Wang Meng 王蒙 speaks on "Tracing the Genes of Culture" 文明基因探踪 - 2nd Nishan Forum

Wang is one of China's best known writers and served as Minister of Culture. He'll speak and then talk with USCI's Clayton Dube at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.

Wang Meng 王蒙 will speak at the Second International Nishan Forum. Wang is among China's most distinguished modern authors. He's published sixty books and his works have been translated into twenty-one languages. From 1986 to 1989 he was China's Minister of Culture. After his remarks, he'll talk with Clayton Dube of the USC U.S.-China Institute and then take questions from the audience.

The event is co-sponsored by Nishan Press (also known as Nishan House), the Los Angeles Public Library, and USC U.S.-China Institute.

Wang Meng was born in 1934. He first attracted attention in 1956 with his short story "A New Arrival at the Organization Department." He was sent to Xinjiang in 1963 where he worked for sixteen years, returning to Beijing in 1979. Last year, he received the Mao Dun Literature Prize for his novel View of This Side which is set in Xinjiang. He finished the book in 1978, but it sat unpublished until Wang's children found it when they were helping him clean after his wife died in 2012.

Nishan House was founded in 2012 in order to create an important platform for collecting and exhibiting the excellent achievements of human civilizations and to promote cultural exchanges between China and other countries. The foundation was first established by Shandong Friendship Publishing House, at the foot of Mount Nishan, the birthplace of Confucius. The mission of Nishan House is “to spread culture and transmit friendship.” Since its founding, twenty-two branches have opened in thirteen countries including in the U.S., Italy, Argentina and Australia. Nishan House has five subsidiary brands: Nishan House Collection, Nishan International Forum, Nishan Press and Publishing, Nishan Exhibition and Nishan International Education.

Last year, a collection of 350 books was donated to the LAPL, to set up the West Coast’s first Nishan House, ranging from pocket books to multi-volume series, and covering a wide array of subjects. “We are very proud of the addition of the Nishan House Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library,” said John Szabo, City Librarian of LAPL. “Not only has the collection had hundreds of uses since its launch, it has also become a meeting point for delegations and the general public to discuss Chinese culture and literature. We also promote this collection, along with our other international collections, through virtual and web presence.”