A-Level Chinese Trip in China

Day 3: School visit and Lao She Teahouse show

• Visit a school for the children of migrant workers. A typical visit includes a short welcome ceremony, a number of cultural exchange activities, lunch and then some outdoor games on the school playground. Migrant schools exist for the children of workers families who have immigrated to the big cities and have difficulties entering normal schooling due to residency issues. We suggest you prepare some small gifts for teachers and students for your visit.
• Take part in a Chinese knotting workshop (Zhongguo jie), and discover the symbolism behind each type of intricate knot. Create your own auspicious charm fit for decorating the home at Spring Festival, or even a Chinese wedding.
• Enjoy a Peking Duck meal, a world-famous Beijing delicacy. 
• Enjoy a variety show at the famous Lao She Teahouse. The 90-minute show showcases some of China’s most loved cultural traditions: Beijing opera art, Peking opera singing, Chinese kung fu, Sichuan opera face changing, tea art performance, national song and dance, magic acrobatics, and more. 

Day 4: Travel to Wuhan for school visit and culture show

• Hop on a high-speed train from Beijing to Wuhan.
• Head to a local primary school like the school in ‘Please Vote for Me’. Converse with the students in Chinese and learn about what it’s like growing up in China today. 
• Enjoy the Han Show, a colourful celebration of Chinese culture through the ages.

Day 5: Dayuwan cultural village

• Visit Dayuwan, a famous Chinese historical and cultural village. Village construction started in the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty (around 1369 A.D.). This village has over 20 alleyways and over 50 stone houses, most of which are well- preserved. The village is reminiscent of the pages from ‘A Very Special Pigeon’, and one can imagine protagonists Qiuhu and Xiawang running through its stone-paved streets. 
• Transfer to Yellow Crane Tower, one of three Towers in southern China. Many popular poems were written in praise of the Yellow Crane Tower and the tower had different architectural features in different dynasties. Climb to the top of the tower to a fabulous panoramic view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the surrounding buildings in Wuhan City.
• Speak to local vendors and try delicacies at Wuhan night market.

Day 6: Explore Shanghai

• Board a high–speed train to Shanghai. 
• Explore the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, which showcases the city’s urban planning, development, and preservation. The museum has several permanent displays, including a large–scale model of the city, interactive exhibits, as well displays on the history of Shanghai’s urban development.  
• Stroll along East Nanjing road to the Bund, one of Shanghai’s most iconic locations, and delve into the city’s colonial history and its development into today’s futuristic metropolis. 
• Enjoy a Karaoke night in Shanghai. Cheer on the whole group as they sing hits in English and Chinese.

Day 7: Walking tour and Shanghai Film Museum

• Visit the Canature Factory in Shanghai, a manufacturing facility that specializes in the production of water treatment products.  The business plays a crucial role in meeting the global demand for water treatment solutions, and offers an insight into China’s economic development since Reform & Opening. 
• Discover China’s historic relationship with the West on a walking tour of the Old French Concession. The French Concession and the British and American International Settlement were established with the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, which also established Hong Kong as a British territory. On this tour, you will walk along tree-lined streets and 1920s French-style architecture which contrasts with Shanghai’s skyscrapers and apartment blocks. 
• Visit the Shanghai Film Museum, where you will trace the development of the Chinese film industry from its 19th century origins through to the films of sixth-generation directors, such as Wang Xiaoshuai’s Beijing Bicycle! Discover the tropes and traditions that have featured in Chinese cinema across the decades. 
• In the evening, there will be a chance for students, faculty and adventure leaders to come together for a reflection session. Through discussion, listening and guided thought, participants can process their experiences, digest new ideas and consider what they have learned during their A-Level Chinese trip in China.

Day 8: Return home

• Sadly, today it’s time to head back to the airport for your flight home. The Learning Adventure’s mission is to expand minds through transformative travel experiences, so we hope that as you settle into your seat for the journey home, that all you have experienced during your trip will leave you with a feeling of increased confidence, knowledge, understanding and yearning for your next adventure!