Asian Studies Seminar Series: Pamela Hunt In brief Date - 18 March 2026Venue - Project Room 1.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Dr Pamela Hunt (University of St Andrews)Title - Travel Writing and Travel Reading in Contemporary China About the eventThis talk makes a case for reading contemporary Chinese travel writing as a form of transnational literary connection. Little scholarly attention has been paid to the genre in its contemporary form, despite its enduring popularity and its inherent connection to the post-reform discourse of ‘marching towards the world’ (zou xiang shijie). As a genre, travel narratives provide a window on to enduring issues of national identity and worldly connections.Taking the work of public intellectual Xu Zhiyuan as a case study, this talk will focus on the textual nature of travel narratives. Xu’s journeys are inspired by, mapped out using, and expressed in the language of pre-existing texts, despite his expressed desire to abandon his books and discover a ‘real China’. I argue that this paradox – and the ambivalent, anxious narrative it creates - becomes a productive site of interpretation, opening on to wider questions about Chinese literature and its place in the world.About the speakerPamela Hunt is a Lecturer in Chinese Studies in the School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews. Her research interests cover post-reform Chinese and Sinophone literature, with a particular interest in gender and mobility.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. No registration is required, simply turn up on the day.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Mar 18 2026 16.15 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Pamela Hunt An in-person seminar by Dr Pamela Hunt (University of St Andrews), titled 'Travel Writing and Travel Reading in Contemporary China'. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
Asian Studies Seminar Series: Pamela Hunt In brief Date - 18 March 2026Venue - Project Room 1.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Dr Pamela Hunt (University of St Andrews)Title - Travel Writing and Travel Reading in Contemporary China About the eventThis talk makes a case for reading contemporary Chinese travel writing as a form of transnational literary connection. Little scholarly attention has been paid to the genre in its contemporary form, despite its enduring popularity and its inherent connection to the post-reform discourse of ‘marching towards the world’ (zou xiang shijie). As a genre, travel narratives provide a window on to enduring issues of national identity and worldly connections.Taking the work of public intellectual Xu Zhiyuan as a case study, this talk will focus on the textual nature of travel narratives. Xu’s journeys are inspired by, mapped out using, and expressed in the language of pre-existing texts, despite his expressed desire to abandon his books and discover a ‘real China’. I argue that this paradox – and the ambivalent, anxious narrative it creates - becomes a productive site of interpretation, opening on to wider questions about Chinese literature and its place in the world.About the speakerPamela Hunt is a Lecturer in Chinese Studies in the School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews. Her research interests cover post-reform Chinese and Sinophone literature, with a particular interest in gender and mobility.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. No registration is required, simply turn up on the day.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Tags Asian Studies Mar 18 2026 16.15 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Pamela Hunt An in-person seminar by Dr Pamela Hunt (University of St Andrews), titled 'Travel Writing and Travel Reading in Contemporary China'. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
Mar 18 2026 16.15 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Pamela Hunt An in-person seminar by Dr Pamela Hunt (University of St Andrews), titled 'Travel Writing and Travel Reading in Contemporary China'.
