Highlights of Chinese Civilization and Local
Culture
中国地方文化英语导读
00041010
School of Foreign Languages
Suzhou University
第四章 文化精粹（Culture）
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1、教学内容：
了解重要文化遗址、各历史时期文学特征以及曲艺艺术。
讲授内容：
(1). 中国的重要文化遗址和内容：三星堆文化、司母戊方鼎、良
渚美玉、长信宫灯、秦始皇陵兵马俑、永乐大钟、敦煌莫高窟
(2). 中国古代文学作品：中国古代史书和文学著作
(3). 现代文学发展及其代表作
(4). 中国传统表演艺术：京剧、地方戏曲、杂技、曲艺的特征
2、教学要点：
重点掌握中国重要文化遗址的文化内涵及其对中华文明研究的重
要意义。
Contents
Cultural Relic
Literary Work
Historical Writing
Literature
Performing Art
Cultural Relic
Sanxingdui Culture
Simuwu Ding
Liangzhu Jade
Changxin Palace Lantern
Terracotta Warrior
Great Bell of Yongle
Dunhuang Mogao Grotto
 around 3,000 to 5,000 years ago
 jade ware, bronze human
statues and ivories
(the holy icons, sacrificial
instruments and offerings used
in the ancestral temples )
 an outstanding representative of
the Chinese ancient civilization
on the upper reaches of the
Yangtze River
 the
biggest bronze ware
unearthed in China
 kui (a one-legged mythical
animal) is carved on four
sides of the ding
a cooking utensil; a
sacrificial vessel (made to
commemorate the king’s
mother )
a high level of casting
technique and artistry of the
Shang Dynasty
夔（kui）：传说中国东
海上有一座“流破山”，
夔就居住在此山之上。
夔的身体和头象牛，但
是没有角，而且只有一
条腿，浑身青黑色。据
说夔放出如同日月般的
光芒和雷鸣般的叫声，
只要它出入水中，必定
会引起暴风。在黄帝和
蚩尤的战争中，黄帝捕
获了夔，用它的皮制作
军鼓，用它的骨头作为
鼓槌，结果击打这面鼓
的声响能够传遍方圆500
里，使黄帝军士气大振、
蚩尤军大骇。
清乾隆 青花夔龙盘
宋 铜夔龙双耳三足鼎
清 象牙夔龙立耳四足鼎
The Liangzhu Culture良渚
文化(3400~2250 BC) was the
last Neolithic jade culture in
the Yangtze River Delta.
Religion was of
considerable importance
and religious structures
were elaborate.
“Gold has a value; jade is
invaluable” is a Chinese
saying.
神人兽面纹玉琮
玉壁
钺
It represents the bronze art of the
Han Dynasty.
It combines aesthetics and
scientific technologies, decoration
and practicality.
It is shaped like a maid of honor on
her knees holding a lantern.
The lantern holder, base, cover and
even the maid’s head and arm can all
be re-assembled.
长信宫灯
The terracotta warriors
and horses were used as
burial objects to
accompany the First
Emperor in the
afterworld.
The army consists of
ife-size figures of
warriors, in different
battle dresses according
to rank and unit,
together with numerous
figures of horses and
chariots.
The Great Bell of Yongle
was regarded as a guardian
and a symbol of the greatest
dignity of the imperial power.
Emperor Chengzu initiated
three great projects, the
Forbidden City, the Temple of
the Heaven and the Yongle
Bell.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_co00XMTg0MDc5MTI=.html
The Mogao Grottoes (also
known as Thousand Buddha
Cave) are one of three noted
grottoes in China and also the
largest, best preserved and
richest treasure house of the
Buddhist art in the world.
They provide materials and
sources for a study of the ancient
Chinese.
They were put on the list of the
world cultural heritage in 1987.
Historical Writing
Historical Record (Shi Ji )
New Account of the Tales of the World
(Shishuoxinyu)
Annals of Zuo (Zuo Zhuan)
The Records of the Three Kingdoms (San Guo Zhi)
Intrigues of the Warring States (Zhan Guo Ce)
Shi Ji
By Sima Qian
the first Chinese book on general history ever
written in the biographical style
notable in terms of characterization
– setting the charaters in the historical backgrounds and
the dramatic conflicts
– use of individualized dialogues in its characterization
– use of comparison and contrast
– Being adept at language and rich in emotion
New Account of the Tales of the World
By Liu Yiqing
the biographical stories popular during the Wei,
Jin and the Southern and the Northern Dynasties
initiating the biographical style novel writing
(世说体 )
containing three volumes divided into 36
categories according to different subject matters
such as virtue, diction, government affair,
literature and generosity (德行、言语、政事、文
学、雅量 )
Annals of Zuo
By Zuo Qiuming
a commentary to the Spring-Autumn Annals-- the
first Chinese chronological history
Providing extensive narrative accounts, ample
background materials and authentic historical
documents and written evidence of the
philosophical schools of the time
San Guo Zhi
By Chen Shou
integrating the smaller histories of the rival
states of the Three Kingdoms into a single text
providing the basis for the more popular
historical novel the Romance of the Three
Kingdoms
part of the early four historiographies of the
Twenty-Four Histories
(Shi Ji, the History of the Han Dynasty, the History of Latter Han)
Intrigues of the Warring States
outlining the strategies and political views of
the School of Negotiation
revealing the historical and social
characteristics of the Warring States Period
recounting the history from the conquest of the
Fan clan by the Zhi clan in 490 BC up to the
failed assassination of the First Emperor by
Gao Jianli in 221 BC
Literature
Classical literature
the earliest period --- the late Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911)
Modern literature
the late Qing Dynasty --- 1949
Contemporary literature
since 1949
Classical Literature
 Classic of Ode (诗经)
I. the first poem collection
II. Feng, Ya, Song
III. Fu (narrative)
Bi (figuration simile and metaphor)
Xing (symbolization and contrast)

Four Books and Five Classics (四书五经)
I.

Four Books

II.

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the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Confucian
Analects and the Works of Mencius
compiled and annotated by Zhu Xi
Five Classics
the Book of Songs, Collections of Ancient Texts, the Rites, the
Book of Changes and the Spring and Autumn Annals
entitled during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty

I.
Collection of Yuefu Poetry
compiled during the Song Dynasty by Guo Mao
Qian
II. Yuefu was originally the official bureau in charge
of compiling music books, anthologizing songs
and ballads and training musicians.
III. containing the poetry from the Han Dynasty to
the Five Dynasties and the ballads from the Preqin period to the last phase of the Tang Dynasty

I.
Ci / Song Lyrics
akin to lyrics created for musical accompaniment as the
meter varied in the way that the words had to match the
rhythm of the music
II. According to its length, Ci can be divided into Xiao Ling
(less than 58 characters), Zhong Diao (59~90
characters), and Chang Diao (more than 91 characters).
III. Cipai is the name of the tonal pattern that designates
the rhythm and form of a verse,such as the Beautiful
Lady Yu, Buddha Dance, and Wine Spring (酒泉子).
IV. Ci has two main genres, Wanyue (graceful and mild)
and Haofang (bold and unconstrained).

I.
II.
Qu (Drama)
Qu had two forms, Sanqu and Yuanzaju.
Guan Hanqing, Wang Shifu, Bai Pu, Ma Zhiyuan
and Tang Xianzu
III. the Injustice Done to Dou E, the West Chamber,
Peony Pavilion (also entitled Annuals of Revival
还魂记 )
 Novel
I. the Outlaws of the Marsh
--- By Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong
II. the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
--- By Luo Guanzhong
III. Journey to the West
--- By Wu Cheng’en
IV. A Dream of the Red Mansion (the Story of the Stone, the
Twelve Beauties of Jinling)
--- By Cao Xueqin and the last 40 chapters by Gao E
V. Strange Tales of the Make-do Studio
--- By Pu Songling
the Outlaws of the Marsh
• It reveals the stories about the Liangshan uprisings
led by Song Jiang during which the rebellious
heroes executed justice on behalf of the Heavens
by killing the rich and helping the poor.
• The heroic legendary genre of fiction created by
the authors has had a great influence on the
development of this genre of fiction writing.
the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• It is the first traditional Chinese novel with separate
and self-contained chapters.
• It combines romanticism with realism.
• Guan Yu, “the incarnation of personal loyalty,”
Zhu Geliang, “the embodiment of wisdom”.
Journey to the West
• It depicts the pilgrimage journey of the Tang Monk
and his disciples, and tells how they went through
the 81 adversities on their journey.
• The most striking features of the book are its eerie
imagination and blatant exaggeration by which the
writer created a grotesque, gaudy, fanciful and
magical world which broke the boundary between
time and space, life and death, and humans and
deities.
A Dream of the Red Mansion
• It describes the rise and prosperity as well as the
decline and downfall, of the feudal lord familial
system represented by the Jia Family.
• It points out that all forms of high positions and
great wealth are nothing but an illusory dream
which is bound to end up in a “vast expanse of
empty and desolate wilderness”.
Strange Tales of the Make-do Studio
• The author expressed his dissatisfaction with
reality via the odd and imaginary world of ghosts
and fairy foxes.
• The author creates a large number of nonrealistic
artistic images such as the charming female
ghosts and fairy foxes.
Modern Literature
• Lu Xun, the harbinger and master of modern
literature, composed the Madman's Diary, The True
Story of Ah Q.
• Lao She was skillful in utilizing the Peking dialect.
Camel Xiangzi and the drama Tea House are his
masterpieces which reflect the helplessness of the
lower classes in the old China.
• Lin Yutang wrote many essays.
• Xu Zhimo, a much traveled lyric poet.
Other Masterpieces
• Thunderstorm, (1934) -- Written by Cao Yu
• Family, (1942) -- The four-act play, based on the
novel so the same name by great modern
Chinese writer Ba Jin
• Peking Man, (1941) -- Written by Cao Yu
Contemporary Literature
• Poems, essays, fiction and drama in a broad
spectrum of themes and in many forms are quite
popular.
• We now have a favorable turn on events and a great
number of responsible writers deepen the literary
forms and content. Nowadays literature prospers.
• Literary prizes such as the Lu Xun Prize, Mao Dun
Prize, …
masterpieces
• Cai Wenji (1959) -- Written by Guo Moruo
• Longxu Slum (1951) by Lao She in 1953, modern
drama
• Teahouse (Chaguan, 1957) -- Written by Lao She
The Performing Arts
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6.
Lion Dance
Nuo Dance (傩舞)
Shadow Shows
Acrobatics
Puppet
Quyi (story-telling, story-singing, and joketelling. )
• 7. Modern Chinese Drama
• ……
Chinese Martial Arts
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1. Shaolinquan Kong fu
2. Tai Ji
3. Tug-of-War
4. Chinese Chess
5. Stilt-walking (踩高跷 )
……
Beijing Opera
• Beijing opera has more than a 200-year history.
The main melodies originated from Xipi and
Erhuang, in Anhui and Hubei respectively, but over
time, the techniques from many other local operas
have been incorporated.
• The band of Beijing opera mainly consists of
orchestra and percussion.
• There are four main roles in Beijing opera: sheng,
dan, jing and chou.
Group presentation
Direction:
Please elaborate on one of the specific topic
listed in Chapter 4
Assignment
• 观看《揭秘中华古文化》和《中国文化精粹》相关
剧集，感性了解古代文物所传承的中华文明和内涵，
讨论和思考中国古代文学和表演艺术中所蕴涵的中
华文明的基本精神元素。