This thesis approaches two perennial and interrelated problems in the historiography of China - the question of the openness or self-isolation of (Ming) Chinese society, as well as the nature and extent of the Mongol legacy in the (early) Ming - from a new angle. In spite of a g…
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This thesis examines issues of female power and influence in sixteenth-century China focusing on how women and their roles were perceived in the changing social environment of the mid-late Ming dynasty. Using aspects of a New Historicist approach, information from contemporary l…
From late Ming to early Qing, song lyric, or ci, experienced stylistic transformation, and the previous decline of ci in the Ming dynasty also witnessed a renaissance in the Qing. This dissertation attempts to study the internal factor of these changes by analyzing the aesthetic…
Zhi Yi (Eight-Legged Essay) was the most prevalent form of essay-writing adopted by the exam-takers of the Imperial Examinations in Ming dynasty. To reduce uncertainties in grading schemes and ensure fairness, strict regulations were imposed by the government on Zhi Yi. For the …
“Respect for life” has always been a core tenet of Taoist faith, and practitioners of Taoism have, therefore, always viewed longevity as a life goal. In the process, they developed a unique school of thought toward personal health. With the rise of healthcare research in recent …
This dissertation is a study of maritime violence and its impact on in sixteenth-century South China. It examines how the imperial state and local communities vied with smuggling traders and coastal raiders for control of littoral space. Focusing on the bordering prefectures of …
The Zen monk Sesshū Tōyō (1420 - ca. 1506) is among the most lauded painters in the history of Japanese art, a reputation in no small part due to his unique status as the first professional painter of the premodern period to travel to China and the only Japanese painter to study…
My percussion concerto is scored for percussion soloist, chamber orchestra, and electronics. It explores virtuosity of performance on both Chinese and Western percussion instruments, the timbral interplay between acoustic and electroacoustic sounds, and the art of storytelling i…
This dissertation explores the negotiation of intellectual and social authority among the literati elite of imperial China from the twelfth to the early fifteenth century. Specifically, I examine the rise of intellectual lineages of affiliation, especially those of daoxue Neo-Co…
This dissertation aims to revive the concept of geography in the study of international relations. I argue for the continued importance of geography in shaping the grand strategy of states. Specifically, I consider three geographical features: location of resources, layout of tr…
The Hui (Chinese Muslim) rebellion (1856-1874) in Yunnan was one of the most important historical events which led to the collapse of the Manchu empire and the advent of modern China. But the historical significance of this event has not yet been recognized among western scholar…