1. China School Trip 2016

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

3. 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

4. 北京 (Běijīng = ‘north capital’)
18 million people live there.
It’s been the capital of China (on and off) for thousands of years.
10.35% 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.

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

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

7. 上海 (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

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

9. 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!

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

11. 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

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

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

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

15. 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!

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

17. 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

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

19. 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!

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

21. 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

22. 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
Chinese people are extremely friendly and welcoming to guests