On an August night in 1923, Zhu Ziqing and Yu Pingbo, two prominent Chinese writers, took a boat ride along the famed Qinhuai River in Nanjing and each wrote an essay under the same title of “Splashing Oars and Lantern Light on the Qinhuai River.” Both pieces had subsequently become classics in the history of modern Chinese literature. This debut work of prose by Zhu was highly praised by Zhou Zuoren, a famous writer, essayist, and a translator, who praised it as “a model of the vernacular art.” In the same year, Zhu Ziqing’s long poem “Destruction” was published. This long lyrical poem had a far-reaching significance as part of the May Fourth Movement and was compared to “Encountering Sorrow” (Lí Sāo), a seminal elegy written in the early 3rd century, BCE.
Having served as the Chair of the Department of Chinese Literature at Tsinghua University, Zhu Ziqing was especially adept at writing vernacular prose and new-style poetry. His prose works such as “Retreating Figure,” “Moonlight in Lotus Pond Lotus Moon,” and “Haste” were well-known, and have been included in Chinese primary and secondary school textbooks for decades. Countless students in China read them, which has made them a part of the collective memory of several generations. Mao Zedong even praised Zhu Ziqing in his famous article “Farewell, Mr. Leighton Stuart.”
On the centennial of the “Splashing Oars and Lantern Light on the Qinhuai River,” the Renwen Society presents a lecture on Zhu Ziqing on February 11, 2023 by Ms. Jing Hu, Lecturer from the University of Pennsylvania. She will discuss Zhu Ziqing’s academic and life achievements, his most famous works, and the stories behind their composition.
1923年8月的一晚，朱自清与俞平伯同游南京的秦淮河，以《桨声灯影里的秦淮河》为题，各作散文一篇。巧的是，风格各别的两篇散文，竟同成经典名篇，被誉为现代文学史上的一段佳话。朱自清的这篇散文处女作一发表即获好评，周作人曾赞誉为“白话美术文的模范”。同年，朱自清的长诗集 《毁灭》出版， 这篇五四时期的抒情长诗意义深远，有学者比之于屈子的《离骚》。
朱自清，著名文学家，曾任清华大学中国文学系系主任。他尤擅白话散文和新诗，其散文《背影》《荷塘月色》《匆匆》脍炙人口，曾先后入选中国的中小学语文课本，无数学生晨昏诵读，成为几代人的集体记忆。毛泽东在《别了，司徒雷登》中也高度称赞了朱自清。
华美人文学会特邀任教于宾夕法尼亚大学东方语言与文明系的胡静老师于美东时间2023年2月11日晚8时至9时半（北京时间2月12日上午8时至9时半）做专题讲座 “桨声灯影里的朱自清”。她将评介朱自清的生平成就，心路历程，作品得失，以及作品背后的故事。
