Yu Dan
Encyclopedia
Yu Dan is an associate professor at China's Beijing Normal University
. She is also assistant to the Dean, Faculty of Arts & Media, as well as Head, Department of Film & Television Media. She receives a master degree in ancient Chinese literature and a doctoral degree in film & TV studies from Beijing Normal University. She holds strategist/researcher positions in a roster of mass media groups such as China Television Artists Association, China Visual Association's Tertiary Arts committee, China Visual Association's Research Group, CCTV's Research Office, China News Research Group, China-Guangdong Research Institute, China-Guangdong Institute Legal Programs Committee, News Corp (Australia), etc.
In late 2006, a series of her lectures entitled "Yu Dan's Insights into the Analects" (于丹《论语》心得) was broadcast for seven days on China Central Television
(CCTV) as part of the Lecture Room
(《百家讲坛》) program. Her messages were warmly welcomed by the audience. The transcript, edited into a book "Yu Dan's Notes on the Analects", sold 10,000 copies within the first day of release. Within 40 days, sales exceeded 1.5 million. By September 2007, the book has sold 4.2 million legal copies and an estimated 6 million pirated ones since its publication in December and remains on best-seller lists.
In the Spring Festival period of 2007, another series of her lectures "Yu Dan's Insights into Zhuangzi
" (于丹《庄子》心得) was also broadcast to much acclaim. The transcript "Yu Dan's Notes on Zhuangzi" sold 15,000 copies on its first day of release on March 3. Crowds of people lined up outside the Zhongguancun
Xinhua bookstore, waiting as many as eight hours in the rain, just to get Yu Dan’s autograph.
Yu is now a household name in China because she managed to make the ancient texts of Confucius
(551-479 B.C.) and Zhuangzi
(369-286 B.C.) understandable and relevant to laymen with "colloquial re-wordings and vivid short stories". In an interview with New York Times, Yu attributed the popularity of her work to the stresses of life in the fast-changing nation and to historical factors (paraphrased): "Traditional thought has been criticized for so many years that there is genuine interest in rediscovering it." On the Baidu
(《百度》) portal alone, there are over 20,000 posts on the "bulletin board" named after her. "White collar workers, college students, professors, migrant workers, community guards and retired grannies all had something to say."
Christian Caryl, writing in Hong Kong
's Muse
Magazine, has criticised Yu's book Confucius from the heart: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World: 'New-Agers in the West have made an industry out of freeze-drying non-Western religions until they're tasteless enough for the indiscriminate modern palate. Yu's book is the first time I've seen a non-Westerner up to the same sort of thing.'
Interestingly, Yu is apparently a fan of pop music idols such as Jay Chou
and Nan Quan Mama
, a Chinese classic enthusiast and a Kunqu Opera performer. She is also unofficially known as "the chieftain of the fun-seeking club of the School of Media and Arts at Beijing Normal University."
Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University , colloqiually known as 北师大 or Beishida, is a public research university located in Beijing with strong emphasis on basic disciplines of humanities and sciences...
. She is also assistant to the Dean, Faculty of Arts & Media, as well as Head, Department of Film & Television Media. She receives a master degree in ancient Chinese literature and a doctoral degree in film & TV studies from Beijing Normal University. She holds strategist/researcher positions in a roster of mass media groups such as China Television Artists Association, China Visual Association's Tertiary Arts committee, China Visual Association's Research Group, CCTV's Research Office, China News Research Group, China-Guangdong Research Institute, China-Guangdong Institute Legal Programs Committee, News Corp (Australia), etc.
In late 2006, a series of her lectures entitled "Yu Dan's Insights into the Analects" (于丹《论语》心得) was broadcast for seven days on China Central Television
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
(CCTV) as part of the Lecture Room
Lecture Room
Lecture Room is a popular TV program of China Central Television, mostly featured on CCTV-10, which invites scholars to provide lectures on various disciplines. In its early days, areas featured included biology, physics, economics, history and literature, with lecturers from around the world...
(《百家讲坛》) program. Her messages were warmly welcomed by the audience. The transcript, edited into a book "Yu Dan's Notes on the Analects", sold 10,000 copies within the first day of release. Within 40 days, sales exceeded 1.5 million. By September 2007, the book has sold 4.2 million legal copies and an estimated 6 million pirated ones since its publication in December and remains on best-seller lists.
In the Spring Festival period of 2007, another series of her lectures "Yu Dan's Insights into Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name,...
" (于丹《庄子》心得) was also broadcast to much acclaim. The transcript "Yu Dan's Notes on Zhuangzi" sold 15,000 copies on its first day of release on March 3. Crowds of people lined up outside the Zhongguancun
Zhongguancun
Zhongguancun , or Zhong Guan Cun, is a technology hub in Haidian District, Beijing, China.It is geographically situated in the northwestern part of Beijing city, in a band between the northwestern Third Ring Road and the northwestern Fourth Ring Road...
Xinhua bookstore, waiting as many as eight hours in the rain, just to get Yu Dan’s autograph.
Yu is now a household name in China because she managed to make the ancient texts of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
(551-479 B.C.) and Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name,...
(369-286 B.C.) understandable and relevant to laymen with "colloquial re-wordings and vivid short stories". In an interview with New York Times, Yu attributed the popularity of her work to the stresses of life in the fast-changing nation and to historical factors (paraphrased): "Traditional thought has been criticized for so many years that there is genuine interest in rediscovering it." On the Baidu
Baidu
Baidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
(《百度》) portal alone, there are over 20,000 posts on the "bulletin board" named after her. "White collar workers, college students, professors, migrant workers, community guards and retired grannies all had something to say."
Christian Caryl, writing in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Muse
Muse (Hong Kong Magazine)
Muse is a bilingual Hong Kong-based multimedia publisher specializing in content related to Hong Kong's art and culture scene.. Until December 2010, Muse published an award-winning monthly arts and culture magazine...
Magazine, has criticised Yu's book Confucius from the heart: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World: 'New-Agers in the West have made an industry out of freeze-drying non-Western religions until they're tasteless enough for the indiscriminate modern palate. Yu's book is the first time I've seen a non-Westerner up to the same sort of thing.'
Interestingly, Yu is apparently a fan of pop music idols such as Jay Chou
Jay Chou
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for...
and Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama
Nan Quan Mama is a Taiwanese music group. The name is a phrase in Chinese to explain having strength while being gentle as a mother. They are closely tied with the Taiwanese artist Jay Chou. The group was nominated for Best Singing Group at the 19th Golden Melody Awards in 2008.The current members...
, a Chinese classic enthusiast and a Kunqu Opera performer. She is also unofficially known as "the chieftain of the fun-seeking club of the School of Media and Arts at Beijing Normal University."