# The Second Presentation of CBDB Colleagues (2024-2025 cohort) The China Biographical Database project colleagues presented their projects on October 31, 2025, in Cambridge. The presentations on October 31 were held in CGIS Knafel K050. There were four presentations on this day, which focused on social network analysis (SNA), utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS), and leveraging large language models for data extraction and disambiguation. The presentations in this session were: **A Study of Early Chinese Buddhist Social Networks from a Digital Humanities Perspective: Centering on the Biographies of Eminent Monks** Xiong, Dian (CBDB visiting scholar from Henan University) \*Slides can be found at the bottom of this page Using the Biographies of Eminent Monks (高僧传) as its primary source, this study employs digital humanities methods to quantify and visualize the relationships among three key groups—monastic communities, political authorities, and literati—in order to explore the mechanisms through which Buddhist thought circulated across political, cultural, and spiritual spheres. Focusing on Xiao Ziliang（萧子良） and the Upper Dinglin Monastery （定林上寺）in Jiankang, and incorporating evidence of regional aristocratic patronage and the spatial movements of itinerant monks, the research reveals how Buddhism formed a multilayered network of interaction within Southern Dynasties society, reshaping the spiritual world and cultural mentality of the literati. By integrating digital data analysis with historical interpretation, the study reconsiders Buddhism’s role in the social structure and intellectual transformation of early China. ![ Professor Xiong](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2025-12/xiong.jpg) **The Power of the Collective: Ming Literati Groups and Cultural Evolution \[SLIDES\]** Fu, Hongxiao (CBDB visiting scholar from Zhejiang University) \*Slides can be found at the bottom of this page The Ming Literati Group Network was a crucial link in the evolution of social organization and cultural production mechanisms, particularly during the late Ming period, when its scale, density, and politicalization reached their zenith. Ming societies gradually evolved from earlier forms—such as those dependent on the court or local educational groups—into highly dense, cross-regional alliance structures centered in the core Jiangnan region, driven by explicit political and civil service exam (Keju) demands. This spatiotemporal evolution reflects a fundamental transformation in the literati class's social capital and power operation modes. Utilizing Ronald Burt's Structural Hole Theory (1992), this study quantitatively investigates the power dynamics and organizational effectiveness within Ming literati groups. By measuring indicators such as Effective Size, Constraint, and Network Efficiency, the research aims to evaluate which societies and key individuals demonstrated the most effective brokerage capabilities and organizational openness. ![Hongxiao](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2025-12/Hongxiao.jpg) **How Region and Everyday Work Shaped Ming-Qing Painters** Zhuang, Yuning (CBDB visiting scholar from Southeast University) This talk revises the literati-centered image of the Chinese painter by shifting the focus to everyday work—commission, payment, collaboration, and circulation—in Ming–Qing Jiangnan. Methodologically, I read paintings alongside letters, diaries, and inscriptions, tagging each item by region, occasion, and format. Analytically, I use two lenses: (1) the Function–Form–Market Triangle (what a painting did, how it was made, how it moved); and (2) regional circuits where patrons, agents, and artists met and traded taste. I argue that markets did not merely mirror taste; they produced it by rewarding clarity, speed, and public appeal. This reframing makes style intelligible as craft in a social world. ![yuning](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2025-12/Yuning%20%28final%29.jpg) **Reconstructing Ming Epistolary Networks and Modeling LLM-Assisted Verification: A Case Study of Guochao Minggong Hanzao** Chen, Hongan (CBDB visiting scholar from Zhejiang University) This study focuses on the Ming letter anthology Guochao Minggong Hanzao, reconstructing the epistolary networks of Ming literati before the Wanli era through systematic recipient verification and identification. Compared with the large-scale correspondence network on the CSA platform, Hanzao reveals distinct editorial preferences and regional clustering. Incorporating large language model (LLM)–assisted verification, the research quantitatively evaluates the model’s performance in historical name disambiguation and recipient recognition, exploring how textual complexity affects model accuracy and offering new insights into the use of LLMs in humanities research. ![hongan](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2025-12/Hongan%20%28final%29.jpg) Professor Peter Bol, Director of the China Biographical Database Project; Dr. Tang, Kwok-Leong, Managing Director of the Harvard Digital China Initiative; Wang, Hongsu, Senior Project Manager of the China Biographical Database Project; and the presenters all contributed to a rich and engaging discussion. Amanda Stickels, Assistant Project Manager of the China Biographical Database also participated. Li, Yitian, Project Manager of the China Biographical Database Project, moderated all the presentations. --- Attachments- [ picture\_as\_pdf Professor Xiong PPT.pdf ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2025-12/Professor%20Xiong%20PPT_0.pdf) - [ picture\_as\_pdf Hongxiao (2).pptx ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3101/files/2026-01/Hongxiao%20%282%29.pptx) ---