Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis investigates how the cities Yuan Shangdu, Dadu and Jining compare when looking at their locations, layouts, trading positions, and distribution of material objects that were retrieved...Show moreThis thesis investigates how the cities Yuan Shangdu, Dadu and Jining compare when looking at their locations, layouts, trading positions, and distribution of material objects that were retrieved at archaeological excavations. The three case studies on the three cities portray their significance during the Yuan dynasty, on cultural, economic and political level. The thesis compares two capital cities of the Yuan dynasty and one hinterland city. The case studies structurally compare the layouts, which are all three very different from each other. Material objects that were excavated at the archaeological sites of Shangdu and Jining, imply that Shangdu was not so much a trading city but rather served the Yuan court, whereas Jining was a trading city in the hinterlands of the Yuan where many ceramics and other material objects were excavated. Dadu on the other hand, played an important role on both imperial political as trading levels.Show less
The thesis focuses on the textual representation of theaters in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty. The booming economy during the Song Dynasty stimulated the recreational consumption,...Show moreThe thesis focuses on the textual representation of theaters in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty. The booming economy during the Song Dynasty stimulated the recreational consumption, especially the development of comedies and dramas. Such trend contributed to the emergence and improvement of theatrical spaces. As the thriving performances boosted the dividing hierarchies of the theatrical spaces, the most talented folk artists and performers presented performances in the central stages and had opportunities to serve the court. The mutual influences between court bureau and folk artists promoted the development of the theatrical spaces, attracting merchants and vendors to do business in the theatrical spaces. In the urban literature, the related recordings were enriched with the descriptions narrating the transformation of theatrical spaces. Repeated in the urban literature with different representations, the images of theatrical spaces were represented as commercial centers or part of urban spaces. Such representations made the theatrical spaces gradually become the symbol of the dynamic urban life and the memory of urban prosperity.Show less