China: The Red

Dragon
Afro-Asian Literature

The Red Dragon

Dragon symbolism throughout China dates
again a range of centuries and remains a
large part of Chinese today. The Particular
red dragon connotation derives from the
combination of standard Chinese folklore and
contemporary
biblical
theory.
Meaning
Dragons are prominent within ancient
Chinese mythology and also folklore. they
represent power, success, and also good
fortune throughout Chinese culture
https://storify.com/addictedpr881/why-was-china-called-the-red-dragon-ofasia

Literary Background
Confucianism is pervasive
Confucianism centers on the Classics
The ideal hero in Chinese literature is a man who has an
excellent memory, a scholar
Poetry is the heart of Chinese literature

Literary Background
Periods
Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.)
the people practiced a religion based on the belief that nature
was inhabited by many powerful gods and spirits.

Among the significant advances of this period were bronze

working, decimal system, a twelve-month calendar and a
system of writing consisting of 3,000 characters.

Literary Background
Periods
Chou Dynasty (1100 B.C. 221 B.C.)
the longest of all the dynasties and throughout most of this period China
suffered from severe political disunity and upheaval.

also known as the Hundred Schools period because of the many competing
philosophers and teachers who emerged the most influential among them
being:
Lao Tzu, the proponent of Taoism, stressed freedom, simplicity, and the mystical
contemplation of nature

Confucius, the founder of Confucianism emphasized a code of social conduct and

stressed the importance of discipline, morality, and knowledge

Literary Background
Chou Dynasty continuation
The Book of Songs, (Shih Ching) first compiled in the 6th
century B.C.
The oldest collection of Chinese poetry and is considered a
model of poetic expression and moral insight.
Poems include court songs that entertained the aristocracy,
story songs that recounted Chou dynasty legends, hymns
that were sung in the temples accompanied by dance and
brief folk songs and ballads.

The Missing Axe by Lieh Tzu

A man whose axe was missing
suspected his neighbors son. The boy
walked like a thief, looked like a thief,
and spoke like a thief. But the man
found his axe while he was digging in
the valley, and the next time he saw his
neighbors son, the boy walked, looked,

Literary Background
Periods
Chin Dynasty (221 B.C. 207 B.C.)
This period saw the unification of China and the
strengthening of central government.
Roads connecting all parts of the empire were built and
the existing walls on the northern borders were
connected to form the Great Wall of China.

Literary Background
Periods
Han Dynasty (207 BC 220 AD) created a momentum of literary
creativity
Marked by the introduction of Buddhism from
Tang Dynasty (618-960 AD) The Golden Age of Chinese Poetry,
drama had become established by this time.
Fine arts and literature flourished during this era which is viewed as
the Golden Age of Chinese civilization. Among the technological
advances of this time were the invention of gunpowder and the block
printing.

Literary Background
Periods
Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960 1279).
This period was characterized by delicacy and refinement
although inferior in terms of literary arts but great in learning.

Professional poets were replaced by amateur writers. The practice

of Neo-Confucianism grew

Literary Background
Periods
Later Dynasties (A.D. 1260-1912).
During the late 12th and early 13th centuries, northern China was
overrun by Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan whose grandson
Kublai Khan completed the Mongol conquest of China and
established the Yuan dynasty, the first foreign dynasty in Chinas
history. It was during this time that Marco Polo visited China.
Chinese rule was reestablished after the

drama reached its peak

Literary Background
Major Writers in the 18th Century
Li Po works have been widely translated
Tu Fu more superior
Po Chu Li

Literary Background
Tang Poets
Li Po (701 762) was Wang Weis contemporary and he spent a short
time in courts, but seems to have bee too much of a romantic and too
give to drink to carry out responsibilities. He was a Taoist, drawing
sustenance from nature and his poetry was often other-wordly and
ecstatic. He had no great regard for his poems himself. He is said to have
mad thousands of them into paper boats which he sailed along streams.
Tu Fu (712 770) is the Confucian moralist, realist, and humanitarian.
He was public-spirited, and his poetry helped chronicle the history of the
age: the deterioration

Literary Background
Tang Poets
Wang Wei (796? 761?) was an 8th century government
official who spent the later years of his life in the country,
reading and discussing Buddhism with scholars and
monks. He is known for the pictorial quality of his poetry
and for its economy. His word-pictures parallel Chinese
brush artistry in which a few strokes are all suggestive of
authority, the disasters of war, and official extravagance.

Literary Background
Tang Poets
Po Chu-I (772 846) was born two years after Tu Fu died, at a time when
China was still in turmoil from foreign invasion and internal strife. He wrote
many poems speaking bitterly against the social and economic problems that
were plaguing China.
Li Ching-chao (A.D. 1084 1151) is regarded as Chinas greatest woman
poet and was also one of the most liberated women of her day. She was
brought up in court society and was trained in the arts and classical
literature quite an unusual upbringing for a woman of the Sung dynasty.
Many of her poems composed in the tzu form celebrate her happy marriage
or express her loneliness when her husband was away.

Literary Background
Tang Poets
Chou-Shu- jen (1881 1936) has been called the father
of the modern Chinese short story because of his
introduction of Western techniques. He is also known as
Lu Hsun whose stories deal with themes of social concern,
the problems of the poor, women, and intellectuals.

Literary Background
Great Wall of China 6,500 km long, to keep out invaders
1800s China was an almost isolated country
1900s Western literature influence was evident in
Chinese Literature
Mao Zedong came to power in 1949

Literary Background
Cultural Revolution took place
literature should serve the aims of the state
Image of working class was projected
Ordered writers to produce works that could be easily understood
by all
Intellectuals were persecuted thus resulting to published works
were written by unskilled workers

Literary Background
1976 restrictions on literature were eased
Literary works with political and social theme criticizing
the government surfaced

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Confucianism:
This school was developed from the teachings of the
sageConfucius(551 - 479B.C.), and collected in theAnalects
of Confucius.
A system of moral, social, political, and quasi-religious thought,
whose influence also spread toKoreaand Japan.
The major Confucian concepts includeren(humanity or
humaneness),zhengming(similar to the concept of the Mandate
of Heaven),zhong(loyalty),xiao(filial piety), andli(ritual).

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Confucianism:
Golden Rule(essentially, treat others as you would like to be
treated),
Yin and Yang(two opposing forces that are permanently in
conflict with each other, leading to perpetual contradiction and
change),
meritocracy, and ofreconciling oppositesin order to arrive at
some middle ground combining the best of both.
Confucianism isnot necessarily regarded as a religion

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Taoism:
Sometimes also writtenDaoism, Taoism is a philosophy which
later also developed into areligion.
Taoliterally means "path" or "way
Three Jewels of the Taoare compassion, moderation, and
humility.
Taoist thought focuses onwu wei("non-action"), spontaneity,
humanism, relativism, emptiness and the strength of softness (or
flexibility).

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Legalism:
Legalism is apragmatic political philosophy, whose
main motto is "set clear strict laws, or deliver harsh
punishment",
its essential principle is one ofjurisprudence.
A ruler should govern his subjects according to:
Fa(law or principle),Shu(method, tactic, art, or statecraft)
andShi(legitimacy, power, or charisma).

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Buddhism:
Buddhism is areligion, apractical philosophyand
arguably apsychology, focusing on the teachings
ofBuddha(Siddhartha Gautama),
It was introduced to China from India, probably some time
during the 1st CenturyB.C.

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

Main Schools of Chinese

Philosophy
Mohism:
founded byMozi(c. 470 - 390B.C.)
It promotesuniversal lovewith the aim ofmutual
benefit, toavoid conflict and war.
Mozi was strongly against Confucian ritual, instead
emphasizingpragmatic survivalthrough farming,
fortification and statecraft.

http://www.philosophybasics.com/general_eastern_chinese.html

 Think of a time when you encountered

something that turned your life upside
down

A Little Incident

Discussion Questions
What happened to the narrator on his way
to work?

Discussion Questions
Whom would you blame for the incident?

Discussion Questions
What made the incident unforgettable for
the narrator?

Discussion Questions
Why did the narrator feel ashamed of
himself?

Discussion Questions
Between the rickshaw-puller and the
passenger, whose behavior would you like
to emulate? Why?

Discussion Questions
Are incidents similar to the one described
in the story common in your community?
Explain

Discussion Questions
What message does the story give?