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