Chinese popular culture cannot be properly grasped without the immersion study of what ordinary Chinese people thought, felt, believed, and acted. We will take a generic approach, asking the basic question of what the Chinese people do with their typical forms of popular culture, such as lifestyles, etiquette, popular literature, film, television, music, opera, martial arts, artists, games, food, religion, internet life, etc. We will exam these forms of popular culture primarily from the perspective of their political, ideological, sociological, cultural, and psychological functions. The seminar will focus on 1990s and 2000s PRC popular culture. The native Chinese professional guest speakers will be invited to deliver lectures. These subjects will be approached through both written and visual documentation. Students will be expected to do field trips and perform local investigations on the Chinese environment in addition to the weekly readings and discussions.