CHINA: Historic Yunnan 2012

Dates:
May 21-June 9, 2012 (depart the US on May 20).

Itinerary:
Includes visits to Beijing’s Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the famous terra cotta army in Xi’an, and Shanghai.

This trip gives SAIC students the rare opportunity to participate in a real heritage conservation project in the 13th century Southern Silk Route city of Weishan, seat of the 7th century Nanzhao empire and the heart of the Weishan Heritage Valley, a unique resource in Yunnan, China’s most diverse province.  The historic town features a massive 1390 gate, several centuries-old temples, hundreds of traditional courtyard houses, and the nearby Weibaoshan mountain, home to 22 Taoist and Buddhist temples.  The region is known for the Yi and Hui peoples, as well as the Bai. Lisu, Miao and many others in a province dominated by “minorities.” Weishan is one of the 20 most “livable” small towns in China and the center of the 300,000 person Yi and Hui autonomous county.

Since 2003, SAIC has been working with the Center for US China Arts Exchange of Columbia University and Openlands Project of Chicago in a multidisciplinary effort to preserve, enhance and provide sustainable development for the Weishan Heritage Valley.  In 2004 we measured and devised redevelopment plans for the Dong Yue temple complex, and in 2006 13 SAIC students documented 16 local landmarks, including 12 traditional courtyard houses, resulting in a Chinese publication featuring student and faculty work.

In 2009 we worked with Weishan and Yunnan officials on designing ways to remodel historic courtyard houses to modern needs and produced three concrete design projects.  Currently we are designing an International Arts Center that will complete rehabilitation of the Dong Yue temple and adapt the adjacent Tai Bao Palace as a studio and artist’s residence.

This is a rare opportunity not only to visit a diverse region that is lightly traveled, but to actually participate in a project to benefit the local community.

Credits:
3 credits STUDIO and/or 3 credits ARTHI

Instructors:
Vince Michael, Historic Preservation
Stanley Murashige; Art History, Theory & Criticism

Program fee:
$2,700 (includes ground transportation, tours, accommodations, all meals and museum admissions in Weishan; welcome and final dinners in Beijing/Shanghai; not including airfare).

PLUS Tuition cost per credit:
Undergraduate - $1,231 per credit hour;
Graduate - $1,301 per credit hour.

Airfare:
Budget at least $1,400 for airfare if flying from the USA. (Note this is only an estimated figure. Actual fare will depend on many variables including airline, number of layovers, exchange rate fluctuations, ports of departure and return and date of ticket purchase).

Online Registration begins:
March 8, 2012

Deposit due at registration:
$500

Information Sessions:
Wednesday, February 15 at 12:10 p.m. in MC 111
Thursday, February 16 at 12:10 p.m. in MC 111

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