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EALC145g: Introduction to Chinese Culture, Art and Literature (4 units)
Tues. Thurs. 2-3.20 p.m. THH 301
Instructor: Professor Dominic Cheung
Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Office hrs: Tuesday 3.20-5.20 pm, THH356T and by appointments
Teaching Assistants:
1. Jingyu Xue, jingyuxu@usc.edu
2. Di Luo, dluo@usc.edu
3. Wei Xiao, xiaowei@usc.edu
Information on TAs’ locations and walk-in office hours will be announced and
posted.
Course description:
This course provides a historical introduction to the culture, art and literature of
pre-modern China through the lens of the cultural products of identity. We examine
the artistic and cultural developments from the beginning of the proto-historical
Bronze Age onto the Empires of Qin and Han, the Imperial States of Tang, Song,
Yuan, Ming and Qing in an attempt to see how cultural identities are simultaneously
created and expressed through varied artistic mediums (bronze, sculpture, porcelain,
paintings…etc) and literary genres of these periods. Coupling with the study of visual,
cultural, and literary texts under the three major topics of 1/ The Discovery of the Self,
2/ Illusion of the Self in relations to Nature and Religion, 3/ Towards the Harmony of
Self and Nature, especial attentions will be paid to the quest of the self and human
harmony with the universe and the other, the function of art and literature in religious,
philosophical, social and aesthetic discourse, conception of nature in art, literature,
and in visual and material cultures.
Required texts:
Chang, K.C. Art, Myth, and Ritual: The Path to Political Authority in Ancient China,
(abbreviated as AMR) Cambridge: Harvard University, 1983.
Sullivan, Michael, The Arts of China (abbreviated as AOC), 5th edition, 2008.
Course Reader (CR), available at “Magic Machine” University Graphics (University
Village, 3309 S. Hoover).
Requirements:
10% Class participation, attendance, quizzes and reading assignments
30 % Midterm examination (multiple choices, fill-in blanks and short answers)
15 % First short term-paper (5-7 pages)
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15 % Second short term-paper (7-10 pages)
30 % Final examination (multiple choices, short answers, and a short essay question,
bring a blue book)
Explanations: Two short term-papers (2 x 15% towards the total grade), typed,
double-spaced ; a midterm examination and a final examination, each counted for
30% towards the final grade with an additional 10% for classroom participation (quiz
and regular attendance, students are expected to attend all class lectures, evidence of
studying assigned readings, and class discussions.) Paper topics can be selected
through consultation with the instructor or in reference to the topic suggestions. Late
submission of papers will be penalized by a deduction of one percentage point per day
of lateness from the grade of the paper. There is no makeup examination except for
students who submit an authentic medical proof. Likewise, those who fail to attend
one-third of the semester class sessions will receive a failing grade.
PLEASE NOTE; Failure to attend lecture and discussion sections will be taken very
seriously. One unexcused absence will be tolerated, but further unexcused absences
will affect the “class participation” portion of the student’s grade (not the overall
grade) as follows:
2 absences: 1 letter grade deduction
3 absences: 2 letter grades deduction
5 or more: automatic “F”
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:
Students who need to request accommodations based on a disability are required to
register each semester with the Disability Services and Programs office (Student
Union, Room 301). In addition, a letter of verification to the course instructor, from
the Disability Services and Programs office is needed for the semester in which you
are enrolled for this course. If you have questions concerning this procedure, please
contact both the instructor of the course, and the Disability Services and Programs
office at 213-740-0776.
Syllabus
Week 1: January 11, 13
Introduction
Maps and Chronology
Reading: From AOC (The Arts of China)
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Map (page after Table of Contents)
Chronological Table of Dynasties (only major Dynasties)
See also handouts for simplified chronology and provincial map.
Week 2 January 18, 20
Part I: The Beginning of Chinese Civilization and the Discovery of the Self
The Early Bronze Age: The “Three Dynasties”
Reading: AMR (Art, Myth and Ritual) Chapter 1 “Clans, Towns, and the Political
Landscape”, 9-32.
Week 3 January 25, 27
Quiz on map and chronology
The Early Bronze Age (continued)
Reading: AMR, chapter 2 “Moral Authority and Coercive Power”, 33-43.
Reading. AOC, chapter 2 “The Early Bronze Age: Shang and Western Zhou” 15-43.
Week 4 February, 1,3
The Late Bronze Age and Political Authority (Bronze Age Power-point)
Reading: AMR, chapter 6 “Access to the Path” 95-106.
Reading: AMR, chapter 7 “The Rise of Political Authority” 107-129.
Week 5 February 8,10
Reading: AOC, chapter 3, “Eastern Zhou and the Period of the Warring States" 45-63.
Week 6
February15 17
Mid-term examination (Thursday, February17)
The First Unification and the Great Wall
Reading :AOC, Chapter 4 "The Qin and Han Dynasties" 65-96.
[Course Reader]: Ancient Tales, “The Serpent Sacrifice”, “The Sword Maker” 24-27,
“Prince Tan of Yen”30-41, “The Biography of Bo Yi and Shu Qi”142-145,
From “Biographies of the Assassins”: “Yu Jang” 18-20；Nie Zheng”
152-154.
Week 7
February 22,24
Terra-cotta Warriors and the Lishan Underground Tomb
DVD The First Emperor—China’s Terracotta Army (The British Museum Press,
2007)
[Course Reader]: Terra cotta and “A Magic Army for the Emperor”, Lothar
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Ledderose, Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art,
68-73.
Film Hero, (2004)
Week 8 March 1,3 (1st term-paper due, March 3th)
Part II: The Illusion of the Self (momento mori, carpe diem)
[Course Reader]: Chuang Tzu “ The Secret of Caring for Life” 46-49
Daoism, The Birth of Aesthetics, Calligraphy, The Birth of Landscape and
Figure Paintings.
Reading: AOC Chapter 5, "The Three Kingdoms and the Six Dynasties, 99-110
Yungang, Longmen, and Dunhuang cave chapels (power-point)
Reading: [Course Reader]: “The Introduction of Buddhism”, Wm. de Bary, Sources of
Chinese Tradition, 415-420
Reading: AOC Chapter 5, "Buddhism and Buddhist Art", 110-124.
Week 9 March 8,10
Tang Buddhist sculpture in Longmen, Buddhist paintings, court paintings
Reading: AOC Chapter 6, "Sui-Tang Dyansties" 131-151
Reflections of the Mundane Self and Nature in Chinese Painting：(Tang and Late
Tang) Power-point
[Course Reader]: “Governor of the Southern Tributary State”56-69, “The Spendthrift
and the Alchemist”136-143.
Longmen Caves (Fengxian Temple only, Power-point), Mogao Caves in
Dunhuang (Cave 45 only, Power-point)
Spring Break March 14-19
Week 10 March 22, 24
Part III: Towards Harmony of the Self and Nature
[Course Reader]: “Ren the Fox Fairy” 13-25, “Story of a Singsong Girl”,
“Wushuang the Peerless” from Tang Romances, 70-96.
Week 12 (2nd term-paper due April 2) March 29, 31
Landscape and Court Culture in Chinese Painting (Song) Power-point
Reading: AOC Chapter 7 "The Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty" 163-166.
Sculpture 168-172
Paintings: Court painting 173-175
Landscape paintings and Masters 175-185
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Song Huizong and the Academy, Birds and Flower painting 186-188.
Week 13 April 5, 7
Reflections of Self and Nature in Chinese Art and Painting：(Yuan and Ming,
Late Ming and Qing) Power-point
Reading:
AOC Chapter 8: "The Yuan Dynasty" 207-208
Art under the Mongols 211-225
AOC Chapter 9: "The Ming Dynasty" 227-231
Painting of the Literati, 235-239
Dong Qichang and the North and South Schools 241-244.
Week 14 April 12,14；Week 15 April 19, 21,
Material culture: Ceramics and porcelain, Yue wares (Celadon wares,
Introduction to Chinese Porcelain Power-points)
Ceramics and Porcelain (Song, Yuan, Ming) Power-point
Reading: AOC: Introduction to Chinese ceramics and porcelain
Han ceramics 96-97
Six Dynasties 127-129
Sui and Tang Dynasties 153-161
Song ceramics: Northern wares 196-201, Southern wares 201-205
Yuan porcelain 224-225
Ming ceramics 251-255
Qing wares of the Kangxi, Yong Zheng, Qiang Long periods 277-282.
[Course Reader]: Lothar Ledderose “Export Porcelain”—The Geldermalsen. 88-97.
[Course Reader]: “The Rise of Tea Drinking in China”, from John Kieschnick, The
Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture, Princeton University Press, 2003,
262-275.
Excerpts from Dream of the Red Chamber, chapter 41 “Jia Bao-yu tastes some
superior tea at Green Bower Hermitage….” 304-316.
Week 16 April 26, 28
Review week
FINAL EXAM：Thursday May 5th, 2-4 p.m. in the lecture classroom (bring blue
book).
The University has a strict policy against deviating from this exam scheduling (for details see
http://www.usc.edu/academics/classes/term_20063/finals.html).
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EALC145: Paper topic suggestions
1. From “Imagined Communities” to “Real Kingdoms”---The formation and
development of the clans and community in the Bronze Age. Trace and discuss.
2. Discuss the importance of lineage formation of the Three Dynasties in the Bronze
Age.
3. Discuss the First Emperor of Qin and his Empire. Comment on Zhang Yimou’s
film “Hero”.
4. Discuss the characteristics of “assassins” in the tales and biographies of “Yu Jang”,
“Princes Tan of Yen”, and “Nie Zheng”. Compare and contrast.
5. Discuss Buddhism and Buddhist characteristics in the cave chapels of Yungang,
Longmen, and Dunhuang?
6. Discuss “life as a dream” in the tales of “Governor of the Southern Tributary
State”, “The Spendthrift and the Alchemist”.
7. Discuss the theme of “love” in Tang romances---“Ren the Fox Fairy”, “Story of a
Singsong Girl” and “Wushuang the Peerless”.
8. Trace the development of “portraiture” paintings in Late Tang and the discovery
of nature in Song paintings. Compare and contrast.
9. Discuss the characteristics of “literati” paintings in Yuan and Ming. How does the
“re-discovery of the self” reflect in contrast to the “concealed self ” in Song
landscape paintings?
10. Discuss the development of the ceramics and porcelain from Tang to Ming
Dynasty.
11. Discuss tea drinking and tea utensils in excerpts from the Dream of the Red
Chamber [from Course Reader].
12. Trace the significance and development of “export porcelain” from China to the
West. Discuss the application of Ledderose’s “module system” to these
porcelains such as the “Nanking Cargo”.
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References:
Benn, Charles. China’s Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty, Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2002.
Cahill, James. Chinese Painting. Rizzoli, 1977.
---------, Fantastics and Eccentrics in Chinese Painting, The Asia Society, Inc. 1967.
Clunas, Craig. Fruitful Sites: Garden Culture in Ming Dynasty China, Reaktion
Books, 1996.
-------------. Art in China, Oxford U. Press, 1997.
-------------. Superfluous Things, Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern
China, U. of Hawaii Press, 1991.
-------------, Elegant Debts, The Social Art of Wen Zhengming, Reaktion, 2004.
Edwards, Richard. The Art of Wen Cheng-ming (1470-1559), The U. of Michigan
Museum of Art, 1976.
Ebrey, Patricia., ed. Chinese Civilization, The Free Press, 1993.
---------------, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Cambridge U. Press, 1996.
Ecke, Tseng Yu-ho, Wen-Jen Hua: Chinese Literati Painting from the Collection of
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Hutchinson, Honolulu Academy of Arts, 1988.
Falkerhausen von, Lothar. Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250
BC)--The Archaeological Evidence, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA,
2006.
Frazer, Sarah. Performing the Visual, The Practice of Buddhist Wall Painting in
China and Central Asia, 618-960, Stanford U. Press, 2004.
John Kieschnick, The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture, Princeton
University Press, 2003.
Kerr, Rose. Song Dynasty Ceramics, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2004.
Ledderose, Lothar. Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese
Art, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Liang, Ssu-ch'eng, Chinese Architecture, A Pictorial History, Dover, 1984.
Murck, Alfreda. The Subtle Art of Dissent: Poetry and Painting in Song China,
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Style in the East Asian Tradition:
Colloguies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 14, U. of London, 1987.
Rowley, George. Principles of Chinese Painting, revised ed. Princeton UP, 1970.
Schafer, Edward H. The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of Tang Exotics,
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
Silbergeld, Jerome. Chinese Painting Style, U. of Washington Press, 1982.
Thorp, Robert & Richard Vinograd, Chinese Art and Culture, (abbreviated as CAC)
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New York: Abrams, 1999.
Wang, Eugene. Shaping the Lotus Sutra: Buddhist Visual Culture in Medieval China,
U. of Washington Press, 2005.
Whitfield, Roderick. In Pursuit of Antiquity, Princeton U. 1969.
------ ed. The Problem of Meaning in Early Chinese Ritual Bronzes, U. of London,
1993.
Yang, Xiaoneng. Reflections of Early China, Decor, Pictographs, and Pictorial
Inscriptions, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2000.
Yang, Barnhart, Nie, Cahill, Lang, Wu. Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting,
Yale U. Press, 1997.