Wang Ka王卡

Period

Modern

Dates

1956 — 2017

Role

Daoist ScholarsScholar of Dunhuang Daoist Scriptures

Birthplace

Beijing

Life

Wang Ka was a research fellow at the Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and director of its Daoist studies section, a leading scholar of contemporary Chinese Daoist textual studies. A student of Wang Ming, he worked for many years in Daoist philology and became especially known for his research on Daoist manuscripts from Dunhuang; his Studies on Daoist Manuscripts from Dunhuang: Survey, Catalogue, Index (2004) comprehensively organized the Dunhuang Daoist Manuscripts and remains the standard reference work in this field. He also produced an annotated edition of the Heshanggong Commentary on the Laozi (Zhonghua Book Company) and wrote Historical Tales of Daoism and Essays on Daoist Scriptures and History, took part in compiling the Zhonghua Daozang (Chinese Daoist Canon) as deputy editor-in-chief and in the Great Dictionary of Daoism, and edited Three Hundred Questions on Daoism. He died of illness in 2017.

Contributions & Influence

• Wrote Studies on Daoist Manuscripts from Dunhuang, systematically organizing the Dunhuang Daoist Manuscripts
• Produced an annotated edition of the Heshanggong Commentary on the Laozi
• Took part in compiling the Zhonghua Daozang (Chinese Daoist Canon)

Works

• Studies on Dunhuang Daoist Texts
• Heshanggong Commentary on the Laozi's Daodejing (critical edition)
• A Brief History of Daoism
• Collected Essays on Daoist Scriptures and History