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West Surrey Area NADFAS
A Special Interest Day
Presented by
Anne Haworth
£30 for 3 lectures, coffee and buffet lunch
A JOURNEY THROUGH 3000 YEARS OF
CHINESE CIVILISATION
Friday 18th November 2016
9.45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Lightbox, Chobham Road, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4AA
LECTURE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINA'S HISTORY,
CULTURE AND CIVILISATION
The first lecture introduces China: its early history, languages and
topography of fertile regions, sacred mountains and deserts. In
spoken Chinese, China is ‘Zhong Guo’, which translates as ‘The
Middle Kingdom’ and expresses the central world position which
China occupies in the mind-set of the Chinese. The initial focus is on
the fertile Yellow River area in the north: ‘The Cradle of Chinese
Civilisation.’ Looking at materials such as
ritual bronzes and polished jades and the
philosophies of Confucius and Lao Zi, we will
consider how this ancient civilisation evolved.
A new era began with the reign of Qin Shi
Huang Di, (259-210BC), China’s First
Emperor, famous for his ‘Terracotta
Warriors’ and the consolidator of The Great
Wall. From here, the history continues with
the Silk Routes which linked China to lands
further West from where Buddhism was
introduced. During the first millennium AD, changing dynasties,
turbulence and golden ages of peace defined China’s history. The
cosmic role of the emperors, the literati who valued gardens,
calligraphy, painting, poetry and tea-drinking, the making of silk and
ceramics and the impact of the natural world are important themes.
We will conclude with China's classical era called the Song Dynasty
when exquisite paintings and ceramics were produced.
LECTURE 2: CHINA FROM THE YUAN DYNASTY TO THE
MING DYNASTY (1271-1644)
During the late 13th century, a relentless power
appeared on China’s northern frontier in the
shape of the invading Mongols, who established
the Yuan Dynasty (1278-1368), with its capital
at Dadu (modern Beijing). This era of conflict
nevertheless witnessed the expansion of seaborne trade and contacts with SE Asia and the
Islamic World. Blue and white porcelain was
introduced - a commodity which was to become
so crucial to world trade and Marco Polo is said
to have visited China in this era. After the Yuan
came the cultural flowering of the Ming Dynasty, when an early Ming
emperor, Yongle, built The Forbidden City in Beijing. This was to be
the Imperial residence for almost 500 years. It is now the Palace
Museum, housing the treasures and art collections accumulated by
generations of emperors during the Ming and succeeding Qing
Dynasties. This lecture covers the development of the Imperial
Collections in Beijing, the growth in trade at first with the Arabs and
later with the Portuguese and Dutch and the importance to China of
the literati world of the classical Ming Dynasty garden.
LECTURE 3: THE QING DYNASTY (1644-1911) TWILIGHT
DAYS OF EMPIRE, REVOLUTION AND THE TRIUMPH OF
MODERN SHANGHAI
As the Ming Emperors lost the Mandate of Heaven, China witnessed
invasion once more, by the Manchus from beyond
the Great wall, who established the Qing Dynasty.
The first Emperors of this Dynasty were powerful.
They honoured the ancient rites and were major
collectors and patrons of art, the 18th century
Qianlong Emperor was one of the greatest patrons
of art that the world has known. During the 18th
Century, trade flourished with the Western trading
companies based at Canton, among which the
English East India Company was dominant. During
the 19th century, the Westerners sought to expand their interests,
leading to the devastating Opium Wars and establishment of the
Treaty Ports, such as Shanghai. The abdication of the last emperor in
1911 was followed by civil wars, victory of Mao’s Communist armies
and in later years, China’s Awakening.