This seminar will focus on one of the most important topics of modern Chinese culture: the urban imagination. Analyzing how metropolis and urban life are represented and imagined is central to an understanding of the differently articulated forms Chinese modernity has taken throughout the twentieth century. We will examine the literary and visual representations of the city in modern China through close analyses of the novels, short stories, films, photographs, and paintings that illuminate Chinese urbanism. Cultural manifestations of such Chinese metropolises as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taipei will be extensively discussed.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: One course at the 200 or 300 level in East Asian languages and literatures, East Asian arts, history, philosophy, or religion. Not open to students who have taken CHIN 226.

Instructor: M. Song

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature; ARS - Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: This course is also offered at the 200-level as CHIN 226.