Xiao Liu

Xiao (Anne) Liu specializes in the history and material culture of the middle-period Silk Road. She is interested in disentangling cultural, political, religious, and material exchanges in East Eurasia. Her previous research investigated the role of Buddhist monk-envoys, texts, and art in constructing the Khotan kingship domestically and spreading the kings’ prestige abroad from the 6th to the 10th century CE. Xiao earned her bachelor’s degree in Art History from Duke Kunshan University and Duke University, where she received interdisciplinary training. During her M.A. study, she plans to explore and reconstruct ever-changing transregional interactions across East and Central Asia in more depth. She also looks forward to exposing herself to diverse topics in the fields of history, art history, and religious studies, as well as engaging in digital humanities projects.

Outside of academics, Xiao enjoys reading, travelling, taking photos, and visiting museums and art galleries.