A university in central China that was accused of promoting superstition has replaced a course in traditional fengshui with a course on the United States culture.

Ma Wei, who taught the 18-lesson course at the Zhongnan Branch of Wuhan University of Science and Technology last year, is now teaching the US culture instead, the Changjiang Daily reported on Monday.

Ma originally intended the class to help students learn about the culture of Chinese traditional architecture.

Fengshui has been associated with superstition in China over the past decades.

The practice of fengshui is said to use the laws of heaven and earth to improve one's life by increasing positive energy, or qi, by achieving harmony with one's environment (usually homes or offices).

About 80 students enrolled in the course in the first half of last year, and 130 showed up in the second half. Most of the students taking the course were from the faculty of architecture.

Authorities started investigating when media revealed the course in October.

(Shanghai Daily March 17, 2009)