"Insights. For you." III: From Taishan to Wutaishan: How Buddhism Found Its Way to China's Sacred Mountains
In the lecture series “Insights. For you,” scientists from the eight State Academies of Sciences take the floor to provide insights into their research work.
In the 7th century CE, the center of the Buddhist world shifted from ancient India to China. Mount Wutaishan, rising over 3,000 meters in the north of Shanxi Province, became the most popular destination for pilgrims seeking manifestations or visions of the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. Mount Wutaishan is considered the most significant of China’s Buddhist mountains. This lecture explores the roots of the cult of Mañjuśrī, the Bodhisattva of the Perfection of Wisdom (Skt. prājñāpāramitā). Its roots lie in a network of stone-carved scriptures on the Perfection of Wisdom, which were scattered across the hilly landscape of Shandong Province in the 6th century. The largest of these is located in the Valley of the Sutra Stone on Mount Taishan in Shandong Province. There, the carved Diamond Sutra has endured on that mountain, which to this day embodies China’s national identity like no other.
About the Author: Since earning her doctorate in East Asian Art History at the University of Heidelberg, Dr. Claudia Wenzel has been conducting research as part of the “Buddhist Stone Inscriptions in China” project at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. She served as editor of the volumes Shandong Province 2 and Sichuan Province 3, which were published in the series Buddhist Stone Sutras in China (ed. Lothar Ledderose). She has also published articles in academic journals. During the winter and summer semesters of 2021–22, she served as a visiting professor at the University of Bonn, covering for the Chair of Asian and Islamic Art History.
About the lecture series: For over 20 years now, this public lecture series has been taking place, featuring scholars from the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities as well as from its seven sister academies. The lectures are aimed at a broad audience to provide insights into the research being conducted. Afterward, attendees have the opportunity to engage in conversation with the scholars over pretzels and wine in the Academy’s courtyard garden.
The series is held in cooperation with vhs Heidelberg.
Date: July 16, 2025
Location: Lecture Hall of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Karlstr. 4, 69117 Heidelberg
Start: 6:15 p.m.
Lecture: Dr. Claudia Wenzel (Heidelberg)
2025 PROGRAM (PDF)
