Abstract: This course explores Buddhist sites in the Anyue area of Sichuan, including the analysis of their iconographic features, and the identification of Esoteric and “hybrid” elements, in addition to discussing fieldwork methodologies. The course assumes a background in Buddhist Studies and/or engagement with East Asian art. Lectures and presentations will be in English. Materials supplied for discussion include ”historical” photographs taken by the instructors.
Doctoral school: Call for applications:
We are pleased to announce the following Doctoral School Specialist Course for PhD students at Ghent University (Belgium):
“Anyue Buddhist Sites: Iconography, Inscriptions, and Fieldwork Methodologies”
April 20-24, 2026
Venue: Ghent University
Lecturers:
Prof. Wendi Adamek, University of Calgary
Prof. Henrik Sørensen, Ruhr University Bochum
Prof. Christoph Anderl, Ghent University
We offer a scholarship for a maximum of four international PhD students. To apply please send a one-page motivation letter and your CV to Christoph.Anderl@ugent.be by February 25. The selected candidates will be notified by March 1.
Schedule
April 20 (Monday): Methodologies in the Studies of Chinese Buddhist Sites
10:00-10:15: Welcome (Anderl)
10:15-12:00: ‘Practicescape’ methodologies: Part 1 (Adamek)
12:00-13:30: Lunch
13:30-15:00: ‘Practicescape’ methodologies: Part 2 (Adamek)
15:15-16:45: Seminar on methodologies with breakout groups (supervision: Adamek / Anderl)
April 21 (Tuesday): Fieldwork in a Historical and Contemporary Perspective
10:00-12:00: “Looking back to fieldwork experiences in the 1990s” (based on “historical” photographs) (Adamek)
12:00-13:30: Lunch
13:30-15:00: PhD Students’ presentations 1
15:15-16:45: Seminar/Exercise: Working with historical photographs (supervisors: Adamek, Sørensen, Anderl)
April 22 (Wednesday): The Iconography of Anyue and Chongqing Buddhist Sites
10:00-11:00: Iconographical Novelties in the Buddhist Sculptural Art at Fowan on Mount Bei in Dazu (Sørensen)
11:00-12:00: Experiences from virtual and physical fieldwork in the framework of the FROGBEAR project (Anderl)
12:00-13:30: Lunch
13:30-16:00: PhD students’ presentations 2
April 23 (Thursday): Fieldwork and Data Collection at Anyue Buddhist Sites 1 / Esoteric Buddhism in Sichuan
10:00-12:00: MA students’ presentations (“Minor Anyue Buddhist sites”)*
12:00-13:30: Lunch
13:30-15:00: On sources and resources for the study of the Buddhist sculptural sites in Sichuan: Methodology, systematics, and the handling of relevant data (Sørensen)
15:20-17:00: On the phenomena of Esoteric Buddhism in Sichuan? Part I: How to understand, identify and contextualise Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. Part II: Esoteric Buddhism in Sichuanese sculptural sites (Sørensen)
April 24 (Friday): Fieldwork and Data Collection at Anyue Buddhist Sites 2 / Future Perspectives
10:00 – 12:00: Introduction to the New “Sichuan Buddhist Sites” Database Infrastructure (Bell / Schrupp)**
12:00-13:30: Lunch
13:30-15:00: Exercises: How to approach the sculptural sites in Anyue dating from the post-Tang period (Sørensen)
15:15-16:00: Future perspectives: fieldwork in Autum 2026 / Final discussions
Evening: Informal social gathering of all participants
* Throughout the Spring term, ca. 18 MA students will work on topics concerning Anyue Buddhist sites in the framework of the course “Buddhism: Text and Material Culture”. During the DS, they will present some of the results of their work.
** A technical database framework is currently constructed for the project and will be introduced during the Doctoral School.