Shadows and Spirits: The Supernatural in East Asian Culture
| When | Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Where | Asia Library Hatcher Library North, Fourth Floor View building informationView floor plan |
| Event type | Reception/Open House |
| Series | Third Thursdays at the Library |
Explore the mysterious world of the East Asian supernatural. “Shadows and Spirits” invites you to explore the rich tapestry of mythological monsters, strange beings, and ghosts that have played a unique and haunting role in folklore, literature, art, and cinema of China, Japan, and Korea.
Highlighting East Asia’s most spellbinding tales represented in the Asia Library collection, this exhibit delves into how the supernatural embody unresolved emotions, social justice, political sentiments, and cultural symbolism. You’ll encounter the many ways that the stories of the supernatural have shaped the collective imagination and reflected societal fears, hopes, values, and beliefs about the afterlife and the unknown, both in the past and today. In the meantime, beware the turning of the page; something supernatural might be waiting to greet you…
Join the Asia Library staff (on the 4th floor of Hatcher North) for Third Thursdays at the U-M Library, a monthly open house where we share materials from our collections.
While you’re here, pick up a Third Thursday Passport and collect a stamp from each of the four Third Thursday Open Houses — Asia Library, Clark Library, International Studies, and Special Collections Research Center — to win a prize!
Zhongshan Going on Excursion 中山出遊圖; a Chinese handscroll from the late 13th to early 14th century that depicts the legendary hero Zhong Kui, known as the Demon Queller, setting out on a hunting exhibition with his sister; National Museum of Asian Art.
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Library contact
Liangyu Fu · liangyuf@umich.edu
Library events are free and open to the public, and we are committed to making them accessible to attendees. If you anticipate needing accommodations to participate, please notify the listed contact with as much notice as possible.