Open Educational Resources | Pao Yue-kong Library, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Video

The Traditional World Vision and Its Modern Fate

Focusing on tensions and links between national formation and international outlooks, this talk shows how classical world visions persist as China’s modernizers and revolutionaries adopted and revised the Western nation-state and cosmopolitanism. The concepts of tianxia (all under heaven) and datong (great harmony) have been updated into outlooks of global harmony that value unity, equality, and reciprocity as strategies of overcoming interstate conflict, national divides, and social fragmentation. The talk will delve into two debates: the embrace of the West vs. aspirations for a common world, and the difference between liberal cosmopolitanism and socialist internationalism.
Event date: 16/9/2022
Speaker: Prof. Ban Wang
Hosted by: Confucius Institute of Hong Kong, Department of Chinese Culture

Subjects:: Chinese Studies
Keywords:: Diplomatic relations World politics China Civilization
Resource Type:: Video

Video

習俗與教化——秦漢魏晉國家治理模式的轉形

古代中國幅員遼闊，習俗各異，如何實行統一管理是一大難題。秦朝用嚴刑峻法移風易俗，激起東方社會的激烈反抗，很快歸於失敗。西漢初年郡國並行，允許東方王國在一定程度上從俗而治。但王國勢力太大，危及國家的統一，文景二帝不得不收奪諸侯王的自治權。為了避免重蹈亡秦覆轍，儒生們提出“德教”主張，其中又包含“以禮為治”和“以德化民”兩種方案。受其影響，武帝以後的朝廷政策繼續表現出大幅度搖擺，至漢末魏晉才確立了基本符合當時國情的治理模式。
日期：2022年11月22日
講者：陳蘇鎮博士
主辦：香港孔子學院, 中國文化學系

Subjects:: Chinese Studies
Keywords:: Han Dynasty (China) Politics government Jin Dynasty (China : 265-419) China Public administration Qin Dynasty (China)
Resource Type:: Video

MOOC

Chinese Culture: Transformation

Owing to its rapid development in recent years, China has been in the spotlight of the international arena. While understanding modern China's economy, technology and politics is important, knowing its cultural roots and evolution is no less crucial for seeing the full picture of Chinese culture. This course introduces 5 interesting aspects of Chinese culture in transformation.
Key questions of the course:
(1) What are the Four Great Classical Chinese Novels? What are the stories about? Why are they so famous and influential in Chinese literature?
(2) What is special about the art of Chinese operas? What are the symbolic meanings behind the face make-up, gestures and costumes? How do the operas serve as a medium for transmitting knowledge in Chinese culture?
(3) Why did the private Confucian academies thrive in the Song dynasty? Why was the famous Donglin Academy suppressed by the state in the Ming dynasty? How were the private academies engaged in the state educational reforms in the late Qing dynasty?
(4) How did New Confucianism emerge as a movement in the 20th century? What were the aspirations of the New Confucians? How did they address modern challenges to the development of Chinese science, democracy and cosmology? Did they succeed in modernizing Confucianism?
(5) What were the traditional expectations of gender roles in China? How was gender politics heightened in the labour force in early New China? What light does the film Li Shuangshuang shed on the gender awareness of Chinese socialism?

Subjects:: Chinese Studies
Keywords:: China Manners customs Civilization Philosophy Chinese Chinese drama Politics culture Chinese fiction Confucianism
Resource Type:: MOOC

MOOC

Chinese Culture: Tradition

Owing to its rapid development in recent years, China has moved into the spotlight of the international arena. While understanding modern China's economy, technology and politics is important, knowing its cultural roots and evolution is no less crucial for seeing a full picture of Chinese culture. This course introduces 5 interesting aspects of traditional Chinese culture.
Key questions of the course
What was the origin of ancient Confucianism? How does ancient Confucian wisdom help us address the modern human predicament?
How does Daoism enlighten us with a butterfly and fish? What is the connection between Daoism and the equality of all living organisms?
Why does Buddhism see our present lifetime to be nothing but suffering? How do the Four Noble Truths help liberate us from suffering?
What is special about Chinese ancient warfare? Who is Sunzi? What is his book The Art of War about? What can we learn from this famous book?