Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing

The chronological classification of texts can be crucial for clarifying authenticity and interpretation. The dating of written Chinese sources can be made difficult due to imitation of antique models and unclear authorship. This book is the first to examine the development and application of computational methods for dating Chinese texts. It introduces a lexeme-based method that aims at counteracting the stylistic rigidity of the written language and aiding philological work. Moreover, this study examines language change, the general suitability of digital methods for the study of Classical Chinese texts and the Hanyu da cidian 漢語大詞典 as an important data source for lexicographic dating.

This monograph was honoured with the award for outstanding dissertations by the Freundeskreises der Universität Trier in 2023.

Keeping parts of the past in the collective consciousness and bringing them to mind also directly shapes the subjective perception of the individual. Shared memories are an important basis of identity and community building. Forms of reproducing and reproducibility of memory, which include recording the past as well as preserving present  knowledge, depend on culture and history. Thus, every culture of remembering and commemorating – as well as of forgetting – includes social conflicts, series of events, crises and blows of fate as well as positively charged moments and serendipities. In order to show the importance of commemorative culture for China's past and present development, the volume edited by Maria Khayutina and Sebastian Eicher looks at Chinese commemorative culture from historical, philological, literary and cultural studies perspectives, covering a long period from the early Middle Ages to the present. The case studies by nine authors are dedicated to such diverse sources as early medieval geographical works, dynastic histories, Song dynasty  poems, Ming novels as well as dictionaries, UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and contemporary films, all the way to current developments in the field of artificial intelligence.

For technical reasons there may be minimal differences between this digital version and the print version from Harrassowitz.