China Institute was founded in 1926 by a group of distinguished American and Chinese educators including John Dewey, Hu Shih, Paul Monroe and Dr. Kuo Ping-wen. It is the oldest bicultural organization in America devoted exclusively to China.
Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1944 as a school of continuing education, our language and cultural school is the oldest educational center of its kind in the United States.
In 2014, China Institute launched We All Live in the Forbidden City, an award-winning educational program about the history, culture, architecture, and life of imperial China as seen through the lens of Beijing’s Forbidden City, one of the world’s most fascinating landmarks. The program consists of four children’s books, an in-depth website (www.walfc.org), a series of children’s workshops brought to schools and other educational institutions, and professional development programming and resources for educators. This program has been designed to make learning about China fun, engaging, and accessible in both the home and the classroom. There are books, games, e-book apps, workshops, and a website – all designed to be fun and engaging for children of all ages.
Additional resources for parents and teachers have been designed to make cultural learning accessible in both the home and the classroom. This global program is produced by China Institute in America in conjunction with Design and Cultural Studies Workshop (CnC) in Hong Kong, the Palace Museum in Beijing, and academics in North America. All We All Live in the Forbidden City-related programming has been made possible through the generous support of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.
There are four children’s books in the We All Live in the Forbidden City program:
– What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? Life in China’s Forbidden City
Connect with China Institute.org on Facebook, via their website and on Twitter here and here.
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