Unit U5: A Long-Running Examination System

The hall was first built in 1168. Under the Ming and Qing it grew to 20,644 cells, one for each candidate, which made it the largest examination hall in imperial China. A cell was six chi high, three wide and four deep: just over one square metre. The Mingyuan Tower, three storeys high and built in the Yongle reign of the Ming, still stands on the site.

The examinations were abolished in 1905. The site now holds a museum of the system, beside the Confucius Temple on the Qinhuai river. See the PreeChina page on the Qinhuai riverside.

1. Reconstruct a cell at full size from its recorded measurements, using tape on the floor, and sit in it for ten minutes.
2. Work out how much ground 20,644 cells would cover, and compare it with something the students know, such as their school field.
3. Compare the system with the home country's school exams in a short report: who could sit, what was tested, what passing meant.
4. Keep a log of the visit: place, what was measured, what was learned.

• AP World History (bureaucracy)
• IB DP History

The school's coordinator confirms the fit against the current course documents.

Nanjing is linked to Shanghai by high-speed rail, so the unit fits as a day in Nanjing on a route through Shanghai. No PreeChina student group has done this unit on site yet.

Fees follow the length of the whole trip, for groups of 10 or more (10 included): USD 100 per person for trips of up to 10 days, USD 150 for 11 to 20 days, and an individual quote beyond 20 days. Hotels, meals, transport, tickets and other trip expenses are separate unless the agreed quotation says otherwise. See the cost page.

Do students sit an exam during the unit?

No. They rebuild a cell and compare the system with their own exams in a short report.

Which courses does the unit connect to?

AP World History and IB DP History.