First Year Seminar: Beijing and the Forbidden City

3 units

The Forbidden City has been the heart of Beijing for nearly six hundred years, and continues to influence both China and its capital today. Through art, architecture, and urban design, this seminar examines the intertwined relationship of the palace and its surrounding city: their origins and constructions, the coded symbolisms of their plans, their most influential characters, their modern identities as the backdrops to major political events, and their roles in contemporary art and the Olympics. This discussion-based seminar also aims to help students develop their skills in writing and critical analysis as a foundation for future classes. No previous experience with Art History or Asian Studies required. Course is for first-year students only.