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Programs > Xi’an, China > Fall and Spring Term Courses > Courses

Xi'an: Art, History, and the Silk Road

Hosted by Xi'an International Studies University

Fall and Spring Term Courses

This program offers students 12 class hours per week of Chinese language as well as the opportunity to examine China through courses in English in several disciplines including history, art history, society, culture as well as in in-depth look at the Silk Road.

Fall and Spring Term Course Selection Form [PDF]

Courses:

Chinese Language (required, 12 class hours/week, 9 credits)

No prior language study is required for admission. Upon taking a placement exam after arrival, students will be placed into the appropriate language level. All courses emphasize listening, reading, speaking and writing. Click here to view a full listing of textbooks and lessons by Alliance program and course.

All of the following area studies courses are taught in English and meet for three class hours per week:

XIAN ANTH350 The Silk Road Yesterday and Today [pdf] (required, 3 class hours per week, 3 credits)

Professor Andrew Womack's CV [pdf]

The "Silk Road" is synonymous with over a millennium and a half of cultural, religious, and economic exchange linking East and Central Asia with the Mediterranean. It was not only a route for the trade of luxury goods, but was also the source of a rich interchange of art, religion, ideas and people. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to the multi-dimensional history of the Silk Road by focusing on the geography of trade routes, the spread of Buddhist religious and artistic influences, and the influence of Mediterranean explorers like Marco Polo. Students will have the opportunity to explore first-hand the historical and contemporary legacy of the Silk Road through various fieldtrips in and around Xi'an. The two-week Silk Road excursion will bring this course to life.

Choose one additional area studies course:

XIAN ARTH360 Xi'an and Chinese Art History [pdf] (3 class hours per week, 3 credits)

Professor Tracy Miao's CV [pdf]

This course will explore Xi'an and Shaanxi province through the lens of the city's and province's rich and diverse artistic heritage. From the relics of the Neolithic Banpo Village to the internationally famed Terracotta Warriors of the Qin dynasty to the region's various Buddhist architectural structures this course will provide students the opportunity to learn about the history of Chinese art up close and in person. In addition to these important artistic legacies, students will learn about the history of the region's calligraphy, folk arts, bronzes and Buddhist art. Outside the classroom, students will visit the outstanding Shaanxi History Museum, the village of Hu Xian's folk art collections as well as the Shuyuanmen and Huayuanmen galleries.

XIAN HIST375 Xi'an: Chinese History from Pre-Historic Times to the Mid-Tang Dynasty (3 class hours per week, 3 credits)

Professor Andrew Womack's CV [pdf]

This course will introduce students to the early history of Chinese civilization. Beginning with the Neolithic Period, students will trace the development of Chinese civilization from its origins in pre-history up to the Golden Age of the Tang Dynasty. We will focus heavily on the history of Shaanxi Province, both in class and on field trips to local historic and prehistoric sites. We will also branch out to look at how civilization was developing across China and at the interactions between Shaanxi and other parts of East Asia. Additionally, we will examine how we know what we know, by looking at archaeological and historical research methods both in China and the West. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, which will include aspects of archaeology, history, and art history, students will be able to gain a thorough appreciation and understanding of early Chinese history.

XIAN SOCS260 Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture (3 class hours per week, 3 credits)

This course will provide a broad overview of a range of contemporary Chinese social, cultural and economic issues. Drawing on an interdisciplinary approach and sources, this course will cover a number of contemporary issues from rural and urban labor to gender issues and population planning to ethnic and language policies and challenges. The course will cover both rural and urban issues, but will focus on Xi'an and its immediate environs. Topics such as migration, the environment and consumer product quality will touch on issues of relevance to all Chinese as well as to the broader international community.

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