Yumeng Zhang, Ph.D. Student, Asian Studies, will lead this Classical Chinese text-reading.

"Sacred Performances and Epigraphic Echoes: Temple Festivals in North China during Late Medieval China"

Zhang writes:

My study examines the intersection of contemporary anthropological observations and medieval epigraphic records, exploring whether modern temple festivals can provide insights into religious practices in late medieval North China. By analyzing "Invocation and Dismissal of the Deity/Deities" (迎神送神) rituals in both historical inscriptions and present-day festivals, this research investigates their role in village networks, intercommunal relations, and divine-human interactions.

The group meets monthly during the semester to explore a variety of classical Chinese texts and styles. Other premodern texts linked to classical Chinese in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese have been explored. Presentations include works from the earliest times to the 20th century. Workshop sessions are led by local, national, and international scholars.  Participants with any level of classical Chinese experience are welcome to attend.  

• At each session, a presenter guides the group in a reading of a classical Chinese text. Attendees discuss historical, literary, linguistic, and other aspects of the text, working together to resolve difficulties in comprehension and translation.

• No preparation is required; all texts will be distributed at the meeting.