Inspired by the vibrant state of the last several decades of scholarship concing the Qing frontier,the three authors of this introduction organized the Intational Workshop on Defining the Jecen:The Evolution of the Qing Frontier,1644-1918, which took place on May 25-26,2012,at the sponsoring institutions—Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong.The primary objective of the workshop was to foster dialogue among colleagues from several Asian and North American institutions who currently are researching the Qing frontier.All participants were encouraged to contribute insights into long-standing questions based on the methodologies derived from their own scholarly backgrounds.Apart from aiming to break down unnecessary barriers of language,geography,and theoretical orientation,the conference also promoted two approaches to the topic that will simultaneously further the progress of contemporary pioneers and open fresh paths for future innovation.