Call for Papers

Chinese Daoist culture constitutes one of the fundamental roots of China's outstanding traditional civilization. Rooted in the philosophy of Laozi, it has, for millennia, provided humanity with profound spiritual foundations for individual cultivation and enduring intellectual inspiration for the governance of society.

Daoism, as a religious tradition, serves as the principal vehicle through which this cultural heritage has been preserved and embodied in practice. The Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China explicitly emphasized the need to "adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of religions in China and actively guide religions in adapting to socialist society." In September 2025, during the 22nd collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping further stressed the importance of "systematically advancing the Sinicization of religions" and promoting their "integration with China's outstanding traditional culture." In parallel, the National Religious Affairs Administration has continued to refine the relevant legal and institutional framework governing religious affairs, thereby providing a clear normative foundation for the regulation and development of religious and cultural activities.

These important policy initiatives provide essential guidance for exploring those dimensions of Daoist philosophy and religion that contribute to social harmony and the advancement of contemporary society, while also establishing new directions for research in Daoist Studies.

Against this backdrop, the creative transformation and innovative development of Daoist wisdom have become a major scholarly undertaking. This includes interpreting the contemporary significance of Laozi's thought from a global perspective, revitalizing the intellectual vitality of Daoist culture within the contexts of artificial intelligence and frontier scientific research, and exploring the constructive contributions of the Dao De Jing and Daoist traditions to social harmony and human progress. Such efforts represent an important contribution to the preservation, transmission, and continued development of China's outstanding traditional culture.

To this end, the Society for Laozi Daoist Culture Studies, the Jiangxi Daoist Association, the International Daoist Research Center of Chongdao Academy, and the Research Center for Daoist Studies and Eastern Culture at Nanjing University will jointly host The 10th Kunlun Forum and the 5th International Symposium on the Dao De Jing in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, from 30 October to 1 November 2026.

Scholars, researchers, members of Daoist institutions, and all individuals interested in Daoist Studies and Chinese traditional culture from around the world are warmly invited to submit original papers and participate in this international academic gathering.

About the Kunlun Forum

The Kunlun Forum is an academic conference jointly organized by the Society for Laozi Daoist Culture Studies and the Research Center for Daoist Studies and Eastern Culture at Nanjing University. The Forum adopts a thematic panel format, with each panel convened by distinguished specialists in the relevant field.

Its mission is to promote the study, preservation, and interpretation of Chinese civilization—particularly Daoist culture—and to foster dialogue between the intellectual heritage of Daoism and contemporary developments in philosophy, science, and society. The Forum provides an international platform for scholarly exchange among academics, Daoist practitioners, students, and all those committed to the advancement of Chinese culture, while making a sustained contribution to cutting-edge research in Daoist Studies.

The Society for Laozi Daoist Culture Studies is a national academic association officially registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. Based at Nanjing University, the Society is dedicated to promoting China's outstanding traditional culture, advancing scholarship on Laozi and Daoist philosophy, and enhancing the international influence of Chinese Daoist Studies. It brings together many of China's leading scholars in the field.

The Research Center for Daoist Studies and Eastern Culture at Nanjing University is a specialized academic institution devoted to research on Daoist philosophy and Eastern cultural traditions.

Originally established in 2018 as the Doctoral Forum on the Dao De Jing: Culture and Contemporary Applications, the conference has been successfully held four times (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023), all in Yichun. More than 90 percent of participating scholars hold doctoral degrees or equivalent academic qualifications, making it one of China's leading academic platforms for research on the Dao De Jing. Beginning with its fifth edition, the conference has been officially renamed the International Symposium on the Dao De Jing, reflecting its commitment to broader scholarly engagement, stronger international collaboration, and the continued advancement of research on this foundational Chinese classic.

Conference Information

I. Conference Theme

Laozi and Chinese Daoist Culture

Conference Topics

The Organizing Committee welcomes original research papers addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

1. The Contemporary Significance of Laozi's Daoist Philosophy 
2. The Global Dissemination of the Dao De Jing 
3. New Research on the Textual Sources, Historical Documents, and Historical Context of the Dao De Jing and Laozi 
4. The Cultural Heritage of the Dao De Jing and Its Contemporary Applications 
5. The Dao De Jing, Popular Culture, and Contemporary Social Thought 
6. Chinese Daoist Culture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence 
7. Comparative Studies and Dialogue between the Dao De Jing and Western Philosophy and Culture 
8. Neidan (Internal Alchemy): Theory and Empirical Research 
9. Daoist Medicine and the Cultivation of Health and Well-being 
10. The History of Daoism and Local Society 
11. Daoist Thought and Frontier Science 
12. Daoist Philosophy of Mind and Human Nature in Dialogue with Modern Psychology 
13. Other Research Related to the Conference Theme 

II. Conference Information

Conference Dates

30 October – 1 November 2026

Venue

Yichun, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China

Organizers

• Society for Laozi Daoist Culture Studies 
• Jiangxi Daoist Association 
• International Daoist Research Center, Chongdao Academy 
• Research Center for Daoist Studies and Eastern Culture, Nanjing University 

Co-organizers

• Huaxia Society for Laozi Studies 
• Laozi Research Institute, Sichuan University 
• Center for Laozi and Daoist Studies, Xiamen University 

Local Hosts

• Yichun Daoist Association (proposed) 
• Chongdao Temple, Yichun 

Supporting Institutions

• Yuanzhou District Daoist Association 
• Editorial Office of Zhonghua Laoxue 
• Editorial Office of Jiangxi Daojiao 
• Institute for Religious Studies, Jiangxi Normal University 
• Institute for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Nanchang University 
• Research Center for Daoist Studies and Mental Health, Central South University 
• Research Center for Religious Culture, Yichun University 

Legal Support

Zhongyin (Shenzhen) Law Firm

III. Submission Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit original, unpublished scholarly papers that demonstrate clear research objectives, rigorous methodology, well-supported arguments, appropriate use of primary and secondary sources, and standardized academic referencing. Submissions should exhibit both scholarly merit and contemporary relevance.

Manuscript Requirements

Papers should address one or more of the conference themes listed above.

The recommended length is 6,000–12,000 Chinese characters. Each submission must include:

• an abstract in Chinese (300–500 Chinese characters); 
• three to five keywords; 
• formatting in accordance with the editorial guidelines of Zhonghua Laoxue. 

Submission Procedure

The submission deadline is 10 October 2026.

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) via email to:

itccpa@163.com

Please use the following format for the email subject line:

Kunlun Forum & Dao De Jing Submission – Author's Name – Paper Title

Author Information

A separate cover page should accompany each submission and include:

• author's full name; 
• institutional affiliation; 
• academic title and/or highest degree obtained; 
• contact information (telephone number and email address). 

Review and Publication

All submissions will undergo peer review by the Conference Academic Committee.

Authors of accepted papers will receive an official invitation to participate in the conference.

Selected outstanding papers will be considered for publication in Zhonghua Laoxue or in a dedicated edited conference volume.

IV. Additional Information

Registration and Conference Expenses

There is no registration fee for either paper submission or conference participation.

For authors whose papers are accepted, the Organizing Committee will provide:

• airport or railway station transfers upon arrival; 
• accommodation throughout the conference; 
• meals during the conference. 

Participants are responsible for their own round-trip travel expenses to and from Yichun.

Arrival and Transportation

Transportation will be arranged from the following arrival points:

• Yichun Mingyueshan Airport
• Yichun Railway Station 

Contact Information

Daoist Priest Zhang Gaozhi
Tel./WeChat: +86 182-7951-1314

Mr. Wang Kekai
Tel./WeChat: +86 132-1798-2512

Invitation

We warmly invite scholars of Daoist Studies, researchers, early-career academics, Daoist practitioners, and all those interested in Chinese traditional culture from around the world to gather in Yichun for this international academic event.

Together, we will explore the enduring wisdom of Laozi, examine new perspectives on Daoist culture, and contribute to the creative transformation and innovative development of China's outstanding traditional culture through scholarly dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange.

We look forward to welcoming you to Yichun in October 2026.

Society for Laozi Daoist Culture Studies

Jiangxi Daoist Association

International Daoist Research Center, Chongdao Academy

Research Center for Daoist Studies and Eastern Culture, Nanjing University

30 June 2026

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmp.weixin.qq.com%2Fs%2Fd3X…