From September 20 to 21, 2025, the workshop “Beyond the Mountains: Ancient Languages in and around the Tarim Basin” was successfully held in the Art Appreciation Hall of the Peking University Library. Hosted by the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, the workshop gathered more than 20 scholars from domestic and foreign institutions including Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich (Germany), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” (Italy), Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale” (Italy), Universiteit Leide (Netherlands), Peking University, and The Dunhuang Academy. In-depth exchanges were conducted with focus on the research of primary sources written in a variety of ancient languages along the Silk Road.
Professor Saerji delivering the opening address
The workshop opened with an address by Professor Saerji, Head of the Department of South Asian Studies, Peking University. He reviewed the distinguished tradition of research on ancient languages in and around the Tarim Basin, represented by Peking University scholars Mr. Ji Xianlin and Professor Duan Qing, and underscored the importance of this research for understanding Chinese history and human civilization.
The presentations focused on the academic value of Tocharian, Khotanese, and Gāndhārī, etc. Chams Bernard (Cologne) and Athanaric Huard (Munich) shared their insights into Tocharian B through etymological analysis and the discovery of “reverse loanwords” in Tocharian A. Yao Xingchen (Berlin) successfully restored manuscripts using a new method of reconstructing fragmentary Sogdian texts through mirror-image writing. Yuan Yong (Dunhuang) revealed the mechanism by which the Khotanese royal family consolidated royal power through Buddhism in the 10th century CE. Niels Schoubben (Leiden) successfully joined multiple groups of Niya-Kharoṣṭhī wooden tablets, laying a solid foundation for philological interpretation. The other speakers also discussed cross-linguistic research on manuscripts and block-prints in Middle Persian, Syriac, and Uyghur, fully demonstrating the great potential of interdisciplinary cooperation.
Selected scholars presenting papers (Top: Chams Bernard, Yuan Yong, Francesca Michetti; Middle: Yao Xingchen, Alessandro Del Tomba, Dong Yifei; Bottom: Niels Schoubben, Sun Binghan, Athanaric Huard)
Scholars conducting in-depth exchanges
With the theme “Beyond the Mountains”, this workshop aimed to encourage scholars to continuously explore new academic horizons. The two days of spirited scholarly exchanges not only showcased new materials and methods in the study of ancient languages in and around the Tarim Basin, but also revealed the rich picture of multicultural interaction along the Silk Road through mltilingual, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary dialogues. Participants stated that such in-depth and detailed thematic discussions are of great significance for advancing the research on ancient languages in and around the Tarim Basin.
Written and photographed by Zhang Shuning
Translated by Hou Yifan