Studying Jade in a Peach Blossom Spring | Institute Instances

Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

Yulian Wu, Starr Foundation East Asian Studies Member in the School of Historical Studies (2025–26), likens the Institute to the "Peach Blossom Spring"—a legendary fifth-century refuge from outside turmoil. She describes how, in this peaceful sanctuary for scholars, she can focus completely on studying early modern Chinese nephrite jade.

Institute Instances is a collection of 1–2 minute video snapshots of scholars, administrators, and visitors to the Institute for Advanced Study answering a question (or two) about their work at IAS. Viewed individually, these clips allow audiences to get to know the people who are, in the words of founding IAS Director Abraham Flexner, "pushing beyond the present limits of human knowledge" through advancements in science and the humanities. Taken together, these "instances" of Institute life are designed to show how everyone can play a role in actualizing discovery, and to celebrate a community devoted to excellence in scholarship.

Find out more about Institute Instances: https://www.ias.edu/institute-instances

Studying Jade in a Peach Blossom Spring | Institute Instances – Yulian Wu

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