Original Research: Cross-cultural Religious Studies

Connotation and qualities of the Buddhist culture of Grand Canal

Bosen Qiu, Di Lang
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 80, No 3 | a10102 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i3.10102 | © 2024 Bosen Qiu, Di Lang | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 July 2024 | Published: 15 October 2024

About the author(s)

Bosen Qiu, General Department, Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, Hangzhou, China
Di Lang, Institute of Sinicization of Religion, School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China

Abstract

The Buddhist culture of the Grand Canal arises from the interaction and dynamic interplay between Grand Canal culture and Buddhist culture. This cultural phenomenon is not merely a simple superimposition of two elements; rather, it represents a unique cultural form that has evolved historically through the intersection of temporal and spatial dimensions. Its connotations can be understood from multiple perspectives, including the ephemerality of time, the dispersion of space, the plurality of types and the intermingling of subject and object. The Buddhist culture of the Grand Canal developed along both sides of the canal and has been historically deposited, embodying an amalgamation of reality and history. Therefore, the study of this culture should not be confined to specific temporal or spatial contexts but should encompass a multidimensional and expansive cultural exploration centred on the Grand Canal. By examining the connection between human excellence and the flow of water within this context, the cultural characteristics of the Buddhist culture of the Grand Canal extend into the cultural flow between the north and south. Here, Buddhist culture serves as the connecting thread, linking, communicating and integrating the spiritual worlds of people across different regions. The scope of research primarily encompasses diverse fields such as Buddhist history, Buddhist thought, cultural relics, social folklore, literature and art.

Contribution: This paper emphasises that an in-depth understanding of the connotations and qualities of the Buddhist culture of the Grand Canal is one of the most important ways to correctly understand the culture of the Grand Canal, especially the cross-culture of the Grand Canal and Buddhism, and points out the way in which and the scope of the research should be carried out.


Keywords

culture of the Grand Canal; the Buddhist culture of Grand Canal; connotation; temporal and spatial; diversity; integration; traits; subjectivity; cultural communication; international exchange.

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 15: Life on land

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