Découvertes de l'Asie

An exploration of Asia based on the itineraries of Asians and Europeans who began traveling throughout the continent in the earliest centuries of our era.

The spread of Buddhism in Asia:

  • Between the fourth and the seventh centuries, three Chinese pilgrims in search of manuscripts (Faxian, Xuanzang et Yijing) traveled to India along the Silk road and the maritime routes that linked the Far East and the subcontinent.

The first Westerners to discover Asia:

  • Commercial and other motives prompted the voyages of 14th century Italian traveler Odoric of Pordenone, who sailed from Europe to Japan, stopping in, among other places, southern Indian and the islands of South Asia.
  • Lastly, French colonial civil servant Auguste Pavie traveled throughout continental Southeast Asia. One section will be devoted to the restoration of the temples of Angkor.
EFEO News
DHARMA : 1st Workshop
Berlin, Germany, 20 September 2019
The ERC DHARMA held its first Workshop in Berlin, from the 16th to the 21st of September.Hosted by the Humboldt University, more than 50 experts in Indology and data management  attended the kick-off. DHARMA will study the history of “Hinduism” in comparative perspective, focusing on the period from the 6th to the 13th century.
The three Principal Investigators of the project: Emmanuel FRANCIS (CNRS); Annette SCHMIEDCHEN (Humboldt University) and Arlo GRIFFITHS (Ecole Française d’Extrême Orient).
Travel subventions for the conference ''New Perspectives in Chinese History''
Paris, France, 26 August 2019
As part of the organisation of the conference "New Perspectives in Chinese History" to be held from 16 to 18 October 2019 in Paris, five travel subventions for students (from Master 2 to PhD candidates, eventually to post-doctoral scholars) engaged in research on the history of modern China (Ming, Qing, Minguo periods) and enrolled in an European institution will be offered to attend this conference.

Details and information.
IATS2019 Tibetology Congress
Paris, France, 08 July 2019
Fabienne Jagou, alongside Matthew Kapstein (EPHE), Françoise Pommaret (CRCAO), Françoise Robin (INALCO) and Nicolas Sihlé (CEH), are organising the IATS2019-Paris Tibetology Congress as part of the International Association of Tibetan Studies (IATS). This congress, in which the EFEO is a partner, brings together more than 650 researchers from all over the world and will take place from July 8 to 13, 2019, in Paris, at INALCO.

Programme
Round table discussion
Paris, France, 24 June 2019
As part of the research on Dunhuang conducted by the CRCAO (UMR 8155) and the EFEO, GUO Junye and DANG Yanni (Dunhuang Academy) will lead a run a panel on :- "The Cult of Arhats in Dunhuang during the Medieval Period" (Dang Yanni)- "The Statuary on the Central Altar of Mogao Cave 161" (Guo Junye).

From 2pm to 4pm, Collège de France, 49bis avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, 75012, Paris.
Lectures
Paris, France, 21 June 2019
As part of the research on Dunhuang conducted by the CRCAO (UMR 8155) and the EFEO, GUO Junye and DANG Yanni (Dunhuang Academy) will give the following lectures:
- "The Royal Family of Khotan and the'Nirvana Temple'" (Guo Junye)
- "The Scripture On the Ten Kings: Belief and Practices" (Dang Yanni)

From 2pm to 4pm, Maison de l'Asie, 22 avenue du Président-Wilson, 75116 Paris, salon on the 1st floor.