Adrian and the Autumn of Han Qiu Chapter 3

There are three universities in Seoul with the word "Guo" in their names, namely Dongguk University, Konkuk University, and Dankook University, collectively known as the "Three Guk Universities". I don't know their rankings, anyway, as long as they are in Seoul, even if they are not very famous, they are more attractive to students than famous universities in other places. Dongguk University is a Buddhist university. Several professors I know are quite knowledgeable and treat people well. Only one assistant made me unhappy because he was too irresponsible. The cherry blossoms at Dongguk University are very outstanding. Every year in late spring in March, there are many people who come to visit. At Konkuk University, I participated in a large international academic seminar near the Han River. The scenery of the campus has both magnificent buildings like the New Millennium Hall and traditional small bridges and flowing water, which left a good impression. I went to Dankook University to give lectures twice and established cordial friendships with some professors and students. In particular, Professor Huang Xuanguo, who has lived in Taiwan for 11 years, is familiar with Chinese culture. He can cook authentic Chinese dishes, has good taste in drinking tea, and treats students like an elder brother, which is very rare among Korean professors. He and I also get along very well on Taiwanese literature.

Although Sungkyunkwan University is not big, it is the oldest university in Korea, because its history is counted from the Imperial Academy in the Joseon Dynasty. So, 1398 is its founding year, and in 1998, a 600th anniversary memorial hall was built, which is the best in Korea. I said that if Peking University is counted in this way, it has at least 2,000 years of history. Sungkyunkwan University attaches great importance to traditional culture. The Confucian Temple is preserved on the campus, and grand memorial ceremonies are held every year. The wood of Dacheng Hall and Myeonglun Hall is cracked, and it seems that they need to be repaired. There are two 400-year-old ginkgo trees in front of Myeonglun Hall, supported by many green-painted iron pillars. This is the oldest tree I have seen in Korea. Almost all the places with wood in Korea have been burned by the Japanese. When you go to most tourist attractions, you will see the words "burned in the Imjin Japanese invasion". The Japanese have been nailed to the pillar of shame in history forever by the Koreans. In addition, a lot of trees were burned during the Korean War, so although Korea is well greened now, trees of 20 to 30 years are considered old trees. There are trees over 400 years old here. Although they are old, they are still towering and luxuriant. My uncle Kong Xianke has two lines of poetry about the ancient trees in Confucius Mansion: "It has circled the sky and the earth twice, and it has not changed its old appearance after the catastrophe." It is also very appropriate to use it here. I said that this is all the credit of my ancestors. Because the Japanese also worship Confucius and have invaded the Confucian Temple, maybe they will not act wild for the time being. In addition, the museum collections of Sungkyunkwan University are also relatively rich. The National Day party for scholars and students in Korea organized by the Chinese Embassy in 2001 was held at the 600th anniversary memorial hall of Sungkyunkwan University. We also went to the open-air stage to watch the "Four Things" performance and Taekwondo performed by Sungkyunkwan University students. South Korea is the country in East Asia that attaches the most importance to Confucian traditions, so the significance of Sungkyunkwan University is self-evident.

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is next to Kyung Hee University. It is the highest foreign language institution in Korea, and its Chinese major is said to be as good as that of Seoul National University. I have been to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies many times, either for meetings or to visit friends. Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is the best university in Korea for Chinese scholars. There is no difference in level between the treatment of scholars from other countries and regions, so it is quite popular among Chinese scholars. This is probably due to the experience and accomplishment gained from more foreign affairs work. Professor Park Jae-woo there is the president of the Chinese Modern Literature Society in Korea. He is very knowledgeable, warm-hearted, and has practical organizational work ability. He used to be a celebrity in the democratic movement, and now he is good at combining theory with practice in his academic work. When I had an article about the national character of Korea that was besieged by many Koreans, Professor Park Jae-woo said that this could help us understand the national character of Korea. He used to be the head of the publicity section of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, that is, the propaganda minister. Once when I went to Daegu for a meeting, he lived in the same room with me. He went to bed very late at night, and the next morning, he rushed to catch a plane to attend another meeting. Famous professors in Korea are all very busy.

However, the campus of the Foreign Affairs University is really not good, it is pitifully small. Fortunately, the Kyung Hee University behind the Foreign Affairs University has brought a lot of glory to the Foreign Affairs University. Some high school students applied for the Foreign Affairs University after seeing the scenery pictures of the Foreign Affairs University. Only after arriving did I know that the beautiful buildings on the mountain are all from Kyung Hee University behind. Kyung Hee University is famous for its Korean medicine. After careful observation, I found that Korean "Korean medicine" is Chinese medicine, from observation, smell, questioning and palpation, to acupuncture and massage, from pills, powders, pastes and pills, to decoctions and medicines, from Compendium of Materia Medica to Binhu Pulse Case, from Yin and Yang Tai Chi to the five elements of life and death, there is nothing special. If there is any difference between it and Chinese medicine, it is the difference between Shandong doctors and Hebei doctors. A doctor of medicine from Kyung Hee University is equivalent to graduating from a major for the rich. It is said that if you want to marry a doctor of medicine, the woman must give the man three keys: the key to a luxury house, the key to a luxury car, and the key to a bank safe. Because these "marriage investments" will be earned back by the man soon. I know the wife of a Korean medicine doctor who is a teacher at a university. She said that her husband earned her monthly salary in one day. Kyung Hee University has beautiful scenery, and students from the Foreign Affairs University often go there for a walk. Several students from Peking University's Korean language major were sent to Kyung Hee University for exchange. I have met with them. Kyung Hee University's short-term training class has also come to Peking University's Chinese Department before, and I have taken them to Xi'an, Luoyang and other places, but their teaching assistants were rude, showing off their knowledge, and were quite unpleasant. Teaching assistants at Korean universities are all graduate students who have no work experience. They often treat people differently based on their situation. They don't understand that "foreign affairs are no small matter", but they dare not do nothing. As a result, they often cause trouble and conflicts. The quality of teaching assistants seriously affects the image of the entire university.

The Anglican University is of course a church university. Although this university is small, it has gathered many Korean revolutionary fighters. When Professor Bai Yuandan invited me to give a speech, he specially invited me to visit their democratic movement exhibition room. There are a large number of manuscripts and objects collected there. I was very moved after reading them, and chanted a sentence from the bottom of my heart: "Because of the sacrifices, there are many ambitions, and they dare to teach the sun and the moon to change the sky."

The Korea University of Communications is not the Chinese Radio and Television University, but the equivalent of China's correspondence university. It can be said to be the "Central Radio and Television University" of Korea. I learned this after attending a meeting there. Korea does not have a dedicated TV university or film academy. Such artistic talents are directly selected from comprehensive universities. Therefore, the Korean film and television industry lacks a strong academic atmosphere and a weak professional foundation. However, almost everyone in the Korean nation can sing and dance, never afraid of the camera, and has a natural desire to perform, so it also has its own advantages of being casual. In addition, the word "broadcast" includes radio and television, which is a rare example that is more refined than Chinese vocabulary. I give this example to students to prove that Chinese characters are not China's private property. Chinese characters embody the common wisdom of the people of East Asia, so we should all learn Chinese characters well.