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| CHINA |
JAPAN |
KOREA |
VIETNAM & SE
ASIA |
SOUTH
ASIA |
Zhou
and Warring States
Qin Unification
Han Consolidation;
The Silk Road
Language/Calligraphy
Confucianism, Daoism
Mencius, Legalism
Silk, Paper, Porcelain
Warfare
Agriculture
Foreign Relations
Women and Family
Classic of Odes |
Neolithic
Period (Jomon)
Yayoi, the People of Wa
Origin Myths in the
Kojiki and Nihon Shoki
Shinto
Pimiko, Queen of Wa |
Bronze
Age (Old Chosôn), Iron Age (Conquest by Chinese Han Dynasty)
Early Three Kingdoms/Silla
Origin Myths |
Bronze
Age and Iron Age (Dongson; Conquest by Chinese Han Dynasty)
Si Vuong (Shi Xie)
Women Warriors
(The Tru'ng Sisters) |
Vedic
Period/Indo-Gangetic; Nanda
Mauryan, Kushan, Shunga
Early Hinduism
Early Buddhism
Early Jainism
Global Trade
Mahabharata, Ramayana |
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| CHINA:
HISTORY-ARCHAEOLOGY |
| Zhou
Dynasty (ca. 1046-256 BCE) and the Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE) |
Video Unit • Competing Schools and Warring States [Open Learning Initiative, Harvard Extension School]
Lecture 5 of 37 from the Harvard Open Learning Initiative course, China: Traditions and Transformations. This 50-minute lecture presentation, with an accompanying slide presentation that can be controlled separately, is part of an introductory course on China for undergraduates at Harvard. Taught by two of the leading scholars of the China field — professors Peter Bol and William Kirby — the presentations provide background for teachers and students alike. Suitable for secondary school classrooms, especially AP-World History courses. (The link above leads to the main course page listing all 37 lectures. Scroll to Lecture 5: Competing Schools and Warring States and select a connection type to view or listen to this lecture.)
Timeline • Timeline
of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia
for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes
a dynasty timeline, a chronological outline with short descriptions
of key dynasties, and a "dynasties song" to help students
remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.
Western Zhou, ca.
1,046 to 771 BCE
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Chou (Zhou) Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Zhou dynasty relative to present-day
political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.
Interactive Map • Shang/Zhou
Dynasty, ca. 1600-256 B.C. [Princeton University
Art Museum]
A detailed introduction to Shang and Zhou China. With four related art objects,
all with lengthy descriptions and two with a 360-degree rotate view, and an
interactive map with an excellent COMPARE feature that allows the user to
select any two dynastic periods in Chinese history and compare them by moving from
one map to the other.
• Ancient
Tombs: Western Zhou Tomb of the Count of Yu, ca. 950-900 BC [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
five archaeological sites, one of which is a tomb from the earliest
years of the Zhou dynasty believed to belong to a count of Yu and
his wife, Jing Ji.
• The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Bronze Age China [National
Gallery of Art]
Teaching materials developed in conjunction with the exhibition The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from The
People's Republic of China. Organized into four sections, each
with images and descriptions of 4 to 6 related objects. This section
discusses the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties and an oracle
bone and bronze objects from the Shang and Western Zhou.
Eastern Zhou, ca. 771 to 256 BCE;
Spring and Autumn Period, 770-ca. 475 BCE; Warring States Period,
ca. 475-221 BCE
• Ancient
Tombs: Eastern Zhou Tomb of the Marquis Yi, 430 BC [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
five archaeological sites, one of which is the tomb of a marquis
of the state of Zeng, a smaller state under the domination of the
Chu state during the Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE), which
was "a time of turmoil and violence, with constant warfare between
the regional states, but ... also a time of great intellectual and
artistic activity, when the intellectual traditions of Confucianism,
Daoism, and Legalism originated."
• The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Chu and Other Cultures [National
Gallery of Art]
Teaching materials developed in conjunction with the exhibition The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from The
People's Republic of China. Organized into four sections, each
with images and descriptions of 4 to 6 related objects. This section
discusses the Chu and other regional states that competed for dominance
during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.
• Ancient
China: Explore an Ancient Chinese Tomb [The
British Museum]
Part of a larger unit that examines religious beliefs and burial
practices of the ancient Chinese, including the rituals and ceremonies
surrounding ancestor worship. The "Ancient Chinese Tomb" section
features an Eastern Zhou period tomb that students can "enter" and
explore, section by section. Select the "Staff Room" link
at left for a teacher's guide to this website and its contents.
Additional resources on Bronze
Casting during the Zhou Period
can be found in the Technology,
Inventions, Science section of Time Period
4000-1000 BCE
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|
| Unification
under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) and Qin Shihuangdi |
Video Unit • Forging a Unified Empire: The Qin Dynasty [Open Learning Initiative, Harvard Extension School]
Lecture 6 of 37 from the Harvard Open Learning Initiative course, China: Traditions and Transformations. This 50-minute lecture presentation, with an accompanying slide presentation that can be controlled separately, is part of an introductory course on China for undergraduates at Harvard. Taught by two of the leading scholars of the China field — professors Peter Bol and William Kirby — the presentations provide background for teachers and students alike. Suitable for secondary school classrooms, especially AP-World History courses. (The link above leads to the main course page listing all 37 lectures. Scroll to Lecture 6: Forging a Unified Empire: The Qin Dynasty and select a connection type to view or listen to this lecture.)
Overview Maps • Dynasties
of China [The Genographic Project: Atlas
of the Human Journey, NationalGeographic.com]
Eight small maps displayed together, showing China's eight major dynasties from the
Shang to the Qing. The maps are very small, but shown together and with text summarizing
the history of all eight dynasties, they effectively provide an excellent overview
of China's history from ca. 1750 B.C.E. to today.
Timeline • Timeline
of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia
for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes a dynasty timeline,
a chronological outline with short descriptions of key dynasties, and a "dynasties
song" to help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological
order.
Qin, 221 to 206
BCE; King Zheng/Qin Shihuangdi, r. 247-210 BCE
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Ch'in (Qin) Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Qin dynasty relative
to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf
file.
Interactive Map • Qin/Han
Dynasties, 221 B.C.-A.D. 200 [Princeton
University Art Museum]
A detailed introduction to Qin and Han China. With five related art objects,
all with lengthy descriptions and two with interactive features, and an
interactive map with an excellent COMPARE feature that allows the user to
select any two dynastic periods in Chinese history and compare them by moving from
one map to the other.
• The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Early Imperial China [National
Gallery of Art]
Teaching materials developed in conjunction with the exhibition The
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from The
People's Republic of China. Organized into four sections, each
with images and descriptions of 4 to 6 related objects. The early
paragraphs of this section discuss the founding of China's first
dynasty by King Zheng, the leader of the Qin state who proclaimed
himself Qin Shihuangdi, the "First Emperor of Qin." The
Qin dynasty was short-lived, but "it set the model for a unified
and homogeneous state."
• Treasures
of Ancient China (Terra-cotta Soldiers from the Tomb of Qin Shihuangdi) [NationalGeographic.com]
Online archive of a 2001 National Geographic article about
the ongoing excavation and restoration work at the imperial tombs
of Qin Shihuangdi and Han Jingdi (fourth emperor of the Western Han).
The photo gallery (link at upper-left) has excellent photographs
of the Qin terra-cotta soldiers.
• The
First Emperor: Introduction and Guide to the Museum of the Terra-cotta
Army [Museum of the Terra-cotta Warriors
and Horses of Qin Shihuang]
This is the website of the official Qin Shihuangdi tomb site museum
and an excellent resource for information about the more than 8,000
clay warrior figures and 10,000 bronze weapons that have been found
in the tomb. This is the English version of the website; the Chinese
version has even more information.
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|
| Consolidation
under the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE); The Silk Road |
Video Unit • Making Empire Last: Western Han [Open Learning Initiative, Harvard Extension School]
Video Unit • State and Society in Western and Eastern Han [Open Learning Initiative, Harvard Extension School]
Lectures 7 and 8 of 37 from the Harvard Open Learning Initiative course, China: Traditions and Transformations. These 50-minute lecture presentations, each with an accompanying slide presentation that can be controlled separately, are part of an introductory course on China for undergraduates at Harvard. Taught by two of the leading scholars of the China field — professors Peter Bol and William Kirby — the presentations provide background for teachers and students alike. Suitable for secondary school classrooms, especially AP-World History courses. (The link above leads to the main course page listing all 37 lectures. Scroll to Lecture 7: Making Empire Last and Lecture 8: State and Society in Western and Eastern Han and select a connection type to view or listen to these lectures.)
Overview Maps • Dynasties
of China [The Genographic Project: Atlas
of the Human Journey, NationalGeographic.com]
Eight small maps displayed together, showing China's eight major dynasties from the
Shang to the Qing. The maps are very small, but shown together and with text summarizing
the history of all eight dynasties, they effectively provide an excellent overview
of China's history from ca. 1750 B.C.E. to today.
Timeline • Timeline
of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia
for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes a dynasty timeline,
a chronological outline with short descriptions of key dynasties, and a "dynasties
song" to help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological
order.
Western/Former
Han, 206 BCE to 9 CE; Eastern/Later Han, 25-220 CE
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Han Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Han dynasty relative
to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf
file.
Interactive Map • Qin/Han
Dynasties, 221 B.C.-A.D. 200 [Princeton
University Art Museum]
A detailed introduction to China during the reign of the Qin and the Han, with the
bulk of the text devoted to the Han. With five related art objects, all with lengthy
descriptions and two with special interactive features for exploring the objects
in-depth, and an interactive map with an excellent COMPARE feature that
allows the user to select any two dynastic periods in Chinese history and compare
them by moving from one map to the other.
• Ancient
Tombs: Han Tomb of Liu Sheng, 113 BC [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
five archaeological sites, one of which is the tomb of the prince
Liu Sheng, son of Emperor Jing Di.
The Silk Road
AFE Special Topic Guide • The
Silk Road [Asia for Educators]
AFE's own compilation of recommended resources about the Silk Road.
Han China and the Roman Empire
• Han
China and Ancient Rome: Comparing Two Classical Civilizations [China
Institute]
This curriculum unit, "a broad comparison between the Roman
Empire and the roughly contemporaneous Han Dynasty," discusses
geography, politics, the expansion of empire, and social organization. [To get to the unit from the page linked above, find and click the CURRICULUM UNITS link above the FROM SILK TO OIL title in the middle of the page. The Han unit appears at the bottom of the new tab that loads.]
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|
| LANGUAGE |
| Speaking
and Writing (Calligraphy) |
• The
Chinese Language [Asia for Educators]
This overview of the Chinese language, both spoken and written, includes
an introductory reading for teachers; a pronunciation guide to Mandarin
Chinese; and a reading about the history, pronunciation, and writing
system of the Chinese language.
• Chinese
Language: Myths and Facts [Asia Society]
Short, informative essay debunking popular notions that Chinese
"write in pictures" or that Chinese is a monosyllabic language, where every word is a single syllable. An informative introduction to the language and its place in China and the larger East Asian civilization.
Special Note from the Editor • On Chinese Characters throughout China and East Asia
The meaning of Chinese characters, used as a writing system, can be understood by people who speak different dialects and languages throughout China and in the other East Asian countries of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The easiest way to think how this is possible is by analogy to the use of Arabic numerals, “1,” “2,” etc, which have the same meaning wherever they are written, despite the pronunciation of the numeral in the language of the writer.
• Chinese
Writing [Asia Society]
Brief essay explaining the nature of Chinese characters as a writing system.
• Learning
Chinese Online [California State University,
Long Beach]
An excellent resource for all aspects of learning the Chinese language.
Developed by Dr. Tianwei Xie of the Department of Asian and Asian
American Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Select "Characters" from
the side menu, then "Animated Characters" from the list
on the main page for animated demonstrations of the order of strokes
for many of the most common Chinese characters.
• Chinese
Calligraphy [Asia for Educators]
This introduction to Chinese calligraphy includes a reading on Chinese
calligraphy, discussing its various styles, techniques, and materials;
two calligraphy exercises for the classroom; and discussion questions.
• Calligraphy [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
types of Chinese calligraphic script; techniques of transmission;
and calligraphy during three periods of Chinese history -- the Six
Dynasties period, the Tang period, and modern China.
• Chinese
Calligraphy [Asia Society]
"Chinese calligraphy has a two-millennia long history. [This
background essay explores] the beginnings of, ideas behind, reasons
for, and technologies that gave rise to this compelling art form."
• Chinese
Names [Asia for Educators]
An overview of the Chinese practice of generational naming with meaningful
characters.
• What's
in a
Name? Chinese Rivers, Cities, and Provinces [Asia
for Educators]
A translation exercise with the names of Chinese rivers, cities,
and provinces.
• Traces
of Ideas: Communicating through Writing and Technology [Visible
Traces, Asia Society]
The "Traces of Ideas" section of the Visible Traces curriculum
(based on the 2000 exhibit Visible Traces: Rare Books and Special
Collections from the National Library of China) includes two
essays relevant to Chinese calligraphy: "Tradition
and Transformation in the Chinese Writing System," which
examines the characteristics of written Chinese and its development
over time, and "Writing
and Technology in China," which examines technologies for
writing and printing.
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|
| RELIGION,
PHILOSOPHY, THOUGHT |
General Introductions
to Chinese Religion and Philosophy
• LIving
in the Chinese Cosmos >> Institutional Religion: The Three Teachings [Asia
for Educators]
Although
the focus of this teaching module is late-imperial
China, this section on "The Three Teachings" — discussing
the history of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in China
— serves as a relevant background reading for the units
below.
• Chinese
Belief Systems [Asia Society]
Essay examining Chinese belief systems, including ancestral rites and
divination, the teachings of the philosophers Confucius and Laozi,
and Buddhism. |
|
| Confucianism |
• Introduction
to Confucian Thought [Asia for Educators]
A background reading about the impact of Confucian philosophy on
Chinese government and society.
• What
Did Confucius Say? [Asia for Educators]
A short background reading about Confucius the person and his writings.
• Teaching/Learning
through Confucius: Navigating Our Way through the Analects [Education
About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
Lesson Plan • Confucianism:
Understanding and Applying the Analects of Confucius [PDF] [Education
About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
A lesson plan asking students not only to explain the meaning of
a passage from the Analects but also to give a contemporary
example of the situation Confucius describes.
Video Unit • Confucius and Confucianism [Open Learning Initiative, Harvard Extension School]
Lecture 4 of 37 from the Harvard Open Learning Initiative course, China: Traditions and Transformations. This 50-minute lecture presentation, with an accompanying slide presentation that can be controlled separately, is part of an introductory course on China for undergraduates at Harvard. Taught by two of the leading scholars of the China field — professors Peter Bol and William Kirby — the presentations provide background for teachers and students alike. Suitable for secondary school classrooms, especially AP-World History courses. (The link above leads to the main course page listing all 37 lectures. Scroll to Lecture 4: Confucius and Confucianism and select a connection type to view or listen to this lecture.)
Confucius/Kong
Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Confucian Analects [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Confucian Analects: On Humaneness [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Confucian Analects: On Confucius as Teacher and Person
[PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Mencius/Mengzi/Meng Ke, 4th Century
BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Mencius: On Human Nature [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Xunzi/Xun Qing/Xun
Kang, ca. 310-ca. 219 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Xunzi: "Human Nature Is Evil" [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Xunzi: "Encouraging Learning" [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Xunzi: "A Discussion of Rites" [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
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|
| Daoism |
• Introduction
to Daoism [Asia for Educators]
A brief introductory overview of Daoism and the writings of Laozi
and Zhuangzi.
Lesson Plans • Taoism
and the Arts of China [The Art Institute
of Chicago]
An excellent website for teaching about Taoism. Covers the following
three themes: 1) Taoist Tradition (discusses Laozi, Taoist cosmology,
and the sacred immortals); 2) Taoist Church (discusses religious
Taoism, ritual, and the Taoist pantheon); 3) Taoist Renaissance (discusses
popular religion, divine manifestations of yin, and inner alchemy).
Also features more than 25 works of art, related diagrams, a map,
timeline, glossary, bibliography, and six lesson plans for the middle-
and secondary-school levels.
• Daoism [Asia
Society]
An introductory overview.
Lesson Plan • Attitudes
Towards Nature in Daoist Art [Asia Society]
A short lesson that "helps students understand the difference
between how many Westerners view nature versus how many Chinese (particularly
Daoists and the literati) felt about the natural world around them.
[Uses] Chinese poems and landscape paintings as primary sources."
Laozi, ca. 3rd Century BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Laozi (Daodejing) [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Zhuangzi/Zhuang Zhou, ca.
360-280 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Zhuangzi: Chapter 3, "The Secret of Caring for
Life" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
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|
| Buddhism |
Please see also the "Spread of Buddhism" and "Buddhism in China" sections under Time Periods 300-600 and 600-1000.
• Buddhist
Art and the Trade Routes [Asia Society]
An extensive site, covering three main topics: 1) Trade Routes; 2)
Buddhism and its Imagery; and 3) India: Origins of Buddhist Art.
Also discusses the Buddhist art of specific regions -- Korea/Japan;
China/Mongolia; Himalayas; Southeast Asia; and Sri Lanka. With maps,
images, a glossary of terms, and bibliography.
AFE Special Topic Guide • Buddhism [OMuRAA,
Asia for Educators]
AFE's compilation of recommended resources about Buddhism on OMuRAA, Online
Museum Resources on Asian Art.
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|
| GOVERNMENT
AND ADMINISTRATION |
| Zhou
Dynasty: Confucius, Mencius, Laozi |
|
| Qin
Dynasty: The Legalist Philosophers Han Fei and Li Si |
|
| Han
Dynasty |
|
| TECHNOLOGY,
INVENTIONS, SCIENCE |
| Silk,
Paper, Porcelain, and Other Chinese Inventions |
Lesson Plan + DBQs • Exchange
of Goods and Ideas along the Silk Roads >> East-West Exchange:
Silk, Paper, Porcelain [PDF] [China Institute]
Unit J from the curriculum guide From Silk to Oil: Cross-cultural
Connections along the Silk Roads, which provides a comprehensive
view of the Silk Roads from the second century BCE to the contemporary
period. "What was the importance of East-West cultural exchange?
Paper, silk, and porcelain were all invented in China and exported
to the West. Students will evaluate the importance of these three
products as elements in cultural diffusion along the Silk Roads."
• Silk
Production [The Art and Archaeology of
Ancient China: A Teacher's Guide, The Freer Gallery of Art and
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution]
Select "Part II" under "The Art and Archaeology of
Ancient China" to go to page 26 of this PDF guide for information
about silk production.
• Chinese
Inventions: Can You Name Them? [Asia for
Educators]
Exploring the many inventions that China has contributed to our daily
existence, this unit provides an excellent starting point for discussing
both the achievements of Chinese civilization and China's influence
on the West. Silk, tea, porcelain, paper, printing, gunpowder, compass,
alchemy, the civil service, and grain storage are some of the ideas/inventions
covered. Discussion questions included.
• A
Timeline of Chinese Inventions [Asia
for Educators]
A comparative timeline tracking various inventions and ideas as they
appeared in Chinese and Western histories. Covers many of the items
mentioned in the unit Chinese
Inventions: Can You Name Them? (above) and spans the period from
300 BCE to 1900 CE.
• China's
Gifts to the West [Asia for Educators]
A more extensive and detailed treatment of the items covered in the Chinese
Inventions: Can You Name Them? unit, intended as background reading
for teachers, but also appropriate for students. In addition to silk,
tea, porcelain, paper, printing, gunpowder, and mariner's compass
(covered above), also covers plants, minerals, medicines, lacquer,
and amusement. Contains links to images throughout. This unit was
prepared for the Committee on Asiatic Studies in American Education
by Derk Bodde.
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|
| MILITARY
AND DEFENSE |
| Warfare,
Zhou Period |
|
| ECONOMY,
WORK, TRADE, FOREIGN RELATIONS |
| Agriculture,
Han Period |
|
| Foreign
Relations, Han Period |
|
| SOCIETY |
| Women
and Family |
Confucius/Kong
Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Confucian Analects: On Women and Servants [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from the Confucian Analects: On Filial Piety [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Western Han Period,
206 BCE-8 CE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections
from The Classic of Filiality (Xiaojing) [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Ban Zhao, ca. 48-ca.
116 CE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Admonitions
for Women [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
• Dutiful
Daughters: Seven Moral Exemplars in Chinese History [World
History Connected, University of Illinois]
Essay with "illustrative examples of mortal-moral women in Chinese
culture from the Han (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) and Tang (618-907 C.E.)
dynasties. The fundamental lesson of these stories was that women,
in order to fulfill their highest moral duties, could not simply
be passive, obedient figures. Instead, virtuous behavior required
action."
Lesson Plan + DBQs • Art
along the Silk Roads >> Wang Zhaojun: A Tribute Princess
Brings Peace to the Northern Frontier [PDF] [China
Institute]
Unit U from the curriculum guide From Silk to Oil: Cross-cultural
Connections along the Silk Roads, which provides a comprehensive
view of the Silk Roads from the second century BCE to the contemporary
period. "Students will read a shortened version of Autumn in
the Palace of Han, a play by Ma Zhiyuan (c. 1250-1324 CE). This play
is about Wang Zhaojun, a famous tribute princess. Tribute princesses
were palace woman sent to marry “barbarian” rulers. In
reading her story, students will learn about (1) China’s pre-modern
foreign relations; (2) the condition of women in traditional China;
(3) the poetic language and imagery used to describe China’s
age-old involvement with the northern frontier."
• Women as Cultural Emissaries: The Story of Lady Wenji [Women
in World History Curriculum]
"A starting point for exploring this topic might be the famous poem/song, 'Eighteen Refrains to a Barbarian Flute,' written about an event which may have happened in Han Dynasty China in the 3rd century. It tells the tale of Lady Wenji, daughter of a scholar, who was abducted from her home during a Tartar raiding party and taken 'far away to Heaven’s edge' to the dust, desolation and 'barbarian' life of the nomad. ... Told and retold throughout the centuries, by the Tang dynasty the story was so popular women and children memorized it and sang it. During the Song period, an amazing scroll with calligraphy illustrated the event. In the 1950s, the tale was written as an opera."
| back to top | |
|
| LITERATURE |
| The Classic
of Odes (Book of Songs); Poetry from the State of Chu |
|
| Sima
Qian |
|
| © 2009 Asia for Educators,
Columbia University |
|
