East asia

people
- scholar on ancient culture

• Berthold Laufer (October 11, 1874 – September 13, 1934) was an anthropologist and historical geographer with an expertise in East Asian languages.  Laufer was born in Cologne in Germany to Max and Eugenie Laufer (née Schlesinger). His paternal grandparents Salomon and Johanna Laufer were adherents of the Jewish faith. Laufer had a brother Heinrich (died 10 July 1935) who worked as a physician in Cairo. Laufer attended the Friedrich Wilhelms Gymnasium from 1884-1893. He continued his studies in Berlin (1893–1895) and completed his doctorate degree at the University of Leipzig in 1897. The following year he emigrated to the United States where he remained until his death. He carried out ethnographic fieldwork on the Amur River and Sakhalin Island during 1898-1899 as part of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition.In addition to his studies in Chinese culture as such, Laufer used his knowledge of ancient Chinese writings to shed light on ancient Iran. Very little writings have survived from ancient Iran. Surviving ancient Chinese writings contain valuable information about ancient Iran, which Laufer was the first to study systematically, and which he published as Sino-Iranica: Chinese contributions to the history of civilization in ancient Iran, with special reference to the history of cultivated plants and products (1919).

• 美國印第安納大學近日發布一段清末年間記錄的經典民謠《孟姜女調》，據指是中國首段錄製音檔，打破過去中外學者對「中國第一段錄音」的認知。錄音由美籍德裔學者勞費爾（Berthold Laufer）於一九○一至一九○二年間在上海錄製，雖已有逾百年歷史，但數碼化後民眾可清晰聽到該段彌足珍貴的民謠音樂。有份參與項目的中國學者衞小施（音譯）表示，過去大部分學者均認為，國父孫中山於一九○四年以中國方言之一的官話講話內容為最早錄音，而《孟姜女調》卻比它現世早三年。https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20190228/00178_015.html

arts and crafts
- Najeon-chilgi 螺細漆器 is a representative art form of Korea based on the technique of mother-of-pearl inlay. First, natural lacquer made from the juice of the sumac tree is repeatedly applied upon the “skeleton” until a slick lacquer layer is formed on the surface. Designed patterns of mother-of-pearl are then inlaid followed by the topcoat. Finally, the lacquer topcoat is selectively removed to reveal the shimmering patterns.  
Najeon is a Sino-Korean word based on the Chinese characters 螺鈿 which are also used in China and Japan to refer to the mother-of-pearl inlaying technique. In Korea, the word Najeon is used interchangeably with jagae, an indigenous Korean term, and often combined with chilgi 漆器, meaning "lacquerware", as mother-of-pearl inlaying has been applied predominantly on lacquered objects. Public recognition of Najeon-chilgi has become so pervasive that lacquerware without mother-of-pearl inlay is almost unthinkable in Korea.  

Existing antique Najeon-chilgi pieces mostly belong to the 17-18th centuries during Joseon. While the exuberance of Najeon-chilgi may not seem appropriate for the Confucian society of Joseon, which valued modesty as one of the most desirable virtues, the heritage of Najeon-chilgi never diminished throughout the Joseon period. Rather, the Joseon Najeon-chilgi managed to create its own tradition that was different from Goryeo Najeon, which was characterized by its sophisticated appeal that catered to the taste of the aristocracy. https://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/archive/post/archive_28

Japan, Korea, HK, Taiwan
- 由香港實業家曹其鏞創辦的百賢亞 洲研究院主辦的暑期優化課程，本周一 在浙江大學啟動，81 名來自日、韓、 港、台等地的傑出大學生參加，他們將 與浙江大學的同學一起學習 3個星期， 提升對亞洲不同文化的認識。浙江省政 協副主席孫文友、浙大校長吳朝暉、浙 大發展委員會主席張浚生、日本駐上海 副總領事岡田健一、高盛亞太區董事長 馬克·史華茲等參與啟動儀式，鼓勵同 學為將來建立一個多姿多彩及和諧的現 代亞洲而努力。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2015/08/05/a23-0805.pdf

china, hk, taiwan, macau
- 「海峽兩岸和香港、澳門經貿合作研討 會」

• http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2015/08/05/a21-0805.pdf 第 12屆 「海峽兩岸和香港、澳門經貿合作研討 會」昨日在台北舉行，各地超過百名工商 界人士參加，大陸「一帶一路」戰略成為 會中焦點。據台媒報道，今年研討會主題為「創新產業，和 諧社會」，探討當前經濟情勢下的產業創新與 社會責任，並推動台灣與大陸、香港、澳門間的產 業合作。 在開幕式上，國民黨榮譽主席連戰致詞表示，他 自 2005年赴大陸訪問進行和平之旅，就主張兩岸間 制度化的交流，以兩岸目前的貿易狀況及人員往來 交流來看，深化兩岸經濟合作，符合兩岸人民利 益。
• 第十二屆「海峽兩岸和香港、澳門經貿合作研討會」上周二（8月4日）在台北舉行，各地超過百名工商界人士參加。今屆主題為「創新產業 和諧社會」。與會者普遍認同兩岸四地仍有強大的經貿合作空間，可以互補優勢，發揮各自所長，提高競爭力，實現互利雙贏、繁榮共享。中華廠商聯合會會長李秀恒指出，香港在這個方針上，正正可以發揮「超級聯繫人」的角色。是次研討會由中華全國工商業聯合會、台灣工商企業聯合會、香港中華廠商聯合會及澳門中華總商會聯合主辦，由台灣工商企業聯合會承辦，在台北世界貿易中心聯誼社舉行。http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2015/08/10/a27-0810.pdf

- 海峽兩岸 暨港澳經貿論壇

• http://pdf.wenweipo.com/2015/08/21/a18-0821.pdf香 港中華總商會、中國工業經濟聯合 會、台灣工商協進會、澳門中華總 商會聯合舉辦的「第四屆海峽兩岸 暨港澳經貿論壇」，昨日在香港會 議展覽中心舉行，本屆論壇以「創 新：科技與文創」為主題，特區財 政司司長曾俊華，中聯辦副主任楊 建平出席主禮並致辭。曾俊華在論 壇開幕式 上表示，科技 是知識型經濟 最主要的發展 動力，在經濟 全球一體化的 大趨勢下，香 港要努力鞏固 現在具有國際 競爭優勢的四 大支柱產業， 同時亦要積極推動新產業的發展，重點支援 科技和創意這兩項新興產業。澳門中華總商會會長馬有禮，台灣工商協 進會理事長林伯豐，中國工業經濟聯合會執 行副會長路耀華先後在論壇上致辭。來自兩 岸四地科技、金融、文化創意領域的企業精 英、專家學者、商界名人圍繞「互聯網+： 金融及服務」、「文化創意產業」等題目展 開專題演講和互動交流。

- accountancy

• Development in 兩岸四地

- student exchange

• http://www.hkcd.com.hk/pdf/201508/0805/HZ20805CSTA.pdf student mission to shanghai, nanjing, 南昌