HISTORY OF CHINA UPDATED (24) SUNY ADK, 696 Route 9, Gansevoort, NY 12831, Second floor.

Tuesday, 9:30-11:00am, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12

China has emerged in the last hundred years as a superpower rivalling the United States, yet many Westerners have little knowledge of this venerable civilization that began over 4,000 years ago, yet China remains virtually a daily subject of internation news. China’s history begins with many warring states which weren’t unified until two thousand years ago. What followed was a series of several distinct dynasties that came to an end in 1912, eventually succeeded by the Communist Party. China has a wonderful but complicated cultural and technological history which has significantly contributed to Western civilization that is often underappreciated. Most people have an opinion and some knowledge of China but rarely based on fact  In this seven-week course, we’ll learn how China was settled, unified, and defined by its dynasties, leading to its transformation in the lifetimes of many of us into a powerful communist state. At each stage, we’ll examine this transformation through its culture, arts, and sciences, enabled by my personal collection of Chinese artifacts that I bring to the classroom. Please join me in this unique adventure. And note that the course is being continuously updated.

Leader: Dr. Gerald Stulc is a retired physician and surgeon, Chair of the A.L.L. Board of Directors, long-time teacher at A.L.L. with extensive experience in the medical issues of health, history, and aging.