This article develops a child-oriented theoretical framework for the design of Tibetan Bangdian children’s science picture books, addressing both the lack of child perspective and the formal monotony that currently characterize ethnic-cultural publications for young readers. Rather than presenting empirical findings, the study undertakes a conceptual construction grounded in developmental psychology and multimodal learning theory. By systematically integrating Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage Theory, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, the article proposes a Developmental, Scaffolding, and Multi-Channel Integrated Design Model tailored to the cognitive, emotional, and perceptual characteristics of children.

A Child-Oriented Theoretical Framework for Designing Tibetan Bangdian Children’s Science Picture Books

As the special aesthetic form Tibetan Buddhism, Thangka has constructed the sacredness in flux through the continuity of aesthetic form, ecological concepts and social functions. In this paper, taking Regong Thangka as an example, explained how religious art building connection between true self and imaginary world through its creation and use, and achieving a balance between local value and sacred attribute, thereby carrying and sustaining the collective memory and cultural identity of a community upon the perspectives of Yi-Fu Tuan's humanistic geography. The construction of geographical imagery is essentially a transformation from space to place. Religious doctrines and liturgical rites serve as the carrier for the utopian spiritual world, while the application of native natural and cultural resources enables the transformation of topophilia. A ternary mutual construction relation involving geographical imagery, sacrality, and cultural identity was proposed, which portrayed a symbiotic structure of Thangka cultural ecosystem containing the environment shaping cultural identity, art imbues geography with meaning, and cultural identity feeds back into and amplifies cultural dissemination. Thangka painters transform the physical space into a sacred spiritual place with religious meaning, while practitioners enter a ritualized place from an image space. The above findings respond to and bridge the theoretical viewpoints put forward by Yi-Fu Tuan including space and place, escapism and topophilia, thereby providing a new perspective for interpreting religious cultural heritages represented by Thangka.

Geographical Imagery, Sacrality, and Cultural Identity: the Regong Thangka of Qinghai Through the Humanistic Geography Lens of Yi-Fu Tuan

Jibengang Lhakang stands as the sole ancient edifice in Lhasa constructed according to the mandala structure and represents the first ancient building in the city to undergo protective renovation into an art center. It serves as a landmark of Lhasa's Old City and is recognized as one of the city-level cultural heritage conservation units. Inside Jibengang Lhakang, a plethora of Qing Dynasty murals adorn the walls, exhibiting high artistic value. Despite the art center's exhibitions being well-known, the internal murals have been largely overlooked, with academic research on them remaining underdeveloped. These murals, rich in themes, possess unique aesthetic and research value, serving as treasures of Tibetan art and important carriers for studying Tibetan history and culture. This paper systematically organizes and summarizes the artistic imagery of the murals within Jibengang Lhakang and briefly analyzes their artistic styles.

Iconographic Representation of the Murals at Jibengang Lhakang in Lhasa

In the digital era, video games have emerged as a dominant medium within popular culture and have demonstrated a mutually reinforcing relationship with the communication of distinctive Chinese ethnic cultures. Open-world games, characterized by their realism, freedom, and immersive qualities, have proven particularly effective in cultural preservation and educational engagement, establishing themselves as a vital medium for cultural transmission in recent years. Building upon this foundation, this study proposes an integrated open-world game design model tailored for the communication of distinctive ethnic cultures, drawing on environmental storytelling theory and the MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) game design framework. To validate the feasibility of this model, the research team developed The Legend of Guge, an open-world game prototype based on the ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom in Tibet. The findings suggest that this model provides a novel theoretical framework for designing educational open-world games centered on ethnic cultural heritage, thereby expanding the avenues through which such cultures can be represented in educational gaming contexts.

Research on the Design of Open World Games for the Communication of Distinctive Ethnic Cultures—A Case Study of the Tibetan Culture Game the Legend of Guge

This article analyzes Aby Warburg’s Serpent Ritual lecture—delivered at Bellevue Sanatorium during his recovery—as both visual analysis and therapeutic act. By adopting a shamanic role and using slides as ritual instruments, Warburg transformed scholarship into a performative healing practice. Using his iconological method, cultural psychology, and the concept of Pathosformel, the study interprets the lecture’s images as mediators between inner psychic states and cultural symbols. The lecture emerges as a symbolic act of self-rescue and a rehearsal for his interdisciplinary “nameless science.” Anticipating the Mnemosyne Atlas, it demonstrates how image, ritual, and mental crisis intersect, underscoring the lecture’s originality and lasting significance in the history of visual thought.

The Ritual of the Serpent: Image Analysis and Psychic Healing in  Aby Warburg's 'Serpent Ritual' Lecture

This special section explores the dynamic transformations of Himalayan art and culture through interdisciplinary perspectives encompassing art history, visual studies, religious studies, media studies, and cultural heritage research. Moving beyond the conventional understanding of Himalayan visual culture as a static expression of religious tradition, the section examines how artistic forms continuously negotiate changing relationships among political authority, belief systems, cultural identity, and technological innovation. The four contributions investigate diverse topics, including the political symbolism of imperial and religious portraiture, the preservation and contemporary transformation of Thangka art, the reinterpretation of Tibetan visual languages in modern artistic practices, and the mediation of Tibetan identity through televised cultural performances. Together, these studies reveal how Himalayan visual culture functions not only as a record of historical memory but also as an active medium for constructing legitimacy, expressing creativity, and reshaping collective identities. By bringing historical analysis, contemporary practice, and cultural transmission into dialogue, this special section highlights the fluidity and resilience of Himalayan art in responding to social change and globalization. It aims to expand interdisciplinary discussions on how visual culture bridges tradition and modernity, sacred heritage and public representation, within the Himalayan world.

Editor's Introduction: Reimagining Himalayan Art and Culture: Visuality, Tradition, and Modern Transformation

This paper proposes an analytical framework that views Tibetan Buddhist civilization as a "pre-modern operating system" with inherent self-adjusting capabilities. From this perspective, monastic murals are defined as "iconographic programs" deployed by the system to respond to crises of legitimacy. This framework demonstrates how the system achieves the re-legitimation of power relations in response to external shocks by manipulating "site-specificity" (the embodied field of space and ritual) and utilizing "constructiveness" (the strategic reshaping of visual narratives). Centered on the narrative of the "Liangzhou Accord" (1247), this study employs an interdisciplinary approach combining visual close reading, historical context analysis, and conceptual decoding to examine its visual reconstruction during three major transitional periods: the Yuan, Qing, and modern eras. By analyzing three sets of "seated together" murals in the Pelkor Chode Monastery, the Potala Palace, and the Norbulingka, the paper reveals how elites translated political realities into sacred narratives using core cultural modules such as the "Two Truths" and the "Patron-Priest" relationship. The function of these iconographic programs exhibits a diachronic evolution: from the proactive foundation by the Sakya School, to the adaptive alignment of the Gelug School, and finally to dislocation and semiotic suspension in the context of modernity. This study provides an illuminating case for understanding the deep logic of how pre-modern civilizations conducted political negotiation and maintained order through visual art.

The Hidden Power Scene: The Dual-Seated Portrait of Emperor and Imperial Preceptor and Its Historical Role in Addressing Tibet's Political-Religious Crises

Thangka art, as a significant form of Tibetan material intangible cultural heritage, faces the challenge of balancing cultural preservation with contemporary transformation in the context of globalization. Drawing on the development experience of international art triennials and specialized heritage exhibitions, this paper proposes the establishment of a Tibet-Qinghai Thangka Triennial mechanism as a platform integrating heritage protection, artistic innovation, cultural dissemination, and sustainable development. The study develops a dual-track framework that combines the preservation of Thangka’s sacred cultural foundations with creative reinterpretation in contemporary contexts. It proposes a dual-city exhibition model between Lhasa and Xining, a multi-level collection system, digital preservation strategies, and cultural translation pathways to enhance public engagement and international communication. Furthermore, the paper explores sustainable feedback mechanisms through digital asset development, exhibition operations, and derivative industries while emphasizing respect for religious traditions and cultural authenticity. The proposed triennial mechanism aims to transform Thangka from a static heritage object into a dynamic cultural resource, fostering dialogue between tradition and modernity, local identity and global cultural exchange.

Sacred and Secular: A Dual Transformation in Thangka Cultural Dissemination across Tibet and Qinghai—Based on the Mechanism Transfer and Innovation of the "Hubei International Triennial of Lacquer Art"

2026 Annual Conference of Association for Asian Studies Special Issue

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