Abstract: Humans have long recorded and depicted things through images. People naturally ask whether there are some visualization styles unknown to us today in the history of Chinese civilization. With this curiosity, we systematically carried out research on the development history of ancient Chinese visualization. We have now completed a large-scale image dataset called 'Zuantu Collection' containing 71,294 ancient Chinese early visualization works. This work helps the academic community understand the diversity of ancient Chinese visualization and provides a foundation for further understanding and analyzing the design space of ancient Chinese visualization. The research provides important resources for early visualization image research, and through systematic analysis of the dataset content, reveals the unique logic and cultural connotations of traditional Chinese visual expression, providing a platform for multidisciplinary cross-research in history of science, art history, and philology.

Speaker Bio: Researcher at the School of Intelligence Science and Technology, Peking University, Boya Distinguished Professor for Textbook Construction, and Executive Deputy Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Analysis and Application Technology. His main research direction is general basic methods of visualization and their applications in social and humanistic fields. He has won best paper awards or nominations at domestic and international visualization conferences such as IEEE VIS and ChinaVis many times. He currently serves as a member of the steering committees of IEEE VIS, PacificVis, and ChinaVis. He is a distinguished member of the China Computer Federation and director of the Visualization and Visual Analytics Professional Committee of the China Society of Image and Graphics.

Abstract: The visualization expression system of ancient China originated from the philosophical thinking of "establishing symbols to exhaust meaning" in the Book of Changes, and was deepened by Zheng Qiao's methodological consciousness of "seeking symbols in diagrams" in his Treatise on Diagrams and Charts, throughout which runs the cognitive tradition of "carrying the Way through symbols." Those who "establish symbols" refine the principles of heaven and earth with abstract symbols; those who "seek symbols" examine the forms of all things with concrete diagrams. From the mysterious schemas of hexagrams to the surveyed maps of mountains and rivers, from herbal images for investigating things to achieve knowledge to local gazetteers for practical governance, these visualization practices not only constitute the visual genealogy of ancient ancestors' knowledge inheritance, but also highlight the unique visual thinking mode of Chinese civilization. The report will use "symbol" as the pivot to outline the evolutionary trajectory of visualization thinking from pre-Qin to Ming and Qing dynasties, analyzing the dual value of design thinking in ancient Chinese visualization systems: at the visual cognitive level, it constructs an organic connection between abstract concepts and concrete representations; in the information dissemination dimension, it establishes an efficient information transmission paradigm. Together, they shape the unique visual cognitive system of ancient Chinese civilization.

Speaker Bio: Associate Professor and Master's supervisor at the School of Design, Nanjing University of the Arts, Deputy Director of Visual Communication Design major, and Director of the Art-Science Innovation Research Center. Outstanding youth in cultural creativity under the 'Jiangsu Zijin Cultural Talent Cultivation Project,' evaluation expert of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, committee member of the Visualization and Visual Analytics Committee of the China Society of Image and Graphics (CSIG), and director of the Jiangsu Science Popularization Artists Association. Member of the sub-project group of the major project in art studies of the National Social Science Fund, and member of the project group of the key project in art studies of the National Social Science Fund and the Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Research Planning Fund project. Design works have been selected for the 12th and 13th National Art Exhibitions, the 4th China Design Exhibition, and won the German Red Dot Award, German iF Design Award, Italian A'Design Award, etc. He has led the design of cultural digitization construction projects such as the "Cultural Capital Spatiotemporal Big Data Visualization Platform," the "National Precious Ancient Books Catalog Digital Resource Platform," and the "Yandu Memory Beijing City Construction History Digital Display Platform." He has guided students' information design works to win more than 200 domestic and international awards, including 9 works selected for the recent three National Art Exhibitions, silver and bronze awards at the UK Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards, and first prizes at the National College Student Art Performance.

Abstract: The ancient Chinese information image system, as an important carrier of traditional knowledge dissemination, demonstrates a unique visual cognitive system. Information images represented by traditional Chinese medicine images achieve concrete expression of abstract medical knowledge through systematic visual language. From the perspective of image typology, these information images can be divided into five major functional categories: anatomical diagrams (such as visceral meridian charts), diagnostic and therapeutic atlases (such as acupuncture point charts), pharmaceutical atlases (such as herbal illustrations), health guidance diagrams (such as Baduanjin charts), and comprehensive medical encyclopedia illustrations. This classification system reflects the wisdom of ancient people in systematically organizing medical knowledge. In terms of visual language, these images form a unique symbol system: using flat modeling language to represent three-dimensional structures, using symbolic symbols to convey abstract concepts, showing dynamic processes through serialized composition, and incorporating artistic aesthetic expression. This descriptive method ensures accurate information transmission while considering visual aesthetic needs. From the perspective of historical evolution, the development of these information images is closely related to the progress of printing technology. Block printing in the Tang and Song periods promoted the standardization of medical images, while color printing in the Ming and Qing periods enriched the expressive power of images. It is worth noting that while maintaining core medical information, the expressive forms of these images experienced a transformation from religious mysticism to scientific pragmatism, ultimately forming a visual communication system that is both professional and popular. Taking the 'Inner Landscape Diagram' as an example, its evolutionary process completely presents the transformation trajectory of ancient information images: from the initial religious diagrams full of Taoist symbols, gradually developing into precisely annotated medical teaching diagrams, and finally evolving into easy-to-understand health guidance diagrams. This transformation not only reflects the democratization process of medical knowledge, but also demonstrates the strong adaptability and vitality of ancient Chinese information images.

Speaker Bio: Zhuo Li, lecturer at the School of Art Design and Media, East China University of Science and Technology. He graduated from the School of Design at Jiangnan University for his bachelor's degree, obtained his master's degree from the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University in Japan, and later graduated from the Graduate School of Art and Design at the same university with a doctoral degree. He is a member of the Japanese Society for the Science of Design. His research directions include ancient information image research, information visualization design, cultural innovation design, semiotics and iconographic studies. He has published multiple academic research papers in China, Japan, and other places, published multiple art review articles, and planned or lectured in series of lectures.

Abstract: Classic data visualization works from the pre-computer era are important resources for understanding the development trajectory and design evolution of visualization. However, existing research on early visualization mostly focuses on individual classic cases, lacking systematic data support. To support data-driven data visualization history research, we constructed OldVisOnline, a dataset covering 13,000 pre-computer era visualization images and structured metadata. We combined automated annotation and manual quality inspection processes to extract and clean images and metadata from electronic libraries. Based on this dataset, we proposed potential research tasks and preliminary exploration results to demonstrate the research value of the dataset. Our work also provides an open-source toolkit for subsequent historical image dataset construction.

Speaker Bio: Yu Zhang, Researcher at Huawei's Basic Software Innovation Lab. He received his PhD from the Department of Computer Science at Oxford University and his bachelor's degree from the Department of Intelligence Science at Peking University. He works in the field of human-computer interaction and visualization, with main research directions including interactive machine learning, intelligent user interfaces, and digital humanities. Related papers have been published in conferences and journals such as IEEE VIS, ACM CHI, IEEE TVCG, and ACM TIIS. He received the Best Paper Nomination for IEEE PacificVis Journal Track.

Abstract: This report aims to break through the Western-centered narrative of traditional scientific visualization history, construct a more macroscopic comparative framework, and reveal the unique visual computing paradigm centered on algorithms in ancient China. In this paradigm, visualization is no longer a static diagram of results, but a dynamic tool and mechanized procedure deeply embedded in the computing process and serving problem-solving. We define this unique tradition as "visual algorithms." The report focuses on mathematics and astronomy, deeply analyzing the internal logic and practical forms of "visual algorithms." In mathematics, it analyzes how ancient people used counting rods as computing tools and made them symbolic and visual, and how they transformed geometric proofs into operable visual algorithms. In astronomy, it examines how observation methods such as gnomon shadow measurement transform spatiotemporal data into intuitive visual relationships, and focuses on how the combined use of "licheng" (quick calculation tables), "xicao" (operation manuals), and "suanshi" (calculation templates) in Ming and Qing calendar calculations constitutes a complete and highly stylized astronomical calculation visualization system. These practices not only demonstrate superb computational skills, but also reflect the "mechanization" and "stylization" thinking modes of ancient Chinese computation. In addition, from the perspective of visual analytics, some computational methods in ancient Chinese mathematics and astronomy can be called "computation-guided visualization" systems of the pre-digital era - an executable, interactive computing system used to drive computation, construct proofs, and simulate complex calculations.

Speaker Bio: PhD in History of Science and Technology from University of Science and Technology of China, postdoctoral researcher at University of Paris VII, visiting professor at Paris Observatory, France, and visiting scholar at Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Germany. Currently a researcher, doctoral supervisor, and executive committee member at the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Editorial board member of the English journal Journal for the History of Astronomy and the Chinese journal Chinese Journal of History of Science and Technology, and member of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Author of works including "Research on the Datong Calendar," "Brilliant Stars: Ancient Chinese Star Maps," "Ming Dynasty Science and Technology," "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Calendars - The Shoushi Calendar and Datong Calendar," "Bronze and Ancient Science and Technology," etc. Ancient book compilations include "Three Types of Historical References," "Origins of Calendar Management," "Compilation of Ming Datong Calendar Methods," "Unpublished and Supplementary Compilation of Chongzhen Calendar Books," "Three Types of Islamic Calendar Methods," etc. Published over 40 Chinese and English academic papers, and led multiple National Natural Science Foundation and National Social Science Foundation projects. Received awards including the President's Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education's "Doctoral Academic Newcomer Award." Additionally, published popular science works including "Brilliant Stars: Five Thousand Years of Chinese Astronomy," "Celestial Territory: Stories in Star Maps," "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (Children's Illustrated Edition)," "Young Readers' Tiangong Kaiwu," etc. Related works have won awards including the "Wenjin Book Award," "National Excellent Popular Science Works," and "Capital Popular Science Good Books."