1. The Imperial Tombs of China: An extraordinary online exhibit from the Orlando Museum of Art. This collection "is the largest and most important exhibition of Chinese tomb art ever to tour the United States. The exhibition features 250 rare artifacts from seven dynasties, spanning nearly 2,500 years. This collection was painstakingly assembled from 21 museums and cultural centers in nine Chinese provinces and features bronzes, cloisonné, pottery, silks and jades." You'll find the comparative historical presentation of this site's Timeline an invaluable study aid. Additionally, you may view the collections as a Picture Tour or as a Quick Time Virtual Reality Tour. NOTE: You'll need to download and install the QTVR browser plug-in before embarking on any virtual tours.
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2. Chinese Text Archive: Visit CUNY's Core 9 online collection of Chinese texts in translation maintained by Paul Halsall. Here you'll find primary source excerpts from the Confucian, Legalist, Daoist, Buddhist and other ideological and religious traditions of China. Of particular interest at this site will be "The Chronology of Chinese History" prepared by Halsall and his students and the brief entry on "Religion in China"
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3. Tang Dynasty Poems: Visit Open China's collection of Tang Poetry, where you'll find poems by Du Fu, Bai Ju-yi, and Du Mu. You'll want to read through the following poems while at this site:
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Du Fu
(712-770 C.E.)
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Du Mu
(803-825 C.E.)
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Li Shang-yin
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4. Condensed China--Chinese History for Beginners: Visit Paul Frankenstein's concise and extensive history of Chinese culture and civilization. For an overview of the history of the Later Empire (589-1644) read through the following entries:
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5. Memorial on Buddhism: Read through Han Yu's (768-824 C.E.) critical and polemical assessment of Buddhism in early 9th century China. This 819 C.E. Neo-Confucian prose piece protests imperial devotion and common worship of sarira (relics) of the Buddha's finger bones. For a defense of or apology for Buddhism from the 5th century C.E. China read through The Disposition of Error, a refutation of Confucian critiques of early Buddhism in China.
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6. Basic Social Studies & Language Arts Skills--Using Chinese Literature in Translation: Read through Elgin Heinz's analysis and anecdotal account of the benefits of developing trans-cultural reading skills, especially in fostering the "ability to deal with cultural differences not as polarized opposites but as different positions on a continuum."
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7. More Tang Poems: Visit Nanjing Normal University's web pages devoted to providing English translations of Tang Dynasty poetry. Sample the selections provided for you as part of a weekly reading plan. You'll find the entries for Saturday particularly varied and entertaining.
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8. Yan Guifei: Read through this brief biography of Yan Yuhuan, chief consort/concubine to Emperor Tang Xuanzong to learn more about the effects of the An Lushan Rebellion on the Imperial Household in 755 C.E. Also, read through Bai Ju-yi's "Song of Enduring Sorrow" for an allegorical court masque account of the fall of the Tang capital, Chang-an. Finally, you might compare a feminist explication and reading of the representation of Yang Guifei and Meifei: Plum Concubine from ASIAPAC's 100 Celebrated Chinese Women site.
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9. Poetry of Li Bai: Visit Reverend X's tribute to Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762 C.E.). Read through the following poems to acquaint yourself with the themes and motifs of Tang drinking poems and other occassional poems:
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10. Classical Chinese Poetry in Chinese: Visit China the Beautiful's collection of Tang Dynasty Poems by authors such as: Bai Juyi, Chu Yuan, Du Fu, Han Yu, Li Bai, Li Qingzhao, Su Shi (Su Dongpo), Tao Yuanming, Wang Wei, ShiJing, and 300 Selected Poems from the Tang Dynasty. Be advised that most of the poems are in Chinese, and that you'll need to obtain a copy of a Chinese-language reading plug-ins for your browsers to get the most out of this site.
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11. Calligraphy and Chinese Poems: If you'd like to take a look at calligraphic renditions of Tang Poems by Li Bai, Cao Cao, Li Shang-yin and Du Fu, browse through the entries at this site for a glance at a gallery of beautiful calligraphic art.
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12. Web Essay: Read through Benjamin Elman's essay on "An Early Ming Perspective on Song-Jin-Yuan Civil Examinations" for an analysis of the historical legacy of the Song Dynasty using "the lenses of barbarian conquest and cultural apotheosis" in explaining the socioeconomic and cultural transformations between 960-1280 C.E. in Song China.
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13. Following Ancient Footprints--Exploring the Northern Silk Road: Visit Pamela Logan's extensive web site devoted to rediscovering the rich cultural traditions of medieval Silk Roads along Central Asia. You'll find the spectacular Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang.
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14. A Brief History of the Uyghers: Read through this brief chronology of the Uyghur, a cultural group that the ancient Chinese identified as direct descendants of the Huns on their northern border and that played a role in destabilizing the Tang prior to the Rebellion of An Lu-shan in 755 C.E.
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