Han Buddhism: A Tie in the East Asian Cultural Sphere
- 2024
- News
- Department of Literature and Cultural Studies
Han Buddhism connects the East Asian cultural sphere, which consists of China proper, the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Archipelago, and northern Vietnam. It profoundly impacts religious beliefs, literature, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, architecture, and other fields. The course ‘GEL2015 Han Buddhism: A Tie in the East Asian Cultural Sphere’, designed by Dr Aaron Shang Haifeng, is the only purely religious history course at EdUHK.
In March and April 2024, the instructor and students of the course embarked on a tour of Chinese Buddhist temples in Lingnan, visiting Chi Lin Nunnery and Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong, Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou, and Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan. The students saw many Buddhist cultural relics and monuments through study tours. They also learned the Dharma from eminent monks, including the Abbot of Nanhua Temple, Faguang; the Vice President of Caoxi Buddhist College, Chuanming; and the Greeter of Guangxiao Temple, Kuande. Meanwhile, they also had meals and meditation in the Refectory and Meditation Halls. Students gained insight into the commonalities of the East Asian Sinosphere from a Buddhist angle and developed a cultural perspective that transcended national boundaries and a more inclusive community identity.
The team visits Chi Lin Nunnery in Hong Kong on 10 March 2024
The team visits Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong on 13 March 2024
The team visits Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou on 23 March 2024
The team visits Nanhua Temple in Shaoguan on 6 April 2024
