Localizing Sagehood: Cultural Memory of Yao, Shun, and Yu in Shanxi
October 11 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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Yao, Shun, and Yu have long been revered as the quintessential sage kings, not only in China but also throughout premodern East Asia, including Korea and Japan. This study examines the process by which the cultural memory of these sage kings was established in Shanxi from the Warring States period to the 19th century. Shanxi, known as a historical stage of Yao, Shun, and Yu, preserves the most significant traces of their legacy. I begin by analyzing pre-Qin texts to explore how the cultural memory of Yao, Shun, and Yu emerged in the region. Then, I focus on the historical sites associated with these sage kings as recorded in major geographical texts. This examination will reveal the fluidity of cultural memory, “an ongoing, ever-evolving process of renewed acts of both erasure and remembrance.”
