Upcoming & Recent Events
Film Screening: Center Stage (阮玲玉）
Please join us for an upcoming 2026 Chinese Film Screening in collaboration with the National Museum of Asian Arts: Identity and Belonging in Chinese Cinema.
Film: Center Stage (阮玲玉）
When: Friday 10/16, 7-9:30pm
Where: Meyer Auditorium, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560
Advance registration recommended.
International superstar Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan (Rouge). Known as the “Greta Garbo of China,“ Ruan was praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence. But Ruan’s private life began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame and was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids. This tumult culminated in her suicide at age 24.
Kwan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan’s legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, “tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving” (Time Out). Description adapted from Film Movement.
Film Screening: Farewell My Concubine (霸王別姬)
The second film in the 2026 Chinese Film Screening in collaboration with the National Museum of Asian Arts: Identity and Belonging in Chinese Cinema.
Film: Farewell My Concubine （霸王別姬）
When: Sunday 10/18, 2-5pm
Where: Meyer Auditorium, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560
Advance registration recommended.
Hailed as a “cultural achievement” (The New York Times) and widely considered one of the most important motion pictures ever made, Farewell My Concubine is a “gorgeous, intoxicating epic” (Los Angeles Times) that is both “visually spectacular” and “sumptuous in every respect” (Time Out). Spanning fifty years from the early twentieth century to the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, Chen Kaige’s passionate, exquisitely shot film captures the vast historical scope of a changing country while revealing the intimate and touching details of a unique, tender, heartrending love story. Based on the bestselling novel by Lillian Lee, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Films in Global History” by TIME magazine, was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and remains the only Chinese-language film to ever win the Palme d’Or. Description courtesy of Film Movement.
Past Events
- Academic Year 2025 - 2026
- Academic Year 2024 - 2025
- Academic Year 2023 - 2024
Film Screening: "The Mountain Path" by Edward Burger
Tuesday, April 19, 2024
A spirited young man journeys into the mountains of China in search of a Buddhist hermit master. Along the trail he meets an unexpected cast of dedicated recluses; the gaunt ascetic, the persevering nun, a wise old master and his disciples, all who, despite living far from the world, teach him all about how to live within it.
Edward A. Burger is one of the few foreigners to have lived and studied with the hermits of the Zhongnan Mountains. The Mountain Path recounts his personal journey, including the story of how he found his lifelong teacher and entered into the world of these dedicated recluses.
Book Launch: Enchanted Revolution by GW Prof. Xiaofei Kang
The Chinese Arts & Humanities Initiative sponsored the launch of Department of World Religions Professor Xiaofe Kang's book "Enchanted Revolution: Ghosts, Shamans, and Gender Politics in Chinese Communist Propaganda, 1942-1953". The book launch was part of the broader 2024 Spring Conference hosted by the China Affairs Forum, a GW student organization that is "dedicated to studying China from an objective and nonpartisan perspective."
Professor Kang gave a book talk and Q&A before raffling off 3 copies of her new book.
- Academic Year 2022 - 2023
History & Culture of Contemporary Chinese Dance
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Attendees explored the rich history and culture of contemporary Chinese dance through a lecture by Professor Emily Wilcox 魏美玲, author of Revolutionary Bodies, and a live performance by the Xuejuan Dance Ensemble. Drawing from over 80 years of dance history, Dr. Wilcox challenged common views of socialist-era influence and highlighted the evolution of Chinese dance through local and global influences. The ensemble’s performance brought her insights to life, showcasing the vibrancy of Chinese folk and classical dance in a dynamic fusion of scholarship and art.
Crafting Character: East and West: Lecture by Prof. Philip J. Ivanhoe
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
The event featured a lecture by Professor Philip J. Ivanhoe on the theme of human nature and ethics across early Greek, Roman, and Chinese philosophical traditions. It explored how these traditions understand human nature and how it can be shaped into a “second nature” for living a good life. Professor Ivanhoe focused especially on early Chinese texts, comparing them with Western virtue ethics. He also incorporated findings from contemporary psychology and neuroscience to support his analysis. The talk concluded with reflections on how these ideas relate to modern Chinese culture and politics. The lecture was introduced by Professor Xiaofei Kang and Dean Paul Wahlbeck.
Lunar New Year Lion Dance Celebration
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
the GW community gathered at Kogan Plaza to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a lively lion dance performance. The event featured traditional Chinese lion dancing and festive bites, creating a joyful and welcoming atmosphere. Students, staff, and faculty joined in the celebration, enjoying cultural performances and community spirit as they rang in the new year together.