After more than two years of preparation, the conference Poetics and Politics of Embodiment in Premodern China has finally taken place at McGill during April 17 and 18. Paola Zamperini and I first began brainstorming the idea during the pandemic. Centered on the human body, the conference sought to bring together scholars of China working across literature, history, art history, religious studies, and related fields, in the hope of fostering the kind of cross-disciplinary conversations essential to understanding a complex topic such as this. Special thanks are due to Dorothy Ko, who generously read all of the conference papers in advance and offered invaluable commentaries throughout the event.

I was thoroughly impressed by the papers presented, many of which were grounded in years—if not decades—of research. The intensity and profundity of the intellectual exchanges made the conference a deeply rewarding experience for everyone present.

I am particularly grateful to the Geiss Hsu Foundation and a few other institutes for their generous financial support, which made this event possible. I am also deeply grateful to—and proud of—the group of McGill students whose dedication and assistance were indispensable in making the conference such a success.

Montreal also did its part by gracing the conference with two days of beautiful weather amidst its still chilly, and occasionally snowy, spring. I hope—and believe—that all of the participants left with memorable experiences, both intellectual and personal. May we continue to create more gatherings like this as scholars.