Are you interested in the world’s fastest growing economy? Would you like to learn more about the culture of virtually a quarter of the world’s present population? Taking this course, you won’t need any prior knowledge of China. What you will need is just participation, imagination and a sense of adventure.
This course will introduce salient features of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, including issues and topics which range geographically from modern metropolis to remote country and in time from the present day back to the very earliest civilization. By interpreting China through the eyes of the ordinary Chinese people rather than official documents or scholarly tracts, it is hoped that this course will be rewarding as well as enjoyable.
The following outline is subject to flexible reschedule and reorder as well as additions as the exact course progressing.
 

Week 1  Introduction to Shanghai A glimpse of life and culture of Shanghai, the largest and most dynamic city in China, as well as its history, people, folk customs and interesting places.	Week 2 Travel in China An introduction of tourist attractions in China such as extravagant palaces, large temples and exquisite gardens and more; An efficient assistant to you to plan your trip in China.
Week 3 Traditions and Customs Chinese manners, Chinese customs and traditions including wedding, birthday, funeral customs and more; Traditional Chinese festivals and holidays including Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Lantern Festival, Moon Festival, etc.	Week 4 Beliefs and Religions About Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam in China; Also about Chinese tales, legends and folk stories
Week 5 Food and Drink Chinese dining customs, including table settings, seating arrangements and what to expect at a banquet; Also regional culinary characteristics, recipes, tea culture and more.	Week 6 Arts and Crafts Chinese brush calligraphy; Chinese script and symbols; folk arts and crafts such as shadow play, paper cutting, cloisonne, gold foiling, etc.
Fieldtrip 1 Shanghai History Museum, Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, Pu Dong New Area and the Bund	Fieldtrip 2 Yu Yuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple and handicrafts factories

Tuition fee: RMB 3800 (30 hours)

Autumn Session (once a week)

Section A: Thursday mornings (9:30 AM – 12:30 AM)
                   10 weeks from October 16th to December 18th, 2008 (Course code: CC115)

Summer Session   (registration closed)

Section A: Tuesday & Thursday mornings (9:30 AM – 12:00 AM)
                   6 weeks from July 15th to August 21st, 2008 (Course code: CC113)

Section B: Tuesday & Thursday evenings (6:30 PM – 9:00 PM)
                   6 weeks from July 15th to August 21st, 2008 (Course code: CC114)

Tuition fees may be submitted by cash, bank card or credit card. With the original receipt, a refund in full can be made if the prospective student notifies us in writing of his/her withdrawal from the course one week before the commencement date. If using a foreign bank card, a non-refundable charge of approximately 3.1% of the tuition fee (about RMB140) will be deducted by the bank to cover transaction costs.