China Institute in America is anonprofit educational and cultural institution based inNew York City. Its work is focused on promoting Chinese culture and history through talks, business initiatives, language immersion programs, and gallery exhibitions.[1] It hosts aConfucius Institute in partnership with theEast China Normal University.[2][3][4]
China Institute was founded in 1926 by a group of American and Chinese educators—including educational philosopherJohn Dewey ofColumbia University and Chinese educatorHu Shih (later president ofBeijing University and China's ambassador to the U.S.)[5]
China Institute is believed to be the oldest educational organization devoted solely to Chinese culture, and has drawn one million visitors in its nearly hundred years of existence.[6][7][8] Following the 1949 establishment of thePeople's Republic of China, the organization lost many of its ties to the Chinese mainland.[8] In 2015, China Institute announced plans to move from the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan the following year.[7] The new space at 100 Washington Street opened in November 2016, coinciding with the gallery's fiftieth anniversary.[9]
