On May 12, 2025, the East Asian Cultural Studies Center (EACSC) of the School of Foreign Studies (SFS) at Nankai University hosted an academic lecture titled “Liao Dynasty Literature and Japanese Buddhist Arts: On the Reception of Feizhuo’s Writings in Japanese Classical Literature.” The lecture was delivered by Prof. Li Mingjing, Dean of the Department of Japanese Studies at the School of Foreign Languages, Renmin University of China. The event was chaired by Prof. Liu Yuzhen from the EACSC. Associate professors Jiang Yundou, Yu Jun and Zheng Lin from the Department of Japanese Language, together with master’s and doctoral students, attended the lecture. Faculty and students from Peking University, Renmin University of China, and doctoral students from the SFS currently studying in Japan joined synchronously via Feishu online conference.
At the beginning of the lecture, Prof. Li reviewed Tianjin’s significant cultural status during the Liao Dynasty and the creative activities of Liao literati in the Jizhou region. He then elaborated on the compilation of Records of Miraculous Responses to the San Bao Ganying Yao Lue Lu (the title of a text included in the Chinese Buddhist canon) authored by the eminent Liao monk Feizhuo, and its profound influence across East Asia. By examining the reception of Feizhuo’s work in Japanese classical sources such as Konjaku Monogatarishū and Sangoku Denki, Prof. Li analyzed how Japanese classical literature absorbed and adapted Feizhuo’s textual legacy. A lively Q&A session followed, during which students and faculty engaged in discussion with Prof. Li, broadening their research perspectives.
The School of Foreign Studies at Nankai University attaches great importance to strengthening students’ research capabilities. In recent years, undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in the Department of Japanese Studies have achieved remarkable success in the National Collegiate Paper Competition – achievements made possible by the School’s continued provision of rich academic platforms. This lecture marked the tenth session of the “Distinguished Scholars Forum on East Asian Culture.” The EACSC will continue to invite renowned scholars from China and abroad to deliver academic lectures and contribute to a vibrant scholarly environment.
