We extend our special thanks to Professor Li Shu-ju of the Department of Chinese Literature at National Cheng Kung University for delivering a profound and inspiring lecture, to Professor Liao Yu-cheng of the Department of Chinese Literature at National Pingtung University for his thoughtful and fluent moderation, and to Executive Director Chen Chin-ming and the team of the Tainan Guanxing Cultural and Arts Foundation for their generous support, which made the event a success. In this event, Professor Li Shu-ju used the concept of “the presence of the state” as a theoretical framework to guide participants in reexamining the role of Daguan Pavilion and Xingji Temple in historical development, while further tracing the intertwined social networks and power relations behind them. Beyond theoretical and historical contexts, she also offered an accessible introduction to divination poetry culture, allowing participants to move from intellectual understanding toward a more practical and concrete experience.

The experiential session arranged in the latter half of the lecture invited participants to personally engage in poe divination, drawing lots, and interpreting divination poems. This not only brought participants closer to folk belief, but also transformed abstract cultural concepts into concrete and memorable experiences. The event featured lively interaction and enthusiastic discussion, demonstrating the diverse possibilities of Chinese studies knowledge in contemporary society. We are grateful to all participants for their active engagement. In the future, the Center will continue to promote more Chinese studies activities that integrate theory and practice, inviting everyone to explore the renewed significance of traditional Han Chinese culture in the contemporary world.