Guest Speaker: Professor Giorgio Casacchia, Cultural Attache of the Italian Consulate General
Date:   2: 00 pm, October 20, 2013 (Sunday)
Venue:  Multifunctional Hall, 4F, Shanghai Library (1555 Huaihai Zhong Road)
Booking code: 131005
Organizers:  Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House, Cultural Office of the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai, History and Geography Research Center in Fudan University, Shanghai Library Lecture Center

Introduction
This special and unique urban area is called the "Old Shanghai", which for many years has been an important research topic in China and the international scientific communities. It is based on cosmopolitanism and trade, and can be traced back to the first decade of the 20th century. What does the Old Shanghai look like in the eyes of the Italians? The book China Gate (Shanghai) gives a most detailed presentation. This book is written with the author’s personal experience when he came from Italy to Asia in 1924 as a physician onboard. It is the only travel book written in the Early 20th century that focused on Shanghai and was published in Italian..
     At this lecture, the guest speakers will apply their in-depth knowledge to tell us about the relationship between Italian culture and China and help us unveil China in the early 20th century.

Guest Speakers
Xiong Yuezhi was born in Huaiyin County, Jiangsu Province in December 1949. He was graduated from the Jiangsu Qingjiang Middle School, and then went to work on the farm, joined the army and became a worker eventually. In the spring of 1978, he was admitted to the Department of History, Suzhou University, was admitted to the graduate program in the Department of History of the East China Normal University in the autumn the same year, and acquired a MA in 1981. He was Deputy Director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and is currently Director and a Research Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research, a Ph.D advisor in history in the Fudan University and the East China Normal University. He is also a member of the Shanghai CPPCC, Chairman of the Shanghai Historical Society and Vice Chairman of the Chinese Historical Society.

Mr. Stefano Piastra is a professor of the Institute of Historical Geography, Fudan University, and professor of the University of Naples, Italy. For many years, he is dedicated to the research on the historical geography of landscape changes, human-environment interaction studies, travel writings, the crisis in Central Asian Weihai Ocean and the Italian community in the "old Shanghai" and so on.

Professor Giorgio Casacchia is a well-known sinologist, and a former Italian ambassador in China. He is currently Cultural Attache of the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai. He has a long-term commitment to the cultural exchanges and publicity between China and Italy. He has published many books, including Matteo Ricci and Chinese, The History of Chinese in Europe, A Preliminary Study of the Early Italian Translation of the Vernacular Chinese Classical Literature.

How to Attend the Lecture
1. Tickets are available at the information desk since March 1, 2013.
2. Text Message Booking: readers can text "JZ□Booking Codes□Name" to 021 2573 1500; or access through mobile phone to the Shanghai Library web site at http://m.library.sh.cn.
3. Online Booking: please register and log onto http://www.library.sh.cn/jiang for booking.
Deadline for all bookings is 2 days before the lecture.
Please register 30 minute in advance at the entrance of the Multifunctional Hall after a successful booking.
For further information:
Website: http://www.jiangzuo.org or http://www.library.sh.cn/jiang
Contact: mylecture@msn.com