My China Trip Schedule

PEOPLE TO PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL
GREAT WALL AND BEYOND JUNE 12-28, 2012
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

TUESDAY, JUNE 12
Depart from Phoenix to San Francisco
Depart from San Francisco international flight to Shanghai, China.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13
Shanghai, China
• Meet your Delegation Manager upon arrival at the Shanghai Airport.
• Welcome to Shanghai! With a population of over 16 million, Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world. Explore this bustling city and let it capture your imagination.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14
Shanghai, China
• Visit the City Construction Museum to gain a clear picture of the past, present and future of this urban metropolis.
• Walk through a local silk reeling factory and see the finished works of local artisans.
• Take in a breathtaking, birds-eye view of Shanghai on the skywalk of the Oriental
Pearl TV Tower, the tallest in Asia and the third tallest in the world!
• This evening, mingle with local Chinese acrobats and learn about their craft before enjoying one of their amazing performances.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Hangzhou, China
• Demonstrate your Ambassadorial spirit as you give back to the warm, friendly people of China by participating in a service project at the Qixing Special Education School in Shanghai.
• Go to Hangzhou by high speed train, a city regarded as heaven on earth.
• Climb the Six Harmonious Pagoda, the symbol of Hangzhou, to receive a spectacular view of the Qiantang River Bridge.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Wuzhen, China
• Take a leisurely hike around West Lake.
• Visit a local school and help Chinese students practice their English skills.
• Transfer to Wuzhen.
• Familiarize yourself with Wuzhen; a typical water town in this region. The entire town is built on canals, making boats the most convenient form of transportation. Houses are built along the banks of the canals.
• Learn about the traditional techniques of garment dyeing in this region. Even in these modern times, workers here still use the most traditional methods. After the dyeing process, long strips of cloth must be hung on racks 15-20 feet high. This activity takes a little bit of skill. Are you up for the challenge?
• This evening, you’ll see this ancient town in a whole new light as you glide along the water during a canal cruise.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17
Suzhou, China
• Before leaving this picturesque water town, you will have the chance to participate in some games with Chinese children. We encourage you to join in and make some new friends!
• Journey to Suzhou, a city located in the middle of the Yangtze River Delta. Since over 40% of the city is covered in water, it is often referred to as a Venice of the Orient.
• Learn Chinese Calligraphy at Yipu Garden, an elegant garden listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site and take home your artwork.
• Visit a Ping Pong school and see young athletes in training. Ping Pong is considered a national sport in China. You will have a chance to learn this game, but be prepared for a friendly little challenge from the young players here!

MONDAY, JUNE 18
Shanghai, China
• Visit the Kun Opera Museum and learn about this traditional Chinese performing art, where Peking Opera comes from. Enjoy the unique opportunity to interact with local performers and/or trainers.
• Stop at the Panmen gate, famous in China for its complex mass of land and water city gates.
• Transfer back to Shanghai.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19
Guilin, China
• This morning, fly to Guilin. Guilin is a picturesque small city located in south China, known for its natural beauty.
• Explore one of the famous caves of Guilin. Take rail carts, boats and even elevators to navigate the underground tunnels, while studying the unique rock formations.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
Home Stay - Hongyan Village, China
• Explore the city and visit one of the city’s famous landmarks, Elephant Trunk Hill.
The hill is named after its unique shape reminiscent of an elephant drinking water at the bank of the Li River.
• Visit a local tea plantation and learn how Chinese tea is made.
• Relax as you glide on the picturesque Yulong River on a bamboo raft. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the area.
• Visit the Confucius Temple. The locals of the area believe highly in education and respect Confucius as one of the most famous thinkers and educators in Chinese history.
• Arrive in Hongyan Village and be welcomed by your home stay hosts. Be prepared to experience some stunning local customs!
• Join your home stay family in the preparation of dinner together.
• Spend the evening interacting with the home stay families at a village welcome dance. Watch and learn a traditional dance, and have the optional opportunity to showcase your talents at a variety show.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21
Guilin, China
• Repay the kindness and generosity of your host village by helping the local farmers in the local orchard. It is recommended to bring a light pair of garden or work gloves to wear for the service project.
• Visit the county middle school and interact with children in the community. The local people of the area are very proud and many of the best students that place in college entrance exams are from this area.
• Remember to thank your home stay hosts before departing for Guilin.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22
Xi’an, China
• Fly to Xi’an, China.
• Welcome to Xi’an! Xi’an was China’s capital city through 13 dynasties, including the
Tang Dynasty. In ancient times, this great city was called Chang'an, or “Perpetual
Peace.”
• You will be honored with a welcome ceremony at the city gate by residents in full costume representing warriors and city officials. The ceremony is reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty tradition welcoming foreign envoys as they arrived in Xi’an.
• This evening, enjoy a Tang Dynasty show and dumpling banquet. The Tang Dynasty was known for its prosperity and as an influential force in the development of the arts
in China. This evening’s performance will bring you back in time to this era.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23
Xi’an, China
• Xi’an’s history unfolds before you today as you discover the museum of the Famous Terracotta Warriors. In 1974, a group of villagers chanced upon what has become one of the world’s most astonishing archaeological finds – an 8,000 man army in battle-ready formation. Each warrior is a life-size figure in pottery made over 2,200 years ago. You will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with one of the villagers who discovered the warriors.
• Before seeing the original warriors, you will have a chance to visit a workshop that replicates the warriors and learn the technique used in their production.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24
Overnight train to Beijing, China
• Get an up-close view of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. This pagoda was originally built during the 7th century Tang Dynasty to hold sutras and figurines of Buddha brought from India by a Buddhist translator and traveler.
• Visit a local school and take this unique opportunity to make new friends and learn about their life in China. A friendly soccer/basketball game will be arranged during your time at the school.
• Tonight, board an overnight train to Beijing. The ride takes approximately 12 hours and you will arrive in Beijing the next morning.

MONDAY, JUNE 25
Beijing, China
• Welcome to Beijing! Beijing has been China’s capital city for seven centuries and the cultural heart of China for over 3,000 years. Today, Beijing is home to more than 17 million people, as well as the center of the nation’s government and economic life.
• Your journey continues as you explore the Forbidden City. Built between 1406-1420
AD, it is the world’s largest and well-preserved Imperial Palace.
• Begin your introduction of the city with a visit to Tian’anmen Square.
• Attend a lesson at a local cooking school and learn some basic skills in preparing Chinese cuisine. Learn how to make traditional Chinese Dim Sum, then taste test your results!
• This evening, you will be honored at a banquet where you will be served Peking duck, a traditional Northern Chinese delicacy.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Beijing, China
• This morning you will learn Chinese Kung Fu with local students at a Kung Fu School.
• Enjoy the unique opportunity to witness each step in creating the ancient art form of cloisonné. With a history dating back over 500 years, cloisonné involves elaborate and complicated painting processes. You’ll also have a chance try your hand at coloring the handicrafts when you visit a nearby cloisonné factory.
• Journey to the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall. The Great Wall of China is one of history’s most remarkable accomplishments and extends more than 3,000 miles over the Chinese landscape.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
Beijing, China
• Visit the Giant Panda Hall at Beijing Zoo! Go behind the scenes and meet with a zoological expert who will present you with a lecture on pandas.
• Next, journey to the Summer Palace, an immense imperial garden dotted with Qing architecture. This graceful palace complex is located on the outskirts of Beijing.
Enjoy the grounds with a boat ride on the beautiful Kunming Lake.
• Share a rickshaw with one of your fellow Ambassadors and navigate through the narrow residential streets of old Beijing, also known as the hutongs.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28
Depart for the U.S.
• Pack up your suitcase for the last time and depart for the airport.