HIS 233 Experiencing China

This course is designed to help students develop their own understanding of Chinese civilization through a combination of classroom discussion, field trip to China, and individual research. We will have regular class sessions during the spring semester and a two-week field trip to China in May. Besides common readings on the history of the cities that we plan to visit, students in the spring semester will focus on the early stages of their research project, including raising a research question, building up a bibliography, surveying the relevant literature, and completing a draft of their research paper. The two-week trip to China will provide students an opportunity to complete their research project through first-hand research. We will visit historic sites related to students' research projects, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, historic neighborhoods in Beijing and classical Chinese gardens in Suzhou. Fulfills diversity requirement. (L03)