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From the Chengdu Plain to the Rhine Valley, a slow migration of soul and civilization

Updated: Apr 14

 从成都平原到莱茵河谷，一场心灵与文明的缓慢迁徙



She is the one who brought Chinese ancient wisdom to the Swiss Alps

她将中国传统智慧带入瑞士阿尔卑斯山

 

In the Swiss Alps, there lives an Eastern woman who, with the spiritual light of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, has ignited the Western world’s passion for the ancient wisdom of China. Her name is Jian Geyang, a thinker, educator, and bridge-builder between Eastern and Western cultures.


在瑞士的阿尔卑斯山间，有一位东方女子，以儒释道的精神之光，点燃了西方世界对中国古老智慧的热忱。她叫简歌扬，一位在中西文化之间行走的思想者和教育者。



This is the cultural journey from Chengdu to the Rhine Valley. Born and raised in Chengdu, Jian Geyang learned the ancient Chinese traditions and practices that shaped her early life. From the poetic, mist-covered ancient city to the serene landscape at the foot of the Alps, she has gently and steadfastly carried the deepest philosophical insights and the breath of an ancient civilization to the lands of Europe. She is neither a wanderer nor a mere messenger; she is a quiet and unwavering builder of cultural bridges. She refers herself as 'the Idler of Mountains and Streams', embracing a simple, ordinary, and natural lifestyle.


这是一条从成都平原到莱茵河谷的文化之路。简歌扬出生并成长于成都，那里是她学习中国古代传统与实践的摇篮。从烟雨古城的诗意生活，到阿尔卑斯山麓的清净天地，她用温柔坚定的脚步，将一个文明最内在的哲思与呼吸，带入了欧洲的土地。她不是游子，也不是传播者，而是一位静默而执着的文化桥梁建设者。她自号“山水闲人”，意为简单、平凡和自然的生活方式。



As the founder of the IAK Culture Association, Jian Geyang has dedicated herself to the cross-cultural integration of Eastern and Western philosophy and life science. With her profound grounding in Chinese classical studies and her expansive global perspective, she has conducted lectures, cultural salons, and life science forums in Switzerland, introducing the wisdom of the Analects, DaoDeJing, and Surangama Sutra into Western classrooms, while seamlessly weaving it into the daily lives of modern people.

 

作为IAK文化协会的创始人，简歌扬长期致力于中西哲学与生命科学的跨文化融合。她以深厚的国学根基与国际视野，在瑞士开设讲座、文化沙龙、生命科学论坛，将《论语》《道德经》《楞严经》的智慧引入西方课堂，也融入现代人的日常生活。


In her classes, European scholars encountered the true meaning of " A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity. " At the cultural festivals she has organized, the sounds of the Guqin resonated beneath the Alps, while tea ceremonies and calligraphy were brought to life—not as mere exhibits, but as integral, living art forms.


在她的课堂上，欧洲学者第一次听到“君子和而不同”的哲学真义；在她主办的文化节中，阿尔卑斯山脚下响起了古琴的清音，茶道和书法在异域土地上生动展开——不是作为展览品，而是真正融入生活的艺术形式。


Her lectures often begin with the practice of Baduanjin (a form of body and breathing exercises from Bodhidharma). Through this mindful practice, she establishes a deep connection between body and mind, setting the stage for a more profound exploration of Eastern wisdom. She emphasizes the return to the origins of culture, grounding it in ancient texts from over 2,000 years ago.  She says:

"Breathing is the universal language of both East and West. And Chinese ancient culture is the soul of Eastern civilization."


她的讲座常常以八段锦（达摩祖师之身心与呼吸练习）开始。通过这一身心练习，她在讲座伊始便与听众建立起深层的身心联系，为进一步探索东方智慧奠定了基础。她强调文化之返本溯源，从2000年以前的古籍为基础开始学习。她说：

“呼吸，是东西方的共同语言。而国学，是东方文化的灵魂。”


For her, true cultural exchange is not only about the transmission of knowledge, but also the encounter of hearts and minds.


在她看来，真正的文化交流不仅是知识的灌输，也是心灵的相遇。


In the autumn of 2025, she will host the 4th IAK Life Science Annual Forum and the Mid-Autumn Festival at Lake Walensee in Switzerland. The event will fuse lectures on Chinese philosophy, tea tastings, and Guqin performances, creating a contemporary expression of "the unity of body, mind, and nature." She hopes that this will not only be a festival celebration, but also a profound dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures.


2025年秋，她将在瑞士瓦伦湖畔主持第四届IAK生命科学年会与中秋文化节。活动将融合国学讲座、茶艺品鉴与古琴雅集，演绎“天地人和谐”的当代表达。她希望，这不仅是一场节日的庆典，更是一次中西文化的深度对话。


From the "Heaven and Earth" of the Yijing (IChing) to the "Carefree Wanderer" of Zhuangzi, from the mountains and rivers of Chengdu to the morning mist of the Rhine, Jian Geyang has brought the heartbeat of an ancient civilization into the embrace of the Alps with her gentle yet unwavering voice.

从《易经》的“乾坤天地”到《庄子》的“逍遥游”，从成都的山水到莱茵的晨雾，简歌扬用温润而坚韧的声音，把一个古老文明的心跳带入了阿尔卑斯山的怀抱。



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