Abstract

• The knowledge of versification in Classical Chinese poetry includes tonal and rhyming rules.
• The absence of reliable database for statistics of versification makes it difficult to learn and teach versification, affecting the quality of poetry writing.
• This project consists of a database for Tang and Song Versification, which is expected to replace a similar but flawed database purchased by University Library.
• Primary texts will be re-modified and numbered, and with the aid of electronic rime dictionary, the database will automatically generate the prosodic patterns of the poems, which then are ready for full-text search.
• Guide sessions, sharing sessions will be held, and a conference presentation will be conducted to better disseminate good practices and findings.
• The new database will provide students with comprehensive and new guidelines on versification studies and poetry writing.
• Digital Humanities is a growth trend among young scholars around the world, but Hong Kong postgraduate students rarely participate in this global discussion. This project can encourage them to adopt such methodology in both teaching and conducting research, particularly in illustrating humanities issues and history of poetics in terms of big data.