China of the Senses: Approaching Chinese Culture and Environments (MLM1010)

15 credits

This introductory module offers a unique 'sensory' approach to Chinese culture, society and history. It is a guided tour through the Chinese senses - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling - as well as the various environments - ideal (e.g. paintings), material (e.g. cities), and social (e.g. festivals) - that embody and enact these senses. This module navigates from Chinese ideograms (written characters), arts, literature, philosophy, to customs, politics, and everyday life; from the past to the present, examining how senses and environments shaped and were shaped by Chinese culture, society and history. There are no pre-requisites or co-requisites. This module is suitable for specialists and non-specialists and recommended for interdisciplinary pathways.