Philological Investigations: Studies in Early and Medieval China

Philological Investigations explores topics ranging from the cultural significance of aging in early China to the hallucinogenic properties of plants in ancient Chinese poetry; from historical attempts at identifying the location of a famous tidal bore, to a new translation of a recently- excavated debate between tea and wine. In each case, the authors attempt to use philological methods of reading and interpretation to recover original meanings and implications in Chinese sources. The twelve chapters collectively illustrate how modern scholarship on Chinese culture continues to engage with the methods of premodern philology from both Europe and China.