China Teacher's University Trip Itinerary

The Chinese language is one of the most fascinating, but complex, languages in the world. Over 1 billion people live in China, not counting the overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, parts of Malaysia and other high concentrations of Chinese people - Chinese is by far the most spoken language on earth. It has intrigued Westerners for centuries, as well as baffled foreign students of Chinese. Nevertheless, it has rewarded the most persistent of students by providing a unique look into Chinese culture - as well as a look into the past. The Chinese written word is an art onto itself, decorating the walls of emperors and peasants alike, adorning palaces and pueblos, while crowding modern urban metropolises. You will have the opportunity to take part in the learning of one of the most sought-after foreign languages in the modern world, yet you will be in awe of its ancient origins. Take a voyage with us to Beijing, China to learn this wonderful language. We'll see you there.

To begin your study of Chinese, you will be required to participate in class from Monday through Friday starting at 8:00 Beijing time until 11:30 am Beijing time. You will learn Chinese quickly by experts. Twice a week, you will have the opportunity to participate in a study session, where you can hone your skills.

There will be supplemental real-life lessons; this is where you will have the great opportunity to practice what you have learned in our weekend excursions. There is a total of four weekends and ten half-days. The ten half-days are the afternoons where you will not be studying, but instead enjoying the sites of Beijing, the capital of China. Afternoon excursions in Beijing will include: Tiananmen, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, the Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Yong He Temple, White Cloud Daoist Temple, Confucius' house, the antique street market, the street of bars, Beijing Opera, the Chinese acrobats, Hong Qiao market, tea shops, Xiu Shui street market.

Every weekend, we have a special trip planned for our students of Chinese. With these trips, you will be able to experience the essence of Chinese culture outside of the classroom and see how Chinese fits into China's present and past. We will take you to ancient palaces and modern markets. The following is a glimpse into the weekend excursions, weekends designed for your enjoyment, pleasure and wonder.

Weekend at Chengde (Weekend One)

The imperial city of Chengde is the perfect place to begin our series of weekend excursions. Via the train route number K71, we will depart on Saturday at 7:20 am from Beijing and arrive at 11:30 in Chengde. After checking into a three-star hotel we will have a banquet-style lunch, at one of Chengde's fabulous restaurants, where you will experience the traditional style of northern Chinese cuisine. After lunch and a short respite, we begin touring Chengde. Cradled in the mountains of northern China near Inner Mongolia, this city's historical contribution to Chinese history is well-noted.

On Sunday, we will visit Puning Temple. Roughly 250 years old, this temple houses the largest wood carving of Buddha in the world. Next we will visit a temple that houses a small scale replica of the Potala Palace in Tibet. The actual Potala Palace has a lot of religious significance to Buddhists, as it is the seat of Tibetan government and the headquarters of the Dalai Lama. We will return to Beijing and arrive at 6:38.

Weekend at Tianjin (Weekend Two)
On Saturday, We will be taking a bus to the fourth largest city in China, and just 2 1/2 hours from Beijing is the port city of Tianjin. First we will see the ancient culture street, full of traditional buildings, art, and cultural memorabilia. Next, we are going to the Nanjing Food Market. If you learn anything from a food market in China, it is that cuisine can be rich, odd, exotic and sometimes downright curious. Time permitting; we will see the antique market, the Confucius temple, and Shuishang Park, a large but relaxed place to take a stroll.

Sunday: So that you may have a day to do with what you choose, we have designated this day a free day.

	Weekend at Pingyao (Weekend Three) In the heart of Shanxi province lies an ancient metropolis almost 3,000 years in the making. The walls surrounding the city are huge, with the towers touching the sky and filling the horizon. From a bird's eye view, Pingyao's thousands of buildings seem to overlap each other, tempting us to peek inside. However, Pingyao couldn't keep her cultural secrets to herself forever, for in 1997, Pingyao was placed on the list of World Cultural Heritages. In its day, Pingyao was an advanced and prosperous banking and financial center, using some of the same banking methods that we use today. On Friday night, at 7:43 pm, we will depart Beijing via sleeper train (Route number 2519) and arrive the next morning at Pingyao at 7 am. To your delight, you will be staying in a hotel reminiscent of the traditional-style inn - with modern facilities. On Saturday morning we will visit the Wang Grand Courtyard. The Wang Grand Courtyard represents the superb architecture style of the period and is a representation of the fabulous prosperity of the Wang family. Sunday: We will continue to tour the city. After the lunch we will see Qiao Grand Courtyard, which is a huge historical site. We will return to Beijing that evening.

Weekend at Xi'an (Weekend Four) Capital to thirteen dynasties, Xi'an was once called Changan, or "Everlasting Peace." Xi'an not only is a connection for the Chinese to their past, but also connects all of humanity to our ancient roots. The Silk Road, the legendary trade route connecting most of the ancient world including ancient Egypt, Rome, Athens and Mesopotamia, began in Xi'an. Xi'an still holds its exotic allure today, as this city of 3100 years still houses humanity's ancient treasures, including the world-famous Terracotta Soldiers. We will take the sleeper train 42 from Beijing and will arrive the next morning in Xi An. We will check in the three-star hotel and that morning we will see the Terracotta soldiers. in the afternoon we will see the city and the Shaolin Temple. On Sunday, we will visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda in southern Xi'an. Big Wild Goose Pagoda represents the great human effort to religious beliefs. Built in 652, Big Wild Goose Pagoda contains sutras, or sayings of Buddhism. It is an active shrine and holds great religious historical significance. Next, we will visit the Shaanxi historical museum, a wonderful supplement to a historic city like Xi'an. This museum is gargantuan in proportion, the pride and joy of Shaanxi province, housing about 370,000 pieces of excavated artifacts from around Shaanxi province. Sunday evening, we will return to Beijing.