andrew Wu, LVMH ~ October 9, 2014
Join us for breakfast as we welcome Andrew Wu, Group President, Greater China of LVMH, for a discussion of the next big trends in the luxury industry in China and the changing Chinese consumer. As Group President for Greater China, a position he has held since 2005, Wu oversees more than 60 brands in luxury's most important market, including Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy. One of the most knowledgeable executives working in the Chinese market, Wu has a native appreciation of the country's wide-ranging consumer habits. Wu's astute evaluation of the increasing sophistication of Chinese consumers has played a key role in LVMH's market leadership in the region to date. More...

Renwen Society
Book Launch and Symposium on How Zoen Fong（Xia Ruifang） ~ October 4, 2014
To mark the 100th anniversary of the passing of Mr. How Zoen Fong, founder of the Commercial Press of China, and to commemorate the extraordinary life and achievements of this preeminent pioneer of modern publishing in China, the Renwen Society at China Institute and the C.V. Starr East Asian Library of Columbia University will jointly hold a book launch of A Pioneer Remembered：A Biography of How Zoen Fong and symposium on October 4, 2014 at Columbia University. Speakers at the event will include：Mr. Jim Cheng, Director of the C.V. Starr East Asian Library of Columbia University; Dr. Tai-loi Ma, Director of the East Asian Library at Princeton University; Mr. Wang Chunshen, Board Chair of the Commercial Press in Taiwan; Dr. Chi Wang, President of the US-China Policy Foundation and former head of the Chinese Section at the Library of Congress; Mr. Julian Suez, grandson of How Zoen Fong; Mr. Ben Wang & Dr. Yong Ho, co-chairs of the Renwen Society. The event will be followed by a book signing at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library of Columbia University, where a display of books published by the Commercial Press prior to 1914 will be in display for viewing. This event will be conducted in English. More...

Lecture：The Art of Mr. Chai Zushun ~ October 11, 2014
A renowned painter based in Shanghai, Mr. Chai Zushun developed a unique style of Chinese painting. Mr. Yu Jianwen, head of the Tongxin Gallery in Shanghai, will introduce Chai's unique art to the audience. More...

Lecture：The Making of the Documentary Film on Xu Zhimo, the Legendary Poet of the Early 20th Century ~ October 18, 2014
One of the most renowned and influential romantic poets of 20th-century Chinese literature, Xu Zhimo made tremendous contributions to modern Chinese literature, in general, and modern Chinese poetry, in particular. CCTV of China produced a 20-episode documentary in 2013, chronicling the life and achievements of the legendary poet. At the invitation of the Renwen Society, Mr. Lou Jianjun, Director of the documentary, will share how the documentary came into being. The director will illustrate his talk by showing episodes from the documentary. DVDs of the documentary in both Chinese and English will be available for purchase at the event. More...

Film Series    

The Cultural Revolution on Film

One of the most dramatic periods in Chinese history, still reverberating today, the Cultural Revolution（1966-1976）is also one of the least understood. In this short course of six films, made during and after the Cultural Revolution by both Chinese and Western filmmakers, experts in the Chinese and cinema studies fields examine the period and discuss its relevance for China today. This series is organized in conjunction with China Institute's exhibition, Mao's Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution.

SERIES SCHEDULE 

Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Two Stage Sisters（1964） One of China's most beloved modern feature films, depicts the exploitation of two female opera stars and the different paths their lives take. Directed by Xie Jin and introduced by Richard Peña, Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival and Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Morning Sun（2003） Documentary based on rare archival footage and interviews with participants, both famous and ordinary, seen through the lens of propaganda cinema. Directed by Geremie Barmé, Richard Gordon, and Carma Hinton. Introduced by Carma Hinton, who was raised in China, and is both a filmmaker and the Robinson Professor of Visual Culture and Chinese Studies at George Mason University.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
The Drugstore and The Football Incident（1975） A famous leftist documentarian's take on the Cultural Revolution, in two films from the only cinema verite series ever made on the Cultural Revolution. Directed by Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan, introduced by Nancy Jervis, China specialist who worked with the filmmakers on the English versions of the films.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
An Evening of Cultural Revolution Cinema. Immerse yourself in the Cultural Revolution in this illustrated lecture by Richard Peña, with excerpts from the eight model operas and the feature film Breaking with Old Ideas（1975）.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Though I am Gone（2006） A gripping documentary about the Cultural Revolution's first violent event, which took place at a prestigious girls' high school in Beijing. Directed by Hu Jie and introduced by Weili Ye, a former student at the girls' school and Professor of Chinese History at UMass/Boston.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014, 6:00 - 8:30 PM
Sacrificed Youth（1985） An elegiac and rarely screened feature film about the "sent-down youth," set among the Dai minority in Southwestern China. Directed by Zhang Nuanxin with post-film discussion by Renqiu Yu, Professor of Chinese History at SUNY/Purchase.（Pending availability of the film.）

Wednesdays, October 15 - November 19 ~ 6:00 - 8:30 PM

Single tickets：$12 member / $15 non-membe

To register online, please click HERE.

For questions or to register by phone, please contact Aaron Nicholson at 212-744-8181 ext. 138 or by email at anicholson@chinainstitute.org.