“A Buddhist Heaven on Earth: Hangzhou Buddhism and Its Historical Significance”
“A Buddhist Heaven on Earth: Hangzhou Buddhism and Its Historical Significance”
April 24–25, 2026
University of Arizona, Tucson
Format: Hybrid (In-person and Online Participation)
Hosted by:
Center for Buddhist Studies, The University of Arizona
Co-sponsored by:
College of Humanities, The University of Arizona
Department of East Asian Studies, The University of Arizona
College of Arts & Sciences, The University of South Dakota
Department of History, The University of South Dakota
The Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS) at the University of Arizona invites you to attend an international symposium, “A Buddhist Heaven on Earth: Hangzhou Buddhism and Its Historical Significance,” to be held on April 24–25, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
This two-day event honors the distinguished career and scholarly legacy of Professor Albert Welter, whose pioneering research on Chinese Buddhism—especially the religious and cultural worlds of Hangzhou—has shaped global understanding of Buddhist thought, history, and spatial culture.
The symposium will also celebrate several major milestones:
• The publication of the Encyclopedia of Hangzhou Buddhist Culture.
• The 1,700th anniversary of Lingyin Monastery, one of China’s oldest and most influential temples.
• The eighth anniversary of the Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS) at the University of Arizona.