This course examines the historical processes of China’s engagement with its natural environment from the pre-modern period to the modern era. China’s rapid economic growth during the last three decades has generated immense wealth and opportunities. Yet, it has also caused serious environmental degradation within and beyond the Chinese borders, including soil contamination, air and water pollution, and deforestation and desiccation. In recent years, the magnitude and global nature of China’s environmental problems have drawn growing attention and raised concerns over health risks worldwide. At the same time, there has also been a renewed interest in better understanding China’s past and the historical roots of the environmental challenges in present-day China. This course aims to situate China’s contemporary environmental changes in a broader historical context and examines the relationships between the state, society, and the environment over the last three millennia of Chinese history. Themes covered will include visions of the environment in early Chinese thought, irrigation and flood control, and population growth and urbanization. The general course format combines critical reading and active discussion. Some background knowledge of Chinese history will be helpful, but is not required.