China is one of the fastest changing countries on earth. With hundreds of new cities under construction, rapidly accumulating wealth among the middle and upper classes, a precarious environment and resource-base, and rising geopolitical ambitions, understanding a changing China is more important now than ever before. Yet as China’s influence grows, it seems to become more misunderstood than ever.
This course aims to explore China’s changes, as well as dispel common myths about contemporary China, through the lens of human geography.
We explore China’s diverse environmental and cultural landscapes, its historical geography, and the challenges of rural development, urbanization, territorial sovereignty, energy, environment, and climate change.