SIT in Kunming

Region: Asia
Country: China
City: Yunnan Province
Language: Chinese
Term: Fall-Spring
Semesters of language study required: 2 terms of Chinese
Sponsoring Institution: School for International Training SIT

Notes:

Chinese Culture and Ethnic Minorities in Kunming

A field study program designed to explore minority identities in southwest China’s Yunnan province, home to nearly half of China’s more than 50 government-recognized minority groups. Living in environments ranging from cities to subtropic jungles to farmland, these groups face the challenges of fast-paced change spurred by modernization and long-term economic growth.

Students examine issues such as traditional culture and beliefs, the impact of tourism on minority cultures, and the expanding divide between urban and rural life in China. Field excursions to Dali, Lijiang, and Zhongdian provide students with an in-depth look at the environmental, cultural, and economic realities that define different areas.

  • Intensive Mandarin Language Course
  • Interdisciplinary Seminar in Languages & Culture in the Yunnan context
  • Ethnographic Field Study Seminar
  • Independent Study Project
  • Rural homestays
  • Educational excursions around Western China
For more information, contact an or SIT in China