Words of Wisdom

As the dean of the TV and Cinema Studies Department of the School of Media and Arts of the university, Yu is better known by TV and movie professionals as an experienced media strategist and consultant for a roster of mass media groups.

 Analects of Confucius in Women's Eyes 

Confucius' saying, "Girls and small people are hard to raise" is usually interpreted as Confucius looking down on women, but Yu tells audiences "small people" refers to small children, implying woman and children are both pure.

 Taking a New Look at Classic Stories

The Lecture Room TV show aroused much controversy when it aired lectures by renowned writer Liu Xinwu and Yi Zhongtian earlier this year.

 "Cultural Nursemaids" Spread Classics

The "cultural nursemaid" spead the glamor of Chinese culture in their own way.

 The "Beauty Professor"-Yu Dan

"To energise an ancient classic in the modern age, we must explain it and comment on its contemporaneity. When I was a student, such classics were simply to be worshipped, demanding our spending a whole life in researching and absorbing its essence. But now, as we need to spread understanding of the classic, I think we should get rid this stance of worship. We should make it easier to understand, and apply it to ordinary life."

  Chinese Version of "Chicken Soup for the Soul"

For 2,000 years, Confucian theory has been the mainstream school of thought among people in East Asia, including China, Japan, and South Korea.

And, just last year, the "Analects of Confucius" was infused with renewed popularity.

 Why Could Yu Dan Arouse Public Interest

Now Yu Dan is a household name in China for her unique interpretation of the Analects of Confucius. She made the ancient text accessible with colloquial re-wordings and vivid short stories. In this fast-paced modern society, reading the Analects is an activity dwindling from the daily lives of many Chinese people.