May Interim 2014
INDS 128 China: An Ancient Civilization and New Global Power
Instructors
Prof. Li Yang ([email protected])
Prof. Ingrid Furniss ([email protected])
Course Description
This interim course will familiarize students with China, an ancient and modern global power. In
a journey of three major cities (Xi’an, Beijing, and Shanghai), this course will introduce students
to Chinese cultural history, current economic development, and social life. Through a
combination of directed readings, basic language study, visits to historical sites, participation in
cultural activities and lecture/discussion sessions, students will gain critical understanding of this
complex nation.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Identify the major historical, cultural, and social characteristics of China’s most
prominent dynasties (Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing) and the modern period.
2. Summarize main developments within Chinese art and architecture from the Qin period
(221 BC to 206 BC) to the present.
3. Explain the impact of China’s rapid economic development on the Chinese nation, its
people, and the world.
4. Assess the accuracy of common cultural stereotypes of Chinese people.
5. Employ their new cultural awareness in future interactions—both personal and
professional—with Chinese people.
Course Material
Ebrey, Patricia. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press,
2010.
Prerequisites
None
Format
Each day will typically include a morning discussion and lecture about the day’s topic. Field trips
and cultural experiences will generally take place in the late morning and/or afternoon. Evenings
are typically unscheduled, but time should be spent on journaling and readings for the next day.
Prior to departure, the instructors will distribute a detailed schedule of daily activities.
Federal Credit Hour Regulations
The student work in this course is in full compliance with the federal definition of a four credit
hour course. Please see the Registrar’s Office web site (http://registrar.lafayette.edu/additionalresources/cep-course-proposal/) for the full policy and practice statement.
INDS128 and the Common Course of Study
This course satisfies:
Humanities Requirement (H)
Students are engaged in the study of Chinese history, art, and other diverse themes in the
Humanities.
Global and Multicultural Requirement #2 (G/M 2)
This course examines cultural differences in the global context.
Grading
Participation 25% (including attendance and punctuality)
Daily Assignments 20%
Journals 25%
Term Paper 30%
Active Participation: A large portion of your final grade depends on your participation in
planned activities, and throughout the course. Here’s what’s expected: (a) arrive on time; (b)
arrive fully prepared to contribute meaningfully to discussions, to answer questions posed by
peers and professors, and to ask questions about what you observe; (c) listen carefully to others
and treat them with civility and tolerance (even when you do not agree with others’ points of
view); (d) be resourceful; that is, take the initiative in gathering information you need and in
gaining as much benefit as possible from every situation; and (e) constantly strive to give your
very best at all times and to grow in your capacity to learn and to contribute positively to the
experiences of those around you.
Attendance for all planned activities is mandatory. Students must obtain faculty consent to be
excused from any outings or discussion sessions. Unexcused absences will result in a minimum
reduction of one-letter from the final grade. Tardiness will count against the participation score.
Daily Assignments: We will assign daily reading assignments. A team of students will be
assigned for each day, and this team will lead a discussion about the day’s readings. Each
student discussion team is responsible for presenting a 20-minute synopsis of the reading, as
well as preparing questions—based on the readings or on an experience from the trip—for the
class to discuss.
Journal: Each student will maintain a daily journal that addresses your daily experiences of
Chinese society, culture, economy, and/or history. You are also expected to provide thorough
summaries of the daily reading assignments. Faculty will review the journals after the first 4
days to ensure the guidelines are followed.
Term Paper: Using a combination of the readings, lectures and discussions, your journaling,
your experiences during the course, and your own research, prepare a 10-page typed paper
(12-point Times Roman or Arial, 1-inch margins, double-spaced; APA or Chicago Manual of
Style, reference list is extra) on a topic of your choosing. Topics should relate to what you have
seen and/or experienced in China. Papers will be due by email 3 weeks after our return from
China (5pm, June 26, 2014).
Academic Honesty
To maintain the scholarly standards of the College and, equally important, the personal ethical
standards of our students, it is essential that written assignments be a student’s own work, just
as is expected in examinations and class participation. A student who commits academic
dishonesty is subject to a range of penalties, including suspension or expulsion. Finally, the
underlying principle is one of intellectual honesty. If a person is to have the self-respect and the
respect of others, all work must be his/her own.
2014 China Summer Interim (May 20-June 5 2014)
Day
Date
01
May 20
Depart from Newark Airport
02
May 21
Arrive at Shanghai / Xi’an
Arrival in Shanghai, transfer to connecting flight to Xi’an.
Arrival in Xi’an, bus transfer to hotel.
Accommodation: Days Hotel & Suite Xingxing Xi’an (5* standard)
http://www.daysinn.cn/english/hotel/xinxing_a.htm
03
May 22
Xi’an B, L
Morning free.
Have lunch together and then visit the Shaanxi History Museum. The
museum houses over 300,000 items, including ancient bronze vessels and
weapons, ceramics, and silver and gold vessels brought to China along the
Silk Road.
Dinner on your own.
04
May 23
Xi’an B, L
In the morning, visit Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum. Located at the foot of Mt.
Li lies the tomb of China's first Emperor, Qin Shihuang. Visit the Terra Cotta
Museum and view the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, arranged in battle
formation to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The underground pits are
thought to contain more than 8,000 life-size terra cotta soldiers. A circle-vision
film reenacts related events of 2300 years ago. In the afternoon, enjoy a Xi’an
specialty lunch while watching a noodle-making demonstration.
Dinner on your own.
05
May 24
Xi’an B, L
In the morning, visit Qianling, the tomb of the third Tang emperor, Gaozong
(628–683), and Empress Wu Zetian. Taking the title of “emperor” following her
husband’s death, Wu Zetian was the only woman to have ruled China. After
lunch at a local restaurant, visit Famen Temple. Famen Temple was
established in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) with the purpose to carry
forward Buddhism. The temple is renowned for storing the veritable finger
bone relic of the Buddha.
Dinner on your own.
Itinerary
06
May 25
Xi’an B, L, D
This morning we will visit the Big Wild Goose (Dayan) Pagoda and Da Ci’en
th
Temple. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda, an amazingly well-preserved 8 century structure, is a holy place for Buddhists. It was constructed to house
th
sutras (sacred texts) and relics that the 7 c. Buddhist monk and adventurer,
Xuanzang, brought back with him to China from his travels in India.
Afterwards, visit the Grand Mosque of Xi’an, one of the oldest, largest and
best-preserved Islamic mosques in China, and walk along the Muslim Street,
where we will eat a traditional Hui lunch. After lunch, visit Xi’an’s old City
Wall, where you will have the option to rent bikes (at your own expense) and
explore the 8.5 mile stretch of the wall on your own.
In the evening, enjoy a dumpling dinner followed by a Tang Variety Show.
07
May 26
Xi’an B
Free day.
Lunch and dinner on your own.
08
May 27
Xi’an/Beijing B, L
Take morning flight to Beijing.
Arrive in Beijing and visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and
Jingshan Park. Located just south of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square
is considered the center of Beijing. It is the largest square in the world, and it
has been the site of many important historical events. Head to the Forbidden
City/Palace Museum, home to China’s emperors beginning in 1420. Walk
through the world’s largest royal compound, which was strictly off-limits to
commoners, and learn about important treasures from the imperial collection
on display in the vast inner courts. Then, visit Jingshan Park.
Dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Qianmen Jianguo Hotel (4*)
http://www.qianmenhotel.com/en/index.html
May 28
Beijing B, L
Full-day excursion to Jinshanling to climb a section of the Great Wall, one of
the Seven Wonders of the World.
Box lunch on the Great Wall.
Dinner on your own.
10
May 29
Beijing B, L, D
After breakfast, visit the Summer Palace, which is the best-surviving imperial
th
garden in Beijing. Dating to the 17 century, the garden contains a wide
variety of old buildings and scenic vistas looking out onto the vast Kunming
Lake. After enjoying a pizza lunch at the popular local restaurant, Tube
Station, head to Beijing University to meet with Chinese students. Following
dinner at a local restaurant (or Beijing University), enjoy a Gongfu (Kung Fu)
show.
11
May 30
Beijing B, L, D
In the morning, visit the Temple of Heaven complex, a sacred area formerly
used only by Chinese emperors for important ceremonies to honor
Heaven, the supreme power. The main structure is the grand Hall of
Prayer for Good Harvest, built without nails, an impressive architectural
feat. Today this park is a favorite gathering spot for local residents, a
community center where people of all ages come to relax, exercise and
express themselves through song and dance. Joining in on activities is a
fun way to interact with everyday Beijingers.
09
After a Chinese lunch, see the charming historic Hutong lanes of old
Beijing (Siheyuan) from the carriage of a pedicab/trishaw. One of your
stops will be at the courtyard home of a local family for tea. We will then
head to the Olympic Park, constructed for the 2008 Olympic Games, visiting
the outside of the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.
Peking duck dinner at local restaurant.
12
May 31
Beijing B
Free day
Recommended shopping: Silk Market and Pearl Market
Lunch and dinner on your own.
13
June 1
Beijing/Shanghai B
Take high speed train to Shanghai. Arrive in Shanghai and transfer by bus to
our hotel.
Afternoon presentation by a local business person.
Lunch and dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Xuhui International Executive Suites Shanghai (4*)
http://www.xuhuihotel.com/
14
June 2
Shanghai B, L
Stroll on the Bund/Waterfront, where the great trading houses and banks
had their headquarters in the 1920’s and 1930’s. View the city from the vista
of the Oriental and Jinmao Towers. Eat lunch together at a local restaurant.
Go to the Shanghai World Expo Park and visit the beautiful China Pavilion,
built for China’s Expo 2010 and recently transformed into “Asia’s largest art
museum”.
Enjoy Acrobatic Show tonight.
Dinner on your own.
15
16
17
June 3
June 4
June 5
Day Trip to Zhouzhuang and Suzhou Gardens B, L
Today, take bus to Zhouzhuang, visit the Zhouzhuang Water Town and
enjoy a boat ride on the canal. Lunch at a local restaurant. Head to Suzhou,
China’s garden city, and visit the Humble Administrator's Garden. Return to
Shanghai in the late afternoon.
Dinner on your own.
Shanghai B, L
Visit the famous Chen Huang Miao, a bustling market with different snacks
and trinkets. Dim sum lunch at local restaurant.
Afternoon is free. Dinner on your own.
Shanghai Departure B
Bus transfer to airport for return flight to the U.S.