Liang Cai

This workshop aims to examine the overarching significance of the Poetry (Shijing) in light of the excavated bamboo and silk manuscripts from early China. We will invite scholars from the West and Asia to share strategies for deciphering and understanding the archaeologically discovered manuscripts related to the Poetry. Their areas of expertise range from Chinese paleography, philology, phonology, philosophy, history, and culture studies. Scholars will have the opportunity to read the galley proofs of the Warring States (453-221 BCE) Chu bamboo manuscripts acquired by Anhui University in 2015, which will allow them to explore various possibilities in deciphering the scripts, examining the materiality of the manuscripts, and interpreting their literary and aesthetic significance.