Page 60 - SYU Prospectus

Shue Yan University Prospectus 2018-19

therapy, herb therapy, tea therapy, Tai-chi, massage, Qigong and acupuncture for improving
one’s health and preventing disease. Some basic philosophical concepts such as "harmony of
man and nature", "Yin and Yang”, “five elements" and "Qi and Blood” , will be explained in
detail to indicate the application of Chinese medicine on health promotion and disease
prevention.
Specific health issues and topics of interest, such as insomnia, psychological stress,
acne and overweight, will be chosen for class discussion. Students will experience the
Chinese medicine culture through field trips to Chinese herbs market and Tai-chi class, as well
as class demonstration of massage, health food menu/dish design, tea therapy and medicated
diet preparation.

GEA 202 Urban Modernity in Chinese Cities: Hong Kong, Taipei and Shanghai
1 Term; 3 Credits
Subject to colonialism and imperialism, Chinese cities such as Hong Kong, Taipei and
Shanghai were ceded to the great powers as colonies and concessions of during the 19th and
20th centuries. Modernisation and imperialism made these cities modern in style and
composition, differing from traditional Chinese cities. The developmental features of the cities,
as noted by the historian Jürgen Osterhammel, usually reflect cultural hybridity and cosmo-
politanism. City planning and management and the importation of socio-political systems and
foreign culture from the West created a brand-new look for these traditional Chinese cities.
However, Westernisation played only a partial role in determining the cities’ characteristics;
modern culture did not edge out traditional culture, but merged with it to produce cultural
hybridity. Architectural styles, food culture, media, sports, arts, etc. constructed a unique
Westernised cultural make-up and colonial legacy, and these features have been retained to
the present day. Exploring the cities from a historical and cultural perspective will certainly
help us understand their historical, social and cultural development.
The proposed course will take a historical approach to analysis of the three most rep-
resentative coastal cities of modern China: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei. Starting in the
19th century, the modernisation and Westernisation of these cities will be explored and
compared. Next, we will probe into the following: 1) how the concept of modernisation
influenced and motivated the development of modern Chinese history; 2) in colonial cities,
how traditional cultures and concepts integrated with the new culture; and 3) how real
historical materials, such as architecture, museum exhibition information, films, photos, etc,
have crafted and continue to craft the colonial collective memory and cultural legacy, and their
influence on today’s society.

GEA 203 The Wisdom of Ancient Chinese Architecture
1 Term; 3 Credits
An ancient Chinese building tells us various stories, including its culture, history, phi-
losophy, feng-shui, art, structure and style. There are a variety of ancient Chinese buildings
which can be classified into five major categories: gorgeous imperial palace, intimate
traditional Chinese residence, natural landscape Chinese garden, religious altar and temple,

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