Rooted in Place: History, Biodiversity, and Environment in Southeast Asia

This travel course will examine the historical role of biodiversity and the environment in the development of Taiwan. In historic Taiwan, this biodiversity was crucial to its development as a source of raw materials and its development as a state. In contemporary Taiwan, that original relationship has changed. This class will examine both the past as well as the contemporary interplay between these forces. Taiwan has developed, during the modern period, in relation to its location. It had something to offer colonial powers because of its particular location. What it had to offer varied according to the colonizer and the historical period. Biodiversity and conservation in Taiwan were part of the attraction of Taiwan. Presently, in the context of the modern environmental movement, biodiversity has come to play a very different role in the regions’ developmental process. This course will look at the historical progression of these changes over time. Naturally, cultural attitudes concerning the relationship between humans and the environment will be examined as well.
ITL, and NLAB or HUM

A group photo taken at a temple

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan

Dansui Mangroves in Taiwan

Mangrove boardwalk in Taiwan

Buddhist Temple in Taiwan

National Theater in Taiwan

Beitou Hot Springs in Taiwan

A view of Taiwan

Taipei Street

A tea farm in Maokong

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