History 239CE - Cities in East Asia

This course explores cities in East Asia from the late nineteenth century to the present. Why did the demolition of imperial city walls in Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul symbolize modernity while Western-style architecture in treaty ports such as Shanghai and Yokohama represented a new civilization? How did monumental buildings such as Tiananmen Square, the Yasukuni Shrine, and the Kyungbok Palace play vital roles in formulating new national identities? Why did these cities become centers for mass movements? In answering these questions, the course will outline the trajectory of Asian urban history from imperial city to global city.