Book Talk | A Solitary Traveler in the Long Night

China Institute invites you to an evening conversation with Zhang Qin, author of A Solitary Traveler in the Long Night, an intimate portrait of Tong Jun, a pioneering architect and architectural educator whose work helped shape the intellectual foundations of modern Chinese architecture. Blending architectural history, personal reflection, and cultural analysis, the book reveals the inner world of a master architect whose influence far exceeded the limited records of his life. The conversation will be moderated by Susan Yuqing Feng, Director of Programs at China Institute, and followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing.

Schedule

5:30–6:00 pm | Audience check-in
6:00–6:45 pm | Conversation with Qin Zhang, moderated by Susan Yuqing Feng
6:45–7:00 pm | Audience Q&A
7:00–7:30 pm | Book sale and signing

About the Book

A Solitary Traveler in the Long Night revisits the life and legacy of Tong Jun, an outstanding architect and architectural educator in contemporary China. Widely regarded as an all-around talent, Tong Jun made lasting contributions as a theorist, designer, writer, and painter. Deeply grounded in ancient Chinese literature, he studied classical poetry from an early age and later received formal architectural training in both China and the United States, earning multiple awards while studying at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tong Jun left behind an extensive body of work and manuscripts on architecture, landscape, architectural history, sculpture, and painting that have profoundly influenced generations of architects and scholars. Yet despite his intellectual impact, records of his personal life remain scarce. Focusing on the final twenty years of Tong Jun’s life, this book brings forward a vivid and human portrait of a solitary thinker and practitioner navigating tradition, modernity, and artistic conviction.

Speaker and Moderator

Qin Zhang | Author

Honorary Professor in School of Architecture at China Academy of Art, Prof. Zhang is an established leader dedicated to uniting individuals and leveraging expertise in Architecture and Urban Planning to bring about impactful collaboration and achievement. Prof. Zhang earned her B.A. degree in Architecture from Southeastern University, and her MSc and PhD in Urban Planning at Tongji University (China). She is devoted to the conservation of historical and cultural heritage. Prof. Qin has published the book A Forgotten Master, and has lectured in schools of architecture at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and other’s locations. Her diverse projects have been honored in China and by UNESCO. In 2006, Prof. Zhang co-founded the Ruan Yisan Heritage Foundation, of which she serves as Secretary-General and Vice-President. She is a Researcher at Harvard University.

Susan Yuqing Feng | Moderator – Director of Programs, China Institute of America

Susan Yuqing Feng joined China Institute as Director of Programs in October of 2023. Before joining CI, Susan was the Editor in Chief of Bitpush News, a leading block chain media based in New York and a columnist for the Financial Times Chinese Edition.

Throughout her journalism career, Susan conducted interviews with a multitude of world economic and political leaders, including Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Alan Greenspan, Paul Volker, President Clinton, Zbigniew Brzeziński, Michael Bloomberg, Thomas Friedman, and many more. Susan has also directed the documentary series “World Movers” which was released in March 2018. It illustrated the emerging new world order 70 years after WWII, shedding light on what has changed the U.S. and the world and the forces affecting everyone. It focused on the relationships between technology and globalization, the impact on immigration, and the future of U.S.-China relations.

Susan graduated from Columbia University and got her MA in International Affairs.

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