On 16 September 2021, ICS Luncheon invited Prof. Tian Wei from Department of Chinese, Sun Yat-sen University as the speaker to deliver a talk on an interesting topic “The Liye Qin Bamboo of Slip 8-455 and Its Importance in Qin-Dynasty Chronology”.

 

Prof. Tian specialises in the research of ancient texts and excavated classics and his research findings were published as《古璽探研》,《西周金文字詞關係研究》, and《出土戰國文獻字詞集釋》. Prof. Tian received the First-class Lü Shuxiang Linguistics Award of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the First-class Thesis Award of the Gushan Zhengyin Xiling Yinshe International Seal Studies Summit. Member of Xiling Seal Art Society and China Calligraphers Association, Prof. Tian has a strong research interest in Chinese calligraphy, as well as the art of Chinese seal carving.

 

Prof. Tian shared how the content of No. 8-455 Liye Qin Slip advanced the research of Qin-dynasty chronology. He first introduced to the audiences the previous studies of Qin ancient texts and the research methods that were generally used by the scholars. As the No. 8-455 Liye Qin Slip is the first ever literal record of Qin dynasty’s “unification of written languages” (「書同文字」) policy, it has great academic and historical value. Prof. Tian specifically explained that cross-referencing between the Slip and other ancient texts is vital for drawing an accurate conclusion, and that the diction, hand-writing, and order of transcription are all used as supporting evidence when deducing the time period of the Slip.