Student Li Xiaohong recalls Wang Demai: a rigorous, generous and low-key teacher

China News Service Paris, October 18 Title: Student Li Xiaohong recalls Wang Demai: A rigorous, generous and low-key teacher

China News Service reporter Li Yang

The famous French sinologist Léon Vandermeersch died in Paris on the 17th local time at the age of 93. His disciple, Li Xiaohong, associate professor of the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of Aldoba in France and researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at the Sorbonne University in France, was interviewed by a reporter from the China News Agency on the same day, saying that Wang Demai was a rigorous, generous and low-key teacher.

Li Xiaohong said that Wang Demai is very rigorous when talking about academics, and he will praise students when they do a good job; but when they disagree with students, he will also frankly express his opinions. Li Xiaohong said that when he first interacted with Wang Demai, he was a little afraid of him, "looking very majestic", and then slowly adapted, and found that he was actually a very generous scholar, and very low-key, never ostentatious, and life was very simple.

Li Xiaohong has studied under Wang Demai since the 1990s. Wang Demai is very concerned about Li Xiaohong's academic research and serves as the chairman of the defense committee for her doctoral dissertation. Under the guidance of Wang Demai and her doctoral supervisor, Professor Flora Blanchon, Li Xiaohong successfully passed the defense of her doctoral thesis; also under the recommendation of Wang Demai and others, Li Xiaohong won the Rulian Prize of the French Academy in 2001.

Li Xiaohong said that over the years, in addition to teaching, he has been following Wang Demai for academic research, and he has also published or cooperated with other scholars to publish a number of academic research papers, and Wang Demai has given specific guidance. In 2018, Li Xiaohong accompanied her mentor Wang Demai to academic institutions in many parts of China for nearly a month of lecture tours. She said that Wang Demai very much hopes to hear the feedback of Chinese teachers and students on their views during academic discussions and exchanges with Chinese teachers and students.

Before carrying out this academic lecture activity, Professor Ou Mingjun of Fujian Normal University put forward the plan of "Research on Wang Demai's Academic Thought.", and the part of the academic interview in the plan was drawn up by Ou Mingjun to interview Wang Demai, and Li Xiaohong went to interview Wang Demai in accordance with the program of his visit, exchanged views at any time, and supplemented and revised the program of visit at any time. After nearly three years of joint efforts, they conducted many interviews with Wang Demai and obtained 400,000 to 500,000 words of audio recording materials, leaving valuable oral interview materials for the study of Wang Demai's academic thought. Li Xiaohong also briefed reporters on Wang Demai's main academic works.

Li Xiaohong said that Wang Demai received many honors before his death, and he won the Julian Prize of the French Academy of Sciences in 1980, the most important Omarle Prize of the French Academy of Inscriptions and Aesthetics, the Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, the Honorary Star of French Education, etc. In 2016, he also won the 10th "Special Contribution Award for Chinese Books" issued by the State Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China.

Li Xiaohong also talked to reporters about Wang Demai's teacher-student heritage with many famous sinologists. She said That Wang was a student of the famous French sinologist Paul Demiéville and is also considered a disciple of Edouard Chavannes, the founder of French sinology. Wang later studied in Hong Kong under the master of traditional Chinese studies, Rao Zongyi. Dai Miwei had a great influence on Wang Demai and had a close relationship with Jao Zongyi.

Li Xiaohong revealed that Wang Demai's first visit to China in 1964 coincided with the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. He visited Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, his earliest contact with China. Wang Demai later visited China several times.

Li Xiaohong told reporters that Wang Demai was still conducting academic research before his death, and he was trying to translate the ancient Chinese literary theory monograph "Wenxin Carved Dragon" into French, which was very hard work. She believes that Wang Demai's death is a major loss of Sino-French cultural exchanges, and Wang Demai has devoted his life's energy to the study of Sinology that he loves. "Chinese culture is the 'soul' of Wang Demai," Li Xiaohong said. (End)

Source: China News Network