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X-WR-CALNAME:CCCC: Poems from Visitors to Japan in 858: A Foray into the Wo
 rld of Merchants and Monks beyond Tang High Society
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20261012T215249Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_53682157982721
DTSTART:20261016T193000Z
DTEND:20261016T203000Z
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Greg Sattler\, New York University\n\nTitle: Poems fro
 m Visitors to Japan in 858: A Foray into the World of Merchants and Monks 
 beyond Tang High Society\n\nAbstract: In 858\, a group of travelers from t
 hroughout East Asia journeyed on a merchant ship from China to Japan. Afte
 r having traveled together in China and across the high seas for several m
 onths\, the group gathered in a lodge to bid farewell to the man responsib
 le for bringing them together. At the emotional banquet\, poems were compo
 sed on behalf of the monk Enchin 円珍 (814–891)\, who later became hea
 d of the Tiantai/Tendai 天台 school of Buddhism in Japan. Enchin’s hig
 h status and importance in the history of Japanese Buddhism allowed for th
 e preservation of eighteen of these poems in a document titled Tōjin sōb
 etsushi narabini sekitoku 唐人送別詩幷尺牘. The poems\, mostly wri
 tten by merchants from southern China\, provide some distinctive insights 
 into Tang society through their engagement with the themes of Buddhism\, f
 riendship\, scenic beauty\, and even politics. They also constitute some o
 f the earliest extant writings by merchants in East Asia. In examining the
 se compositions\, we will see that although many follow contemporary Chine
 se trends and conventions\, they also offer rare glimpses into the mediocr
 e and imperfect Tang works that are otherwise lost to posterity. This coll
 oquium will welcome a range of perspectives on the poems\, focusing not on
 ly on how they align with the poetry of the period\, but also on the ways 
 in which they might be perceived as subpar\, flawed\, or below the high st
 andards set by the tiny fraction of esteemed Tang poems preserved in the p
 resent day. Of equal importance will be consideration of what these poems 
 can tell us about their writers\, local Chinese society\, religious exchan
 ge\, and\, broadly speaking\, the world in which they were produced.\n\nAb
 out Cornell Classical Chinese Colloquium\nThe group meets monthly during t
 he semester to explore a variety of classical Chinese texts and styles. Ot
 her premodern texts linked to classical Chinese in Japanese\, Korean\, and
  Vietnamese have also been explored. Presentations include works from the 
 earliest times to the 20th century. Workshop sessions are led by local\, n
 ational\, and international scholars. Participants with any level of class
 ical Chinese experience are welcome to attend.  \no    At each session\, a
  presenter guides the group in a reading of a classical Chinese text. Atte
 ndees discuss historical\, literary\, linguistic\, and other aspects of th
 e text\, working together to resolve difficulties in comprehension and tra
 nslation.\no    No preparation is required\; all texts will be distributed
  at the meeting.\no    Refreshments will be served.
GEO:42.449066;-76.481926
LOCATION:Rockefeller Hall\, 374 (Asian Studies Lounge)
SUMMARY:CCCC: Poems from Visitors to Japan in 858: A Foray into the World o
 f Merchants and Monks beyond Tang High Society
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.cornell.edu/event/cornell-classical-chinese-co
 lloquium-with-greg-sattler
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
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