The University
of Hong Kong
Common Core Course 2011 – 2012
China: Culture, State and Society
Chinese House and
Garden:
Architecture,
Landscape, and Material Culture (CCCH 9001)
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Lecture Time: First semester (Wednesday 15:00 – 17:00)
Course Description
By looking into the physical significance of Chinese
architecture, cities, and landscapes, the course introduces theories and
principles of Chinese houses and gardens. Through the study of Chinese houses
and their settings in a city, it brings out the daily life and social fabric
for a Chinese man under the Confucian influence. Through the study of Chinese Gardens and the literati ideas behind
the making of garden, landscape and painting, it introduces the artistic
profile for a Chinese intellectual under the influence of Daoism.
The course investigates how geography, society and
economy, as well as aesthetic and ideology shape the traditional physical
environment in China.
It deals with explorations of form and space, technology and material, as well
as the ways in which these architectural attributes affect our life patterns
and values in a traditional society. The course particularly addresses how the
culture profile was manifested in the architecture and urban spaces during the
late Ming, - an era of unique aesthetic orientation cultivated from distinct
stage of social and economic development in Chinese history.
