Book Launch - The Man Who Loved Dragons: My China Curios and the Gates of Dreams

Saturday, 23 November 2024 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Museum of Chinese Australian History

Long-time China Scholar and author Dr Trevor Hay presents a pageant of his curios and souvenirs of fifty years of study and travel in China, including study of Chinese language and literature. He illustrates the importance of encouraging and maintaining curiosity about China in these days of geopolitical anxiety. In doing so he opens up a world of rich and largely forgotten history and culture, including intercultural exchanges between the West and China from ancient times to the recent past. Dr Hay will illustrate from his book, revealing some surprising images and related tales of mystery and imagination.

Order of proceedings:

1:30 guests arrive, buy book (special discount price) if they wish at front desk, proceed upstairs (lift), take a glass/snack of something, be seated.

2:00-2:10 commence:

Speakers: Mark Wang, CEO Museum (brief welcome and intro to Museum). 5 min.

Professor. Joseph Lo Bianco (intro to book, see below for details re Prof. Lo Bianco*). Theme: How do we Know China in 2024? 10 min.

Trevor: Illustrated talk. Projected slides from book.

A Chinese Cabinet of Curiosities 35 min.

Questions, book-signing, discussion: 30 min.

(Refreshments available at trestle tables).

Finish 3:30 pm.

*Joseph Lo Bianco AM FAHA (Fellow and former President, Australian Academy of the Humanities) is Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne (former Professor of Language and Literacy, University of Melbourne). He is the author (1987) of Australia’s National Language Policy, an internationally pioneering language policy for Australia based on multilingual principles. He has worked with Dr Trevor Hay in researching the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language in various countries throughout the world, in particular advocating the use of literature and other cultural resources in providing a framework of intercultural understanding for language learning.