BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//ASIAR - ECPv6.0.13.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:ASIAR
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://asiar.hku.hk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for ASIAR
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Asia/Hong_Kong
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0800
TZOFFSETTO:+0800
TZNAME:HKT
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250428T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Hong_Kong:20250428T134500
DTSTAMP:20260404T131707
CREATED:20250408T040626Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250410T071443Z
UID:10098-1745843400-1745847900@asiar.hku.hk
SUMMARY:Joker: The Flip Side of Ancient Chinese Cosmology and Science in Hecun
DESCRIPTION:Register for IN-PERSON participation\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Register for ONLINE participation\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Joker: The Flip Side of Ancient Chinese Cosmology and Science in Hecun\n\n  \nDate: April 28 (Mon)\, 2025\nTime: 12:30 – 13:45 (HK Time)\nLanguage: English\nVenue: Hybrid @ ZOOM & Rm 201\, May Hall\, HKU (Registration is required.)\nRegister for In-person participation: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9yjCPquwFMkuajA\nRegister for online participation: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/hqokJ73PQaS1-S8NBJaAEg\n\n\nABSTRACTDrawing on 16 months of fieldwork and historical material on Fu (符) rituals\, this talk explores the distinctions between Fu activities and other local sacrificial practices that involve approaching spiritual powers with offerings\, beseeching or begging for assistance. I pseudonymize my field village located in south-central China as Hecun. Through Fu rituals\, Hecun villagers attempt to directly manipulate or even command the spiritual forces. Drawing on historical evidence\, I propose that this fluctuating human-spiritual power dynamic can be traced to the transformation of ancient Chinese cosmology. I argue that in the pre-imperial courts there was a gradual technical transition from magical rituals to religious sacrifices. But in the local cosmology of present-day Hecun\, both magic and sacrifice are evident. This combinatory cosmology has moved like a “capsule” through time\, composing the deep-rooted characteristics of Chinese cosmology that have “sedimented”. I further suggest that the human-spiritual power dynamic reflects a well-established local understanding of how people experience the capricious environmental forces to which they are immediately exposed. This local understanding contrasts with the scientific outlook towards “nature” that underpins these state-led weather-water projects in Hecun. By interweaving relevant anthropological discussion around “nature” with analyses of local rituals\, this talk provides a nuanced understanding of local cosmology and offers insight into the entanglement of magic\, religion and science.\n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERNie Youping is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at CUHK. My research interests include landscape\, cosmology\, state governance\, and rural China. My dissertation\, A Geography of Uncertainty: Weather\, Technology\, and Cosmology in South-central China\, explores the entanglement of state technocratic projects and local cosmology\, i.e.\, local spiritual beliefs\, in understanding and acting upon the concept of “uncertainty” associated with weather patterns in a Chinese village. This village is situated in the Dongting Lake basin\, a region prone to extreme climate fluctuations between drought and flooding.\n  \nORGANIZERASIAR Research Cluster\, HKIHSS\, HKU\n  \n  \n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Register for IN-PERSON participation\n			\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Register for ONLINE participation
URL:https://asiar.hku.hk/event/2025april28/
LOCATION:Hybrid – Room 201\, May Hall\, HKU and via Zoom (registration required)
CATEGORIES:ASIAR
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://asiar.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/hecun_A2_digital-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR