Bio

My area of interest is medieval intellectual history and Daoist thought in the Nothern Song dynasty (from the tenth to thirteenth century). I am writing a dissertation on the life and thought of a Nothern Song priest Chen Jingyuan (1025–1094), with particular focus on his Lao zi commentary. Through Chen's life and work, I explore what role Daoist thought played in intellectual discourses, and how they interacted with contemporary politics, from the perspective of a priest rather than Confucian scholars. Prior to my PhD studies, I completed an Honours degree of Asian Studies at ANU.