Sensing China: Modern Transformations of Sensory Culture

This book is the first collection of studies on the senses and sensory experiences in China, exploring the cultural and societal implications of sensory concepts and practices from the nineteenth century to the present day. It critically examines the sensory manifestations of change and transformation in Chinese culture and society, featuring in-depth examinations of a variety of topics such as aural and visual paradigms, odours, tactility, kissing, sonic culture, socialist sensorium, and contemporary-era multisensory cultural practices.

Format: Hardback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 16 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking book presents the first comprehensive collection of studies on the senses and sensory experiences in China, filling a significant gap in sensory research while offering innovative approaches to Chinese Studies. Comprising 12 insightful chapters authored by literary scholars and historians, this book delves critically into the profound meanings encoded within Chinese culture and society through the lens of the senses. Drawing upon an exploration of the sensorium in early Chinese thought and late imperial literature, this book unveils the sensory manifestations of societal change and cultural transformation in China from the nineteenth century to the present day. It offers in-depth examinations of a diverse range of concepts, representations, and practices, including aural and visual paradigms in ancient Chinese texts, the olfactory realm in Ming-Qing literature and Republican Shanghai, the tactile aspects of kissing and the sonic culture of community singing during the Republican era, the socialist sensorium in art, propaganda, memory, and embodied experiences, and contemporary-era multisensory cultural practices. By engaging with the vibrant sensory turn, this original work makes a distinctive contribution to the global history of the senses, serving as a valuable resource for scholars and students of Chinese Literature, History, Cultural Studies, and Media.

Weight: 734g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032008776