Abstract The classical Chinese work of supernatural fiction Liaozhai zhiyi is the ancient Chinese novel that has been translated into the most foreign languages. During nearly two centuries of transmission to the West, “strange” (yi 異 ) has become the focal point for sinologists’ translation and study of Liaozhai zhiyi . Shaped by different historical contexts and scholarly concerns, the interpretations of yi by sinologists have evolved alongside broader developments in Western sinology, creating multiple levels of discourse. From the misinterpretations of the early Sino-Western contact period, to using Liaozhai zhiyi to observe the “strangeness” of customs out of a desire to understand Chinese social life, and finally to the deep exploration of fundamental characteristics of Chinese culture, European and American sinology has regarded this idea of “strangeness” as a bidirectional link for understanding the other and examining the self. Ultimately, sinologists elevated the yi of Liaozhai zhiyi from a culturally specific literary experience to a universal discourse resource, while enriching the understanding of Liaozhai zhiyi in cross-cultural contexts.

Abstract The study of Dunhuang art began in the 1940s and flourished during China’s reform and opening-up period. Over the decades, a wealth of research has emerged across a wide range of disciplines. Previously unsolved questions about China’s art and culture, constrained by a lack of physical or visual evidence, have been clarified thanks to the wealth of materials preserved in Dunhuang. These findings have filled critical gaps in art history, driving advancements in the study of Chinese architecture, sculpture, painting, calligraphy, and Buddhist art archaeology, as well as the histories of music, dance, and clothing and textiles. The rich content and artistic materials of the Dunhuang caves serve as an invaluable resource for modern artistic innovation. Contemporary creators frequently draw inspiration from Dunhuang, integrating its cultural elements into diverse forms of modern art, including fashion design, digital media, animation, film, and documentaries. As internet technology evolves, the preservation and study of Dunhuang art remain an ongoing and vital endeavor to foster cultural development in the new era with Chinese characteristics.

Abstract Among overseas “New Qing History” scholars, the Ming Empire is typically interpreted as an ethnically Han-Chinese regime that lacked the characteristics of Inner Asian polities. This author, however, asserts that this view is incorrect. Like the Qing, the emperors of the Ming ruled as qaghans over their northern steppe subjects and as the incarnation of the bodhisattva Manjusri in the eyes of Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhists. Also like their Qing dynasty counterparts, the Ming Empire produced multilingual documents, combining Chinese and ethnic minority scripts, a potent symbol of their “universal” rule. Lastly, the Ming emperors also actively pursued a policy of promoting governance through religion, creating a cultural and political legacy that would come to directly shape later relations between the Qing empire and the frontier regions of their empire.

Abstract The Ming–Qing transition – the final dynastic change in Imperial China – followed the cyclical patterns of rise and fall that had characterized previous dynastic shifts throughout Chinese history. However, its occurrence in the mid-seventeenth century positions it within a broader context of significant transformations in Europe and the Americas. This transition’s most profound impact lay in the culmination of the long-term centralizing processes within Chinese civilization. In its aftermath, the imperial system continued, for a time, to grow stronger, while the economy experienced sustained prosperity driven by both agriculture and commerce. When viewed holistically, this period in Chinese history, while interconnected with European developments, followed a distinct trajectory. Recent scholarship, influenced by the framework of world history, has deepened our understanding of the Ming–Qing transition’s role in broader global changes. However, this approach has sometimes led to an overemphasis on international factors, potentially diminishing the transition’s significance as a particular phase in China’s long-term historical progression. Analyses that predominantly focus on ethnic Manchu–Han dynamics often fail to capture the full historical context. A more nuanced understanding emerges when we examine this period through the lens of the long-term centering process within Chinese civilization. Differences between Chinese and European civilizations extend far beyond comparisons of productive forces. Therefore, discourse around concepts like “convergence” or “divergence” can be misleading without clearly defined comparative frameworks and metrics.

Abstract The silk manuscripts of Huang-Lao, unearthed at the Mawangdui Han Tombs, articulate a theory that advocates nurturing penal virtue through the prioritization of virtue before punishment. Many scholars have used Han Fei’s concept of xingde-erbing 刑德二柄 to explain the theory and give it context. Contrasted with Legalism, represented by Shang Yang and Han Fei, which emphasizes rewards and punishments – with Shang Yang advocating punishment before reward – the Huang-Lao doctrine extends beyond this dichotomy. It notably diverges in its exploration of the relationship between the heavens and humanity, as well as theories on motivations underlying human nature. Han Fei’s concept of the xingde-erbing fundamentally aligns with Shang Yang’s approach to governance through the mechanisms of punishment and reward. Moreover, Han Fei’s notion of yindao quanfa 因道全法 posits that sovereigns, by governing according to universal principles and fully understanding the law, can ensure state peace and deter major crimes. However, this concept is distinct from Huang-Lao thought, which does not share the same ideological framework as the reward-punishment methods of Shang Yang and Han Fei. The analogous approach of the prioritization of virtue before punishment found in Guanzi, which stresses that wise and virtuous monarchs govern by aligning their decrees with the natural progression of the seasons, is closely aligned with Huang-Lao philosophy. The present analysis clarifies the longstanding intellectual debates between Huang-Lao and Legalism, affirming the distinctiveness of Huang-Lao’s penal virtue theory and illuminating the conceptualization of the heaven-human relationship during the Warring States period.

China does not have a tradition of writing literary histories. The first history of Chinese literature to ever be written was by Germans in the 19th century. The first to be written by a Chinese scholar was in the early 20th century.1 Since the 21st century there have been four English-language histories of Chinese lit-

Abstract Since the 1980s, research on Sinographic literature has made significant strides. From the standpoint of academic history, this research has undergone three broad stages, which are represented respectively by new materials, new questions, and new methods. These have been the overall trends, which necessarily overlap each other. Research on Sinographic literature has diverged from a focus on new material toward the refinement of new questions and the exploration of new methodologies. One such exploratory approach is “the Sinosphere as methodology,” which addresses the shortcomings of four previous research models and seeks to put this new methodological concept into practice, to contain the expansionist impulses of cultural imperialism, and to prise apart nationalist parochialism.