Culture and lectures in livestream

On the occasion of the 200th "Jour Fixe," the Confucius Institute Munich is initiating a lecture series on "Religions and Cults in China's Coastal Areas," initiated by our scientific advisor, Prof. emeritus Dr. Ptak. The first event will take place on July 19, 2024. Starting in September, the lectures are scheduled for every second Friday of the month. The individual events will have a predominantly historical focus and are open to interested parties from all disciplines as well as the general public. The respective topics will be presented by individuals affiliated with sinological institutions of various universities.

China's language, culture and economy in Germany

on friday, july 19th 2024 at 7.30 p.m. in Confucius Institute Munich

Participation is free of charge. This is a hybrid event.

"Maritime Navigation and Religion: The Mazu Cult"

Speaker: Prof. emeritus Dr. Ptak

The first lecture, given by Roderich Ptak (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität), is dedicated to the topic "Maritime Navigation and Religion: The Mazu Cult." Mazu 妈祖, also known by other names such as Tianfei 天妃, Tianhou / Tinhau 天后, etc., is the patron deity of Chinese sailors. In addition, she fulfills many other roles in the eyes of believers. She is primarily venerated in the coastal regions of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, as well as in Taiwan and Hainan, Macau and Hong Kong, and several places where overseas Chinese reside. Ancient texts suggest that the cult originated in the 10th century. The lecture will outline the main features of its development and gradual spread. Today, Mazu worship is one of the most vibrant forms of Chinese religiosity and can be considered a unifying element among various coastal regions.

About the speaker:

Prof. emeritus Dr. Ptak (M.A. in Economics, Ph.D. & habilitation in Sinology) initially taught in Heidelberg, then was a Heisenberg Fellow, and subsequently a Professor of Chinese Language and Culture in Germersheim (Mainz). Since 1994, he has been a Full Professor of Sinology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (now retired). His teaching engagements have also taken him to Marburg, Paris, Lisbon, and Macau. He is the author of several books and essays on topics such as China and maritime Asia, Macau, ancient Chinese narratives, and animals in old texts. Additionally, he has been serving as a scientific advisor to the Confucius Institute Munich since October 2020.

Please note that this talk will be hold in German.

No registration is required to attend the in-person event - just come by!

To participate via Zoom, please register here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KNWs_csNRtW1QLykpxQ9Dw

The lecture will be broadcast live on YouTube at the same time:

https://youtube.com/live/VY51JdKXC1s?feature=share