Category: Uncategorized
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Xiamen’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail
By Isaac Tang Is it a surprise that Xiamen, the home of brave seafarers and voyagers who discovered and made new lives across the South Chinese Sea, should itself be constantly reinvented and reinvigorated? Travellers, when thinking of Xiamen, often think of Gulangyu, or the Isle of Drumming Waves, where its colonial past is exhibited…
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My Top 5 Favourite Hymns
By Isaac Tang Hymns have played an important part of my life – whether it be comforting and encouraging me, or inspiring me in my work, art and life. There are many hymns that have shone the light of revelation upon me, but these are the top five hymns, in my humble opinion. Number FIVE:…
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My First Publication!
Isaac Tang’s ‘Glimpse of the Divine’ is an unconventional collection of fifty Christian poems, crafted with meticulous attention to ancient poetic forms, meter, and rhyme. With influences from metaphysical poets and a mix of modern themes, the work reflects a unique artistic vision, celebrating poetry’s depth despite its declining popularity.
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The Imperial Academy (Guozijian) in Beijing
Reflections on the History of the Imperial Examination System By Isaac Tang Contents Introduction It should come as no surprise that the written examination, dreaded by students throughout the world, was invented in China, a country whose people are often stereotyped to display academic prowess. Known as keju, the written examination system was a sophisticated…
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Tips On How To Visit The Forbidden City (Palace Museum) On Your Own
By Isaac Tang This article is different from my previous articles where I discourse on poetry and music. As part of the Chinese diaspora, I have had a lifelong dream of visiting the Middle Kingdom. This was delayed multiple times for various reasons, including a certain event in the year 2020. Now that China has…
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Composing My First Musical Opus – “Whispers of the Orient: Twelve Pieces for Piano”
By Isaac Tang ‘Whispers of the Orient’ is a collection of twelve miniature piano pieces that fuse both Western and Eastern influences. Like ukiyo-e prints or short lyrical poems, each piece aims to provide a short but emotionally intense snapshot of different moments in time, whether it be sunrise or sunset, spring or winter. There…
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‘Scorn Not the Sonnet’: The Versatility of this Beloved Poetic Form
By Isaac Tang As you read the different poets, one poetic form appears again and again. Superficially, the form looks to be the same. The form is also short – fourteen lines to be exact – and therefore fits neatly into half, or even a third of the page. It is unassuming and appears to…
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Why Poetry is Better Than Prose
By Isaac Tang Even before I published my first volume of poetry Glimpse of the Divine, I wondered whether I would reach a substantial audience. For poetry, on a whole, appears to be declining as a literary form in the modern world. I believe that most people underappreciate it and find it fit for little…
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Dr Wu Lien-Teh: A Glimpse into Early 20th Century Asia
By: Isaac Tang Wu Lien-Teh is a name that perhaps sounds more familiar now, after the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the globe and triggered mass lockdowns, mask wearing and “social distancing” rules. Dr Wu is credited with spectacularly suppressing the Manchurian plague in Northeastern China at the beginning of the 20th century (1910-11) with various…
Isaac Tang - Poet, Author, Composer 