Zhaoshen Wang

Biography

I am a Ph.D. candidate specializing in early modern and modern Chinese history, with a particular focus on historical memory, social mentalities, cultural identities, and ritual practices. I am also interested in the interplay between great and little traditions in China and broader East Asia since 1368, with special attention to the enduring influence of Confucianism. Methodologically, in addition to archival research, I bring a keen interest and extensive experience in fieldwork, tracing various strands of memory through rituals, inscriptions, manuscripts, and oral histories to reconstruct the lives and mindsets of people from the past.

My doctoral dissertation, “Dating Ming Nostalgia: Commemorating Chongzhen in East Asia,” investigates how historical memories of the Ming dynasty have continuously shaped elite thought and popular culture, exerting a profound influence on significant historical events in China over four centuries. By situating Ming memory within a transnational framework, my research also provides fresh insights into the construction of national identities across East Asia. I successfully defended my dissertation in May 2025 and will soon receive my Ph.D. degree. Beyond preparing my dissertation for publication as a book manuscript, my research interests have expanded to include early modern and modern Chinese secret societies, East Asian Confucianism since the 20th century, Chinese folk religion, and historical memory among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and North America.

In Fall 2025, I will serve as a lecturer in the History Department at UW-Madison. Previously, I also taught as a visiting lecturer at Duke Kunshan University. Before joining UW-Madison, I earned my Bachelor of Laws from Wuhan University in 2014 and my Master of Laws from National Taiwan University in 2017, with a thesis on 20th-century Chinese constitutional history.

Education

LL.B., Wuhan University (2014)
LL.M., National Taiwan University (2017)

Field

• East Asian History

MA Title

• “The Establishment and Development of the System of Constitutional Interpretation in China, 1906-1949”

Working Dissertation Title

• “Dating Ming Nostalgia: Commemorating Chongzhen in East Asia” (defended in May 2025)

Courses Taught as TA

• History 201 – Shanghai: Life and Crime (Historian’s Craft) (Spring 2025)
• History 108 – Introduction to Buddhism (Spring 2024)
• History 203 – Introduction to World History (Spring 2021)
• History 255 – East Asian Civilization (Spring 2019)
• History 104 – Introduction to Japanese History (Fall 2018)

Courses Taught as Instructor

• History 103 – Introduction to East Asian History: China (Fall 2025, UW-Madison)
• History 103 – Pre-modern Chinese History (Fall 2024, Duke Kunshan University)