Close reading and interpretation of texts in various styles of classical Chinese drawn from the Han, Wei, Tang, and Song periods. Focus on strengthening students' reading ability in classical Chinese. Attention to questions of style, rhetoric, and syntax. It is preferred, but not required, that students take Advanced Classical Chinese I first.

Continuation of Intro to Classical Chinese I, which is the only prerequisite for this course. Upon completion of Shadick, readings in a wide selection of texts with Chinese commentaries may be taken up. These readings are in part chosen to reflect student interest. This is the second half of a year-long course. Those who enroll must take both semesters.

Representations of a perfect society and imagined scenarios of a dystopian or apocalyptic future are a common features of all human societies. Philosophical, religious, and literary attempts to imagine alternative futures and critique present conditions enjoyed wide popularity and considerable influence throughout Chinese history. The goal of this course will be to introduce students to the major themes and trends in utopian and apocalyptic thought in China, from the premodern age to our times. In the first part of the semester, we will learn about the utopian and apocalyptic narratives that emerged in early and medieval China. We will begin by discussing the two archetypal models of a utopian society in early China: the Confucian harmonious moral society and its Daoist counterpart of an idyllic secluded community located in faraway lands. We will then turn our attention to the emergence of organized religion and the utopian and apocalyptic scenarios promoted by Daoist and Buddhist writers and religious innovators. In the second part of the semester, we will focus on the modern and contemporary periods and the study the impact of the introduction of Western utopian and millenarian narratives on the Chinese imagination. In addition to surveying some real-world attempts to establish a utopian society, such as the 19th century Taiping Rebellion, Mao Zedong's attempts to re-fashion China into a Community Utopia in the 20th century, and the 21st century eco-village green movement, students will be introduced to a wide variety of literary and cinematic texts that try to imagine a possible future - from the utopian sci-fi nationalism of The Wandering Earth to the dystopian fiction of leading writers such as Han Song, Chen Qiufan, and Han Jingfang. Using these works as case studies, we will strive to ascertain the role of utopianism as a tool of political, social, and environmental criticism and as a way to construct a better and more just society in the 21st century. No knowledge of Chinese is necessary - all readings will be in English. As a split-level seminar, the course will be discussion-based. Students will be asked to post weekly 500-word response papers in which they will analyze and critique the readings. The goal of this task is to help students familiarize themselves with the assigned sources before the in-class discussion thus facilitating a meaningful and productive discussion. For their final project, students will conduct their own research on a topic of their choice and present it during the last meeting. Undergraduate paper will be limited to 10-pages; graduate papers should be around 20-25 pages, including original-language research.

This course explores Chinese medicine and healing culture, its diversity, and its change over time. We will discuss topics including the establishment of canonical medicine, Daoist approaches to healing and longevity, diverse views of the body and disease, the emergence of treatments for women, medical construction of sex difference and imagination of female sexuality, the thriving and decline of female healers, the identity of scholar physicians, the transmission of medical knowledge, domestic and cross-regional drug market, healer-patient relations, and new visions of traditional Chinese medicine in modern China.

Ancient Chinese writers considered sexual activity to be an essential component of humanity, and the study of human sexuality to be essential to the study of human history. Sexuality constituted a fundamental source of imagery and categories that informed the classical Chinese conception of social, political, and military relationships. This course will survey the major sources dealing with sex and society in ancient China. There are no prerequisites, and no knowledge of Chinese is presumed.

This course examines gender and sexuality in Chinese history from ancient to contemporary times. It focuses on historiographical developments and methods of studying gender and sexuality in history as well as in Chinese history. The readings will include, but not be limited to, works by Robin Wang, Paul Goldin, Jen-der Lee, Patricia Ebrey, Beverly Bossler, Charlotte Furth, Susan Mann, Dorothy Ko, Francesca Bray, Yi-Li Wu, Matthew Sommer, Janet Theiss, Siyen Fei, Judith Zeitlin, Keith McMahon, Nicole Barnes, Gail Hershatter, Tani Barlow, and Lisa Rofel.

The tumultuous political and economic history of modern China has been mirrored in and shaped by equally fundamental revolutions in language and poetic expression. In this course, we will take Chinese poetry as a crucible in which we can observe the interacting forces of literary history and social change. From diplomats who saw poetry as a medium for cultural translation between China and the world, to revolutionaries who enlisted poetry in the project of social transformation, we will examine the lives and works of some of China’s most prominent poets and ask, what can we learn about modern China from reading their poetry? In asking this question, we will also reckon with the strengths and limitations of using poetry as an historical source. In addition to poems, the course will include fiction, essays, photographs, and films by both Chinese and non-Chinese artists that place our poets in a broader context. We will pay close attention to how these poets represent China’s place in the world, as well as the role of language in social change. Topics of discussion include: national identity, revolution, translation, gender, the body, ethnicity, and technology.
Familiarity with Chinese or related cultural context is beneficial, but not required.
This course introduces students to Chinese poetry in English translation. Students will leave the course with an in-depth understanding of the main figures, themes, and techniques of Chinese poetry, and will be introduced to some of the major developments in the history of China. Through a focus on primary texts, students will develop the vocabulary and analytical skills to appreciate and analyze poetry in translation and will gain confidence as writers thinking about literary texts.

This class is an opportunity to work closely with the Chinese sculpture, paintings, bronzes and other works of art in the collection of the Penn Museum. Some of the objects are well-known and on permanent display. Others have hardly been researched since they were acquired, and rarely leave storage. The class will meet in small groups at the museum. Students will work on research papers and collaborative in-class presentations on objects of their choice. A variety of approaches will be encouraged and students may choose to focus on iconography, historical and religious context, materials and manufacturing techniques, collectors and patronage, or inscriptions. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Innovation and creativity are universally recognized as aspects of modern life. From stem cell research to nanotechnology and machine learning, innovation is heralded as a thing of value to be actively fostered, as a key ingredient for the betterment of the human condition, and often as a desirable process for economic growth. While existing innovative activities are often based in the so-called advanced economies, particularly the United States and the European Union, increasingly we see new players on the global scene vying for influence and offering new forms of innovation and upgrading. These new players are often countries from East Asia. What positions do these East Asian countries occupy in the global knowledge economy? How are they navigating a constantly evolving and competitive frontier technology market where ownership of intellectual property rights remains in the hands of a handful of advanced economies? Technological innovation can take a toll, not least in the form of increased level of risks that a society must bear, as well as in environmental degradation, worker strife stemming from a shortage of jobs, gender disparity, and expanding wealth and knowledge gaps (including access to knowledge) between different socioeconomic classes. In this course, we will consider how regional patterns (and national variations) of economic growth and sociocultural changes under way in East Asia have been influenced by the global technological revolution, as well as the infrastructure of power and governance. Particularly, the course exposes students to scholarship on the governance of the global political economy, with a focus on the socio-legal regulation of emerging science and technology. The course will begin with discussing how states strike a balance between innovation and protection through implementing relevant regulatory frameworks. In addition, we will explore what implications emerging technologies have for societies, as well as how these evolving dynamics impact the lived experience of local communities.

Technology from East Asia is ubiquitous in everyday life in the 21st century. You may be reading these very words on a device designed or assembled in Japan, China, South Korea, or Taiwan. The region, now a global center of research and innovation, contains some of the modern world’s most impressive technological and scientific achievements. It also exhibits some of the most distressing—from mass facial recognition surveillance in China to nuclear disaster in Japan. This course explores how this state of affairs has taken shape from the 19th century through the present. Topics include industrialization, military technology, science and the rise of nationalism, the proliferation of consumer electronics, and environmental engineering in a warming world.