Workshop in Changchun, China
From 23-24 September, I attended a workshop on “Future Developments of Digital Humanities and Didactics in Global Ancient Studies” at Northeastern Normal University in Changchun, China. It was one of the friendliest and most interesting workshops I have been lucky enough to attend. The long journey to Changchun was rewarded with lots of hospitality and interesting conversations.
Day 1 of the workshop in Changchun
The first day started with a tour of the campus. We also visited the Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations (IHAC) at Northeast Normal University in Changchun. This brought together scholars from the fields of history, computer science and education. We all engaged in an interdisciplinary discourse on the proper application of digital humanities research to both university and school didactics. We were warmly welcomed by Director Zhang Qiang and Deputy Director Sven Günther. The keynote speech was given by Prof. Dr. Claudia Sode from the University of Cologne on research-based teaching.
After a coffee break we heard about Digital Byzantine Studies by Martina Filosa and Greek Epigraphic Databases by Péter Kató. Hendrikus van Wijlick talked about databases and timelines of ancient evidence, and Lothar Willms presented a connective etymological online dictionary. All talks were very interesting and showed how digital methods can not only be used but also integrated into teaching. We ended the day with a very formal Chinese dinner where other invited guests were also present. We had wonderful Chinese food and were served Báijiǔ, a Chinese spirit, which was very, very tasty. The whole evening was courtesy of the IHAC Institute and its directors.
Day 2 or the workshop in Changchun
The second day was all about archaeogaming, or how we can incorporate gaming into the classroom. I started with a report on my course on archaeogaming where I presented the work of my students. Kevin Körner presented the ExPresS-XR system, which can be used to create interactive digital exhibitions. Stefan Krmnicek talked about numismatic games and how these games can also teach about ancient coins. We ended the second day with a longer wrap-up discussion where we summarised what we had heard. The group also talked about how we could incorporate this new knowledge into our own teaching.
We then went on an excursion (see below), but ended the day with a second wonderful dinner. This time we went to a Mongolian restaurant where we had not only a great singing performance but also lots of food and drinks on the table. Everyone had to give a speech and so did I. I thanked everyone for their hospitality and the friendly atmosphere in which we were able to hold our workshop.
The excursion

Our excursion on the second day was to the palace of the last emperor (Puyi) of China, built by the Japanese who were occupying China at the time. The role of the emperor was largely symbolic, and having seen the Forbidden City a few days earlier, I have to say that the palace looked rather sad in comparison. Nevertheless, it was very interesting and we were able to look inside the buildings. We were given an audio guide, but most of the time I enjoyed walking around and just looking.
The palace was the setting for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 biographical film about Puyi, The Last Emperor, depicting Puyi’s reign as emperor of Manchukuo. His last ‘reign’ ended in 1945 when the Soviets overran most of Manchukuo. There are many buildings in the complex, but what I found most fascinating was the cinema room. It was a small room for the emperor and his wife to enjoy a film together. It wasn’t very cosy, with both of them sitting on a throne instead of a sofa, but it was a bit of privat life nonetheless.