In early China, the “grandee secretary” (yushi dafu 御史大夫) functioned as an intermediary for the imperial court, trafficking the memorials upward and the edicts downward as well as synchronizing the efforts of diverse bureaus. The various charts, registers and imperial books were housed in his Orchid Terrace (Lantai 蘭臺) situated within the palace precincts, and so he became a kind of information gateway coordinating the work done in individual departments.
This website is intended to be the electronic version of the Orchid Terrace. Chinese Studies at Reed is stretched across six discipline-oriented departments rather than clustered within a single “area studies” major. Because China-focused students and faculty have spread out to the various corners of the campus, this website serves as a coordinating infrastructure beyond our individual departments. Within its pages you will find our diverse course offerings, study abroad opportunities, past senior thesis projects and on-line resources alongside links to the relevant departments that together make up the constellation of Chinese studies at Reed.
Additional links useful to Chinese studies in general (and not to particular departments) include the following:
- Deciding on Chinese studies at Reed
- The Humanities 231/232 program: Foundations of Chinese civilization
While there is much information on this website already, it is still in its infancy. For suggestions on useful content, please contact one of the China-oriented faculty members and they will inform the custodian of the Orchid Terrace.