Today, China is entering a new phase in its pursuit of modernization, but this process can never be understood without going back to the roots. The aim of this option is to train students to gain a holistic and balanced view of China, thus preparing them for a variety of occupations which demand a full appreciation of the present complexities in light of past developments.

The ultimate objective of training in history is to educate generalists who can think, analyse and write. This option is no exception, especially when it is becoming more and more obvious that Hong Kong society greatly needs this kind of humanist orientation. Students will be expected to follow a curriculum which (1) trains them in historical methods and historiography; (2) prepares them for a comprehensive and integrated understanding of modern and contemporary Chinese history; and (3) documents the significance of that past for China's present-day development. Having acquired basic writing and analytical skills, students will be able to examine China from the perspective of a global/regional vantage point, and from that of their local Hong Kong environment.

Summer Sojourn

A distinctive feature of the programme is the summer sojourn at the end of the second academic year. Students will spend one month at Tsinghua University, Beijing to receive intensive training in Putonghua. Since students will have taken the six-unit course "Elementary & Intermediate Putonghua" in the second year, the sojourn further enhances their Putonghua training. Students will study Putonghua for three hours per day, five days per week.

Another feature of the summer sojourn is seminars on current issues of China. There will be about eight to ten seminars on topics of Chinese politics, economy, society, history, and geography.

A third feature of the summer sojourn is field trips and outings. Students will visit factories, farms, historical sites, government offices, and so on. Four whole-day visits will be organized to places around Beijing.