Exploring China: Introduction to the Jiangnan Region

Catalog description

This entry-level course introduces students to the historical foundations of contemporary China through a place-based, experiential learning model. Fieldtrips to Hangzhou and Shanghai provide the basis for exploring how technology, global exchange, and cultural memory intersect with China's evolving identity. Topics include Hangzhou's rise as a tech hub rooted in merchant culture; Shanghai as global melting pot; and Suzhou's enduring role in aesthetics, design, and spatial imagination. The course asks: What kinds of futures are being built in China today, and how are they imagined through selective visions of the past? 002357