Academy

A major objective of this non-profit organization is to help establish (or at least make a start at assembling) a general corpus of essential knowledge that would shape or engender a cultural identity for the young people of Chinese ancestry.  When I was studying French, there were some texts compiled by, I believe, some teachers (Lagarde & Michard).  These volumes acted both as a good introduction for students of French culture and as quasi textbooks for the time periods covered by each volume.

In China, also, there have been many compilations  such as encyclopedias, compendia, and dictionaries. During the time of Kangxi (康熙), for example, many scholars were assembled to put together a comprehensive dictionary, which explained what words meant, how they were used and how they were pronounced, often in several major dialects. What we propose to do here is not as extensive or comprehensive as that dictionary or those encyclopedias,  although in time, it may be hoped that our efforts will expand to something considerable.  What we hope to achieve, at first, is a general overview of the many facets that make up the Chinese civilization, together with representative excerpts of significant works.

Below is a link to a proposed curriculum for this Academy. Check back here for information on our Academy efforts!

 中國文化教學質料選編_表格

INTELLECTUAL DOMAINS

Courses of Study: follow the links to access the course described here.

Art

  • Brush painting,
  • Calligraphy

Development of Chinese Consciousness:

  • Common Usage,
  • Folklore, Mythology,
  • Traditions & Celebrations

History:

  • China’s Political Structure,
  • Epochs of  China’s Development (Kings, Dynasties, Revolutions)

Language Studies:

  • Meeting Challenges in learning a new language: structure of the Chinese language
  • Major Chinese Dialects (variations in pronunciation, tone, idiom, structure, preference, flavor)

Literature:

  • Special Characteristics of Chinese Literature
  • Chinese Poetry
  • Novels
  • Short stories

Music:

  • Classical Chinese music,
  • Chinese musical instruments (琴，古箏，二胡，蕭笛等）

Philosophy, Politics and Religion:

  • China’s Philosophers and their influence
  • Philosophy, World View, Religion
  • Tradition of Examination

Science:

  • China’s contributions to mathematics
  • Chinese inventions

CARE OF THE SELF

Courses of Study: follow the links to access the course described here.

Chinese Medicine:

  • Chinese system of anatomy
  • Balance of Yin & Yang (qi)
  • Acupuncture
  • Herbal medicine

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 Texts

Poetry: Beginner – Intermediate

木蘭詩 / 木蘭辭

朝代：南北朝

作者：佚名

原文：

唧唧復唧唧，木蘭當戶織。不聞機杼聲，惟聞女嘆息。(惟聞 通：唯)
問女何所思，問女何所憶。女亦無所思，女亦無所憶。昨夜見軍帖，可汗大點兵，軍書十二卷，卷卷有爺名。阿爺無大兒，木蘭無長兄，願爲市鞍馬，從此替爺徵。
東市買駿馬，西市買鞍韉，南市買轡頭，北市買長鞭。旦辭爺孃去，暮宿黃河邊，不聞爺孃喚女聲，但聞黃河流水鳴濺濺。旦辭黃河去，暮至黑山頭，不聞爺孃喚女聲，但聞燕山胡騎鳴啾啾。
萬里赴戎機，關山度若飛。朔氣傳金柝，寒光照鐵衣。將軍百戰死，壯士十年歸。
歸來見天子，天子坐明堂。策勳十二轉，賞賜百千強。可汗問所欲，木蘭不用尚書郎，願馳千里足，送兒還故鄉。(一作：願借明駝千里足)
爺孃聞女來，出郭相扶將；阿姊聞妹來，當戶理紅妝；小弟聞姊來，磨刀霍霍向豬羊。開我東閣門，坐我西閣牀，脫我戰時袍，著我舊時裳。當窗理雲鬢，對鏡貼花黃。出門看火伴，火伴皆驚忙：同行十二年，不知木蘭是女郎。（貼 通：帖；驚忙    一作：惶）
雄兔腳撲朔，雌兔眼迷離；雙兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？

Ballad of Mulan

Tsk tsk and again tsk tsk [onomatopoeia], Mulan is weaving at home. Not the sound of the shuttle, but only the girl’s sighing is heard.                                                                             What is the girl preoccupied with, what is she remembering? She is not preoccupied, nor is she reminiscing.  Last night she saw the military proclamation of the khan’s conscription orders; there were 12 scrolls, each bearing her father’s name. Father had no eldest son, Mulan, no elder brother; with a will she went to get a mount, henceforth to join the army in her father’s place.At the city’s Eastside she bought a steed, at the Westside, blanket and saddle, at the Southside, a bridle, at the Northside, a long whip. Without more ado, she took leave of her parents and made evening camp beside the Yellow River. She no longer heard her parents calling to her, but only the swishing sounds of the Yellow River’s flowing waves. Leaving the Yellow River, they reached the head of the Black hills at evening.  Instead of her parents calling to her, she only heard the sad whinnies of the Hun horses in the Yan mountains.Strategy and fortunes of war sent them tens of thousands of miles, passing through mountains and passes as if they were flying. The north wind carried the beat of metal drums; the cold light reflected off iron armor. Generals perished in a hundred battles; valiant warriors returned after a decade of fighting.They came back to report to the son of heaven; the son of heaven sat in a bright hall. Campaign accounts went through twelve rounds; rewards numbered in the hundreds and thousands.  When asked by the Khan what she desired, Mulan had no need of an office as minister’s aide, but would like [the use of] a sturdy mount good for 1000 miles to bring the child back home.When her parents heard their daughter was coming, they leaned on each other to go out and meet her; when her older sister heard she was coming, she stayed home to fix her make-up; when her younger brother heard his older sister was coming, he sharpened knives to butcher pig and sheep. Mulan opened her eastern door and sat on her west-corner bed, stripped her wartime garments and donned her robes of old. Sitting by the window she put her silken tresses in order and, facing her mirror, affixed some flowery adornment. She came out to greet her comrades, they were all aghast: they were fellow travelers for 12 years and never knew Mulan was a girl. The male hare is fleet of foot, the female has dreamy eyes; when the two run alongside each other on the ground, how can you distinguish between male or female?