• Political and Cultural Influence in 20th Century China through Art
• China from the Inside Out: Castiglione’s Legacy 
• Smoking as A Symbol of Social Status in 19th Century China
• The First Opium War 
• The Great Wall: Was It Really that Great?
• Global Trade of Silk in 20th Century Japan and China

The formal opening takes place in Belk Library, 2nd Floor, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 10:50 a.m. to noon. Refreshments will be provided.

By focusing on how China was woven into the emerging global network from the 15th century to the 20th century, this exhibit considers the global world from a historical perspective, including the spread of techniques, the formation of fashion, and the interdependence between cultural practice and natural environment. This exhibition brings attention to how commodities and cultural interactions generated new relations and expanded the horizon of early modern people.

This exhibition is designed by 27 students from the HST 132: “Globalization of China, 1500-1840” course led by Xiaolin Duan, assistant professor of history, with assistance from Ethan Moore, the curator of the Elon Art Collection.

For more information, contact Xiaolin Duan at xduan@elon.edu

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 4:10 p.m.

The McBride Gathering Space in the Numen Lumen Pavilion 

From the 1890s until the mid-20th century, the world entered into a period of prolonged angst and crisis, intersected by two world wars and countless regional and local conflicts. During this period, the knowledge of science was applied to reassess the state power and territorial disputes.

Such discussions on global frontier built upon and gave rise to the consciousness of natural resources and environmental dependency. Wu will discuss how the global circulation of imperialist discourse helped shape the modern Chinese geopolitical imagination and territorial evolution.

Her book, “Empires of Coal: Fueling China’s Entry into the Modern World Order, 1860-1920” (Stanford University Press, 2015), is part of the Weatherhead East Asian Publication series. Empires of Coal demonstrates that by the end of the nineteenth century China and the West had converged in a crucial measure of modern, industrialized states: the theory and exploitation of natural resources, particularly fossil fuels. She is currently working on a second book on geopolitical discourse in 20th century China.

​The interdisciplinary nature of Wu’s work will appeal to those interested in history, geography, Asian studies, political science, international studies, environmental studies, and natural science alike. It is free and open to the public.

This event is sponsored by the Asian Studies Program, the Department of History and Geography, the International/Global Studies, and the Living and Learning Community.

The exhibit is unfolded into four parts: “Dressing for Identity,” “Making Tobacco Chinese,” “Opium: Trade, War and Environment,” and “Taste Taiwan: A History of Sugar and Tea.” It uses objects from the collections of 51爆料网, private collections from class members, and images/maps from diverse sources.

By focusing on how China was woven into the emerging global network from the 16th to the 19th century, the exhibition considers the global world from the perspective of material culture, including the spread of commodities, the formation of fashion, and the interdependence between cultural practice and natural environment. 

The formal opening takes place on the second floor of Belk Library on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 12:15-1:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

The exhibition demonstrates that the global world as we see today is not entirely a modern product, and nor is it solely a result of European explorations. During the early-modern period of intensifying interaction and exchange, “things” travelled more than ever before, and in their movement across various boundaries, they acquired and created new meanings. The exhibition brings attention to commodities such as clothes, tobacco, opium, tea, and sugar, all of which generated new relations and expanded the cultural horizon of early modern people.

​This exhibition was organized by Bobby Albers, Xavier Andrada, Avik Bhargave, Briana Brady, Kirsten Deprey, Nick Disa, Kevin Hutchings, Ileigh Kuga, Kaylina McKelvey, Jens Yetter, and Wanghao Ying from the HST 177: “China in the World, 1500-1840” course led by Xiaolin Duan, an assistant professor of history, with assistance from Ethan Moore, the curator of the Elon Art Collection.

For more information, contact exhibition organizer Xiaolin Duan at xduan@elon.edu