The Research Programme for Lingnan Culture, Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), CUHK, successfully held The Second International Conference on Lingnan Culture and the World 2026, from 7 to 9 May 2026. Building on the success of the inaugural conference in 2023, this three-day event showcases research outcomes and breakthroughs on interdisciplinary studies on Lingnan Culture.

This conference is also a major achievement of the Collaborative Research Project (CRF) “Lingnan Culture and the World: Construction and Change in the Cultural Landscape of Cantonese Literati from the late Qing to the Republican era in China (1821–1949),” funded by the Research Grant Council, Hong Kong SAR. Professor Lai Chi Tim, Executive Associate Director of ICS, serves as the Principal Coordinator of this CRF project and has been working closely with leading scholars at CUHK and other universities in Hong Kong.

At the opening ceremony of the International Conference, the ICS announced its latest publication, Lingnan Culture and the World (in Chinese), edited by Professor Lai Chi Tim. The ceremony begins with Professor Max Xiaobing Tang, Director of ICS and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, delivered welcoming remarks, followed by an introduction of the book by Professor Lai. The newly published edited volume compiles thirteen papers by experts in the studies of Lingnan culture. It offers a comprehensive perspective, emphasizing the significance of Lingnan culture and its global connections.

The three-day International Conference brought together 28 scholars from leading institutions across Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants presented their recent research in eight panels and engaged in in-depth discussions. Held in a hybrid format, the conference attracted over 500 global audience.