MCLC: poetry festival to honor Haizi

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: poetry festival to honor Haizi
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Source: China Daily (6/27/12):
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2012-06/12/content_15495294.htm

Poetry festival will honor Haizi
By Wang Ru (China Daily)

A poetry festival to commemorate the Chinese romantic poet Haizi will be
held on July 25 in Delingha, capital of Haixi prefecture, Qinghai.

Located in the northeast Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,
Delingha boasts a diversified landscape, including vast grassland, lakes
and glaciers.

Delingha, which means "the golden city" in Mongolian, has a population of
70,000 with 19 ethnic groups, including Mongolian, Tibetan and Salar.

The remote and beautiful place deeply fascinated Haizi, who longed for a
spiritual paradise.

In 1988, Haizi traveled to Delingha and wrote the poem Sister, Tonight I
am in Delingha, a sentimental work that reflected the poet's loneliness on
a dark night.     

Haizi, who committed suicide in 1989 at the age of 25, had a strong
influence on popular Chinese literature, especially with his most famous
poem, Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms.

To commemorate Haizi, a bust made of jade from Kunlun Mountain will be
unveiled beside Bayin River during the festival, along with 18 stone slabs
of different shapes engraved with his poems.

A memorial hall encompassing 1,300 square meters will open to exhibit his
legacy, including his works and personal belongings.

The poetry festival will assemble contemporary Chinese poets and critics
for seminars on Haizi and other Chinese poets. A poetry contest will be
held for entrants from all over the country.

Following the festival, Delingha will stage the opening ceremony of the
Fifth Qaidam Rally Games on August 6. Sports utility vehicles and
motorcycles will join the 10-day rally to drive through the boundless
desert of Qaidam Basin.