Li Keqiang to greet sinologist Jao Tsung-I ahead of Beijing exhibition
Beijing pulls out all the stops to celebrate the distinguished career of 98-year-old sinologist
One of the world's greatest sinologists will shrug off the effects of poor health and old age and travel from Hong Kong to Beijing to officiate at the largest ever exhibition of his work.
Professor Jao Tsung-i will be greeted by Premier Li Keqiang and other state leaders before the opening of the prestigious event on Tuesday.
Two years short of his 100th birthday, Jao has been the undisputed scholar par excellence in the humanities, from Indian sanskrit to the art of the Dunhuang grottoes, since the death of Ji Xianlin, his counterpart in northern China, in 2009.
A Hakka born in Guangdong, Jao arrived in Hong Kong in 1949. He has taught everything from archaeology to ancient philology in India, Singapore, the United States and France.
To celebrate his looming centennial, the National Museum of China in Beijing will host "an exhibition that is the largest in scale featuring the master's works and his career, which encompass 80 years of his academic and artistic achievements".
Dubbed "Versatility in arts and academia", the exhibition, which runs from Tuesday until June 12, will celebrate Jao's scholarly output alongside a display of 100 associated exhibits, including manuscripts, books, paintings, the seven-stringed guqin, or Chinese zither, antique teapots, ink wells and furniture.