Summer Residential Programs
Origins of East Asia: Making a Civilization
Join us for a week-long exploration of the origins of East Asian Civilization with Paul Dunscomb, Professor of East Asian history and Melanie King, Art historian. In this seminar we will trace the deep and far reaching influence of Chinese culture through the philosophical traditions of Confucianism and Daoism, its writing system, and dominance of various Mahayana Buddhism sects. Beginning in the earliest days of civilization and ending in the 1600s, we will examine these belief systems, cultural traits, and traditions as they spread from China through Korea and into Japan through historical texts, religious and artistic objects, and the movement of people. Additionally, we will consider how Chinese civilization evolved in place over time and how it was altered as it encountered the belief systems, cultural traditions, and practices beyond China.