The Third Sino-French Symposium on Tibetology Held in Paris
    The Third Sino-French Symposium on Tibetology (Tibetan Studies) was held on June 16-21 in Paris. The symposium was jointly hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Himalaya Environment, Society and Development Research Group of the French National Science Research Center. The symposium focused on the theme of "Tibetan language, documentation, history, art and anthropology".
    Eight Chinese scholars participated in the symposium. Participants from both China and France noted that such form of bilateral exchange as the Sino-French Symposium on Tibetology is fruitful and worthy of promotion. They also proposed to further expand the scale of mutual exchange on the current basis.
    Young scholars from both sides took the main stage during the symposium. The young generation of French specialists in Tibetology was impressive at the symposium. They inherited the good tradition of Tibetology in France, giving particular attention to basic training on Tibetan language and research methods, and showing depth and delicacy in micro study and case study.
    At the conclusion of the symposium, the scholars from both countries held consultations regarding detailed plans of exchange and cooperation programs in the future. According to their plan, the next step is to encourage youth scholars from both sides to have more extensive contacts with each other through similar symposiums.   The French scholars said that they would focus their future research on Òthe political, economic, cultural, religious and language aspectsÓ of the ethnic Tibetan region. The two sides also exchanged their opinions regarding such issues as joint fostering of doctorate researchers and exchange programs for scholars.
    Naxi Volume of the "General Bibliographical Abstract of Minorities Ancient Books of china" published
    The Naxi volume of the ÒGeneral Bibliographical Abstract of Minorities Ancient Books of china’ has been published by the Chinese Encyclopaedia Publishing House  in Beijing. The releasing ceremony was held on November 11 at the Yunnan Hall of the Great Hall of the People. As the first volume of the large-scale book series, the publishing of the Naxi volume will provide precious experiences for other volumes of the series which will consist more than 60 volumes, and will be completed before 2008.
    The Naxi ethnic group, with a population of more than 300,000, are mostly followers of Dongba Religion. They live mainly in Lijiang of Yunnan Province. The Dongba scriptures in 32,000 volumes, with a variety of more than 1,000, are considered the encyclopaedia of the ancient Naxi society, and are listed into Memory of the World heritage
    The Naxi volume, which has taken three year to compile, is divided into four categories and will give readers a comprehensive look of the splendid cultural heritage of Naxi ethnic group.
    Yunnan University Starts Survey Project on ChinaÕs Ethnic Groups in the New Century
    A key scientific research project of Yunnan University, the "Survey on China’s Ethnic Groups in the New Century", has been initiated. With the research resources of various institutes and academies, the survey is aimed to gain an overall understanding of the development and changes of each of the 56 ethnic groups in China over the past 50 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and to provide the informational basis for government decision-making. The survey will last two years.
    Over 100 scholars from 14 domestic institutes of higher learning and research organizations will head out to 14 different provinces and autonomous regions across the country to conduct in-depth survey in 30 minority-inhabited villages. Over the next two years, experts and scholars will team up to form 31 survey teams to conduct a comprehensive survey in 30 villages inhabited by 30 different ethnic groups, whose population shall make up at least 80% of the respective village. They will focus on such subjects as history, population, economy, family, culture, art, religion, heredity, ecology and environment, and will gather complete and valuable first-hand materials by means of review of documentation, informal mass discussions, family interviews, questionnaire and statistics, video and audio recording as well as collection of blood samples.
    Results of the survey will be made available to the public via various means including ‘Survey on China’s Ethnic Groups in the New Century SeriesÓ(one ethnic group one volume), comprehensive or special-subject research reports, video programs or films recording the current status of various ethnic groups, and the DNA database on heredity information of various ethnic groups to be set up in the country.
    The International Symposium on History of Qing Dynasty and Manchu Ethnic Group Held in Beijing
    On August 16, 2003, a ceremony was held to celebrate the 90th birthday of  Wang Zhonghan, a well-known historian in the field of Qing Dynasty and Manchu ethnic group histories. The International Symposium on History of Qing Dynasty and Manchu Ethnic Group was held in the meantime in Beijing.
    More than 200 scholars from the United States, Japan, Chinese Taiwan and mainland participated in the symposium to jointly celebrate the 90th birthday of Mr. Wang. After the celebration, some of the scholars held in-depth discussions regarding history of Qing Dynasty vs. history of ethnic Manchu, history of Qing Dynasty and its culture, “Eight Banners” system and social life of ethnic Manchu  and other issues related to Qing Dynasty and ethnic Manchu.
    Tibetology Circle in Beijing Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Tibetan Humanism Pioneer Dge-vdun-chos-vphel's Birth
    On October 24, 2003£¬Many experts and Tibetologists gathered at an academic symposium hosted by the Chinese Tibetology Research Center to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dge-vdun-chos-vphel (1903-1951), the most legendary scholar in Tibetan history. Dge-vdun-chos-vphel was a legendary Buddhist monk, great academic and enlightenment thinker of the 20th century, and was a pioneer of humanism and vulgarization of Tibetan Buddhism. He lived a short but legendary and colorful life, but was full of legendary color. He was full of wisdom and possess unique yet charismatic personality. He departed from the classics and rebelled against the orthodoxy. Tibetans today still take delight in talking about his rebelling words and acts. Dge-vdun-chos-vphe's academic achievements were unparalleled and his academic ideas and research methodology are of great significance and set a precedent for future Tibetologists. Dge-vdun-chos-vphel is now regarded the master of modern Tibetology and a milestone in the history of Tibetan academic history. Born and living in the feudal serfdom society in early 20th century, he showed extraordinary courage in exploring sex secrets of Tibetans, shifting his viewpoints from theology to humanism, developing from god-centered ideology to enlightenment and materialism ideology focused on human beings. Dge-vdun-chos-vphel was a miracle of the 20th century in Tibetan history.
    International Symposium on Ethnic Cultures and Globalization Held in Kunming
    On August 18-23, 2003, the International Symposium on Ethnic Culture and Globalization was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province. More than 150 participants from the United States, UK, Germany, Thailand and 15 Chinese provinces and autonomous regions as well as Taiwan and Macao attended the symposium.
    Discussions were held on the following five special subjects: “globalization and cultural diversity”, “cultural industry and the development and utilization of ethnic cultures’, “ecological environment and ethnic cultures”, “Chinese cultures and world cultures’and “ethnic cultures from different visual angles”. Scholars at the symposium reached a common understanding that the protection of traditional ethnic cultures is critical to maintaining cultural diversity around the world under increasing globalization. If an ethnic group gives up its own  culture, it will be without any cultural flavor and lose its position as a unique ethnic group as well as its political influence in the world. Protection of traditional culture does not mean simple inheritance and preservation, but involves both protection and innovation. The purpose of innovation is for better protection. Without innovation and evolution, the traditional culture of any ethnic group will eventually lose its vitality and become outdated to the modern society. The participants, in combination with their own expertise and long-term research and survey, made in-depth and constructive opinions and proposals regarding how to appropriately adjust the relationship between ethnic cultures and globalization and how to deal with the impact of foreign cultures on local cultures.
    Ancient Dongba Documentation of Naxi Successfully Enters into Memory of the World Register
    On August 28-30, 2003, at the sixth meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of UNESCO's Memory of the World Program held in Gdansk, Poland, the ancient Dongba documentation submitted by the China National Memory of the World Committee was successfully listed as Memory of the World heritage. So far, three items of documentary materials from China have been included in the Memory of the World Register. The previous documentations listed as Memory of the World heritages from China were traditional music records and secret imperial documents of Qing Dynasty.
    Ancient Dongba documentary materials are classic scriptures used in Dongba Religion of Naxi ethnic group in various occasions for offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors. There are more than 1,000 types of documentary materials, totaling 20,000 pieces of existing documentations, which are inherited from generation to generation. Dongba language uses pictographs and has more than 2,000 characters.
    The entry of ancient Dongba documentation into the Memory of the World Register marks another honor of "world heritage" granted to the city of Lijiang, Yunnan Province. Before that, the old town of Lijiang has been chosen as a World Cultural Heritage and the Sanjiang region has been honored as a World Natural Heritage, hence making Lijiang a place of wonder both in China and in the world.
    Forum on China's Experience on Ethnology and Anthropology Held in Beijing
    On October 7, 2003, the Central Ethnic University  held a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of setting up the School of Ethnology and Sociology and the 20th anniversary of setting up the Department of Ethnology. Following the ceremony, anthropologists and sociologists from the United States, Canada, Japan and Chinese Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland gathered in Beijing and held the Forum on China's Experience on Ethnology and Anthropology. Focusing on the subject of "harmony and diversity", the Forum demonstrated the foresight and visions of the Chinese ethnologists and anthropologists for the new century. On the last day of the Forum, a HIDEA conference was called. The participants reached a common agreement to by realign China's teaching, survey and research resources in the field of ethnology and anthropology, and jointly make The 16th International Conference of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences  to be held in Kunming in 2008 a great success.
    Chinese Ethnic Groups Online
www.3miao.net
    Launched in November 1999, www.3miao.net is a cultural and academic website. After several years of development, the site has become the most authentic and comprehensive website on Miao (Hmong) ethnic group in China, widely known across the anthropology and ethnology circles in China. Such leading domestic newspapers and magazines as PeopleÕs Daily and China Ethnic Groups have published articles introducing the website, and some experts and scholars have made it an important case in the category of ethnic group-related websites in their case studies.
    www.3miao.net was initiated and hosted by Dr. Shi Maoming of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Starting from July 2003, the website has been produced and run by warm-hearted persons from around the country in order to update on a daily basis, provide both pictures and text, and realize online interaction.
    The website mainly covers: 1. Online display of Miao culture and reports on current social and economic status in Miao-inhabited regions; 2. Academic developments, frontier theses, introduction of new books on Miaology (Miao Studies) and anthropology; 3. Assistance to the weak and liaison for financial assistance to students in poverty-stricken areas. The core of the website is about Miao ethnic group.