Speaker: LIU Yunou (Southwest University of Political Science and Law)
Date and Time: 6 November 2025
Abstract: This talk examines the block-printing and dissemination of baojuan, a genre of Chinese folk religious literature, during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Building on its Song–Yuan origins, baojuan gained wider circulation in the Ming, with the publication of Luo Qing’s “Five Books in Six Volumes” during the Zhengde reign marking a significant turning point in its dissemination among the lower and middle social strata. Drawing together documents dispersed across collections and institutions, this study uses digital humanities tools, including three-dimensional radar charts and geographic information systems (GIS), to map the distribution and influence of Ming baojuan. It highlights the role of transportation networks and economic prosperity in facilitating circulation, particularly in the Wu–Yue region, while also examining political support in Beijing. The findings illuminate the relationships between religious transmission, regional economies, and political patronage, demonstrating the potential of digital methods for studying Chinese folk religions and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
About the Speaker: LIU Yunou is an Assistant Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China. Her research focuses on Chinese folk religious literature, cross-cultural transmission, and digital humanities. She received her PhD in Chinese Ancient Literature from Zhejiang University in 2022 and undertook doctoral research at Harvard University under Professor Peter K. Bol in 2019–2020. She has been a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge since September 2025, supported by the China Scholarship Council and hosted by Dr Noga Ganany. She leads a Chongqing Social Science Planning Project on the interactions between early baojuan, fiction, and traditional opera, and contributes to research on generative AI and the digital transformation of international Chinese language education. Her forthcoming monograph, Interaction and Symbiosis: Transmission of Chinese Baojuan, Local Opera, and Folk Culture, is scheduled for publication by Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House in December 2025.
“Book Culture in Buddhism and Beyond” Lecture Series:
This lecture series, launched in Michaelmas Term 2023, features talks on writing and publishing in the Buddhist tradition and in related religious and cultural spheres. Lectures in this series offer insights into the various ways in which writing and printing has been shaping Buddhism, as well as the multifaceted impact of Buddhism on book culture in East Asia, past, present, and future.
This lecture series is organised by Dr Noga Ganany (ng462@cam.ac.uk) in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge with the generous support of the Glorisun Global Network.
