Stories from the Chinese Empire: Scholars, Demons and Swindlers

This bilingual course introduces the culture and society of late imperial China by reading short stories, novels, prose essays between 1368 and 1911. To maintain students’ language skills, the lecture is primary in mandarin aided by English explanation. Students can choose to complete the assignments in either English or Chinese. The course explores the interwoven spectacular fantasy and societal reality of the imperial China. A chronological exposure to different cultural practice and social structures is organized under three rubrics, namely, scholar-official as social elite; merchants and courtesans as mobile agents; and criminals and demons as outcast.