Tan Lark Sye Professor Prof Jin Guantao sheds light on one of China's most important historical events.

2009 marks the 90th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement – an important cultural and political event in Chinese history that took place from 1917 to 1921. A public lecture was held on 2 May to commemorate the significant event, which played a major role in the modernisation of China.

Jointly organised by NTU's Centre for Chinese Language & Culture (CCLC), Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, the Association of Nanyang University Graduates and the Ee Hoe Hean Club, the public lecture was part of CCLC's Tan Lark Sye Professorship in Chinese Language and Culture public lecture series. Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour. In her opening address, she spoke of the influence of monumental events such as the May Fourth Movement on the Chinese in early Singapore, calling on Chinese intellectuals today to promote the spirit of the movement in order to actively contribute to society.

The public lecture, titled "The Two Enlightenments in Chinese History", was delivered by Prof Jin Guantao, Chair Professor at Chengchi University of Taiwan and Tan Lark Sye Professor at NTU. It was chaired by CCLC Director Assoc Prof Lee Guan Kin and drew an attendance of 400 to the auditorium at the SPH News Centre.

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion by eminent speakers Assoc Prof I Lo-fen from the Division of Chinese at NTU's School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Ms Lee Huay Leng, Senior Executive Editor of Lianhe Zaobao, and Asst Prof Neo Peng Fu from the National University of Singapore's Department of Chinese Studies. The lively discussion saw renowned scholars and academics actively sharing their views on the topic.

Intellectual discourse
In an earlier lecture held on 30 April, Lecture Theatre 2 of NTU's School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences was packed with some 200 participants, including faculty, academics and students, all captivated by Prof Jin's lecture on "The Periodisation of China's Modern History: From the Perspective of History of Ideas".

Prof Jin and his wife, Prof Liu Qingfeng, have created a searchable databank containing some 60 million words related to modern Chinese political thought, dating back to the period 1830 to 1920. With the database, they have been able to analyse certain phrases in Chinese history, from their creation to their metamorphosis, which they have used as a gauge to study the progression of Chinese ideas. The lecture was peppered with creative insights and humorous remarks, and closed with a thought-provoking comment from Prof Jin: "I do not examine the kaleidoscope (form), but the coloured objects (view) inside it." 

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