On November 8-10, 2024, the International Academic Symposium on "The Spread of Western Learning to the East and the Development of Thought during the Ming and Qing Dynasties" was held at Yuelu Academy of Hunan University, hosted by the editorial department of "International Sinology" at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Yuelu Academy of Hunan University, and the School of Chinese Language and Literature. The conference attracted 39 scholars from 15 domestic and foreign universities to participate. The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Luo Zongyu, and speeches were given by Professors Xiao Yongming and Zhang Xiping. The seminar includes two keynote speeches and two parallel forums.

1、 The Great Encounter of Chinese and Western Cultures

Discussed the great encounter between Chinese and Western cultures during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Professor Zhang Xiping discussed the concept of "Western Chinese Classics" and its influence in China from the 16th to the 19th century, while also introducing the collection situation of relevant libraries. Mei Qianli revealed the legitimacy of traditional Chinese marriage rituals by studying missionary activities in the context of the "Rites Controversy". Professor Ren Dayuan analyzed the influence of "Western learning" on 17th century Chinese thought. Professor Bai Zhimin demonstrated through letters from French missionaries how France discovered and disseminated China's porcelain making technology. The report co authored by Professor Tang Kaijian and Associate Professor Jiang Hong, based on "Charles Koons' Memoirs of China Trade," studied the Sino Western trade in Guangzhou in the mid to late 18th century. Professor Wu Bin compared the differences between the "Chinese style" in 17th and 18th century Europe and the "comprehensive Tang style" trend in Japan, emphasizing the influence of Chinese culture on the evolution of Western culture. Professor Zhu Guanglei studied Wang Tao's contributions to Confucianism and his position in the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures. Professor Chen Renren analyzed the Yi Jing thought system of the Bai Jin dynasty and its relationship with Christian doctrine from the perspective of exploring hidden meanings in the Book of Changes.

2、 Research on Traditional Sinology and Academy Culture from the Perspective of East Asia

The two parallel sub forums of this conference focused on missionary Sinology in the context of the spread of Western learning to the East and the study of academy culture from an East Asian perspective, receiving a total of 21 papers. The conference discussed the exchange and mutual learning at the beginning of the encounter between Chinese and Western civilizations, involving fields such as traditional Chinese medicine, Aristotelian philosophy, family ethics, natural philosophy, ethical "mind body view", and music. Cai Huiqing and Yuan Keqi from Hunan University studied the research practice of traditional Chinese medicine by the late Qing British medical missionary Shi Weishan, and explored the modern transformation of Western knowledge production and traditional Chinese medicine knowledge in the 19th century. Professor Li Weirong analyzed the early dissemination of Aristotelian philosophical thought in China and pointed out its compatibility with Chinese thought. Liu Xu analyzed Matteo Ricci's views on body and mind in detail, Associate Professor Tan Jie explored the exchange of family ethics between the East and the West in the 17th century, and Chen Qian discussed the attempt to integrate Chinese and Western music theories.

3、 Conclusion

The spread of Western learning to the East "is an important event for the exchange of ideas and cultures between China and the West, as well as the mutual learning of civilizations. It is of great significance for China's integration into the world and the world's understanding of China. The encounter between Chinese and Western cultures caused by missionaries entering China during the Ming and Qing dynasties is only a "small history" in China's more than 5000 year history. The scarcity of relevant records in official and private documents over the past 300 years has made it difficult for modern people to trace the trajectory of this cultural encounter, often only by picking up fragmented records from exotic documents or Ming and Qing cultural collections. This characteristic is also reflected in the 29 papers submitted at this seminar.