Publications
Research on Ancient Architecture at the Eastern Qing Tombs Based on the Theory of Full Life Cycle
A full life cycle model for the Eastern Qing Tombs, a UNESCO-listed Ming and Qing imperial mausoleum complex, reveals how digital integration can systematically track its architectural evolution—from planning to contemporary conservation. This approach divides the tombs' history into five phases: origin, development, maturity, decline, and renewal, providing dynamic management of material characteristics and cultural value. The model offers practical solutions for sustainable heritage preservation, academic research, and cultural dissemination, bridging gaps between historical analysis and modern conservation practices.
Architecture of Beijing
Beijing stands as one of China's six great ancient capitals, with its architectural heritage spanning over a millennium. The city's evolution from the Liao dynasty (907–1125) to modern times reflects significant shifts in political power and cultural identity, particularly during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Key architectural landmarks, such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, exemplify its late imperial to modern period significance. This study synthesizes historical records, including local gazetteers, to trace Beijing's urban development and architectural evolution, providing insights into its cultural and political transformations. The research leverages dispersed literary sources on Chinese architecture, focusing on specific dynasties, periods, or typologies, while also examining significant buildings and complexes that define the city's identity.
Research on Three-dimensional Digital Technology Displaying Material Cultural Heritage——
Three-dimensional digital technology offers a promising solution for enhancing the preservation and remote exploration of immovable material cultural heritage, such as the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. This study demonstrates that 3D digital technology can effectively break through spatial and temporal limitations, providing an immersive experience for contemporary young tourists who cannot visit these sites in person. By focusing on stone statues within the mausoleum, researchers highlight how advanced computer information technologies can significantly contribute to cultural relics protection, ensuring a more dynamic and engaging interaction with historical artifacts.
Buddhist Stone Sutras in China. Shaanxi Province. Volume 1: Jinchuanwan Cave, East Wall ed. by Zhao Rong and Lothar Ledderose
A rare survival of the Three Levels Teaching, a Buddhist school founded by monk Xinxing (540–594), is documented through the Jinchuanwan Cave in Shaanxi Province, China. Despite facing imperial prohibitions and eventual decline by the ninth century, this north-facing cave, excavated between 662–670, preserves stone sutras that offer insight into the school's once-vital presence during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). The cave's orientation and proximity to Gold Spring Monastery suggest a deliberate spatial relationship with nearby monuments. Restoration efforts, led by the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and international collaborators, revealed its significance. Additionally, surviving manuscripts from Dunhuang indicate the school's influence extended beyond its original regions.
Visual Culture in Imperial China
Recent scholarship on visual culture during the Ming and Qing dynasties reveals a dynamic interplay between imperial authority, religious practices, and societal values. Unlike studies on modern Chinese visual culture, which often rely on Western theoretical models, research on the imperial era draws more from art history and anthropology. Key findings highlight how the imperial court used visual elements to project authority, while also exploring auspicious symbolism in tomb contexts, Buddhist and Daoist influences, Confucian values through writing and imagery, urban consumerism via woodblock illustration, rural visual traditions, vernacular images, erotica, and the assimilation of foreign visual elements. This approach provides a nuanced understanding of how visual culture evolved alongside political and social changes over two millennia.
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