A Japanese literature report lecture entitled “Poets Matsuo Basho and Du Fu” delivered by Professor Tong Jun from Sun Yat-sen University was given to the students of SFL at Liyun B407 on the afternoon of October 23th, 2018,

Professor TongJun talked about Matsuo Basho and Du Fu in a comparative way through “poet”, “traveler” and “marginal man”.

Professor TongJun firstly talked from the point “poet”. He compared the achievements between Haiku style by Basho and poetry with five characters started by Du Fu. Later on, Professor Tong shared us with the travelling lives of Basho and Du Fu. Basho chose to be a traveler while DuFu was forced to lead a wandering life because of poverty and failed to be an officer. They both enriched their mental world through traveling. But it is easy to tell the different attitudes through reading their poems. After that, Professor Tong analyzed their marginalization. Basho was once an inferior warrior and he began to travel after his liege died. Comparatively, Du Fu began to wander about as a result of being unable to be an officer. As a reader, Professor Tong said that we should pay more attention to their attitudes toward human lives and the poor.

The academic spirit that showed by Professor Tong Jun affects every teacher and student attended, encouraging us to keep forging ahead in the search for knowledge.  

Professor TongJun, supervisor for postgraduates and postdoctors, was the vice-director of Southern China Institute of Japan in Sun Yat-sen University. He has intensively studied Japanese Classics and comparative culture between China and Japan. He has published and translated dozens of academic books and he was the chief editor of Japanese Studies in Southern China.