July 31, 2025 - Special Interest Groups and Young Scholars Forum
Presentations & Papers
Wang, Xintong (王馨桐)
The University of Hong Kong - PhD
The Inculturation of Catholicism in Late Ming China: A Transcultural Study of “Song Nianzhu Guicheng”
Abstract: Song nianzhu guicheng 誦念珠規程 (The Method of Reciting the Rosary, abbreviated as Nianzhu) is the first Chinese Catholic illustrated catechism published in the early seventeenth cen-t...
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The Inculturation of Catholicism in Late Ming China: A Transcultural Study of “Song Nianzhu Guicheng”
Presenter
Wang, Xintong
The University of Hong Kong - PhD
Abstract
Abstract: Song nianzhu guicheng 誦念珠規程 (The Method of Reciting the Rosary, abbreviated as Nianzhu) is the first Chinese Catholic illustrated catechism published in the early seventeenth cen-tury, in which fifteen woodcut prints were adapted from the corresponding engravings in Evan-gelicae Historiae Imagines. The study argues that Nianzhu represents more than an exemplification of artistic adaptation, but a new creation of cultural synthesis, where Western Catholic practices are intertwined with late Ming Chinese cultural elements. It emphasizes the profound impact of local visual culture, folk religion, and socio-political factors on Nianzhu’s localization, illustrat-ing its deep-rooted integration within the indigenous cultural landscape. By analyzing the nu-ances of this integration, the paper sheds light on the broader dynamics of cultural exchange and adaptation, highlighting Nianzhu’s role in bridging two diverse cultural realms. Keywords: Song nianzhu guicheng; Inculturation; Cultural Accommodation; Transcultural Ex-change.
Biography
Wang Xintong is a PhD candidate at the School of Chinese, Faculty of Arts, the University of Hong Kong, where she is supervised by Professor Song Gang. Her research specializations lie in transcultural art history and the history of Christian art, with a particular focus on Sino-European cultural and artistic interactions during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1636–1912) dynasties. Central to her work are the study of Madonna images produced within Chinese Catholic contexts during this period, exploring how these visual representations mediated religious, cultural, and artistic exchanges between China and Europe. By examining the iconographic, technical, and contextual dimensions of these images, her research illuminates the dynamic processes of adaptation and negotiation in early modern transregional religious art.
Wang, Xinyu (王新宇)
Nanjing Normal University - Assistant Professor
Confucius’s Thought on Ren and Its Three Dimensions
“Ren,” or “benevolence,” is a key term in Confucius's philosophy and is without a doubt the most significant philosophical idea in Chinese philosophy. The entire content of Confucius and even ...
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Confucius’s Thought on Ren and Its Three Dimensions
Presenter
Wang, Xinyu
Nanjing Normal University - Assistant Professor
Abstract
“Ren,” or “benevolence,” is a key term in Confucius's philosophy and is without a doubt the most significant philosophical idea in Chinese philosophy. The entire content of Confucius and even of Chinese philosophy and culture could only be realized if the meanings of Ren are fully and completely understood. Confucius’s ideas on Ren would be analyzed in three dimensions in this lecture. First is “the dimension of mind”, Ren is originally a pattern of heart in human beings that directs body’s behavior. Its function or expression is love. Second is “the dimension of relationship”, Ren builds social relationships in alongside playing as a mental model. Ren should express itself differently in various relationships, and the term “Li,” which refers to rituals, enters the Ren system. “The dimension of history” is the third point, “Ren”, the core value of Confucius, at last made its way into history to define the characteristics of China and build its development method. Without historical spirit, the meaning of Ren could not be fully realized. The three dimensions above would provide a clear explanation of Confucius's thoughts on Ren and could also serve as a means of comprehending the fundamental framework of Chinese philosophical thought and historical development.
Wang, Xuan
Guangzhou Vocational University of Science and Technology - Assistant Professor
Reading the Journey to the West: How Fiction Became a Sacred Scripture
The article chronicles the first 300 years of metamorphosis of the interpretations accumulated in the series of commented editions of _Xiyou ji_ (1592). Studying major theses advanced, argued, expande...
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Reading the Journey to the West: How Fiction Became a Sacred Scripture
Presenter
Wang, Xuan
Guangzhou Vocational University of Science and Technology - Assistant Professor
Abstract
The article chronicles the first 300 years of metamorphosis of the interpretations accumulated in the series of commented editions of _Xiyou ji_ (1592). Studying major theses advanced, argued, expanded, revised, rebuffed, and consolidated in these editions, it tells a story of how a fictive work written mostly in the vernacular, whose original author was reluctant to reveal his name, came to be revered as a sacred scripture 300 years later in the 19th century.
Biography
I hold a PhD degree in Comprative Literature from the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. I am currently working in a vocational university based in Guangzhou. My research interest hovers around two areas: early modern literature and history of literary criticism, including scholarship on Chinese-Western comparative literature.
Wang,Ying (王莹)
Institute of Literature,Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - Professor and DireDirector and Professor of The Department of Early-Modern Literary Studies of Institute of Literature at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Craig Clunas' Sinology Research: Redrawing the Map of Chinese Art in the Flow of Objects and Images
The Sinology research of Craig Clunas, a renowned British art historian, centers on his pioneering "material culture" turn. Skillfully employing interdisciplinary approaches, he conducts in-depth anal...
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Craig Clunas' Sinology Research: Redrawing the Map of Chinese Art in the Flow of Objects and Images
Presenter
Wang,Ying
Institute of Literature,Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - Professor and DireDirector and Professor of The Department of Early-Modern Literary Studies of Institute of Literature at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Abstract
The Sinology research of Craig Clunas, a renowned British art historian, centers on his pioneering "material culture" turn. Skillfully employing interdisciplinary approaches, he conducts in-depth analysis of artworks and daily necessities within the context of specific social networks, economic practices, political power, and global circulation. He has a broad global perspective, emphasizing the interaction between China and the outside world. Through exquisite microhistorical case studies, he reveals the diverse, fluid and dynamic aspects of Chinese art and society. His research not only greatly expanded and deepened the Western world's understanding of Chinese art and culture, but also, with his unique methodology and perspective, had a profound impact on the fields of art history, material culture research, and global history. He successfully redrew a much broader and more vivid material picture of Chinese civilization in the flowing images and interwoven time and space, which is far more extensive and picturesque than the scrolls of literati paintings and calligraphy.
Biography
WANG Ying, director of The Department of Early-Modern Literary Studies, Professor and tenure-track research fellow of Institute of Literature at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Doctoral Supervisor of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.Secretary General of Chinese and Foreign Biographical Literary Studies Association.Deputy Secretary General of Chinese Society for Aesthetics.Was official visiting scholars at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. Published over 70 papers in the journals of China, the UK, USA and etc, such as Space and Culture(SSCI,Sage Publications Ltd.).Published 6 monographs Medieval Chinese Autobiographical Writing: The Self-Written Epitaph (Berlin,2017),Fashioning the Elusive Self:Autobiography in China and the West (co-authored,Cambridge,2015),A study of the Song Dynasty Autobiographical Literature from the Perspective of Chinese and Western Narrative(Beijing,2022), and etc. in China, the UK and Germany. Awarded The first “Young Elites Award” of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(2021). Main fields are Literary and Cultural Studies, Life Writing Studies.
Wang Yun (王昀)
SWPS University(Warsaw), Poland - assistant
Marriage Tension in Chi Li’s Writing on Family （My presentation and paper will be in English if accepted)
This study analyzes marriage tension in family-themed novels by the Chinese writer Chi Li (b. 1957). Employing sociological theories of family practices I investigate how marriage tension is presented...
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Marriage Tension in Chi Li’s Writing on Family （My presentation and paper will be in English if accepted)
Presenter
Wang Yun
SWPS University(Warsaw), Poland - assistant
Abstract
This study analyzes marriage tension in family-themed novels by the Chinese writer Chi Li (b. 1957). Employing sociological theories of family practices I investigate how marriage tension is presented by the author. In her novels of the 1980s, conflicts between young couples stemmed from financial constraints and contradictions between women’s expectations of gender roles and reality. Characters navigated tensions through strategies such as avoiding verbal confrontations, improving communication, and using children as “mediators.” During this period, the author portrayed marriage as a classroom for young people’s maturation and a component of social order. In her post-2000 works, however, the primary causes of conflict shifted to sexual incompatibility, personality flaws, and moral issues. Divorce became the default resolution. For older-generation couples, conflicts arose mainly from lingering resentment, clashing lifestyles, and infidelity. These couples typically chose to coexist with unresolved grievances, redirecting their focus to grandchildren, while their marriages remained mere formalities.
Biography
Yun WANG, a doctoral candidate in Literary Studies at SWPS University (Poland), serves as a assistant in the university’s Department of Asian Studies. Her primary research focuses on contemporary Chinese literature, with additional academic interests encompassing modern Chinese family dynamics and the interplay between tradition and modernization in China. Her current research project examines representations of family in contemporary Chinese literary works. Recent publications Wang，Yun. „Recenzja Lin Yaohua, Złote Skrzydło. Historia Chińskiej Rodziny (Review Lin Yaohua, The Golden Wing: A Family Chronical)”, Przeł. Krzysztof Kardaszewicz, Wydawnictwo Naukowe SCHOLAR Warszawa 2023.Gdańska Studia Azjatyckie, 2025. (Submited) Wang, Yun. "Raising daughters and sons in contemporary Chinese fictions”. Studia Orientalia Slovaca, 2024. Vo.23 No.2. 99-118. Wang, Yun. “Individual in a Traditional Chinese Family ”, Azja Pacyfik 2021, t.24, s.71-84. Wang, Yun. Elementy tradycji w relacjach ekonomicznych na wsi chińskiej（Elements of tradition in economic dynamics in the Chinese village）, w: „Chiny i Azja Wschodnia Dziedzictwo w Obliczu Przemian” , Dialog 2021, s.59-78. Wang, Yun. „Przemiany rodziny chińskiej w aspekcie prawnym: ku indywidualizmowiczy familizmowi? (Transformations of the Chinese Family in the legal sphere: Toward individualism of familism?)”. Azja Pacyfik 2019, t.22, s.76-85. Wang, Yun. “Chinese Terms Referring to the Family and Kinship”, Ethnologia Polona, vol. 38: 2017(2018), s.205–219.
Wan, Xiaoshi (万笑石)
Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing - Lecturer in Chinese Art History, PhD
Princess of China: The Transmedia Shaping of Princess Iron Fan in the Global Context
In 1940, inspired directly by the phenomenal success of Disney's Snow White, Chinese producer Chang Shan-Kwan commissioned the Wan brothers (Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan) to create an animated film cent...
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Princess of China: The Transmedia Shaping of Princess Iron Fan in the Global Context
Presenter
Wan, Xiaoshi
Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing - Lecturer in Chinese Art History, PhD
Abstract
In 1940, inspired directly by the phenomenal success of Disney's Snow White, Chinese producer Chang Shan-Kwan commissioned the Wan brothers (Wan Laiming and Wan Guchan) to create an animated film centering on a Chinese “princess”—Princess Iron Fan from the classic novel Journey to the West. This character had been a protagonist in Ming-Qing literary derivations of the epic, also in stage plays and comics during China's early 20th century. Her visual legacy even extends to contemporary Triple-A games like Black Myth: Wukong. By tracing her transmedia evolution and contrasting it with Disney princess alongside Western-constructed “Chinese princess” (e.g., Turandot in opera) paradigms, this study interrogates the selection and re-engineering of Chinese princess iconography within global cultural flows.
Biography
Xiaoshi Wan, PhD in Art History (Central Academy of Fine Arts, 2020), is currently Lecturer at the CAFA School of Humanities. Specializing in Chinese art history, visual culture, and material culture, her research examines knowledge paradigms and power dynamics in artistic worlds through comparative media analysis and close reading of texts and images. She is a 2019 participant in the Heidelberg/ Getty Foundation Doctoral Workshop, the leader the MOE Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Fund project "Visualizing Ritual: Bronze Jue Vessels in Ming-Qing Ceremonial Iconography", and a contributer to the NSSFC Key Art Research Project "Epistemology of 20th-Century Chinese Art History" (the submitted paper for the 9th WACS is an unpublished output of this project).
Selected Publications:
1、“Journey to the Western Capital: ‘Fan Kuan-Style’ Landscapes in Northern Song Tombs”, Art Research 2 (2025).
2、“From the Capital to the Local: Capital Officials, Local Governance, and Guangdong Bronze Jue in Mid-Ming”, Literature & Art Studies 5 (2024).
3、“Trivial Yet Significant: Sinologist R. H. van Gulik’s Knowledge and Philosophy of Sphragistics”, Journal of Fine Arts 3 (2022).
4、“Lakeside Ancestors: Lineage Power and Geopolitics in Ming Stone Lake Gazetteer Illustrations”, Literature & Art Studies 7 (2021).
5、“Ritual, Image, and Temporality: ‘Sparrow-Bearing-Cup’ Jue Vessels in the S0ng Paintings of the Book of Odes”, Art Research 1 (2020).
Warnke, Martin (万墨汀)
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Germany - Prof. Dr.
The DeepSeek Moment. Or: How a Chinese Approach shocked the Silicon Valley.
In January this year a Chinese company with the name »Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.« stirred up the financial and the hitec community. DeepSeek publis...
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The DeepSeek Moment. Or: How a Chinese Approach shocked the Silicon Valley.
Presenter
Warnke, Martin
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Germany - Prof. Dr.
Abstract
In January this year a Chinese company with the name »Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.« stirred up the financial and the hitec community. DeepSeek published a Large Language Model that claimed to use much less resources than the market leaders in the US while performing equally well. Some shares at the stock market plunged, so the public took this event seriously.
How was that possible? What could be learned about this?
Biography
Martin Warnke was born in Berlin in 1955, studied in Berlin and Hamburg, received his doctorate in theoretical physics in Hamburg in 1984, took up his position at the University of Lüneburg in the same year, was head of the computing and media center there for many years, habilitated in computer science/digital media at Leuphana University Lüneburg in 2008 and has been a professor at the Institute for Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media, of which he was director, at the Faculty of Cultural Studies since 2010, and has held visiting professorships at the Universities of Basel, Klagenfurt and Vienna. Since July 2013, he has been professor at the Faculty of Cultural Studies at Leuphana University Lüneburg. In the summer semester 2024, he is a Senior Fellow at the ifk (International Research Center for Cultural Studies at the University of Art and Design Linz) in Vienna.
He works in the field of the history and theory of digital media and the digital documentation of complex artifacts of the visual arts. He is one of the directors of the DFG research group "Media Cultures of Computer Simulation" (mecs). He is spokesperson for the DFG project "Meta-Image". He is co-founder of the "HyperKult" workshop series, was spokesman for the "Computer Science and Society" section of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V., is active in the international computer science association IFIP and is on the scientific advisory board of the "Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft".
Wu Di (武迪)
Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - Research Assistant
The Adaptation and Creation of A Dream in Red Mansions for Theatrical Performance in the Qing Dynasty China and Their Historical Evolution
The opera adaptation of "A Dream in Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty and its historical evolution are not only a microcosm of the development and evolution of opera in the middle and late Qing Dynast...
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The Adaptation and Creation of A Dream in Red Mansions for Theatrical Performance in the Qing Dynasty China and Their Historical Evolution
Presenter
Wu Di
Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - Research Assistant
Abstract
The opera adaptation of "A Dream in Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty and its historical evolution are not only a microcosm of the development and evolution of opera in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, but also a typical example of cross-genre creation and dissemination of the theme literature of "A Dream in Red Mansions". The creation of operas based on the theme of "A Dream in Red Mansions" in the Qing Dynasty can be divided into the prosperous period, the transformation period and the decline period according to the number of works and the differences in opera genres. There are obvious differences in identity and creative intention among the writers involved in opera creation at each stage. There are three creative models for operas with the theme of "A Dream in Red Mansions", which further give rise to different styles and functions of opera texts. From "A Dream in Red Mansions" as a "novel" to "HongLou Opera" as an "opera", the transformation between genres was achieved through different writers and different creative methods. The competition between local operas and Kunqu Opera in the Qing Dynasty influenced the creation of the opera "A Dream in Red Mansions" from Kunqu Opera (qupai style) to the evolution of local opera genres.
Biography
Wu Di, born in Baoding, Hebei Province, China, holds a Doctor of Literature degree and works at the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His main research areas are ancient Chinese novels and operas. More than 30 academic papers have been published and multiple scientific research projects have been led and participated in.
Wu Xinyan (吴欣燕)
北京师范大学 - 学生
Criticism and Misinterpretation of the Catholic Eschatological Concepts in Anti-Christian Texts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties—Focusing on Poxie Ji and Budeyi
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the arrival of Catholic missionaries and the dissemination of Christian doctrines in China, some Chinese intellectuals launched systematic critiques against co...
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Criticism and Misinterpretation of the Catholic Eschatological Concepts in Anti-Christian Texts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties—Focusing on Poxie Ji and Budeyi
Presenter
Wu Xinyan
北京师范大学 - 学生
Abstract
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the arrival of Catholic missionaries and the dissemination of Christian doctrines in China, some Chinese intellectuals launched systematic critiques against core Catholic teachings. Among these, the eschatological concepts in Catholicism became a focal point of contention in anti-Christian literature due to its fundamental divergence from traditional Chinese views on life, death, and cosmology. Representative works such as Poxie Ji (1639) and Budeyi (1665) not only subjected the Catholic eschatological doctrines to rigorous scrutiny from Confucian ethical and Buddhist cosmological perspectives but also revealed profound conflicts between Chinese and Western thought regarding conceptions of the soul, moral philosophy, and religious practice. Significantly, these critiques exhibited both insightful observations rooted in cultural differences and inevitable misinterpretations or oversimplifications of Catholic theology, thereby constructing a complex intellectual landscape of Christian-Confucian-Buddhist dialogue.
Biography
WU Xinyan, a doctoral student in Comparative Literature and World Literature at the Faculty of Chinese Language and Literature, Beijing Normal University, enrolled in 2024. Her current research focuses on comparative literature, overseas Sinology, and Sino-Western literary and cultural exchanges, with particular interest in the activities of missionaries in China during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, as well as the early translation of Confucian thought into Western languages.
Xu, Caiyu (徐采鈺)
The University of Hong Kong - Student
The Narrative Evolution of "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage" —From 《Records of the Three Kingdoms》 to 《The Storytelling of the Three Kingdoms》 and 《Romance of the Three Kingdoms》
Rooted in the history of the Three Kingdoms, both The Storytelling of the Three Kingdoms and Romance of the Three Kingdoms reinterpret historical records through artistic adaptation. As the Three King...
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The Narrative Evolution of "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage" —From 《Records of the Three Kingdoms》 to 《The Storytelling of the Three Kingdoms》 and 《Romance of the Three Kingdoms》
Presenter
Xu, Caiyu
The University of Hong Kong - Student
Abstract
Rooted in the history of the Three Kingdoms, both The Storytelling of the Three Kingdoms and Romance of the Three Kingdoms reinterpret historical records through artistic adaptation. As the Three Kingdoms narratives evolved from Records of the Three Kingdoms to The Storytelling and finally Romance, their storylines expanded, and their narrative structures became increasingly refined. This evolution reflects shifts in societal values, cultural trends, and authorial perspectives, as well as the differing literary demands of audiences across eras and social classes. Focusing on the episode of "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage," this paper analyzes its variations across the three texts—Records of the Three Kingdoms, The Storytelling, and Romance—to explore the underlying causes and implications of these changes. By examining how the portrayal of Liu Bei’s persistence in recruiting Zhuge Liang transforms across historical, folk, and fictional retellings, this study highlights the interplay between historical authenticity, popular imagination, and literary craftsmanship in shaping one of Chinese literature’s most iconic narratives.
Xu,Zaiyuan (许在元)
华中师范大学 - 副教授
The Dynamic System and Rational Principles of Communication in the Era of Video Exchange ——Reflections on the Phenomenon of American "TikTok Refugees" Migrating to "rednote"
China's short-video platform **TikTok** rapidly expanded in the U.S., amassing **170 million users**, before facing a forced divestment ban imposed by the U.S. government. This triggered a mass migrat...
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The Dynamic System and Rational Principles of Communication in the Era of Video Exchange ——Reflections on the Phenomenon of American "TikTok Refugees" Migrating to "rednote"
Presenter
Xu,Zaiyuan
华中师范大学 - 副教授
Abstract
China's short-video platform **TikTok** rapidly expanded in the U.S., amassing **170 million users**, before facing a forced divestment ban imposed by the U.S. government. This triggered a mass migration of American netizens to **Xiaohongshu** (Rednote), another Chinese internet platform, drawing widespread global attention. Through this incident, we can discern the underlying trends in human information dissemination—its driving forces and developmental logic—hidden beneath the surface of apparent randomness. It heralds the dawn of a new era in communication: **the AI-powered video exchange era**, marking a transformative shift in internet media from traditional formats to **AI-driven video communication**.
Biography
Xu Zaiyuan, male, graduated successively from Fudan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He completed postdoctoral research at the School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology and the School of Humanities, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He is currently an associate professor at Central China Normal University. He has led one National Postdoctoral Fund project, one Shanghai Social Science Fund project, and one National Social Science Fund project, and participated in two major National Social Science Fund projects. He has published the monograph "Research on Chinese Culture's Film Communication Strategy" and published 18 academic papers in domestic and international journals including "Literature & Art Studies" and "Academic Monthly."
Yuan Sha (袁沙)
Southwest Border Research Division，Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies (ICBS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). - Deputy Director of Southwest Border Research Division
The Historical Evolution of Chinese Marine Culture
The historical evolution of ancient Chinese maritime culture demonstrates the long history of maritime exploration of the Chinese nation. As early as the Neolithic Age, the canoes of the Hemudu cultur...
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The Historical Evolution of Chinese Marine Culture
Presenter
Yuan Sha
Southwest Border Research Division，Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies (ICBS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). - Deputy Director of Southwest Border Research Division
Abstract
The historical evolution of ancient Chinese maritime culture demonstrates the long history of maritime exploration of the Chinese nation. As early as the Neolithic Age, the canoes of the Hemudu culture and the sea shell accumulation at the Jingtoushan site confirmed the early utilization of the ocean by our ancestors. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the appearance of the character "sail" in oracle bone inscriptions marked the initial development of maritime technology.
The Maritime Silk Road opened up during the Han Dynasty ushered in a new era of China's maritime trade, with the commercial network centered around Hepu Port reaching as far as Sri Lanka. During the Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, the application of compasses and the export porcelain unearthed from the Quanzhou shipwreck confirmed the breakthroughs in maritime technology and the prosperity of maritime trade. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Zheng He's seven voyages to the West still demonstrated China's world leading navigation technology.
This evolution process reflects three major characteristics of ancient Chinese maritime culture: firstly, practicality and exploration coexist, including production activities such as fishing and salt industry, as well as long-distance trade and cultural exchanges; Secondly, technology driven development has led to continuous breakthroughs in navigation technology, from canoes to ocean going sailboats; Thirdly, it is significantly influenced by policies, with a balance between official control and civilian vitality. These historical accumulations provide important cultural resources for contemporary China to build a maritime power.
Yu, Lu (于露)
Leipzig University - Ph.D. student
Savior or Escapist in a turbulent era: The Spirit-Writing Cult of a Conservative Cantonese Scholar in the Early Republic of China and His Poetic Communication with Deities
This study examines a Cantonese scholar's 1928 flight to Hong Kong following the Nationalist-Communist split, where he joined the Baodao Tang spirit-writing group—a multi-functional religious instit...
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Savior or Escapist in a turbulent era: The Spirit-Writing Cult of a Conservative Cantonese Scholar in the Early Republic of China and His Poetic Communication with Deities
Presenter
Yu, Lu
Leipzig University - Ph.D. student
Abstract
This study examines a Cantonese scholar's 1928 flight to Hong Kong following the Nationalist-Communist split, where he joined the Baodao Tang spirit-writing group—a multi-functional religious institution featuring Lü Zu, the Ming-Qing moralistic and savior deity. Renowned for classical poetry lamenting societal turmoil, the scholar engaged in poetic dialogues with these deities, ultimately becoming an active member. Through analyzing this transition, the article reveals how traditional literati negotiated modernity's challenges: While spirit-writing rituals maintained Confucian cultural practices through classical verse composition, they simultaneously facilitated religious escapism via divine revelations. The case demonstrates early Republican spirit-writing groups' dual role as both cultural conservators constructing spiritual utopias and therapeutic spaces for displaced intellectuals. By interrogating the scholar-deity interactions, the research recontextualizes Republican-era religious movements as arenas for performing literati identity and processing historical trauma, challenging simplistic savior/escapist binaries in Chinese religious studies.
Biography
YU Lu received her bachelor’s degree (2018) and master’s degree (2020) in Classical Chinese Literature from Renmin University of China. She began her Ph.D. study at Leipzig University, Germany in October 2024. Her research interests include Daoism, Chinese popular religion, religious literature and gender studies. Her current project focuses on poetic production in spirit-writing cults associated with literati-led altars in late imperial China.
Zhang, Boyang (张博阳)
National University of Singapore - Graduate Student
The mobilization of Chinese intellectuals during the Korean War: the erosion of moral standards and the dominance of class struggles
Mass mobilization emerged as an effective strategy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to achieve political objectives, particularly in identifying the enemies’ moral failings and crafting the Chi...
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The mobilization of Chinese intellectuals during the Korean War: the erosion of moral standards and the dominance of class struggles
Presenter
Zhang, Boyang
National University of Singapore - Graduate Student
Abstract
Mass mobilization emerged as an effective strategy for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to achieve political objectives, particularly in identifying the enemies’ moral failings and crafting the Chinese people’s image as victims. Following the Korean War’s outbreak, the CCP sought an efficient approach to rally public support and redirect their anger away from admiration and fear of the United States. However, regarding the Allies’ status in WWII and widespread doubts towards the CCP’s governance, the Chinese populace held varied moral perceptions of the U.S., unable to view it strictly as an antagonist. By analyzing Chinese Intellectuals’ mass mobilization, this paper argues that without evident moral failings to categorize the U.S. as a definitive enemy, the CCP redefined existing class relations and integrated the U.S. into the sentiment of class hatred directed at imperialism. This strategy harnessed the Cold War mentality, fueling the mass mobilization against the U.S. in the 1950s.
Biography
Mr. Boyang Zhang is a postgraduate student studying Asian and Global History at the National University of Singapore (expecting to graduate in June 2025). He obtained his BA in philosophy (with a minor in history and Hong Kong study) at Lingnan University. His research interests mainly cover the class struggle of modern China, peasants and intellectuals’ development under Mao’s era, and the history of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Recently, Boyang has been a research assistant for different professors at Rutgers University, Arizona State University, American University, South Methodist University, Ohio State University, and Stanford University. He published three conference papers on different topics, including the social protest in Hong Kong, Asian American identities, and the corruption and bureaucracy during Mao’s rule. Boyang will go to the United States to finish his second Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in East Asian Study in 2025 and 2026.
Zhang, Mengyun (张梦云)
King's College London - 博士研究生/PhD student
Wanshi liufang/The Everlasting Fame (1943): The 'Opium war' and the heroine narrative in wartime Chinese cinema
Wanshi liufang/The Everlasting Fame (1943), filmed in Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War, is controversial in the study of Chinese film history. The divergence in research mainly stems from the ans...
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Wanshi liufang/The Everlasting Fame (1943): The 'Opium war' and the heroine narrative in wartime Chinese cinema
Presenter
Zhang, Mengyun
King's College London - 博士研究生/PhD student
Abstract
Wanshi liufang/The Everlasting Fame (1943), filmed in Shanghai during the Sino-Japanese War, is controversial in the study of Chinese film history. The divergence in research mainly stems from the answer to one question: Can this film be regarded as a political propaganda tool of the Japanese government in China? On the one hand, the filmmakers indeed aimed to guide the audience to develop anti-British and American sentiments and accept the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere through the portrayal of the ‘Opium War’ in the film, especially the adaptation of the story of Lin Zexu's destruction of opium. However, on the other hand, the film's cinematic language, narrative logic, and particularly its depiction of the heroine Zhang Jingxian seem to make the film convey non-political voices. Using ‘old tales retold' and 'heroine narrative' as key words for analysing the film and its wartime reviews, I attempt to point out that how films in wartime occupied areas were perceived was often the result of the combined effect of 'political nature', 'entertainment' and 'artistry'. At the same time, I also believe that this film cannot be simply regarded as a political tool, but its seemingly evasion of politics as a commodity or art is an alternative strategy to respond to politics.
Biography
After graduating from the Department of Chinese Literature at National Taiwan University, I obtained a master's degree in the Department of History at University College London. Currently, I am a PhD student in the Department of Film at King's College London, researching the theme of female bodies in Shanghai films during the Sino-Japanese War period. Although I have consistently received different academic writing approaches across various departments, my three key research interests remain unchanged: urban culture, feminism, and Chinese cinema before 1949.
Zhang, Ruijing (张瑞静)
河北省社会科学院 - 历史研究所所长、副研究员
Helping each other: Mutual assistance among Rural people in Modern North China and Implications for Building a Community with a Shared Future
The ethics of mutual assistance among the Chinese people is a way of survival among villagers in traditional society based on a self-sufficient natural economy. It maintains an exchange relationship b...
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Helping each other: Mutual assistance among Rural people in Modern North China and Implications for Building a Community with a Shared Future
Presenter
Zhang, Ruijing
河北省社会科学院 - 历史研究所所长、副研究员
Abstract
The ethics of mutual assistance among the Chinese people is a way of survival among villagers in traditional society based on a self-sufficient natural economy. It maintains an exchange relationship between human feelings, objects and labor in terms of moral responsibility. This article starts from the social relations and communication Spaces of villagers in the rural society of modern North China, systematically analyzes the practical models and cultural cores of folk mutual assistance from the dimensions of production mutual assistance, life mutual assistance, economic mutual assistance, and public welfare mutual assistance respectively. The mutual assistance practice in the rural areas of modern North China not only reflects the survival logic of the rural society, but also is highly consistent with the concept of "harmony and coexistence" advocated by the community with a shared future for mankind, demonstrating the inheritance value of traditional culture in modern society. Combining the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, the wisdom of cooperation, sharing and sustainable development contained in the traditional mutual assistance culture can provide localized experience for grassroots governance in the era of globalization.
Biography
Name: Zhang Ruijing
Nationality: China,
Graduated from the History Department of Northwest University in Shanxi Province,
Associate Researcher,
Current Director of the Institute of History, Hebei Academy of Social Sciences,
Mainly engaged in the research of rural history in modern North China,
Published papers such as "Research on the Optimization Path of Agricultural Technology in Modern North China", "Historical Investigation of Agricultural Economic Changes in Modern Hebei", "Research on the Commercialization of Agricultural Products and Rural Society in Modern North China", and "Modern and Contemporary local Chronicles and historical materialsand Modern and Contemporary Chinese History".
Zhang YaXin (张亚欣)
上海交通大学 - 博士
The Dynamic System and Rational Principles of Communication in the Era of Video Exchange ——Reflections on the Phenomenon of American "TikTok Refugees" Migrating to "rednote"
China's short-video platform **TikTok** rapidly expanded in the U.S., amassing **170 million users**, before facing a forced divestment ban imposed by the U.S. government. This triggered a mass migrat...
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The Dynamic System and Rational Principles of Communication in the Era of Video Exchange ——Reflections on the Phenomenon of American "TikTok Refugees" Migrating to "rednote"
Presenter
Zhang YaXin
上海交通大学 - 博士
Abstract
China's short-video platform **TikTok** rapidly expanded in the U.S., amassing **170 million users**, before facing a forced divestment ban imposed by the U.S. government. This triggered a mass migration of American netizens to **Xiaohongshu** (Rednote), another Chinese internet platform, drawing widespread global attention. Through this incident, we can discern the underlying trends in human information dissemination—its driving forces and developmental logic—hidden beneath the surface of apparent randomness. It heralds the dawn of a new era in communication: **the AI-powered video exchange era**, marking a transformative shift in internet media from traditional formats to **AI-driven video communication**.
Biography
Zhang Yaxin, Master's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, PhD from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Research areas: Ancient Chinese literature, Chinese culture, cultural communication.
Zhang, Yun (张芸)
河北省社会科学院 - 新闻与传播学研究所所长、研究员
Research on Segmented Communication Strategies of the Film Ne Zha from the Intergenerational Communication Perspective
This study employs intergenerational communication theory as its core framework to deeply deconstruct the media application preferences of the film Ne Zha of three generational groups—the post-70s/8...
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Research on Segmented Communication Strategies of the Film Ne Zha from the Intergenerational Communication Perspective
Presenter
Zhang, Yun
河北省社会科学院 - 新闻与传播学研究所所长、研究员
Abstract
This study employs intergenerational communication theory as its core framework to deeply deconstruct the media application preferences of the film Ne Zha of three generational groups—the post-70s/80s,post-90s/00s,and post-10s.It analyzes its segmented communication strategy,unlocking the code for inheriting and innovating excellent traditional Chinese culture and achieving cross-media breakout success.The film constructs a cross-generational cultural communication loop through three key mechanisms:"sentimental anchoring"via traditional media,"participatory storytelling"on social platforms,and"educational integration"within parent-child scenarios.Building on relevant data,the study further proposes a synergistic model of"cultural DNA inheritance"and"technological RNA expression".These findings provide an analytical framework for the intergenerational communication of animated films that combines theoretical depth with practical value.This offers significant insights for the intergenerational communication and operation of cultural IPs.
Biography
Zhang Yun is the Director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies and an Associate Research Fellow at the Hebei Academy of Social Sciences. Her primary research interests lie in journalism and communication practices, new media, and cultural communication studies.
Professor Zhang also serves as an adjunct Master's supervisor at Hebei Normal University, Hebei University of Economics and Business, and Hebei Institute of Communications. She holds several distinguished advisory positions, including Expert for the Think Tank of the Hebei Association for Science and Technology, Specially-invited Expert for the Great Wall International Communication Center, and Invited Council Member of the Hebei Journalists Association.
She has an extensive publication record, with over 100 academic papers and research reports featured in nationally authoritative journals and newspapers such as Journalism & Communication Research, China Publishing Journal, Press Circles, Guangming Daily, and Chinese Social Sciences Today. Professor Zhang has successfully led and completed nearly 20 provincial-level research projects, including those funded by the Hebei Provincial Social Science Fund. Furthermore, she has served as the Executive Editor-in-Chief for four volumes of the Blue Book series, Hebei Media Development Report (2021-2024).
Zhao, Dailin (趙黛霖)
King's College London - PhD candidate
Emptiness and Image: Rethinking Cinematic Ontology through Chinese Buddhism and King Hu’s A Touch of Zen
This paper examines the intersection of the Chinese Buddhist philosophy and media theory. Using King Hu’s A Touch of Zen as a case study, it examines how the film constructs a decentralised and dyna...
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Emptiness and Image: Rethinking Cinematic Ontology through Chinese Buddhism and King Hu’s A Touch of Zen
Presenter
Zhao, Dailin
King's College London - PhD candidate
Abstract
This paper examines the intersection of the Chinese Buddhist philosophy and media theory. Using King Hu’s A Touch of Zen as a case study, it examines how the film constructs a decentralised and dynamically unfolding image system, whose ontology can be understood through the Buddhist concept of emptiness (śūnyatā).
The first section discusses how rapid editing in A Touch of Zen presents multiple visual instants (kṣaṇa), forming a fluid relational cinematic space that goes beyond the representational norms of the wuxia genre. The second section draws upon Yogācāra and Zen Buddhist discussions of emptiness to argue that this formal strategy embodies a core ontological view: cinematic images do not possess inherent substance but instead arise contingently through the dynamic interplay of technical apparatus, image, and perceptual engagement. The third section explores how this Buddhist understanding resonates with Gilles Deleuze’s philosophy of the image and consciousness, establishing a cross-cultural framework for rethinking image-consciousness and the ontology of Chinese cinema.
Biography
Dailin Zhao is a PhD candidate in the Department of Film Studies at King’s College London. She holds an MA from the School of Liberal Arts at Renmin University of China. Her primary research project focuses on the intersection of film philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and the film of King Hu. Her research interests include film aesthetics, comparative film theories and philosophies, Asian screen cultures, and Chinese and Sinophone cinema. Zhao’s articles have been published in Minzu yishu yanjiu [National Art Studies], Dianying pingjie [Film Review] and the Journal of Chinese Film Studies.
Zheng, Enbing (郑恩兵)
河北省社会科学院 - 语言文学研究所所长、研究员
The Literary and Artistic Supplement of Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu People’s Daily and the “Zhao Shuli Direction”
As an indispensable component of newspapers, supplements share the core mission of disseminating significant events and political developments alongside other sections. Among these, literary and artis...
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The Literary and Artistic Supplement of Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu People’s Daily and the “Zhao Shuli Direction”
Presenter
Zheng, Enbing
河北省社会科学院 - 语言文学研究所所长、研究员
Abstract
As an indispensable component of newspapers, supplements share the core mission of disseminating significant events and political developments alongside other sections. Among these, literary and artistic supplements have emerged as vital platforms for nurturing cultural practitioners. The proposition of the "Zhao Shuli Direction" marked a pivotal moment in the canonization of Zhao Shuli—a "state-crafted label with mobilizing functions" designed by mainstream ideology to elevate and solidify Zhao Shuli's literary status in the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu (Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan) region and nationwide. During the formation of the "Zhao Shuli Direction," the literary supplement of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu People's Daily—closely associated with Zhao Shuli—responded promptly to the evolving literary and artistic landscape of the time, vigorously propelling the establishment of this ideological paradigm. By offering both guidance and practical pathways, it enabled cultural workers to implement the principles outlined in the Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art, thereby generating substantial theoretical and practical implications for the development of liberated-area literature and the nascent national literary landscape of New China.
Biography
Zheng Enbing, born in November 1969, is a research fellow. He currently serves as the Director of the Institute of Language and Literature (Yanzhao Culture Research Center) at the Hebei Academy of Social Sciences, Vice President of the Hebei Literature Research Association, Council Member of the Chinese Ding Ling Research Association, and Council Member of the Hebei Literary and Art Criticism Association. He has been honored as an Outstanding Young Expert in Social Sciences of Hebei Province (10th edition), a Yanzhao Talent of Hebei Province, and a Mid-Career Social Science Expert of Hebei.
His accolades include:Second Prize in the Hebei Provincial Outstanding Achievements in Social Sciences Award (twice).Second Prize and Third Prize in the Hebei Provincial Social Science Fund Project Outstanding Achievements Award (once each).Second Prize and Third Prize in the Hebei Provincial Literary and Art Criticism Award (once each).Second Prize in the Hebei Provincial Journalism Award (once)
He has presided over the compilation and publication of The Anthology of Literature and Art in the North China Anti-Japanese Base Areas and Liberated Areas, Series 1 (57 volumes), and published the academic monograph *Narrative of 20th-Century Chinese Rural Novels*, as well as works such as The Majestic Great Wall, The Backdrop of the Capital, Exquisite Craftsmanship, and Memories of the War of Resistance.
He has published 10 academic papers in journals such as Literary Theory and Criticism, Dongyue Tribune, Hebei Academic Journal, Literature and Culture, Journal of Hebei University, Chinese Language and Literature Studies, and Social Science Forum, and over 30 articles in newspapers including People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Literary News, China Reading Weekly, Digest News, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Bulletin, and Hebei Daily.
He has completed one national-level research project, 10 provincial-level projects, and over 20 municipal and departmental-level projects.
