The seventh talk of the "Tan Lark Sye Lecture Talk"
The 8th session of the "Tan Lark Sye Lecture Series," organized by the Institute of International Education, New Era University College (IIE, NEUC) and the Tan Lark Sye Institute, was held on 23th June 2022. The guest speakers for this event was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yao Chi-On from Department of Chinese Literature at Chu Hai College of Higher Education in Hong Kong. It was attended by more than 190 people.
Dr. Yao holds a Ph.D. in Chinese History from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His main research areas include charitable books and philanthropy during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Taoism in Hong Kong and overseas, folk beliefs, and intangible cultural heritage. Currently, Professor You serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese Literature at Chu Hai College of Higher Education, a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, and President of the Hong Kong branch of the International Society for the Study of Asia’s Folklore.
This lecture was titled “When International Cooperation Meets Local Politics: Analyzing Belt and Road Initiative in Maritime Southeast Asia”. Drawing from his extensive fieldwork experience in Guandi temples both in China and abroad, and his research on charitable book documents, he analyzed how the worship of Guan Gong not only holds significant social and educational value but also serves as a bridge and link connecting Chinese people around the world. The event was moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Lew Siew Boon from NEUC. It received enthusiastic feedback, with the audience actively participating in the Q&A session and eagerly engaging in discussions.
