China School Trip 2016

Why should you go to China? Great people!!!30 years ago, this was mostly farmland ↑ It has ‘000s of years of history Super cheap FOOD. FOOD. FOOD. Super modern

Crazy China Facts China’s population grows at a rate of 23,000 people per day. In China, the number of people living in caves is greater than the population of Australia. Fortune cookies are not—nor have ever been—a Chinese custom. The world’s tallest and shortest men are both from China

北  (Běijīng = ‘north capital’) 18 million people live there. It’s been the capital of China (on and off) for thousands of years % of the population is called Wang. Sights include: Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City. The Great Wall of China lies just to the north.

What will you be doing? Take a stroll around Beijing’s ‘hutongs’ Chinese circus! Visit the ‘Temple of Heaven’, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Wander around in the Emperors’ old place, the ‘Forbidden City’. The Summer Palace Try Beijing Roast Duck... Legendary stuff There’s a funny story round every corner! Gobble

The big one - hiking on the Great Wall of China!* *selfie sticks not included

上  (Shànghǎi = ‘on the sea’) Shanghai is the most modern, Western city in China and it’s the centre of the country’s finance industry. The (unofficial) population is about 25 million people – more than Australia! The local dialect, ‘Shanghainese’ sounds very different to Mandarin, although it’s written the same. It has the fastest train in the world, at 431kph

Explore People’s Square (right in the centre of Shanghai, by the way!) And go visit your partner school! Make some memories, make some friends, and practise your epic basketball skills: Visit the ‘Bund’, where the river separates Shanghai’s old European-style side from all the shiny new skyscrapers. Visit ‘YuYuan’ (Yu Gardens) …and go to the top of this one! Wander around the leafy, laid-back ‘French Concession’ area

西安 (xī'ān = ‘western peace’) The most eastern point of the ancient silk road One of the oldest cities in china A small/medium-sized city by Chinese standards, Xi’an *only* has 4.4 million people - that’s more than the population of New Zealand!

What will you be doing? Hang out with the Terracotta Warriors..! Try some yummy western Chinese food Wander through the Muslim Quarter and market There’s a funny story round every corner! Gobble Cycle on the city walls Volunteer at an orphanage

桂林 (guìlín= ‘forest of sweet osmanthus’’) Guilin was regarded as ‘the wild west’ of China for a long time and was full of rebels fighting for independence Guilin is home to many ethnic minorities Guilin has a population of 4.7 million, that’s almost as big as the population of Norway

What will you be doing? Bike ride in incredible scenery and learn about the local geology (limestone karsts) Bamboo rafting Mudbaths in a cave! Learn to cook Chinese food in a cooking class

成都 (chéngdū) Chengdu is famous for its spicy food and giant pandas Chengdu has a population of 14 million people, making it the 4 th largest city in China and nearly as many people as the whole of Cambodia

What will you be doing? Watch the famous face-changing act at the Sichuan opera Hi! Say hey to pandas and baby pandas at the Panda Breeding Centre Visit the world’s largest buddha at Leshan

少林 (shàolín) - Home to the Shaolin Temple and one of the birthplaces of Kungfu The art of martial arts among Buddhist monks comes from the fact that the monastery’s had lots of land and money so to protect themselves from bandits, they had to learn how to protect themselves!

What will you be doing? Watch a mind-boggling kung fu show Visit the Shaolin’s kung fu orphanage and have a kung fu lesson from the monks

杭州 and 莫干山 (hángzhōu and mò gàn shān) -Hangzhou is China’s happiest city! (according to a study by one of China’s top newspapers) Moganshan is a bamboo- forest covered mountain which is so pretty Chairman Mao had his summer residence there

What will you be doing? Hike up Mogan mountain and hear the legend behind its name Explore the famous West Lake in Hangzhou Visit the beautiful, peaceful lagoon at Moganshan

香港 Hong Kong= ‘western peace’) - Hong Kong means ‘Fragrant Harbour’ in Chinese. Them name comes from the amount of spices traded there by the British - Hong Kong has more Rolls Royce’s per person than any other city!

What will you be doing? Take the cable car up Victoria Peak for stunning views Visit one of China’s oldest buddhist temples, The Bright Filial Piety Temple Sample Hong Kong’s famous Dim Sum Explore Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars

What you can benefit from the trip Learn about a different culture and make friends Be adventurous, a trial run for your gap year Improve your mandarin skills Eat fantastic food See all the sites and some great experiences

What to expect Lots of people Chopsticks Squatting loos Traffic – look both ways several times when crossing the road Spitting Very friendly and warm people