Chinese Studies Research Group Lunch Seminar 3 April 2009

Chinese Studies Research Group Lunch Seminar

Date: Friday, 3 April 2009

Location: Tutorial / Committee Room, Ground floor, Baillieu Library.

RSVP to Bick-har Yeung bhy@unimelb.edu.au by 30 March 2009 for catering purposes.

Program

10:30 - 10:45

Registration and morning tea

10:45 - 11:00

Welcome (Ji Ma, President, Chinese Studies Research Group)

11:00 - 11:40

Topic: A Critical Discourse Analysis: Interaction between the State and the Architectural Profession.

Speaker: Yanjing (Serena) Zhang, Master Candidate, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Melbourne school of Design.

Summary:

Nowadays, the Chinese architectural profession has received broader attention from the world, and it is shaped by dynamic economic foundation and local political context. Since the leadership in China is CCP--one party ruling throughout the country, professions in China are not independent of the government. Hence, the CCP has intervened in the architectural profession a formidable impulse from state authorities. The study is an attempt to explore the interaction between state authorities and the architectural profession from 1992 to 2002. It adopted a journal-Jian Zhu Xue Bao / Architectural Journal and relevant publications as raw material to conduct a critical discourse analysis in order to reveal underlying relations.

11:45 - 12:25

The landscape of Northern Yangzhou suburb was controlled by the Chinese intellectuals, in terms of landscape discourse and landscaping activities. That is to say, the landscape experience, representation and construction were all centered on the intellectual class. In the mid-eighteenth century, however, this situation was transformed when the emperor of the mid-Qing Dynasty passed Yangzhou for his third inspection of water conservancy. It encouraged a way typified by non-intellectuals of experiencing the landscape. The static Pingshan Hall was replaced by the floating pleasure boat as the vehicle of landscape experience. Why did the emperor choose the different route in his third inspection? How was this new way typified by non-intellectuals distinguished from that of the intellectuals? How did it transform the landscape of Northern Yangzhou suburb? This research answers these questions.

This talk will be presented in Chinese.

12:30 - 1:10

Topic: Understanding Chinese Architecture Design Institute

Speaker: Feng Li (Quentin), Master Candidate at the Faculty of Architecture Building & Planning

Summary:

State-owned design institute, as the main force in the building revolution of contemporary China, has been experiencing numerous transitions in its six-decade history. It is an outcome of socialist ideology and planned economy in Maoist-era, but continues its influence in the market economy after China’s openness. Currently, its system is mixed with both market-orientated operation and government-orientated operation. In relation to this exceptional status, there rise some significant issues about the ideology of architects and the iconic appearance of architecture. This study examines the potential connections between the institute’s operational system, the philosophy of architects and the architectural design in contemporary China.

1:15 - 2: 00 Lunch

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