CUSP Center for University Studies and Programs
Course Title: Chinese Cultural Heritage:
From Ancient Virtues to Modern Visions
Class Website: http://uwch4.humanities.washington.edu/~WG/~188/
Instructor: Weizhi Gao, Ph.D.
Instructor Contact: (206) 696 -1148
weigao@u.washington.edu
Office Hours: T/TH 3:20 to 4:00 PM
By appointment
Office Hours location:
UW2 Common Grounds Café
Year: 2011
Quarter: Spring
BCUSP 188A; 10824
Credits: 5
Areas of Knowledge
VLPA/I & S
Time (T/Th) 1:15 to 3:15 PM
FRI: 1:15 to 3:30 PM
Movie Session1 at UW2 240
Course meets in room UW2 141
Course Description:
B CUSP 188 (UW Bothell) is a gateway to the traditional arts, cultures, and
history of countries of Asia. It emphasizes the interaction between culture and
geography, politics, economies, and social structures that shape, and are shaped
by cultural processes and products. Specific countries varies with the instructor
and quarter offered.
In the spring 2011 version we will survey the cultural, intellectual and literary
history of China from the introduction of Confucianism and Taoism in the
ancient "Central Kingdom" to the present, following a set of interconnected texts
in complex contexts. There are six sections in this course.
1. The Founding Philosophical Paradigm: Readings on Confucianism,
Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism will initiate a dynamic dialogue between
you and the founding fathers in ancient China;
2. Gardens & Guardians: Classics on Chinese gardens and taijiquan (tai chi)
will lead you closer to natural harmony; more important, we will infer the
underpinning philosophy in garden designs and martial arts.
3. Poetry & Paintings: in this section, students will be trained in engaging
poetic reasoning in addition to appreciating euphonious effect in a poem;
1
In case of a schedule conflict, DVDs are on course reserve so that you could
watch those movies at leisure.
Dr. Gao 2
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
moreover, we will explore some aesthetic principles shared in Chinese
poetry and paintings;
4. Revolutions & Revelations: a sample novella entitled Half of Man is
Woman (prose fiction) offers the tip of an iceberg in decoding the subtle
connections that shape Chinese culture;
5. Market Economy wrapped in a socialist garment: We will examine Deng
Xiaoping's famous redefinition of "Socialism with Chinese
characteristics" and its epoch-making significance;
6. From Ancient Virtues to Modern Vision: In this class, we will juxtapose
two films, Hero (by Zhang Yimou) vs. The Emperor and the Assassin (by
Chen Kaige) to reflect such concepts as the ancient virtues and modern
visions.
As the course unfolds, students are encouraged to form “interest groups” for
further explorations of the interplay between ancient virtues and modern visions.
To help understand Chinese culture, there is a movie session on each Friday
afternoon from 1:15 to 3:30 pm. Great films include Hero, The Emperor and
the Assassin, Confucius, Red Cliff, Mulan, The Last Emperor, The Soong Sisters,
The Painted Veil, The Founding of a Republic, and Getting Home. In case of a
schedule conflict on Fridays, these movies will also be available on course
reserve so that students can enjoy watching them at their convenience.
Course Learning Goals:
Awaken senses to the subtle beauty in nature and artistic power of simplicity and
unadorned naturalness.
Better the ability to interpret Chinese art, noting especially its stress on
harmonious relations to nature & its consistent opposition to tyranny both at
home and abroad.
Create an intellectually stimulating & culturally interesting learning community.
Develop critical insight into the relationship between Chinese culture and its
historical, political, and social context in which it develops.
Required Texts, media, and e-reserves:
Dr. Gao 3
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. 2nd Ed.
New York: The Free Press, 1993. ISBN: 0-02-908752-X.
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley & Anne Walthall, James B. Palais. East Asia: A
Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company, 2006. ISBN-10: 0618133844 ISBN-13: 9780618133840
Zhang Xianliang. Half of Man is Woman. Trans. Martha Avery.
New York: W.W. Norton, ISBN: 978-0-393-33296-4.
Films on Reserve
Confucius, directed by Hu Mei, 2010;
Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, 2002;
The Emperor and the Assassin, directed by Chen Kaige, 1998;
Red Cliff, directed by John Wu, Part 1, 2008; Part 2, 2009;
Mulan, directed by Ma Jingle, 2009;
The Soong Sisters, directed by Mabel Cheung, 1997;
The last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci,1987;
The Painted Veil, directed by John Curran, 2006;
The Founding of a Republic, directed by Huang Jianxin &
Han Sanping, 2009;
10. Getting Home, directed by Zhang Yang, 2007;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Readings online:
Note it is students’ responsibility to download the required readings for
discussions and in-class writings. Copies of assigned reading must be printed
out and brought to class. http://uwch-4.humanities.washington.edu/~WG/~188/.
If you download all the required readings online in sequence, you can have a
course reader bound by a professional copy center.
Grading Criteria & Means of Assessment:
There will be weekly quizzes on the readings, worksheets, knowledge tests, a
mid-term exam, an essay (5 to7 pages), argumentative or research combined, on
a topic of your interest, and group presentations. Some exercises will be done in
class, with all work checked and reviewed by another class member. Both the
reviewer and reviewee will need to sign off on these exercises. On-time
submission of your homework is strongly encouraged and strictly enforced.
Late assignments won’t receive full credit. Most importantly, homework must
Dr. Gao 4
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
be done independently. Please don’t copy others’ work and don’t let others copy
your work.
For UWB grading policies and procedures, see
http://depts.washington.edu/grading/
Worksheets/Quizzes/Knowledge Tests/In-class Writings
Mid-Term Exam
Essay Writing
Collegial Engagement
Group Presentation
Participation /Attendance 2
40%
15%
20%
10%
5%
10%
1.6
0.6
0.8
0.4
0.2
0.4
4.0
Writing Format and Style
All written work for this class must be:
-Typed double- spaced;
-Formatted with one-inch margins;
-In standard twelve-point font (Times New Roman);
-In MLA Style http://www.uwb.edu/writingcenter/resources/citingsources
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias








The American Heritage Dictionary
http://www.nciku.com/ for translation
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4.html
Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
the Oxford English Dictionary, Online via My UW
the Oxford Thesaurus, Online via My UW
Encyclopedias, & Gale Virtual Reference, Online via My UW
Chinese Pinyin
For reference, please download a copy of Chinese pinyin at
2
Since your attendance serves as the basis for your active participation, you
need to check in for each meeting. If you leave earlier, it is not counted as full
attendance unless you have made some arrangement with me in advance.
Dr. Gao 5
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
http://karikas.com/chinese/
Resources for Chinese Studies
http://depts.washington.edu/asianll/
http://jsis.washington.edu/
http://depts.washington.edu/complit/
CUSP Learning Goals (http://www.uwb.edu/cusp/learninggoals):





Critical and Creative Inquiry
Communication
Quantitative and Qualitative Literacy
Inclusive Practices
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Discovery Core Sequence:
The DC Sequence includes a DC I in the Fall, a DC II in the Winter, and a DC
III in the spring. Each course emphasizes student creativity and analysis,
interdisciplinarity, integrated learning, undergraduate research skills, and selfreflection. The sequence is capped by the spring DC III course in which you
create a Portfolio that is both reflective and projective, looking back at what you
have learned and ahead to the directions you’d like to explore. Read more about
the Discovery Core and Advising issues at
http://www.uwb.edu/cusp/courses/the-discovery-core.
PLEASE KEEP MATERIAL FROM ALL OF YOUR COURSES archived on the
Catalyst/Google site in order to have access to them for your Spring DCIII
Portfolio project. http://www.washington.edu/lst/news/2010/catalyst-eportfolio
Attendance Policy:
Since participation is vital for a successful experience, please arrive on time for
class. For each class, you need to check in with your initials on the attendance
sheet. Late arrivals interrupt our in-progress activities and discussions. If you
must miss a class session, let the instructor know as soon as possible so that you
can make up the work that you miss.
Technology in the Classroom:
Dr. Gao 6
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Since technology is profoundly linked to education, there will be many times
when I ask that you employ different tools in the gathering and expression of
knowledge. Since, however, education is also more than technology, please turn
off all laptops, cell phones, iPods, etc. before the start of class and I will let you
know when we’ll make use of them.
Incompletes:
University rules state that “an incomplete is given only when the student has
been in attendance and has done satisfactory work until within two weeks at the
end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the
work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the
student’s control.” We strongly discourage incompletes.
Academic integrity:
See http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/academicconduct for crucial
information regarding academic integrity. The library also has an extremely
useful website with resources at http://libguides.uwb.edu/ai. You are
responsible for knowing what constitutes a violation of the University of
Washington Student Code, and you will be held responsible for any such
violations whether they were intentional or not. Plagiarism is one of the most
common violations of academic integrity, so please pay attention to both the
web information and when your instructor explains all of this in class.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
If you believe that you have a disability and would like academic
accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services at 425.352.5307,
425.352.5303 TDD, 425.352.5455 FAX, or at dss@uwb.edu.
http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/dss
H1N1 and Other Communicable Diseases Action Steps:
As part of the campus community’s shared responsibility for minimizing the
possible spread of H1N1 virus and other diseases this year, it is critical that all
students are familiar with the symptoms of H1N1 Flu described on the UW
Bothell website at http://www.uwb.edu/flu. Any student or instructor with flulike symptoms is encouraged to stay at home until at least 24 hours after they no
longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. If you are
sick and have an extended absence, please speak with me regarding alternative
Dr. Gao 7
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
ways to maintain your progress in your courses. If I am sick and need to cancel
class, I will post an announcement on Blackboard.
Inclement Weather:
Please check if the campus may be closed due to weather. Information about
suspension of operations will be made public and available through the media.
Students can learn of campus operations status from the website or by calling
the Campus Information Hotline 425.352.3333. You may also sign up with an
alert system that will contact you via email or text message if classes are
canceled. For more information on the alert process, please see
http://www.uwb.edu/alert. Class activities will be rescheduled as needed.
Student Support Services:
Library: http://library.uwb.edu/ 425-352-5340
Writing Center: www.uwb.edu/WritingCenter/ 425-352-5253
Quantitative Skills Center: http://www.uwb.edu/qsc 425-352-3170
Student Success and Career Services:
http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/success-services 425-352-3776
Student Counseling Services: http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/counseling
425-352-3183
Dr. Gao 8
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
B CUSP 188 Daily Planners (Subject to Change)
http://uwch-4.humanities.washington.edu/~WG/~188/
Homework due/Tests marked in boldface3
Week
Date
03/29
1
03/31
Homework Due/
Class Activities
Student Survey/ Overture
Paleolithic Age: significance of
tool making and use of fire
Neolithic Age: domestication of
animals and grain/pottery
Ancient Sage Kings
(Yao/Shun/Yu): how to tame the
Yellow River
Xia/Shang Dynasties
Bronze Age/Military Supremacy
Writing (Oracle Bones)
Forming interest groups
Group Presentation sign up
(I will be in a meeting)
Movie of the Week (1): The
Emperor & the Assassin
04/01
Movie of the Week (2)
Homework
Buy Books/Get Ready
Ebrey: Prehistory (3-9)
Ebrey: Chapter 1
CR1 “Canon of Yao”
Sourcebook 2: “The
Metal Bound Box” (6-7)
Worksheet 1
CR2 Intro to Shijing
CR3 “Encouraging
Learning” by Xunzi
(Recommended)
Ebrey: Chapter 2
Sourcebook 6:
Confucian Teachings
(17-26)
Worksheet 2
Hero
Regarding reading assignments, there are mainly three sources: 1. Ebrey’s
main textbook; 2. Ebrey’s Sourcebook; 3. CR refers to the Course Reader
online. Late assignments won’t receive full credit. To prevent failure, please
submit your homework on time.
3
Dr. Gao 9
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Week
Date
04/05
2
04/07
04/08
Homework Due/
Class Activities
Red Pen on Worksheet 1
Western Zhou Dynasty
Spring & Autumn Period
Guan Zhong Reform
Fu/Bi/Xing in Shi jing
The Warring States Period
Sun Bin vs. Pang Juan
Confucianism
Xun Zi vs. Mencius
on human nature
Quiz 1
Group presentation 1 on Hero
& The Emperor and the Assassin
Rise of Qin/
Shang Yang Reform/
Lü Buwei/The First Emperor
Unification in writing &
its significance
Book Burning
Confucianism vs. Legalism
Red Pen on Worksheet 2
Quiz 2
Movie of the Week (3)
Homework
Sourcebook 8 on
Legalist Teachings (3237)
Sourcebook 7 Daoist
teachings (27-31)
CR5 Zhuangzi
Worksheet 2
CR4 Intro to Chuci
CR6 The Fisherman
Worksheet 3
Confucius
Dr. Gao 10
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Week
3
Date
Homework Due/
Class Activities
04/12 Group Prensentation 2 on
Warring States Period
Qu Yuan & Chuci
Emperor Wu of Han &
Dongfang Shuo
Xiongnu & interracial
(political) marriage
The Han Synthesis: Dong
Zhongshu
04/14 Group Presentation 3 on Qin/
Han Synthesis & Dong
Zhongshu/Liu Bang vs. Xiang
Yu
Sima Qian and Shiji or The
Records of the Grand Historian
Monopoly on Salt and Iron
04/15
Han Fu/ Sima Xiangru
The Silk Road
Red Pen on Worksheet 3
Quiz 3
Movie of the Week (4)
Homework
Ebrey: Chapter 3
CR7 Faults of Qin
(optional)
CR8 Xiang Yu vs. Liu
Bang
Sourcebook 13 (57-59)
Sourcebook 14 Debate on
Salt and Iron (60-63)
Worksheet 3
CR9 Han Fu
Worksheet 4
Red Cliff 1
Dr. Gao 11
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Week
4
Date
Homework Due/
Homework
Class Activities
04/19 Group presentation 4 on
Ebrey: Chapter 4
CR10 The Art of War
Battle of Guandu vs. Battle at
Worksheet 4
Red Cliff
Romance of The Three Kingdoms
Three Caos (Cao Cao/Cao
Zhi/Cao Pei)
Seven Sages of the Bamboo
Grove
04/21 The Southern & Northern
dynasties: Emperor Wu of Liang
Four Xiaos
Wenxuan or Selections of
Refined Literature
Tao Yuanming & Xie Lingyun
Red Pen on Worksheet 4
Quiz 4
04/22
Movie of the Week (4)
04/26 Group Presentation 5 on
5
Sui/Tang Dynasties
Sui Unification
The Imperial Examinations
The Grand Canal
The Tang Dynasty
Empress Wu & Judge Di Renjie
(Chinese Sherlock Holms)
04/28 Xuanzong of Tang
The An-Shi Rebellion
Tang Poetry & Painting
Red Pen on Worksheet 5
Quiz 5
04/29
Movie of the Week (5)
Sourcebook 24 (109-111)
CR11 Mulanci
CR12 Intro to Wenxuan
(optional)
CR13 Preface to “The
Orchid Pavilion Poems”
Ebrey: Chapter 5
Worksheet 5
Red Cliff 2
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part III
Worksheet 5
Ebrey: Chapter 8
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part IV
Worksheet 6
Mulan
Dr. Gao 12
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Week
6
Date
Homework Due/
Class Activities
05/03 Group Presentation 6 on Song
The Song Dynasty
Songci Poetry
05/05 Liao/Xia/Jin
The Yuan Dynasty
Red Pen on Worksheet 6
Quiz 6
05/06
Movie of the Week (6)
05/10 Group Presentation 7 on
Chinese martial arts/gardens
7
Ming Dynasty
Chinese Gardens
05/12 Qing Dynasty
Kingxi/Qianlong
Siku Quanshu
Red Pen on Worksheet 7
(Quiz 7) Mid-Term Exam
5/13
Movie of the Week (7)
05/17 Group Presentation 8 on
Opium Wars
8
Western Imperialism
Status of Hong Kong
05/19 Meiji Transformation in Japan
5/20
Red Pen on Worksheet 8
Quiz 8
Movie of the Week (8)
Homework
Ebrey: Chapter 8
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part IV
Worksheet 6
Ebrey: 226-234
Ebrey: Chapter 12
Ebrey: Chapter 14
Worksheet 7
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part V
The Last Emperor
Ebrey: Chapter 16
CR14: Cheng Congzhou
on Chinese Gardens
CR15: Wang Zongyue:
Taijiquan Treatise online
Worksheet 7
Ebrey: 365-374
Ebrey: Chapter 19
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part VI
Worksheet 8
The Song Sisters
Ebrey: Chapter 21
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part VII
Ebrey: Chapter 23
Worksheet 9
The Painted Veil
Dr. Gao 13
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011
Week
9
Date
Homework Due/
Class Activities
05/24 Group Presentation 9
War and Revolution: Role of the
National Party (1905-1949)
05/26 War & Revolution: Role of
Communist Party (1921-1949)
Red Pen on Worksheet 9
Quiz 9
05/27
10
Movie of the Week (9)
05/31 Group Presentation 10 on
China under Mao (1949-1976)/
Taiwan & Hong Kong
Homework
Ebrey: Chapter 21 & 26
Ebrey: Chapter 28
Ebrey Sourcebook
Selected Readings on
Sourcebook Part VIII
Half of Man is Woman
Worksheet 10
The Founding of a
Republic
Half of Man is Woman
06/02 China since Mao
Ebrey: Chapter 29
Socialism wrapped in a new
Ebrey: 619-624
garment
Hu Jintao: A Scientific Vision
Red Pen on Worksheet 10
Quiz 10
06/03
Movie of the Week (10)
Getting Home
06/07 Group Presentation 11
11
Taiwan 228 Incident (1947) vs. Essay
Tiananmen Incident in 1989
Half of Man is Woman
Group Presentation 12
China since Mao
06/09 Half of Man is Woman
Essay due
Dr. Gao 14
B CUSP 188 Syllabus/Spring 2011