Barefoot Wandering: Hanshan’s Spiritual Hybridity and the Hehe Pluralism

This paper explores the concept of diasporic hybridity through Hanshan’s (Cold Mountain) life and poetry during the Tang dynasty (618–907). Departing from traditional diaspora models of forced migration, Hanshan’s voluntary exile from the Confucian-dominated capital to the spiritually diverse Tiantai Mountain reveals how internal dislocation can foster hybrid religious identities. Through a close reading of his poetry and spiritual journey, this study argues that Hanshan embodies the Chinese philosophy of Hehe (和合), which is a model of religious pluralism grounded in “harmony through difference.” By integrating Homi Bhabha’s “third space” theory and Arjun Appadurai’s “diaspora landscape,” the paper demonstrates how Hanshan’s engagement with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism presents a dynamic framework for understanding interreligious dialog. Hanshan’s hybrid spiritual identity thus offers a transhistorical lens for reimagining religious pluralism in both historical and contemporary contexts.