Program overview
Historic Building Preservation Engineering is, simply put, about "diagnosing and extending the life" of old houses. You need to understand both building structures and material science, as well as historical culture and artistic aesthetics. Core courses include: architectural history (Chinese ancient architecture history, Western architecture history), building mechanics and structures, historic building surveying, preservation techniques (e.g., masonry reinforcement, timber structure restoration), and architectural heritage management. A unique feature of Chinese universities is that many courses incorporate field trips—for example, visiting Suzhou gardens, the Forbidden City in Beijing, or Huizhou ancient villages to measure, draw, and analyze by hand. This major suits students who are hands-on, enjoy interdisciplinary thinking, and have a passion for traditional culture. If you want to study engineering but don't want to stare at a computer screen all day drawing, this major offers plenty of outdoor practice opportunities.