Curriculum by Neoland School of Chinese Culture
World Education Day, Jinan, China, September 30, 2018
Chinese History and Philosophy by Neoland School of Chinese Culture
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2022
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2023
Eat whole grains all day, drink cold water, Bend my arms to make pillows, I enjoy myself in these... more Eat whole grains all day, drink cold water, Bend my arms to make pillows, I enjoy myself in these. If wealth and honor are obtained by improper means, I regard them as floating clouds. 述而篇 孔子 (551-479 BCE) Confucian Analects: Chapter 7 Translated by Donia Zhang, 2022 Confucius did not talk about weirdness, violence, chaos, or gods. He said three people walking together, one of them must be my teacher. I will select their good aspects to follow, And correct my own shortcomings when seeing their bad aspects.
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Do not wish others fail or destroy their success. Do not put others in danger to obtain your secu... more Do not wish others fail or destroy their success. Do not put others in danger to obtain your security. Do not reduce others' benefits to increase your profits. Do not use bad things to exchange for others' good ones. Do not impede the public welfare for your personal gains. Do not steal others' works as yours to conceal their merits.
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Chinese Architecture and Arts by Neoland School of Chinese Culture
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Oxford Brookes University, School of Architecture, Part of Third Year Dissertation of BA in Architectural Studies, 1992, 2022
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2022
The painting series “Forty Scenes of the Yuanmingyuan” depicts historically recognized vistas in ... more The painting series “Forty Scenes of the Yuanmingyuan” depicts historically recognized vistas in the Old Summer Palace, Beijing, China. In 1744, Emperor Qianlong commissioned a set of 40 paintings from two court artists, Shen Yuan (沈源, ?‒?) and Tang Dai (唐岱, 1673‒1752), and a calligrapher, Wang Youdun (汪由敦, 1692‒1758). The paintings, currently in the collection of Bibliothèque nationale de France, are among the few remaining visual records of the Yuanmingyuan prior to the plunder by British and French troops in 1860. Twenty-four (24) of the 40 garden scenes depicted in the paintings were lost in the destruction of 1860. In 1900, many of the buildings that had survived or had been restored were burnt permanently by the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance. This compilation also includes five historic drawings by westerners, at least three of which seemed to be drawn by English painter and architect, Thomas Allom (1804‒1872).
Neoland School of Chinese Culture, 2024
(燕京大学 1919-1952) after the nationwide restructuring of schools and departments in 1952. In 2000, ... more (燕京大学 1919-1952) after the nationwide restructuring of schools and departments in 1952. In 2000, the former Beijing Medical University merged into the Beijing University • Beijing University campus was originally located northeast of the Forbidden City in central Beijing, and was later moved to the former campus of Yenching University in 1952. Now the main campus is in Haidian district, near the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace, on the former site of Qing-dynasty imperial gardens and it retains much traditional Chinese-style landscaping, including traditional houses, gardens, pagodas, and many notable historical buildings • Beijing University has six faculties that include Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Management, Science, Information Technology and Engineering, as well as Health Science. It consists of 55 schools and departments, 60 research entities, and 10 affiliated hospitals.
The 15th Annual Meeting of the Comparative and Continental Philosophy Circle (CCPC, remote), Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia, May 14, 2022
This presentation examines the city of Qufu, once the state capital of Lu (1042–249 BCE) in today... more This presentation examines the city of Qufu, once the state capital of Lu (1042–249 BCE) in today’s Shandong province, China. Qufu is the hometown of Confucius (551–479 BCE), and for sites associated with the Chinese philosopher. It was also the closest example before the Warring States period (475‒221 BCE) following the imperial Chinese city planning principles for an ideal capital prescribed in the Record of Trades in Rituals of Zhou. The Temple of Confucius in Qufu was constructed in 478 BCE, with its expansive complexes of the Kong Family Mansion and Cemetery, mostly dating from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties. These Three Confucian sites have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, and are key areas in the study, alongside four modern Confucian architecture: Confucius Research Institute, Confucius Cultural Park, Confucius Six Arts City, and Confucius Museum. The paper seeks to understand what aspect of Chinese philosophy is reflected in Confucian architecture. The finding reveals Yin Yang balance and harmony is the basic aesthetic principle guiding the planning and design of Confucian architecture in Qufu.
The 4th International Conference on Resilient and Responsible Architecture and Urbanism (RRAU, Online), Selangor, Malaysia, December 3, 2021
Historic cities all over the world are facing challenges on how to best preserve their architectu... more Historic cities all over the world are facing challenges on how to best preserve their architectural heritage. We need good examples to follow, which leads to this study. The presentation comprises two parts. The first part investigates Pingyao Historic City in Shanxi Province of China, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The second part examines the Qiao Family Courtyard in Qi County nearby, as it is an outstanding example of vernacular architecture of the Qing dynasty in the region. It then draws a preliminary conclusion about what had made Pingyao City and Qiao Family resilient and responsible.
Through a historical research on two well-preserved vernacular Chinese dwellings: The Wang Family... more Through a historical research on two well-preserved vernacular Chinese dwellings: The Wang Family Courtyard in Shanxi and the Sam Tung Uk Walled Village in Hong Kong, this paper examines the cultural sustainability of architecture in China, and explores what factors have contributed to their success and decline, and what can be learned from their stories. In doing so, the article employs the analytical framework developed in the author’s previous works, that is, architectural form and space, and social and cultural dimensions of the cases. The findings reveal that ancestor worship was a common practice in the two families, hard work and traditional family values had resulted in their success. The abandonment of traditional values and schooling, coupled with social and military instability in the country, along with urban sprawl, destroyed the family unity and businesses, and ultimately caused the moving. The study has implications for the contemporary world beyond China.
The 3rd International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism, Alanya HEP University, Alanya, Turkey, May 6, 2020
The courtyard house is one of the oldest dwelling types, spanning at least 5,000 years and occurr... more The courtyard house is one of the oldest dwelling types, spanning at least 5,000 years and occurring in distinctive forms in many parts of the world across climates and cultures. This presentation takes a panoramic view and makes a cross-cultural analysis of the courtyard houses in six cultures: Chinese, Indian, Islamic, Greco-Roman, Spanish, and Hispanic-American, by addressing four areas of concern: cosmic axis and architectural symbolism, favorable orientation of buildings, socio-spatial organization, and cultural activities in the courtyard houses. It then looks at contemporary new courtyard housing around the world, which is often provided with common courtyards and shared facilities to meet human desire for social connectedness and the quest for sustainable architecture and urbanism. The presentation concludes that the courtyard form is a common heritage of humanity that has a past as well as a future, because it satisfies human physical and psychological needs of a habitat. Moreover, the courtyard form has been built all over the world, and the shared meaning of the courtyard house is an earthly paradise, from which one may construe that the meaning of the world is a courtyard garden. The presentation finally proposes a new courtyard-garden housing system that may have universal application.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver, BC, Canada, August 30, 2018
Donia Zhang links Chinese philosophy on harmony, happiness, health, and healing, with the courtya... more Donia Zhang links Chinese philosophy on harmony, happiness, health, and healing, with the courtyards and gardens in China and Canada. She examines the interplay between social interaction and cultural activities with traditional Chinese architecture and landscape architecture. Traditional Chinese landscape architecture such as Scholars’ Gardens encompass such tangible and intangible cultural values, and many have been designated in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The presenter’s previous research findings indicate that in China, courtyard houses facilitate residents’ physical health and natural healing, as well as their social interaction and cultural activities; while in North America, the common courtyards are spaces where residents can sit, talk, and socialize with one another. It is thus suggested that this knowledge is transferrable from one locality to another, and that a courtyard garden may help achieve cultural vitality and multiculturalism in Canada. Zhang’s presentation finally proposes design elements that may help revitalize the Courtyard in front of the Vancouver Chinese Park.
Canadian Association of Geographers Conference: Toward a Just and Sustainable World, York University, May 30, 2017
This presentation focuses on the impacts of socio-economic transformation and privatization in th... more This presentation focuses on the impacts of socio-economic transformation and privatization in the Chinese housing market on the lives of residents in China. China has implemented a socialist market economy since 1978. This new political system has caused many of its sectors to privatize, one of which is the land and housing market. Due to an increase in land value, profit-driven developers have sought opportunities to demolish the dilapidated (and sometimes non-dilapidated) single-storey traditional courtyard houses that fall into the redevelopment zones, and build multi-storey apartments to be sold at market prices. This move has forced a large number of residents to relocate to suburbs, which have substandard educational, healthcare, and other service facilities, while in the inner cities, high housing prices have attracted only wealthier homebuyers who can afford to pay. Gentrification has thus occurred in Chinese cities. The study suggests a participatory approach in the renewal and redevelopment process to achieve more satisfactory results.
Courtyard Institute, Beijing, China, May 20, 2017
This presentation highlights my doctoral research findings on the renewed and new courtyard housi... more This presentation highlights my doctoral research findings on the renewed and new courtyard housing projects built in the inner city of Beijing since the 1990s. It looks at the architectural, environmental, spatial, constructional, social, cultural, and behavioral aspects of the housing, to see whether it is culturally sustainable, and whether it facilitates residents’ traditional cultural expressions. The study is based on empirical data collected in 2007 through a number of research methods, including field surveys, interviews, time diaries, architectural drawings, photographs, planning documents, conversation and observation notes, journals, real estate magazines, brochures, and related material. The findings suggest that communal courtyards foster social interaction and private courtyards facilitate self-cultivation. Neighborly relations are partly influenced by the form and space of the courtyard housing, and partly by a changing and polarizing society, socio-economic differences, housing tenure, modern lifestyles, community involvement, common language, cultural awareness, and the cultural background of the residents. The communal courtyards help sustain some traditional Chinese cultural activities. The primary function of a communal courtyard is to maintain health and natural healing. However, many cultural activities are much less or no longer partaken in the communal courtyards, likely due to such factors as time, climate, courtyard ownership, yard size, facilities, and so on. Moreover, community/city parks/gardens have become important places for cultural activities in China.
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Curriculum by Neoland School of Chinese Culture
Chinese History and Philosophy by Neoland School of Chinese Culture
Chinese Architecture and Arts by Neoland School of Chinese Culture