Ying Gao is a PhD candidate in archaeology at Zhejiang University, with a focus on ancient Chinese architecture, particularly pagodas from the Tang to Song Dynasties. Her PhD project centers on the Zhakou White Pagoda, located at the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Qiantang River in Hangzhou. She aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the pagoda and to explore the factors influencing pagoda design philosophy within the Wuyue Kingdom during the tenth century CE. At present, her work involves inscribed Dhāraṇī texts and the production process of the stone pagoda.
She holds a master's degree in anthropology from Sun Yat-sen University and an advanced master's degree in digital humanities from KU Leuven. In 2020–2021, she worked as an engineer with Zhejiang University’s Cultural Heritage Digitalization team. Currently, she is a Visiting PhD Candidate at the Institute of East Asian Art History at Heidelberg University, and a Visiting Predoctoral Fellow at the MPIWG.
Projects
The Zhakou White Pagoda: Buddhist Pagoda between the Tang and Song Dynasties