Dr. Arnold Lai is a Lecturer in the General Education Department at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Dr. Lai received his PhD in Chinese Classical Bibliography from Fudan University, Shanghai, and his MA in Chinese Literature (majoring in Phonology) from Fu-jen Catholic University, Taipei.  In 2019, he received the Distinguished Essay Award from the Association of Chinese Phonology, and was elected an honorary member of the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honour Society. 

During his time in Shanghai, he contributed to two major research projects: A History of the Block-print Publication of Suzhou and An Illustrated Catalogue of a Selection of Rare Books Written in Chinese Stored in the East Asian History of Science Library, Needham Research Institute, Cambridge, UK. Upon returning to Hong Kong, Dr. Lai taught at Lingnan Institute of Further Education and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  He offered a wide range of courses in Chinese language and linguistics, covering phonology, etymology, lexicology, syntax, and grammar. 

Dr. Lai joined The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2024.  He plays an active role in designing and delivering Chinese language core courses for both undergraduate and sub-degree students.  In addition to teaching, he has taken on leadership responsibilities, coordinating and supporting teachers responsible for courses under his supervision.  He also teaches academic writing to postgraduate students and provides academic support across various research projects at the Academy.  Most recently, he serves as co-investigator on a Research Seed Fund project held by the School of Dance entitled “Building a Sustainable Digital Archive for HKAPA Chinese Dance Education”, where he contributes expertise in cataloguing and archiving. 

Dr. Lai’s expertise spans Chinese language and linguistic, Chinese classics and literature, and Chinese classical bibliography.  He is also deeply interested in innovating research methodology in performing arts, and pedagogy for Cantonese language teaching and learning. 

Select list of publications and projects:  

Publications 

Lai, Arnold (2023), Profusion of Blossoms: Private and Commercial Publication in Suzhou during the late Ming Period (Chapter 5), in Chen Zhenghong et al ed., A History of the Block-print Publication of Suzhou, 164-198, Nanjing: Phoenix Press. 

___.  (2023). The Global Renown of Suzhou Editions and Suzhou Printed Books Collected Around the World (Chapter 9 Section 1), in Chen Zhenghong et al ed., A History of the Block-print Publication of Suzhou, 361-373, Nanjing: Phoenix Press 

___. (Index Compiler) (2022) Index, in John P.C. Moffett and Chen Zhenghong eds., An Illustrated Catalogue of a Selection of Rare Books Written in Chinese Stored in the East Asian History of Science Library, Needham Research Institute, Cambridge, UK, 270-314, Shanghai: Zhongxi Press. 

___. (2019), Discussion on a Problem of the research of Pronunciation Instruction in Classic Canon: Wang Yun’s Wenzi-mengqiu as an example, 28 Bulletin of Association of Chinese Phonology, Appendix 

___. (2018), An Analysis on the Pronunciation of ZhuoShangSheng (Words in Rising Tone with Voiced Initials) in Zhu Xi’s YiLiJingZhuanTongJie, 38 Journal of the Graduate Institute Chinese Literature Department of Fu Jen Catholic University 61-78  

Conference Papers 

___. (2023), The Worldwide Spread of the Traditional Suzhou Block-printed Books, presented in the International Conference on the History of Publication and Collection of Traditional Block-printed Books in Jiangsu and Zhejiang between 10th and 20th Century, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, 15 April 2023. 

___. (2019), Đặng Huy Trứ and Vietnamese Envoy’s trip to Hongkong in 1868, presented in the 3rd International Conference on YanXingShi in Forbidden City, the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1 December 2019. 

Research Projects 

(Co-Investigator) Building a Sustainable Digital Archive for HKAPA Chinese Dance Education, funded by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Research Seed Fund (2026). 

(Member of Editorial Committee) A History of the Block-print Publication of Suzhou, funded by the Suzhou Art Fund (2021-2023). 

(Research Assistant) An Illustrated Catalogue of a Selection of Rare Books Written in Chinese Stored in the East Asian History of Science Library, Needham Research Institute, Cambridge, UK, an international cooperate project between the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge and the Chinese Classics Institute of Fudan University in Shanghai, funded by the Peak Academic Construction Project of Shanghai (2019-2020).