This site will document the fieldwork done in the course HIS 1977, China East to West-Past to Present during the 2014 Spring term. This course is designed to immerse students in the history and culture of China through intense study and extensive travel. The theme of this year's course is the history of food in China.
After two weeks of intense on-campus study the class will set out for China to taste all that Chinese culture has to offer eating at a range of local restaurants, visiting markets, and taking a crash course in Chinese spices and sauces at a Beijing culinary school. While we are eating our way from
Beijing to Chengdu and then from Chengdu to Shanghai, we will explore a variety of historic and scenic locations that highlight a broad range of historic and current social and political structure that circulate around the topic of food. In addition to focusing on the theme of food culture and history, students will work build their Chinese language skills.
I am Mark Pitner, Assistant Professor of Asian History and instructor for this field course . I will be adding a few comments here and there as we go along, but will leave much of the blogging to the crew. Enjoy!
After two weeks of intense on-campus study the class will set out for China to taste all that Chinese culture has to offer eating at a range of local restaurants, visiting markets, and taking a crash course in Chinese spices and sauces at a Beijing culinary school. While we are eating our way from
Beijing to Chengdu and then from Chengdu to Shanghai, we will explore a variety of historic and scenic locations that highlight a broad range of historic and current social and political structure that circulate around the topic of food. In addition to focusing on the theme of food culture and history, students will work build their Chinese language skills.
I am Mark Pitner, Assistant Professor of Asian History and instructor for this field course . I will be adding a few comments here and there as we go along, but will leave much of the blogging to the crew. Enjoy!