Conference papers by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu
Di liu jie lingyin shan guoji wenhua luntan 第六届灵隐山国际文化论坛 (Sixth Lingyin Mountain Cultural International Forum), 2024
This paper examines the textual practices of Juzan, a "revolutionary" monk and prominent leader i... more This paper examines the textual practices of Juzan, a "revolutionary" monk and prominent leader in modern Chinese Buddhism, to uncover his continuous and comprehensive vision for a textual community. Challenging existing scholarship that divides Juzan's intellectual trajectory and engagement with the print culture into pre-1949 and post-1949 periods, it argues for a more sustained perspective to approach his thinking and legacy. Through a comparative analysis of Juzan's articles, journal layouts, and the historical context of Juzan's founded periodicals, this paper reveals that Juzan's Buddhist reform ideals were intricately expressed through his textual practices. Rather than viewing these periodicals merely as tools of political and nationalistic propaganda, as most existing scholarships suggest, this study highlights Juzan's multifaceted reformist vision which demonstrates a holistic and diverse understanding of textual spaces. By reconstructing Juzan's vision for periodicals as complex and multidimensional textual platforms, this paper offers new possibilities for a more comprehensive and nuanced study of Juzan's legacy.
Di er jie Fudan foxue boshi luntan: Foxue yanjiu guoji qianyan 第二届复旦佛学博士论坛: 佛学研究国际前沿 (The Second Fudan Buddhist Studies PhD Forum: The International Frontier of Buddhist Studies), 2025
This paper explores the intersection of Chinese Buddhism, nationalism, and violence during the Se... more This paper explores the intersection of Chinese Buddhism, nationalism, and violence during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) by analyzing the anti-Japanese activities and writings of Monk Juzan (1908-1984). Despite Buddhism's foundational principle of non-violence (ahimsa), an increasing body of Western scholarship over the past two decades has demonstrated that Buddhism, both historically and in contemporary contexts, has been deeply engaged with sociopolitical realities and capable of adapting its positions according to shifting political and social circumstances, including war. By analyzing Juzan's wartime articles, this paper examines how Juzan reinterpreted Buddhist doctrines to justify participation in national resistance. He framed actions such as battlefield killings as compassionate interventions aligned with Mahayana ethics, emphasizing the moral necessity of confronting aggression. This essay highlights Juzan's use of Buddhist storytelling and textual precedents to mobilize the sangha and broader society against Japanese invasion and argued Juzan's anti-Japanese sentiment not only rooted in his patriotism, but also a strong desire to reform Chinese Buddhism of his time. This case study sheds light on the complex, context-dependent relationship between Buddhism and violence in the Chinese context, challenging the stereotypical perception of Buddhism as a disengaged or inherently pacifist religious tradition.
Undergraduate Papers by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu
Orientations, 2025
As one of the most influential literary genres on twenty-first-century Chinese internet platforms... more As one of the most influential literary genres on twenty-first-century Chinese internet platforms, online fantasy novels have increasingly reimagined Chinese mythologies and religious traditions, presenting religious concepts and practices once marginalized as “superstitions” in entirely new narrative forms. A representative work is The Buddha Belongs to the Dao (Foben shidao 佛本是道, 2006–2007) by Mengru Shenji, which blends classic Chinese mythological texts such as Journey to the West (Xiyouji 西遊記) and The Canonization of the Gods (Fengshen yanyi 封神演義) with Chinese religious cosmology to construct a new fictional multiverse and literary subgenre – the “Honghuang Universe” 洪荒宇宙. This paper focuses on the novel’s reconfiguration of the religious concept of tiandao (The Way of Heaven 天道), examining a central question: How does this book transform tiandao from an abstract religio-philosophical principle into a narrative, rule-based cosmic system, and what does this transformation reveal about contemporary mythological consciousness and ideological imagination? To address this, this study will draw theories from mythological studies and religious cosmology to analyze how religious symbols were transformed within literary production. The paper employs close textual reading, narrative structure analysis, and comparative mythological approaches to trace how tiandao is narrativized as both an omnipotent force and a meta-governing mechanism that unifies historically scattered and sometimes contradictory mythological pantheons. By demonstrating the mechanisms through which the novel reimagines and operationalizes tiandao, the paper explores how contemporary Chinese online fantasy relocates and reconstructs cosmologies, offering new cultural venues through which digital readers engage with Chinese religions and mythological heritage.
Historical Discourse, 2025
The recent excavation of the Tomb of the Marquis of Haihun 海昏 has provided valuable new evidence ... more The recent excavation of the Tomb of the Marquis of Haihun 海昏 has provided valuable new evidence for writing a social history of music in the Western Han dynasty. This essay examines the life of Liu He 刘贺 (92-59 BCE), the tomb's occupant and a deposed emperor, through the lens of musical culture, with a particular focus on the qin 琴, a silk-stringed instrument. From a material culture perspective, it explores the musical practices and patronage of Liu He and his family, encompassing both ceremonial and folk music traditions. In the second part, this paper delves into the materiality and societal significance of the qin, emphasizing its roles in ritual, social order, and daily life during the Han period. Additionally, the study contextualizes the qin's transformation from a symbol of virtue and governance to a medium for romantic and personal expression, reflecting the broader cultural transformations of the Han dynasty.
Book Reviews by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu
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Conference papers by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu
Undergraduate Papers by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu
Book Reviews by Weitong (Bryan) Qiu