Interested in what you can do with a degree in Asian Studies? In our Spotlight Interview Series, we ask our students, postdocs and alumni about their career paths, how they became interested in Asian Studies and for any advice they would give to current students. Meet Jiaqi Yao, a doctoral student in the Department of Asian Studies. In this interview, Yao shares with us the origins of her interest in Chinese literature, the importance of work-life balance, and what she does to maintain that balance.
Photos by Masashi Karasawa
Could you tell us a little about yourself, your background and how you became interested in Asian languages and cultures?
When I was in primary school, I usually stayed with my aunt for the summer. My aunt and her family lived in the attic of a historical Spanish style “garden house” just behind Huaihai Road, one of the busiest commercial streets in Shanghai. They shared a kitchen and bathroom with their neighbor – my aunt’s gas burner was set between the bathtub and the toilet, with the neighbor’s equipment two meters away.
Every time I walked down this busy commercial road, passing the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church on the former Rue Corneille, and entered the dim hallway of the house, I felt as if I had traveled to a lost world. The wooden spiral staircase made creaking noises, the melody of Shaoxing opera drifted from one room to another, and the smell of Chinese medicine and cooking always lingered in the dusted corridors.
The medley of such a shabby living situation and the exotic street-view amazed me and made me wonder where did this otherworldly, yet natural Shanghai urban landscape come from. Eventually, literary writings about Shanghai revealed the secrets of the streets to me. Fiction and prose unearthed the incredible past hidden under the dusted and deteriorated appearance of this area and its houses. This was the time I realized that literature possesses the magic to transform intangible emotions, memories, culture, and imagination into concrete and aesthetic pieces. From there, I decided to take up Chinese literature and culture as my major. And who knew I would end up doing research on Chinese literature for these many years.
Could you explain to a non-expert what you are researching and why it is significant?
My dissertation explores Chinese people’s travel and adventure experiences, as reflected in literature, films, photography, and other cultural forms in the first half of the 20th century, especially during the Sino-Japanese war. In studies on travel writing, much research focuses on analyzing travel as a kind of manifestation of imperial expansion and unbalanced power relationship initiated by Colonial powers. Yet, the power dimensions in modern China were complicated in terms of issues about colonialism, ethnicities, political turmoil, modernization and nation-state building.
In my research I ask, how do Chinese people travel during a period of modernization and wartime chaos? How do they talk about their experiences and shape their understanding of the destinations and landscapes in various media? How do they (un)construct a social, cultural, and political hierarchies via travel. To what extent can their specific travel experience be a universal one? I hope my research provides answers to these questions and explores modern China through the alternative lens of travel narratives.
You taught a course during 2020W Term 2 – have you enjoyed teaching online or would you have preferred it being in-person?
I enjoyed teaching online a lot. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for me to explore all kinds of new technologies and methods of teaching. For example, I invited a literary scholar from Taiwan to join our in-class discussion, which is only possible when we use online meeting technology. The students in my class were also amazing. We had very active discussions and feedback on the Canvas boards. Having said that, I still hope I can teach in-person one day, so that I can talk to students and form a vibrant in-person learning environment.
I would like to borrow this venue to thank my supervisor Dr. Christopher Rea, who has done the foundational work to upload films and teaching materials online on his amazing Youtube Channel “Modern Chinese Cultural Studies.” I also want to thank Dr. Renren Yang, who I TAed for last year. He showed me all kinds of intriguing techniques to teach online which inspired my teaching strategy a lot!
What are some other interests you enjoy pursuing outside of your work?
I used to travel and hike a lot as an undergrad. It is a pity that sometimes a literary researcher’s lifestyle is somehow the opposite of what a hiker’s is. I ceased hiking and have been an armchair traveler in the library for a long time. After the pandemic, I have had time to rethink what kind of life I would want to have, so I have resumed my little hobby and started rock climbing again recently (climbing partner needed!). I also like to watch outdoor documentaries, Japanese TV dramas, and anime. My favorite anime this season is Odd Taxi (2021). My current favorite documentary is Meru (2015).
Can you give any advice to new students in our program or for students considering applying to it?
My personal takeaway from being a graduate student for years is that it is important to keep a good work-life balance, which can be very hard. I still have this anxiety that any rest could be a waste of time. But I try to encourage myself to try something new and to learn some new skills as hobbies in my spare time so that my life would not be totally defined by academia. This also leads to a healthier life. So, for new students, if you have determined to devote yourself to this career, I wish you could also have an exciting life beside your already amazing academic studies.
