Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology, Hong Kong Baptist University

Institute of Oriental Studies (IOS), Russian Academy of Sciences

Research Centre for History and Culture, Beijing Normal University - Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College

The HKBU Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology is honoured to form a partnership with the Institute of Oriental Studies (IOS), Russian Academy of Sciences and devise a five-year plan together, to forge a stronger bond between the two institutions, and by extension the two sinological communities, in terms of teaching and research while developing exchange and cooperation opportunities in these areas.

From October 2021 to June 2022, JAS and IOS, together with the Research Centre for History and Culture (Beijing Normal University - Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College), will co-organize an online monthly seminar series titled “New Perspectives on the Old World.” Speakers from world-leading institutes will take turn as keynote speakers and give online lectures. Through this initiative, we will leverage the competitive advantages of the three distinct sinological communities and engage in a series of high-end, cutting-edge discussions in key academic issues in Sinology. Welcome to the first lecture series under the partnership agreement between JAS and IOS!

No registration is required for this lecture series. All are welcome to attend online:
Zoom Meeting ID: 938 7710 9210
Password: hkbujas

HKBU students: For CCL attendance, please register via SLES beforehand, and log in Zoom with HKBU email account.

Eighth Lecture: The Tsinghua *Xinian and the Tomb-Text of the Zhushu jinian

Date: 24 June 2022, Friday
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm (Hong Kong time)
Speaker: Professor Edward L. Shaughnessy (Creel Distinguished Service Professor of Early China in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations of the University of Chicago, Advisory Board Member of the Hong Kong Baptist University Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology)
Language: English

Abstract: Du Yu 杜預 (222-284) of the Western Jin dynasty was an eye-witness of the Zhushu jinian 竹書紀年 Bamboo Annals shortly after the bamboo-slips on which it was written were brought to the Jin capital in about 280. He provided the earliest description of the text’s contents, stating that the Eastern Zhou portion dealing with the state of Jin “began from Shangshu (784-781 BCE), and then proceeded through Wen Hou (780-746 BCE), Zhao Hou (745-740 BCE), until Zhuangbo of Quwo (730-716 BCE).” In this paper, I show that the tomb text was not arranged in this way at all, but rather began the Jin portion of the annals with Huanshu of Quwo (745-731 BCE), such that the Jin annals began with the reigns of the Quwo lords. Although the “Current” Bamboo Annals text for this period is dated in the years of the Zhou kings, Ping Wang (770-720 BCE) and Huan Wang (719-697 BCE), the records for Jin reflect the viewpoint of the Quwo lords, and thus presumably derive from the tomb text.