At the end of the Sui Dynasty (617 AD), Li Yuan (566-635), a Sui general and, later, the Duke of T’ang, joined the scores of rebels and marched straight for the Sui capital, Chang’an. His armies overwhelmed its defenses and took control of the city, where he would then, for six months, relegate the emperor to the…
Read moreLarger Reflection 3
This course pleasantly surprised me. When I first registered, I was mainly worried about doing poorly. Not having any knowledge of Chinese history, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the course. I was also afraid of not enjoying the material, especially since I had taken a history course before and left it after only…
Read moreThe T’ang Code: Peace, Prosperity, and Safety (Draft)
In 617, Li Yuan, a Sui general and, later, the Duke of T’ang, joined the scores of rebels, who had arisen in the waning years of the Sui dynasty, and marched straight for the Sui capital, Chang’an. His armies overwhelmed its defenses and took control of the city. He would then, for six months, relegate…
Read moreMuseums – Reflection
I was very surprised to learn that Chinese art was key in changing the American definition of what art is, and how much of that influence was from American’s lack of distinction between Chinese and Japanese objects. I’d like to think that the U.S. was founded and built through mistakes, but that’s beside the point….
Read moreMuseums – Chinese/Japanese Objects
It was very surprising to learn that Chinese art/objects were key in changing the American definition of what art should be. At first, Americans during the Victorian era believed that “fine art conveyed … a seemingly transparent message of morality”, and even had a hard time “separating aesthetic categories from value judgments” (73). When Chinese…
Read moreChinese Collectors – Reflection
Throughout most of Ancient China, there were many individuals who competed to find the rarest and most valuable art pieces they could find. Being first recognized during the Song dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D.), collectors were willing to pay high prices for such goods despite not actually understanding their original function. Because of this recklessness,…
Read moreDraft: Outline and Paragraph
Introduction – The Founding of the T’ang Dynasty (Paragraph 1) What happened before? What caused rebellion? How was it successful? During rebellion Strategies Pacification Effort Enemies become allies After rebellion Established political, economic and military institutions Government formed Life during T’ang Dynasty China – Laws (Paragraph 2) T’ang Codes A penal code that was established…
Read moreChinese Collectors – An Expert’s Opinion
During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D), art-collecting was an exclusively male pursuit in China, who competed to find the rarest and most valuable pieces they could find. A well-off individual living at the time might have collected pieces – like documents inked with Chinese calligraphy, painted ceramics, and even antique bronze objects – that were,…
Read moreArtisans – Reflection
While we, as a class, agree that artisans have made some amazing works and were exceptional craftsmen, it is surprising to learn that, despite doing so much for the development of the empire, artisans were not higher up on the social class hierarchy. It was sad to see that artisans did not hold a high…
Read moreArtisans – Social Status in Early Imperial China
As a class, reading their amazing works and learning about the influence and success they were able to bring to China, we have properly acknowledged artisans as exceptional craftsmen. However, the same cannot be said about their status in Ancient China. In fact, artisans did not hold a high role in society at all. These…
Read moreAnnotated Bibliography
Benn, Charles. “Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty.” Greenwood Press, 2002. This thorough exploration of the aspects of everyday life in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) provides a fascinating insight into a culture and time that is often misunderstood, especially by those from western cultures. The answers to questions like “How was…
Read moreCeramics – Kilns and Jingdezhen
“Porcelain is the creative fruit of the working people of ancient China … [It] promotes economic and cultural exchange between China and the outside world, and profoundly influences the traditional culture and lifestyle of people from other countries”. During Ancient China, not everyone could make porcelain or ceramic wares. Only those familiar with the techniques,…
Read moreInkstones – Reflection
This week we listened to a podcast, as opposed to reading new material, and learned about an individual and her own experience/findings with Ancient Chinese practices. Professor Dorothy Ko described her work with inkstones, revealing what led her to become interested in them, and explained the role they played in Ancient China. What makes Dorothy…
Read moreInkstones – Dorothy Ko Podcast
This week, we are to listen to a podcast about Professor Dorothy Ko, who discusses her work and what led her to become interested in Chinese history. Having gained interest when she was in graduate school, she began studying and researching inkstones, not only reading about them but also creating them. Wanting to write about…
Read moreBuilding an Empire – Reflection
This week’s reading talks about the architecture/buildings of Ancient China. I, more specifically, read about the Forbidden City, which is now known as the Palace Museum. Built at the center of Beijing, it was the former Chinese imperial palace and state residence of the Emperor from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing…
Read moreFinal Project Idea – Culture during the Tang Period
For my final project, I would like to read more on the legal documents of the Tang period and learn, more specifically, about how it developed the regional culture in Ancient China. While we have a good idea as to how successful Tang Dynasty China was when it came to foreign affairs, with literal tombs…
Read moreBuilding an Empire – The Forbidden City
At the center of Beijing lies the Forbidden City. Now known as the Palace Museum, it was the former Chinese imperial palace and state residence of the Emperor from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty (1420-1924). It served a great significance in Chinese history. As “the beating heart of Beijing” (Hernandez)…
Read moreMoney and Currency – Reflection
While countries from all over the world had used a trading/barter system to make purchases without having to rely on a specific medium of exchange, like coins or paper money, they still transitioned to using such mediums because it is one that people understood and accepted as such. Bartering, on the other hand, relies on…
Read moreMoney and Currency – The Gods of Wealth (Rewrite)
There are various wealth gods in Chinese culture. Some are more popular than others, while some seemingly go about unnoticed despite being just as auspicious as others. However, these gods were not seen in the same light as other gods; “In the eyes of many plebeians, money in its physical forms, whether silver or bronze…
Read moreTextiles in the Tang Dynasty – Reflection
Before this week, I didn’t know how textiles were made or what kind of techniques were used to make them. I especially didn’t know how important textiles were in Ancient China, and that they even served as a form of currency. They were so important that even taxes were sometimes collected in the form of…
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