The conference begins at 9 am on Wednesday, May 17, with an opening ceremony and keynote speeches. It ends at 12:45 pm on Saturday, May 20, after a closing plenary session.

Arrival in Paris on Tuesday, May 16 (see Accomodation and Transportation)

There will be a banquet on Thursday, May 18, evening and a musical performance on Friday, May 19, end of afternoon.

The conference is trilingual: English, Chinese, French.

Click here to download the program overview

Click here to download the full program with abstracts

Sessions

There are twelve 1¾-hour sessions total (3 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday, 3 on Friday, and 2 on Saturday), each consisting of parallel events: panels of academic presentations, forums of textual study or thematic discussions, practice-focused workshops with minimal talking, and documentary videos or films.

Panels

Three 20-minute (or four 15-minute) individual paper presentations on the panel theme, followed by the discussant’s 5-minute comments, presenters’ responses, and open discussion (1¾ hours).
In all cases, an effort will be made to join Chinese and Western representatives. PPTs should be bilingual (English/Chinese or French/Chinese).

Forums

An opportunity to read a particular text or discuss a problematic with a group of learned scholars. The text or question submitted to discussion should be made known a month ahead of time for participants to prepare.

Workshops

Emphasis on practice and experience (1¾ hours). The workshop room will not have tables, chairs, or PPT equipment. It is for moving or sitting practice exclusively.

Films and Performances

An important part of the conference is the presentations of films about Daoism, notably ethnographic documentaries, as well as live performances of Daoist music, art, and literature. If you wish to show or present in this section, let us know as soon as possible, since slots are limited.

Exhibitions and sells

If you want to exhibit or sell books, CDs, or other materials at the conference, there is no extra charge, but you have to formally register quickly and let us know your needs. Space is limited!