Answer the following two questions based on Chinese history that you have learned in this course. Each answer is about 1,000 words. You are free to imagine the historical scenarios, but a high-quality answer must reflect your excellent command of Chinese history and your engagement in the lectures.You can consult external sources to do the exam. If you consult sources beyond the textbook and lectures, you need to provide a bibliography for the sources that you have used. If you think the textbook content and lectures are enough for the exam, you do not need to provide a reference page. It does not mean the more external sources, the better. Your command of Chinese history is reflected in your creative answers to the questions.  

 

1. Imagine that you were a student at the Jixia Academy. Write a letter to your parents, telling them what youve learned/heard and your plan for the future. Note: explain terms in your own language instead of citing any professional interpretation.

 

2. Write a biography for a man born in Pingcheng in 490, in a Xianbei military noble family, and died in Yecheng (the capital of Northern Qi) in 551. You can follow the format of biography writing in Sima Qians Shiji (The Records of the Grand Historian). Note: Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital of Northern Wei to Luoyang in 494.