Who is Yu Dan? If you are familiar with Yi Zhongtian, you will
have heard of "Lecture Room," a TV program featuring "old men" like
Yi giving history lectures. In contrast, Yu Dan, a professor at
Beijing Normal University, presents audiences with her own
renditions of history in her beautiful dress suits and from female
perspective.
Professor Yu Dan is popular for her lecture "Thoughts on
the Analects of Confucius," given from a woman's exclusive and
exquisite point of view. Yu Dan also uses colloquialisms through
her lectures, making them easier to be understood.
However, her extremely personal way of explaining history is
controversial as well. Confucius' saying, "Girls and small people
are hard to raise" is usually interpreted as Confucius looking down
on women, but Yu tells audiences "small people" refers to small
children, implying woman and children are both pure.
Yi Zhongtian, one of the "old men" in the lecture room who is also
a dream husband among young female viewers, praises Professor Yu
Dan.
A total of 600,000 copies of Yu Dan's "Thoughts on the Analects
of Confucius" will be printed soon, breaking Yi Zhongtian and young
writer Hanhan's records of the quantity of initial published
copies.
(CRI.com November 15, 2006)