The 14th "Summer Workshop on Asian Art, Religion, and History Studies," a ten-day intensive program, was held at Fudan University from June 23 to July 2, 2025. This year's workshop, titled "Asian Religion, History, and Documentation in the History of Eastern and Western Scholarship," was a collaborative effort between Fudan University's Institute for Advanced Study in History, the University of Tokyo, the University of Göttingen, and the University of California, Berkeley.

The program welcomed 44 participants from top universities around the world, including Harvard, the University of Tokyo, Peking University, and Fudan University, with backgrounds in history, literature, religion, and art. The faculty included leading scholars from France, Japan, Germany, and the United States.

Lectures and Key Themes

The workshop's lectures explored a diverse range of topics, with a strong focus on interdisciplinary and transnational approaches to research.

· French Sinology and Sacred Spaces: Professor Ji Zhe of the French National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations delivered a lecture on the work of Édouard Chavannes, a pioneer of modern French sinology. He highlighted Chavannes's innovative use of fieldwork and social science methods to study Chinese sacred sites, such as Mount Tai and the ritual of "toulong" (casting inscribed tablets into rivers). Ji Zhe explained how Chavannes's work moved beyond traditional missionary-era sinology to analyze the complex relationship between politics, religion, and spatial organization in Chinese history.

· The Rise of Zen Buddhism: Professor Yanagi Mikiyasu of the University of Tokyo's Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia delved into the history of Zen Buddhism, particularly its rise during the Tang and Song dynasties. He challenged the traditional "Southern Sudden, Northern Gradual" narrative of Zen, using 8th-century inscriptions and texts to reconstruct the movement's early networks in Luoyang. He also explored the political context of Zen's rise, linking it to Empress Wu Zetian's need for legitimacy. In the second part of his talk, Yanagi discussed the transformative "Kanhua Chan" (meditation on a "huatou" or paradoxical phrase) method introduced by the monk Dahui Zonggao in the Song dynasty, emphasizing its lasting impact on East Asian thought.

· Historical Narratives of Sino-Western Exchange: Professor Wu Yixiong of Sun Yat-sen University examined the historical perspectives of early modern Sino-Western exchange, focusing on the period leading up to the Opium War. He discussed how "radical" groups of merchants and missionaries, like James Matheson, crafted a narrative of "systematic oppression" to justify military intervention in China. Wu also highlighted the counterarguments made by more moderate figures and the intellectual debates within the West about the authenticity of ancient Chinese history, noting the parallels between these 19th-century debates and the 20th-century "Doubting Antiquity" movement in China.

· Cultural Practice as Historical Thinking: Professor Dominic Sachsenmaier and Researcher Harlan David Chambers of the University of Göttingen presented a joint lecture on how cultural practices can serve as a way of thinking about history. Chambers focused on Chinese intellectuals in the 1920s and 30s who reimagined guerrilla warfare not just as a military tactic but as a "form of world history." He discussed how mass cultural projects in revolutionary base areas, such as the "one-day" writing projects, transformed daily life and challenged linear historical narratives. Sachsenmaier then broadened the discussion to a global perspective, using the two "twenties" (the 1920s and the 2020s) to demonstrate the continuous nature of geopolitical conflicts and the evolution of historical concepts like "freedom" and "civilization."

· Digital Methods in History: Professor Nicolas Tackett of UC Berkeley introduced participants to the use of digital methods in historical research, specifically focusing on the Tang and Song dynasties. He differentiated new digital history from earlier quantitative history, explaining how computational algorithms can discover new categories and patterns in data, rather than simply proving pre-existing hypotheses. Using examples from epitaph research, he showed how digital tools can map social networks and political power structures in ways that traditional methods cannot.

· Japanese Perspectives on Late Qing China: Professor Chen Jidong of Aoyama Gakuin University explored the significant influence of Japan on late Qing China, particularly through Buddhist and intellectual exchange. He argued that Japanese perspectives are crucial for understanding this period, citing the pioneering work of Buddhist scholar Yang Wenhui. He discussed how Japanese monks like Ogurusu Kōchō sought to "reform" Chinese Buddhism and how the Meiji-era concept of "bushido" (the way of the warrior) influenced figures like Liang Qichao. Chen's lecture highlighted how Japan acted as both a conduit and an active participant in the spread of modern ideas in East Asia.

Field Trips and Closing Remarks

In addition to the lectures, the workshop included field trips to key cultural institutions and historical sites in Shanghai, such as the Shanghai Museum East, Shanghai Library East, and the Sheshan Basilica. Participants also visited the historical sites in Jiading, including the Gu Weijun Memorial Hall and Jiading Confucian Temple.

During the closing ceremony, Professor Ge Zhaoguang of Fudan University delivered a powerful speech on the study of religious history. He urged young scholars to move beyond descriptive analysis and seek out "critical junctures" in history, like the conflicts between religious and political power. He used the example of the "Three Stages School" in medieval China and the early Daoist movements to illustrate how religious organizations could challenge imperial authority, an aspect of Chinese history that has been largely overlooked. He stressed the importance of choosing research topics with international relevance, which allows for dialogue and competition on a global academic stage.

The workshop concluded with participants receiving their certificates, having been encouraged to maintain the network of collaboration and academic exchange fostered by the program.