The Yields of Transition: Literature, Art and Philosophy in Early Medieval China

Jana S. Rošker · Nataša Vampelj Suhadolnik

Jan 2011 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing

About this ebook

The present volume is dedicated to the Wei Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220–589 AD), which is generally regarded as one of the most fascinating phases in Chinese history. The collection opens new theoretical and methodological pathways in sinological studies, bringing to the forefront a new idea of intercultural encounters based upon a culture of recognition.

It highlights the significance of transition in the making of Chinese culture and history, revises prevailing historical approaches in the study and research of China and develops and enhances existing theories or methodologies in this specific area of research. The wide diversity of contributions to the present volume reflects the multifaceted potential for creativity and renewal of this period.

The focus is upon the interaction of ideas, researches and perspectives concerning a broad scope of relevant and significant issues in contemporary sinology. In order to understand this diversity, a wide range of cultural, theoretical and historical aspects are considered. The book reveals a new image of the period, thereby undermining the absolute authority and putative objectivity of common historical sources and interpretations. It shows that this was a period rich with political, economic, cultural and theoretical achievements that would prove decisive for the future development of Chinese culture and society.

About the author

Professor Jana S. Rošker is an expert in Sinology and Head of the Department of Asian and African Studies at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In 1988, she obtained her PhD from the Department of Sinology at Vienna University in Austria and continued her studies and research at the Center for Chinese Studies in Taipei, Beijing University, Nankai University in Tianjin and the National Hsinchu University of Education. Her research interests and publication areas are mainly in the fields of: methodology of intercultural research, traditional Chinese theory of perception, Chinese epistemology and comparative philosophy.

Nataša Vampelj Suhadolnik is Assistant Professor of Chinese Art History and Deputy Head of the Department of Asian and African Studies at the University of Ljubljana. After graduating in Sinology, she received her PhD in 2006 from the Department of History, University of Ljubljana, specializing in Chinese grave art. She continued her research for several years at various universities in the People's Republic of China and in Taiwan. Her research work includes Chinese traditional and modern art, the cosmological perception of the traditional society structure through art tendencies, Buddhist iconography and Chinese aesthetics.