Profile
Ran Xiong is an Assistant Professor of Thai literature and translation and Director of the Thai Language Teaching and Research Section at the School of Foreign Languages, Peking University. Trained in Thai studies from B.A. through Ph.D. at Peking University, she specializes in Thai classical and contemporary literature, Southeast Asian regional literature, Thai–Chinese translation, and the visual and textual transmission of Buddhist cosmology and epic narratives. She has published widely in Chinese and international journals, led and participated in multiple national-level research projects, and received prestigious awards for literary translation, including The Surintaracha Awards for Outstanding Translators of the Year 2023 .
Educational Experience
Ph.D. in Asian and African Languages and Literatures
School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
Sept 2009 – Jan 2013
M.A. in Thai Language and Literature
School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
Sept 2006 – July 2009
B.A. in Thai Language and Culture
School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
Sept 2002 – July 2006
Work Experience
May 2019 – present Assistant Professor, Thai Language Section, Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures, School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
July 2013 – April 2019 Lecturer, Thai Language Section, Department of Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures, School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
Jan 2019 – present Research Fellow, Center for Oriental Literature Studies, Peking University
Research Interests
Thai classical and contemporary literature；Literature and culture of mainland Southeast Asia；Illustrated manuscripts, mural paintings and other visual representations of Buddhist and Hindu Narratives with comparison to literature texts.
Teaching Courses
Undergraduate Courses
History of Thai Literature;
Thai-Chinese Translation (I) ;
Readings in Modern Thai Fiction ;
Thai Extensive Reading (I) ;
Thai Language (I–IV);
Advanced Thai (I–II);
Advanced Thai Reading (I) ;
Graduate Courses
Readings in Classical Thai Literature；
Studies in Thai–Chinese Translation ;
Research on Theravada Buddhist Texts in Southeast Asia;
Introduction to Thai Literary Studies;
Selected Publications
Monographs
1. The S.E.A. Write Award and Creative Writing Practices in Contemporary Thai Fiction (1979–2009) , Beijing: Zhongxi Book Company, 2024.
2. Translation and Study of Phra Lo (with Pei Xiaorui), Beijing: Peking University Press, 2013.
Translated Books
1. Luk Isan (AChild of the Northeast), Beijing: Peking University Press, 2023.
2. Selected Poems from Thailand: A Poetry Anthology of Belt and Road Countries , Beijing: Writers Publishing House, 2019.
Journal Articles & Book Chapters
Journal Articles & Book Chapters
1. “Jindi Fanying: Khon and Rama Culture in Thailand”, Forbidden City, no. 11, Nov 2025.
2. “Mapping the ‘Three Worlds’: A Preliminary Exploration of the Formation and Iconography of Buddhist Cosmological Paintings in Central Siam”, Religions 15 (12):1464，DOI:10.3390/rel15121464
3. “Cross-cultural Translation and Construction of Buddhist Cosmology: A Case Study of the Thai Buddhist Classic Traiphum”，Dialogue Transcultural, vol.(52), June 2025.
4. “Visual Representations of Buddhist Cosmology in Theravada Southeast Asia (12th–18th Centuries)” , The World Religious Cultures, 2023(05).
5. “‘City’ and ‘Region’ in Contemporary Thai Fiction: A Cultural Reading of Spatial Metaphors”, Collected Studies in Oriental Literature, vol. (13), Dec 2024.
6. “Illustrated Manuscripts of Classical Literature in Theravada Southeast Asia” ,
Literature and Image, vol.(8), Sept 2024.
7. “Luk Isan in the History of Thai Fiction”, Collected Studies in Oriental Literature ,vol. (10), Aug 2022.
8. “Hell Imagery in Thai Traiphum Illustrated Manuscripts”, Literature and Image, May 2019.
9. “Chak manokhati thung lok muan ching: Ti khwam ruang narok nai samutphap Traiphum(From Idea to Reality: Hell Illustrations in Traiphum Manuscripts)”, Sunklang-Chaikhop Tuaton-Khonun phan Mummong Prawatisatsilp(Center and Periphery, Self and Other in Art History), Bangkok: Rueang Kaow Press, July 2018.
10. “From The Judgement to Time: The Fictional Path of Chart Kobjitti”, Collected Writings of Asia-Pacific Studies, vol.(14), Dec 2017.
11. “The S.E.A. Write Award and Innovation in Contemporary Thai Literature” , The Peking University South and South-east Asian Studies-1, Jan 2013.
Research Projects
1. “Annotated Translation and Study of the Thai Literary Classic Traiphum”, Leader and Principal Investigator, General Project of The National Social Science Fund of China;
2. “Comparative Study of Illustrated Manuscripts of Ancient Oriental Literature in Multiple Languages”, Sub-project Leader, Major Project of the Ministry of Education Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences
Social Affiliations
Editorial Board Member of Damrong Journal (Thailand)
Honors and Awards
1. The Surintaracha Awards for Outstanding Translators of the Year 2023 .
2. The 5th “New Oriental Young Scholar Award-Excellent Translation Award”
3. First Prize, Excellent Academic Achievement in Non-Common Foreign Languages (Translation, Monograph category), Awarded for Translation and Study of Phra Lo (co-authored, second author).
Overseas Experience
made multiple research trips to Thailand to attend international academic conferences, deliver invited talks and carry out fieldwork and archival research at universities and cultural institutions.
