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ASN 209: The Golden Age of Chinese Culture
Introduction
Questions and Issues
What does the “golden age” mean and in what context did this golden age emerge?
• What time period does this “golden age” refer to?• Does the period represent a complete change of earlier tradition?• What new ideas and systems distinguish this period from other period?
To what extent did China change during this period?
What impacts did this period make on China in later times?
Does the reference to China as “unchanged monolith” or “ever changing chameleon” remain valid?
What does the What does the “golden age” have “golden age” have to do with China to do with China today? today? “ “globalization” globalization” ““internationalization”internationalization” ““cosmopolitanism”cosmopolitanism”
Relearn Chinese Relearn Chinese history and culture history and culture as everyoneas everyone’’s history s history and culture?and culture?
Elite’s understanding and Elite’s understanding and interpretation of China’s interpretation of China’s past is often idiosyncratic, past is often idiosyncratic, idealized, and skew, e.g.,idealized, and skew, e.g.,– China was/is primarily a China was/is primarily a
Confucian stateConfucian state– Mao’s China was an Mao’s China was an
exemplary stateexemplary state– China’s growth threatens China’s growth threatens
the West: the “China the West: the “China Threat” theoryThreat” theory
The Great Tradition vs. The Great Tradition vs. the Little Traditionthe Little Tradition
China cannot be perceived or understood in specific terms, be political, social, economic, intellectual, geographical, environmental…
These aspects of culture never existed and evolved separately
Problems of compartmentalization
Macro history Macro history and micro and micro history: history: seeing and seeing and
thinking of China thinking of China globally and globally and holistically, while holistically, while considering it considering it singularly and singularly and exceptionally?exceptionally?
Historical and Cultural Changes
Changes and developments in different aspects of cultures did not necessarily synchronize
simple, linear, or simple, linear, or uniform uniform developments did not developments did not occur in China occur in China – due to the large size due to the large size
of the land and the of the land and the diversity of peoplediversity of people
– often, some places often, some places developed faster and developed faster and others took time to others took time to catch upcatch up
Problems of Historical Problems of Historical AccountsAccounts
““Official history” is often Official history” is often questionable because it questionable because it does not always tell truthdoes not always tell truth
“ “Official historians” were Official historians” were unable to adhere to the unable to adhere to the principle of impartiality principle of impartiality and were often biasedand were often biased
powerful officials and powerful officials and rulers often tampered with rulers often tampered with official historical accounts official historical accounts
Other Issues concerning traditional/modern China
The development of science and technology
Authoritarianism vs. democracy
Capitalism/modernization vs. socialism/traditionalism
Globalization and environmental damages
Soft power vs. hard power
Nativism vs. globalism
Peace-loving or imperialistic/violent?
Unification and division
A nation or a culture?
Myths and stereotypes Women, martial
arts, qigong, communists, ….
Some Characteristics of Traditional/Modern China
Relearning Chinese culture has to unlearn previous views that were based on these simple, bipolar viewpoints, perspectives, and dichotomies: Yin/yang Division/unification (fen/he) High point/low point; strong period/weak period
(sheng/shuai) Domestic/foreign; internal/external (nei/wai)
Self/others; Self/others; center/periphery; center/periphery; China/barbarian (China/barbarian (hua/yihua/yi))
South/north (South/north (nan/beinan/bei)) civil/military; civil/military;
lettered/martial lettered/martial ((wen/wuwen/wu))
Family/nation (Family/nation (jia/guojia/guo)) Black/white; good/evil Black/white; good/evil
((hei/bai;shan/e;hao/huaihei/bai;shan/e;hao/huai))
Superior/inferior man Superior/inferior man ((junzi/xiaorenjunzi/xiaoren))
Common Knowledge:North and South
The Yellow River basinThe Yellow River basin—the cradle of Chinese —the cradle of Chinese civilizationcivilization
Huai River and Huai River and Qinling----the Qinling----the geographical dividing geographical dividing line of North and Southline of North and South
The Yangzi River—The Yangzi River—boundary separates boundary separates Northern and Southern Northern and Southern cultureculture
The entire history of China is a history of “shifting balance” from the North to the South of the following developments: Politics Economy Culture Population Religions …
This shift was often due to occurrence of political division, which came with expansion and diversification of the Chinese cultural sphere, particularly in the SouthGeographical redefinitionEmergence of a new social eliteAppearance of new military class and
institutionsSeparation of Imperial government from
people and societyRise of major religions
Geographic Redefinition: significant southward migration; full-scale
colonization and settling of the Yangzi valley; Incorporation of the recently filled-up land
into the realm now known as “China proper” Extension of China’s knowledge of “others”
(outside world) and reflection on China’s new “self”
Occupation and use of unclaimed land as well as creation of new social spaces
New EliteNot distinguished by their material wealth
as previous eliteRecognized by a wide range of cultural
and literary activities and cultivations: Versification, calligraphy, philosophical
conversation, distinctive costume, refined bearing (manner), scholarship, writing talent
The rise of new elite eventually led to the change of Chinese political structure, or structure of Chinese dynasties
Military ClassFirst group: Hereditary military
households established large population armies and institutions
Second group: Non-Chinese horsemen in and beyond border areas
Third group: Local strong men and private armies in mountains in both North and South
imperial governments
Non-Chinese (alien) powers ruled Northern China with their own imperial governments
Rampant political and military struggles devastated both Northern and Southern courts
Reunification effort resulted in wars between North and South
New Religions
Old cults: Ancestor worship Animism
New religions: Daoism Buddhism
New religions created new social spaces by building temples and shrines, changing China’s landscape by exploiting natural environment
Jiangnan—South of the YangziContinuous migration made Jiangnan a major
center of Chinese culture. Large migration occurred in the beginning of the 4th
century Migration continued throughout the next few
centuries Southern cities changed their status, no longer
regarded as “periphery”, but rather “center”
Problems in the NorthAgricultural problems were among the
reasons why migration took place Difficulties of irrigation due to: 1) floods caused by
late summer rainfall and 2) water-logging caused by silting
Droughts due to scarcity of rainfall in other months
Floods, soil salinization, locusts, and droughts reduced productivity of grains and caused famine
The northern dry-land produced limited grains: wheat, millet, sorghum, soybeans
The southern wet-land produced sufficient rice and many other commercial crops
Problems in the South: excessive rainfall
Water controlGreat landloards, not state, took
responsibility for agriculture and water control
Belief in the state’s monopoly of water control, including drainage and irrigation, led to the theory of “hydraulic monopoly,” “centralized bureaucracy,” “Asiatic mode of production,” and “Oriental Despotism.” Karl Wittfogel (1896-1968) Anti-democracy
Effects of Population Shift
Economic— Rice became major food Population of farmers grew Rice cultivation and transplantation
techniques and technology developed Improvement of water-based transportation
network to spread and trade increased production of rice
Cultural— New literary culture emerged Literati’s attention shifted from the center
(capital) to the periphery (marginal regions) Regional cities and villages gained attraction The rise of local networks and regional interests lyric verses overshadowed epideictic rhapsody
• Topic no longer focused on imperial parks, capitals, palaces, and rituals,
• New topics: banquets, parting, landscapes, wine, music,personal feelings, excursions, which reflected and defined the social life of the literati
Cao Zhi (192-232) Known for composing a
“Seven-pace Poem” Boil beans to make a soup; Strain lentils for the stock, Stalks burn beneath the pot While beans shed tears within. Originally from a common root, Why such haste to burn the
other?
煮豆持作羹,漉菽以为汁。萁在釜下燃,豆在釜中泣。本自同根生,相煎何太急。
Poem to Plead for Pardon
Portrayal of Cao Zhi by Gu Kaizhi (ca. 443-405)
Changes of Literati’s LifeThe Jiangnan elite dedicated their times to “pure
conversations” (qing tan) Topics included: verse, music, calligraphy, critique of
people, eremitism, They wrote poetry describing landscapes, nature, and
feelings about city and life from the point of view of ordinary people and women
They became interested in writing about regional landscapes, geographies, nature, history, and tales associated with specific regions, shifting their focus from capita to smaller cities and villages
artists painting nature and figures rose to prominence
New themes in Lyric Verse/prose
Focused on City life and rural lifeDepicted love, parting, loneliness of abandoned
women, despair, sorrow, isolation, transience of worldly pleasure and glory, fleeting time, and brevity of life
Anthology of “pure conversation”—New Account of Tales of the World (Shishuo xinyu)
Mountain record—Record of Dwelling in Famous Mountain (Ju ming shan zhi)
Calligraphy of Wang Xizhi (303-361)
New Geography and New Life
Sacred geography gained prominence because of the rise of Buddhism and Daoism
Buddhist monasteries, retreats, and Daoist temples flourished; images of buddhas and deified historical figures were made. Daoist recluse Tao Hongjing was celebrated. Emperor Wu of the Liang was known as a staunch
supporter and patron of Buddhism.
Huiyuan, who founded a Buddhist community at Mount Lu, known as “Lotus Society”, was the most prominent Chinese monk.
Kumarajiva, who came to China from central Asia and lived in Chang’an, was the greatest translator of Buddhist scriptures.
Faxian was the first Chinese monk who made a pilgrimage to India (399-414) and left behind a travel account, Record of Buddhist Country.
New schools of Daoism emerged, Shangqing and Lingbao, and their founders became regionally based religious authorities.
Both Buddhism and Daoism helped create new geography and enrich Chinese literature and culture
Elite Regionalismemerged because of the rise of new
prominent families Jiankang, new capital, became the center and its
surrounding landscape celebrated in literature Urban gardens and country estates emerged The Wang and the Xie were leading families of
Jiankang and its surrounding area Growing contentment with life and beauty in the
south spoiled military men’s dream of recapturing the north.
Tension erupted between military men and cultural elite in the south.
The southern governments became weakened and were apathetic about the reconquest of the north.
Militarized civilization of the north finally annexed the south
Literary tradition established during the southern dynasties was to affect literati’s life for many generations to come.
This literary tradition was characterized by the formation of poetic societies, the affirmation of local traditions through verse and local history, the construction of a sacred and literary geography independent of the imperial system
Ca. 486-516, Xinchang, Zhejiang