Based in Pingtan, Chinese mainland’s closest neighbor of Taiwan, the Cross-Straits Center of Guoxue moved its monthly lecture to the National Museum of Classic Book, Beijing. Two pundits -Chen Guying, a scholar from Taiwan and professor of humanities from the Philosophy Department of Peking University and Chen Lai, Dean of the National Institute of Chinese Studies, Tsinghua University are invited by Pingtan side to give their lectures on Guoxue.

The event was directed by the School of Chinese Classics of Renmin University of China, the Academy of Chinese Learning of Tsinghua University, and the Taoist Research Center of Peking University, and hosted by the Administrative Committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, organized by the Cross-Straits Center of Gouxue, and ptnet.cn.

Professor Chen Guying talked about Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy of life and Chuang Tzu’s wisdom of life while Professor Chen Lai’s lecture focused on the educational philosophy of Confucius, probing into the “people-oriented thought of Confucius”. Liang Tao, deputy director of the School of Chinese Classics of Renmin University of China and director of the Cross-Straits Center of Guoxue of Pingtan, joined the top-end dialogue and discussed with honored guests and audience about the humanities construction of Pingtan and striving direction for promoting cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

Prof. Chen Guying giving lecture at the Beijing special of Cross-Straits Guoxue Lecture [Photo by Chen Jianxing from Xinhua]

Designated as a comprehensive pilot zone in 2009, Pingtan has been striving to enhance in-depth cooperation, exchanges, and integration across the Taiwan Straits.

Founded in 2018, the Cross-Straits Center of Guoxue, adhering to the notion of “One Cross-Straits Family” and based on fine traditional Chinese culture, provides quality platform for carrying out Guoxue learning, inheriting and disseminating Guoxue culture for the better, and rallies the cross-Straits strength by working with renowned scholars and institutions to build a shared spiritual community featuring soul communion across the Taiwan Straits.

After its establishment, the Guoxue center has been holding a variety of activities such as forums, study camps and lectures, leading to an increasing influence among the “culture community” and youth across the Taiwan Straits. Since then, cross-Straits Guoxue lectures have been held on a regular basis where eminent intellectuals across the Straits take turn to give lectures.

Professor Liang Tao said in an interview that Guoxue culture has an extensive influence on both Chinese mainland and Taiwan, constituting a shared cultural psychology and values across the Straits. With this, more cultural dialogues and exchanges across the Straits will bring people closer, and promote academic research. Relevant activities were successfully held in Taiwan last year and more events are underway for the coming year. The Cross-Straits Center of Guoxue will continue inviting Taiwan scholars to give lectures on the mainland. Meanwhile, mainland scholars for Peking Opera and Traditional Chinese Medicine, among others, will head to Taiwan for exchanges.

Chen Youchi, another head of the Cross-Straits Center of Guoxue, said that the center with obvious cross-Straits characteristics, will continue upholding the concept of “Guoxue plus”, in order to nudge the integrative development between Guoxue and other fields or platforms. The center will rally the strength of cross-Straits compatriots, especially youth, to explore a new model for the sustainable development of Guoxue, and enhance the sense of identity in Chinese nation and culture for Taiwan compatriots.