Author: Mariia Lepneva

Doctoral School “Sino-Tibetan Languages: Research Methodologies and Approaches to Linguistic Field Studies and Language Documentation among Tibeto-Burman Speaking Minorities in China”, October 26–30, 2020

Abstract: This specialist course will focus on an interdisciplinary approach to the Sino-Tibetan (ST) language family, with an emphasis on languages of the Tibeto-Burman (TB) branch spoken by ethnic minorities in China. In the course there will be an emphasis on linguistic aspects, such as the genetic relations between the ST languages in a historical perspective, comparative approaches to the study of language families, fieldwork research on endangered languages, fieldwork methodologies, as well as the cultural and religious background of ST speaking ethnic minorities in China.

Thanks to the generous support of the TIANZHU FOUNDATION, we are pleased to award up to 800 Euros in travel remuneration of five international PhD students. This money can be used for travel, accommodation, and meals. To apply for this travel grant, please send a one-page cover letter and your CV to Christoph.anderl@ugent.be by July 31st, 2020. The selected candidates will be notified by August 10th , 2020.

Organizers
Name: Prof. Christoph Anderl
Faculty: Arts and Philosophy
Department: Languages and Cultures (Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies / DiaLing)
E-mail: Christoph.anderl@ugent.be
Co-organizers:
Prof. Ann Heirman (Languages and Cultures – East Asia)
Prof. Linda Badan (Translation, Interpreting and Communication / MULTIPLES / DiaLing)

Course
Title: Sino-Tibetan Languages: Research Methodologies and Approaches to Linguistic Field Studies and Language Documentation among Tibeto-Burman Speaking Minorities in China
Dates: October 26 – 30, 2020
Venue: Het Pand, Ghent
Based on the current Covid19 situation, the DS could be also transformed into an online event, if necessary.

Topic of the course

The course focuses on the Sino-Tibetan language family and Tibeto-Burman languages as spoken in Southwestern regions of China, as well as the sociocultural, religious, and ecological contexts of ethnic minorities of these regions. The DS will provide an overview of ST languages in a historical perspective, and deal with the research of language families in a comparative context (especially contrasting / comparing the Indo-European and Sino-Tibetan groups). More specifically, the focus will be on Tibeto-Burman languages as spoken in the Southwestern region of Yunnan, China, many of them being endangered and on the verge of becoming extinct. The linguistic aspects will be discussed in a contextualized way, giving consideration to the sociocultural, religious (e.g., Buddhism, Christianity, and native religions), and environmental / ecological aspects of the ethnic minority communities. Another part of the course will concretely deal with linguistic fieldwork methodologies and the documentation of endangered languages.
Tentative programme with time schedule: The five-day course will have 5 – 6 contact hours a day (ca. 27 contact hours all together), includinglectures, discussions of research material, presentations by the PhD students, round-table discussions, and documentary film screenings.

Program

Monday, October 26th:

11:30 Welcome Greetings (C. Anderl; A. Heirman; L. Badan) / Opening of Zoom room

12:00-14:00: Sino-Tibetan Languages: Introduction and Historical Perspective (Nathan Hill)

14:30-15:30: Tibeto-Burman Languages: An Introduction (Nathan Hill)

15:45-16:45: Sino-Tibetan Languages: Research Methodologies in a Comparative Perspective 1 (Nathan Hill)

Tuesday, October 27th:

12:00-14:00: Linguistic Field Work Methodologies 1: New Developments (Nathan Hill)

14:30-15:30: Sino-Tibetan Languages: Research Methodologies in a Comparative Perspective 2 (Nathan Hill)

15:30-16:15: Discussion with Students (C. Anderl; N. Hill; J. Wang; L. Badan)

Wednesday, October 28th:

10:00-12:00: Religion and Culture of the Biyo Communities of Southwestern China (PhD student Shan Bai) / Discussions

13:00-15:00: Introduction to the Hani language group (Wang Jianhua)

15:15-17:15: Interactive Presentations of StudentsÕ PhD Projects*

Thursday, October 29th:

10:00-12:00: Linguistic Field Work Methodologies 2: Field Work Among Hani Communities in Southwestern China and Beyond (Wang Jianhua)

13:00-15:00: Presentation of a Documentary Film on Minorities in Southwestern China (Wang Jianhua)

15:30-17:30: Interactive Presentation of StudentsÕ PhD Projects**

Friday, October 30th:

12:00-14:00: Linguistic Field Work Methodologies 3 (Linda Badan)

14:30-16:00: Final Discussion with Students(C. Anderl; N. Hill; J. Wang; L. Badan)*
Presentations: (1) Selin Grollmann (Univ. of Bern): A grammar of Nachiring: Describing an endangered language of eastern Nepal /(2) Valentina Punzi (Univ. of Tartu): Linguistic identity and cultural heritagization in the Sino-Tibetan borderlands: reflections of a 90hou Baima ritual expert on mother tongue / (3) Nikita Kuzmin (Univ. of Pennsylvania): ÒHow to master the Tangut language? A newview on Tangut manuscripts with Tibetan glosses from Khara-khoto ** Presentations: (4) Deng Bingcong (Max Planck Institute, Euroasia3angle Project): Transeurasian loanwords in Sino-Tibetan: Whatcan they tell us? / (5) Pascal Gerber (Univ. Bern): A historical grammar of Mewahang: Aim, Methods and Preliminary Findings / (6) Bai Shan (Ghent Univ.): Field studies among Biyo communities

Long-term visiting scholar 2019–2020: Prof. Dr. Xuan Fang (Renmin University, China)

Professor XUAN Fang 宣方 is a research fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Religion, Renmin University of China, as well as the executive member of Journal of Religion. His main academic interests focuse on Chinese Buddhist meditative tradition and Modern Chinese Buddhism, particularly Humanistic Buddhism (renjian fojiao), in which fields he published a book and more than 40 articles including. Furthermore, he is also guest professor of many Buddhist academic institutes such as the Institute of Chinese Buddhist Culture, Institute of Peking Buddhist Culture, Peking University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Xiamen University, and Yunnan University. Xuan Fang will give lectures, seminars and workshops on a variety of topics and at various levels during his stay at Ghent University (6 January–3 March 2020). He will also closely cooperate in the framework of the current research projects.

Professor Xuan gave the following lecture:

“From Tranquility (ji 寂) to Illumination (zhao 照): The Jizhao Temple in the Context of Social Changes in Dali Prefecture” (由寂而照：社会变迁中的寂照庵)(26 February 2020)

The lecture focused on an unknown Buddhist nunnery suddenly going viral, through which Dr Xuan tries to draw the outline of the revival process of Buddhist nunneries in Post-Mao China. This lecture was part of the Buddhist Studies Lecture Series 2019–2020.

This visit was made possible due to the generous support of the Tianzhu Foundation.

Lectures & Workshops Series by Dr. Lia Wei 魏離雅, February and March 2020

Dr. Lia Wei (Lecturer in Archaeology & Museum Studies, School of History, Renmin University, China) will give a series of lectures and workshops supported by the Tianzhu Foundation and Ghent University. The program includes the following topics: landscape painting, ink art, antiquarianism and seal carving. The program is concluded by a lecture on Song dynasty gardens given by Ms. Salome Foltin (University of Tübingen).  All lectures and workshops will take place at the interfaculty study center VANDENHOVE (Rozier 1, 9000 Ghent). Admission is free but for the workshops registration is required. For further inquiries please contact Mathieu.Torck@UGent.be.

PROGRAM 

1. Landscape painting lecture: “Reading and writing the landscape: from physical to literary perceptions”

Venue: Auditorium Vandenhove

Tuesday, February 11, 2020: 1–4 pm

• Topics: conceptual, pictorial and written landscapes

• Discussion: Drawing and Writing

2. Ink art workshop: “Find your way between nature and culture” (registration required!)

Venue: Workshop Room Vandenhove

Monday, February 17, 2020: 4–6 pm

• Session 1: Landscape Analysis & Construction

Tuesday, February 18, 2020: 2–4 pm

• Session 2: Beyond Classification

Tuesday, February 18, 2020: 4–6 pm

• Session 3: Texture Lines & Calligraphic Portraits

3. Antiquarianism lecture: “Future in the Past: printing and carving before and after writing”

Venue: Auditorium Vandenhove

Tuesday, February 25, 2020: 5–6 pm

4. Seal carving workshop: “Connect sign and matter in three steps” (registration required!)

Venue: Workshop Room Vandenhove

Monday, March 2, 2020: 3–6 pm

• Session 1: Etymological Research and Calligraphic Models

Tuesday, March 3, 2020: 3–6 pm

• Session 2: Carving and Printing

5. Lecture by Salome Foltin (M.A. Department of Chinese Studies, University of Tübingen): “The Literati’s Pastime: Visual Renderings of Sima Guang’s 司馬光 (1019-1086) Garden in Ming Dynasty”

Venue: Auditorium Vandenhove

Tuesday, March 3, 2020: 6–7 pm

 

Doctoral School “Chinese Buddhist Historical Records in the Context of Digital Humanities”, October 21–25, 2019

Abstract: The Doctoral School’s specialist course will focus on historical literature, including local gazetteers and Transmission of the Lamp texts, of the Chinese Buddhist schools. While adopting a diachronic perspective, covering texts between the 10th and the 17th century, the special angle of the course is to relate the study of historical sources to modern technologies and most recent advances in Digital Humanities. This will offer students important insights in key Chinese text genres and their study based on modern research tools. This specialist course contributes to the FROGBEAR project.

Description:

Date: October 21–25, 2019
Venue: Het Pand (Ghent University)

Thanks to the generous support of the Tianzhu foundation, we are pleased to award up to 800 Euros in travel remuneration for 5 International PhD students. This money can be used for travel, accommodation, and meals. To apply for this travel grant, please send a one-page cover letter and your CV to Ann.Heirman@ugent.be.

Lecturers

  • Prof. Marcus Bingenheimer (Temple University)
  • Prof. Christian Wittern (Kyoto University)
  • Prof. Christoph Anderl (Ghent University)
  • Sally Chambers (Center for Digital Humanities, Ghent)
  • Prof. Ann Heirman (Ghent University)

Schedule

October 21 – 25, 2019

 

Day One, Monday
Location: Jan Gillis
09:30: Welcome by the Doctoral School organizers (CA and AH)
10:00 – 11:00:* Lecture and discussion 1: Gazetteers literature, reference tools, and print editions of Buddhist Temple Gazetteers (MB)
11:00 – 11:15: Coffee
11:15 – 12:15: Practice session 1: material in printed form (45 mins. practice, 15 mins reports) (MB)
12:15 – 14:15: Lunch break
14:15 – 15:15: Lecture and discussion 2: The Digital Archive of Chinese Buddhist Temple Gazetteers at DDBC (archive / dataset part) (MB)
15:15 – 15:30: Coffee
15:30 – 16:30: Practice session 2: Digital datasets (45 mins. practice, 15 mins reports) (MB)

 

Day Two, Tuesday
Location: Dormitoriumzaal
10:00 – 11:00: Lecture and discussion 3: The Digital Archive of Chinese Buddhist Temple Gazetteers at DDBC (online interface) (MB)
11:00 – 11:15: Coffee
11:15 – 12:15: Text reading 1: Ming-Qing Biographical data and gazetteers (MB)
12:15 – 14:15: Lunch break
14:15 – 15:00: Lecture and discussion 4: The Gazetteers of Mt. Putuo – Chinese whispers or reliable text witness? (MB)
15:00 – 15:15: Coffee
15:15 – 16:15: Text reading 2: Reading of selected historical sources (MB)
16:15 – 17:00: Discussions and Q&A with students (MB and CW)

 

Day Three, Wednesday
Location: Amaat Burssens room (Faculty Library, 2nd floor, behind the Japanese collection)
9:45 – 10:45:* Lecture and discussion 5: A short introduction to the Ghent Database of Chinese Medieval Texts as a flexible research tool (CA, with MB)
10:45 – 11:00: Coffee**
11:00 – 12:30: Presentation of students’ projects 1 (MB, CW, SC, CA)
12:30 – 14:15: Lunch break
14:15 – 15:15: Presentation of students’ projects 2 (MB, CW, SC, CA)
15:15 – 15:30: Coffee**
15:30 – 17:00:* Short presentation of Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities; Discussions and Q&A with students and Digital Humanities researchers from Ghent University: Recent trends in Digital Humanities from an interdisciplinary perspective (SC, MB, CW, CA)

** Note that the coffee breaks on Wednesday will be in the kitchen facilities of the Department of Languages of Cultures (5th floor). Somebody will guide you there, so don’t worry, you won’t miss your coffee!

Day Four, Thursday
Location: Jan Gillis
09:30 – 10:00: Coffee
10:00 – 12:00:* Lecture and discussion 6: Digitization of printed and manuscript historical records: general and specific problems, methods, and results (with example from recent digitization projects of Chan records and the Daoist canon) (CW, with MB and CA)
12:00 – 14:00: Lunch break
14:00 – 15:15: Text reading 3: Reading of selected Chan records (CW)
15:15 – 15:30: Coffee
15:30 – 16:30: Text reading 3 (continued): Reading of selected Chan records (CW)

Day Five, Friday
Location: Jan Gillis
09:30 – 10:00: Coffee
10:00 – 12:00: Text reading 4: Reading of selected Chan records (CW)
12:00 – 14:00: Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30: Text reading 5: Reading and discussion of selected Chan records (CW)
15:30 – 15:45: Coffee
15:45 – 16:30: Final discussions and Q&A with students (CW, with MB und CA)

 

Lecturers /Speakers:
MB = Marcus Bingenheimer
CW = Christian Wittern
CA = Christoph Anderl
AH = Ann Heirman
SC = Sally Chambers (Digital Humanities Research Coordinator, Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities)

Long-term visiting scholar 2019–2020: Dr. Lia Wei (Renmin University, China)

Dr. Lia WEI is currently based at the Department of Archaeology and Museum Studies in Renmin University of China, conducting research and teaching on the archaeology of culture contact and the intersection between intangible and material cultural heritage, as well as contributing to several research-oriented, educational or curatorial collaborations between Renmin University and European partners (Université de Genève, Ghent University).

Dr. Wei has been conducting research in China since 2009, with a focus on medieval Buddhist epigraphy and cave temples in Northeast China (Shandong, Hebei, Henan provinces) as well as funerary landscapes in Southwest China (Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei and Hunan provinces). She received her PhD with a thesis entitled ‘Highland Routes and Frontier Communities at the Fall of the Han Empire (2nd to 3rd century CE): A Comparative Study of Cave Burials South of the Yangzi River’ at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

In parallel to her work as an art historian and archaeologist, she engages in practice-based research or creative practices and designs projects that combine academic and artistic research. She was trained in calligraphy, sigillography and landscape painting at the China Academy of Art (Hangzhou 2007) and Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (Chongqing 2008), and recently coordinated a series of events combining conferences and exhibitions in the field of ink painting, literati art and antiquarianism, in particular rubbing techniques (Ink Art Week in Venice 2018, Lithic Impressions Venice 2018, Ink Brussels 2019).

During her stay at Ghent University (18 January–3 A¨pril 2020) Dr. Wei will conduct an elaborate program of lectures and workshops centering on the following topics: landscape painting, antiquarianism, ink art, calligraphy and seal carving. Dr. Wei’s visit and program in Ghent are generously sponsored by the Tianzhu Foundation.

Dr. Lia Wei will give a series of lectures and workshops supported by the Tianzhu Foundation and Ghent University. The program includes the following topics: landscape painting, ink art, antiquarianism and seal carving. The program is concluded by a lecture on Song dynasty gardens given by Ms. Salome Foltin (University of Tübingen).  All lectures and workshops will take place at the interfaculty study center VANDENHOVE (Rozier 1, 9000 Ghent). Admission is free but for the workshops registration is required. For further inquiries please contact Mathieu.Torck@UGent.be.

 

 

Special Guest Lecture “The Uneven Terrain of Gender and Diversity: The View from the Humanities” by Natasha Heller

A Hot Topic Lecture part of the Doctoral School “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism”

By Natasha Heller, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions, University of Virginia

June 6, 2019; 19:00-21:00

Ghent university, Auditorium P (Zaal Jozef Plateau), Campus Boekentoren. Map

Abstract

Despite oft-expressed commitments to diversity, American institutions of higher learning remain centered on white men.  If we agree that the academy would better serve its purpose with a more diverse faculty, how is such an aim achieved?  In this talk I will consider how we talk about gender, diversity, and inclusion, and what these terms mean for different stages and dimensions of academic life.  Through case studies of the disciplines of Religious Studies and Asian Studies, I will consider how the issues of gender and diversity vary in different fields of study—and what this might teach us about the challenges of transforming the academy into a more inclusive space.

Speaker

Natasha Heller is a scholar of Chinese Religions, currently working on contemporary Buddhist children’s literature. At the University of Virginia, she chaired the Faculty Senate committee on Diversity and Inclusion this year. She is also a founder of the website Women in the Study of Asian Religions (wisar.info), which seeks to address the gender imbalance at conferences and lecture series. But, as she notes, her real qualification is being the only woman in the room on too many occasions.

This lecture was co-sponsored by the Tianzhu Foundation.

Short-term visiting scholar (2019, 1-10 June): Prof. Dr. Li Yu-chen 李玉珍 (National Cheng Chi University, Taiwan)

Dr. Yu-chen Li received her Ph.D. degree in 2000 from Cornell University.  She is currently the chair of the Graduate Institute of Religious Studies at National Cheng Chi University. Yu-chen Li focuses on gender issues in Buddhism,  such as the development of Bhiksuni sangha and Buddhist interaction with local culture through women. Her recent research deals with the conversion process of vegetarian women to Buddhism in 20th century Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Yu-chen Li published numerous works such as The Buddhist Nuns in Tang Dynasty, The Narrative of Sexuality and Desire among Sacred/Ordinary Men and Women, and Buddhism and Women in Postwar Taiwan, as well as  more than 40 papers. Professor Li will contribute to the Doctoral School Specialist Course “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism” (3-6 June 2019) as guest lecturer.

This visit was made possible due to the generous support of the Tianzhu Foundation.

Doctoral School “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism”, Ghent University, June 3–7, 2019

Abstract: The Doctoral School specialist course will focus on “Women and Nuns in Chinese Buddhism”. While adopting a diachronic perspective, it will give ample space to the twentieth and early twenty-first century. This will offer students insight into the status of Chinese Buddhist nuns and women in contemporary Chinese society and within the Buddhist world as a whole. This specialist course contributes to the FROGBEAR project.

Description:

Date: June 3–7 2019
Venue: Het Pand (Ghent University)

Thanks to the generous support of the Tianzhu Buddhist Network, we are pleased to award up to 800 Euros in travel remuneration for 5 International PhD students. This money can be used for travel, accommodation, and meals. To apply for this travel grant, please send a one-page cover letter and your CV to Ann.Heirman@ugent.be. The selected candidates will be notified by March 10th.

Lecturers

  • Prof. Ester Bianchi, University of Perugia.
  • Prof. Yu-chen Li (李玉珍), National Cheng Chi University (Taiwan)
  • Prof. Ann Heirman, Ghent University
  • Prof. Chia Longman, Ghent University

Tentative schedule

The five-day course will have 5 contact hours a day (25 contact hours all together) that include lectures, text readings, presentations by the participants, discussions, and documentary film screenings.

 

Monday, June 3rd : Buddhist Nuns and Women Between India and China

9:30: Welcome Greetings
10:00-12:00: Women in Buddhism: A General Introduction (Ester Bianchi) *
12:00-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-15:30: The Foundation and Early History of the Nuns’ Order in China (Ann Heirman)*
15:30-16:30: Screening of the Documentary Film The Buddhist Nuns on Emei Mountain (in English) (Ester Bianchi) *

Tuesday, June 4th : Chinese Buddhist Nuns and Women Throughout the Ages

10:00-12:00: Exemplary Buddhist Nuns and Women: Readings from the Chinese Buddhist Canon (Ester Bianchi) **
12:00-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-15:30: Buddhist Nuns and Women in Tang China, with Text Reading (Li Yu-chen) **
15:30-16:30: Methodological Discussion with Students, Moderated by Ester Bianchi and Chia Longman*

Wednesday, June 5th : The Nuns’ Ordination in China and Beyond

10:00-12:00: Buddhist Nuns’ Ordination in Twentieth Century China: Rules, Criteria, Narratives (Ester Bianchi)*
12:00-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-14:30: Nuns’ Ordination: The Taiwanese Case  (Li Yu-chen)*
14:30-16:30: Interactive presentation of Students’ PhD Projects*

Thursday, June 6th : Education and Erudition of Nuns in Modern Times

10:00-12:00: Meeting with Modernity: Buddhist Women During Republican China (Ester Bianchi)*
12:00-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-14:30: Screening of the Documentary Film on Longlian 《當代第一比丘尼隆蓮法師》(in Chinese) (Ester Bianchi) **
14:30-16:30: Interactive Presentation of Students’ PhD Projects*

Friday, June 7th : Nowadays Nuns and Women in Chinese Buddhism

10:00-12:00: Nuns and Women in the PRC (Ester Bianchi)*
12:00-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-15:30: Taiwanese Nuns in the Contemporary Era (Li Yu-chen)*
15:30-16:30: Final Discussion with Students, Moderated by Ester Bianchi and Chia Longman*

* Lectures also suitable for a general audience (no Sinological background needed) (20 hours)
** Sinological background needed (5 hours)

Short-term visiting scholar (March 3-17, 2019): Prof. Dr. Albert Welter (University of Arizona)

Lectures

“Integrating Buddhism into Chinese Culture or How Did Buddhism Become Chinese? Buddhist Junzi (法門君子) & The Administration of Buddhism.” Within the framework of a lecture series integrated in the MA course ‘Culture in Perspective: South and East Asia lecture‘

The question of Buddhism’s role in Chinese culture and society was raised when Buddhism first entered China in the first century, and has persisted down to the present day. Throughout its history in China, Buddhism endured the vicissitudes of imperial politics, courting the favors of the emperor and well-placed members of the cultural elite, on the one hand, while inviting the wrath of its detractors, on the other. This presentation explores a Buddhist response to these challenges through an examination of the Buddhist literati-monk Zanning’s 贊寧 (919-1001) Topical Compendium of the Buddhist Clergy (sometimes translated as Brief History of the Sangha) compiled in the Great Song dynasty (Da Song Seng shilüe 大宋僧史略; CBETA T vol. 52, no. 2126), written at the request of Song emperor Taizong 太宗 (r. 976-997). The paper details Zanning’s argument for accepting Buddhism as a Chinese (rather than foreign) religion, as reflecting and enhancing native Chinese values rather than conflicting with them (as its detractors claimed). A number of subjects addressed in the Topical Compendium are addressed–– the performance of Buddhist rituals at state ceremonies, the inclusion of Buddhist writings in Chinese wen 文 (letters or literature), proper Buddhist customs and practices and their contributions to the aims of the Chinese state, and the epitome of integration of Buddhist elite into the Confucian ideal of gentlemanly civility, the Buddhist junzi 法門君子.

This lecture was integrated in ‘Culture in Perspective: South and East Asia’, an MA course in the spring term curriculum of Oriental Languages and Cultures. The purpose of this course is to confront students with different research fields in the study of East Asian and South Asian history, culture, economics and politics by means of twelve lectures by national and international scholars. The course is taken up by students majoring in Chinese, Indian, and Japanese studies.

“A New Look at Old Traditions: Reimagining East Asian Buddhism through Hangzhou.” Ghent Centre for Buddhist Studies lecture series
The history of Buddhism incorporates East Asia in meaningful ways, but still tends toward Indo-centrism in its overall conception. This makes sense when one considers India as the birthplace and homeland of Buddhism and the development of key teachings and traditions. Yet, the history of Buddhism covers 2500 years, and for the last 1000 years or more, India has ceased to be a significant source of Buddhist inspiration, and figures primarily in passive memory rather than as active agent. This is especially true in the case of China, which actively reimagined Buddhism in unique and indigenous ways to form an intrinsically authentic form of East Asian Buddhism.

Hangzhou, a former capital of China during the Song dynasty (960-1278), was the focal point for these developments. From the Hangzhou region, new forms of Buddhism spread throughout East Asia, especially to Japan and Korea. As a result, when we speak about East Asian Buddhism today, we are largely speaking about forms of Buddhism that were initiated in Hangzhou, and adopted and adapted in other regions and time periods. The most prominent among these is Chan Buddhism, known in Japan as Zen and Korea as Sŏn, the practice of which from the 10th century on is indebted to Buddhist developments in Hangzhou.

The presentation reviews how the history of Buddhist Studies has neglected and marginalized East Asian Buddhism and the role of the greater Hangzhou region. It suggests how the Hangzhou region became a Buddhist center, a new Buddhist homeland, and a hub for interactions with Korea and Japan that were instrumental in the development of unique forms of East Asian Buddhism.

Text reading seminar (with PhD students)

This visit was made possible due to the generous support of the Tianzhu Foundation.

Long-term visiting scholar (March 15 – June 12, 2019): Prof. Dr. Lin Ching-hui 林靜慧 (Chung-hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, Taiwan)                             

Lin Ching-hui received her PhD from the Chinese Culture University (Taipei). Her dissertation is titled A study of political views in Laozi, Zhuangzi and The Yellow Emperor’s Four Classics. She is project assistant at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal  Arts. Currently she works as an editor for the Database of Medieval Chinese Texts Project. Lin Ching-hui is also Assistant Professor at the Department of Chinese Literature of the Chinese Culture University.

This visit was made possible due to the generous support of the Tianzhu Foundation.