CHE2124    Introduction to Asia (other than China): Ancient China and Southeast Asia: Maritime Archaeology and Remote Sensing

Faculty
Prof. Janice Stargardt

Course Description

This course will trace the maritime movements of people, trade goods and ideas across the vast spaces of the South China Sea – the Asian Mediterranean. First, a broad context for the subject in the past 2,500 years will be created, and at the same time the two core methodologies of archaeological studies and Remote Sensing will be introduced, showing the essential contributions they make to uncovering a fascinating phase in the economic and social history of East and Southeast Asia, 500 BCE-1500, that was only fragmentarily recorded in written sources. The broad context includes a brief outline of the ethnicities and linguistic groups spreading across southern China, mainland and maritime Southeast Asia, viewed against the physical conditions revealed by Remote Sensing and mapping – the ocean troughs and shelves, prevailing winds and ocean currents that hindered or helped human movements over vast tracts of water. The course will then consider some of the links formed through maritime trade and navigation. Thematically, this will cover the main agents of trade and navigation, the goods they produced, carried and sold, and the consequences of maritime trade for the development of the societies involved. Thus Southeast Asian navigator/traders will figure throughout the course; Arabs and Indians played important parts from 8^th – 14^th centuries while the activities of Chinese navigators and traders were officially recognised and supported from at least the Southern Song to the third reign of the Ming, culminating in the great voyages of Admiral Zheng He. A reversal of imperial policy in 1433 turned against such official maritime projects, placing South China’s great overseas trading houses in a twilight situation for the rest of the 15^th century, and probably made it easier for the Portuguese to gain a foothold in Asia from 1498.  Participants will study the ceramics collections of the CUHK Museum of Art and visit the Museum of Hong Kong History. There will be an optional visit to the City Museum of Guangzhou.

This course will provide an understanding of the deep historical roots of major themes in modern Asian history, such as global trade and development. It will emphasise the unique contributions of archaeological sources in combination with Remote Sensing and the privileged position of Hong Kong for teaching this course.

Notes:
(1) CUHK students may use this course to fulfill the CHE, UGC (Area C) or general elective requirements.
(2) Students joining the optional visit to the City Museum of Guangzhou in mainland China will be responsibility for the expenses incurred, such as transportation, meals and a China visa, if required.  China visa: no visa is needed for Japanese passport holders for staying less than 14 days. For other nationalities, China visa is mandatory. It is strongly recommended that students apply for a China visa through the China embassy in their place of residence or university before coming to Hong Kong.  They may be required to show their CUHK acceptance letter and any evidence of payment. In the China sponsor section, students can write “The Chinese University of Hong Kong”. Student can opt to apply China visa in Hong Kong on their own as well, but it may take more time to process and increase uncertainty, especially when it is about time for the Olympics in Beijing.  For more information, please visit www.ctshk.com/english/useful/chinesevisa.htm. In any circumstances, students should make sure their passport and China visa validity period covers the entire period of the summer school.