5th & 6th January, 2018 at Hong Kong Baptist University
The Anthropocene and Contemporary Chinese Cultures
This workshop examines China’s role in the process of environmental destruction
through the lens of contemporary cultures. The term “Anthropocene,” proposed
by scientists in 2000, refers to the major transformation of the Earth system from
the Holocene beginning 11,700 years ago to a wilder and warmer planet less
inhabitable to human beings. Human activities, through the extensive capitalist
modernisation processes, have significantly altered the ecosystem. The climate
crisis could be understood also as a crisis of culture as it stretches the capabilities of
cultural production to imagine and consider the impending catastrophe. The crisis
of global warming emerged in the late twentieth century when China began to grow
rapidly, and now the Chinese society seems to be hard hit by the consequences of
environmental pollution and the warming planet. Taking action on climate change
may imply a restructuring of global power, which is accompanied by the so-called
rise of China and the general resistance from the dominant nations in the world
system. While China, like many developed nations, is responsible for the world’s
destruction through the rapid expansion of the world’s population and per capita
exploitation of the Earth’s resources, can the country also become a redeeming agent,
other than being both a victim and a perpetrator?
The Anthropocene and Contemporary Chinese Cultures
An International Workshop
5th January 2018
9:20am-6pm
Speakers:
Chris BERRY, King’s College London
Howard Yuen-fung CHOY, Hong Kong Baptist University
Victor FAN, King’s College London
LIM Dae Geun, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Kwai-cheung LO, Hong Kong Baptist University
Chuen-fung WONG, Macalester College and Hong Kong Baptist University
Wai-ping YAU, Hong Kong Baptist University
Jessica YEUNG, Hong Kong Baptist University
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Accompanying Activities
6th January 2018
10:00am-1:00pm
Screening of THEY ARE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD, a film (work-in-progress) by Tibetan director Dukar Tserang and discussion with the director
6th January 2018
3:00-5:00pm
A discussion of Tibetan cinema, co-organised by New wave: Tibetan Film Hong Kong Forum
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Co-organisers:
Steering Committee for Contemporary Chinese Cultures and the Anthropocene Research Consortium
Department of Chinese Language and Literature, HKBU
Academy of Film, HKBU
Department of Humanities and Creative Writing, HKBU
Department of Music, HKBU
Centre for Translation, HKBU
