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Itinerary
&
Excursions The itinerary of our CUNY-BC China program includes visits to sites of historic and cultural importance in the following five famous cities: 1. Beijing (3 days)
Part I: Beijing We depart from New York (at the end of May in summer, or right after
Christmas in winter) and arrive in Beijing
on the afternoon of the next day. We stop in Beijing for 3 days. Some sites and activities
students enjoy in Beijing
include the following: 1. Tian An Men Square We can also try to schedule a KungFu show
*. Turn on the audio and click here for a preview: http://www.chunyi-kungfu.com/ (Read the story about Kungfu: click here) Part II: Xi’an After Beijing, we head to Xi'an and stay there for 2 days. Some sites students enjoy in Xi'an include: 1. Terra
CottaWarriors Museum 6. The Muslim Quarter Xian was
the capital of 11 ancient Chinese dynasties, and the
starting point of the overland Silk Road,
where you can experience a lot of the Chinese history and see evidence of
west-east exchanges. The Terracotta Soldiers and Horses of the Qin Dynasty amazed the world
when discovered in 1974 by local farmers. Buried with the first emperor of
the Qin Dynasty 2,000 years ago and meant to protect him in the afterlife,
the 8,000 life-sized warriors and their steeds are a magnificent sight. The
well-preserved old city wall and gate towers, and the stunning Great Wild Goose
Pagoda are must-see attractions. Part III: Nanjing After Xi'an, we go to Nanjing, where we stay
for about 3 weeks to have our formal class sessions. (Classes sessions also start in some other ways
the first day when we arrive in China.) Nanjing is a very important site in modern Chinese history
(starting from late Ming Dynasty about 400 years ago until recent
decades). It was the capital of six
ancient Chinese dynasties and the capital of the Nationalists who later fled
to Taiwan
when the Communists took control in 1949. It is also the starting point of the maritime Silk Road. The city’s convenient railway & expressway systems and a major international airport offer easy access to any part of China. Students will have a lot to discover, study and enjoy in this city. Important sites include: 1. The Mausoleum of
Dr. Sun Zhongshan In Nanjing, we stay in a nice hotel, right at the center of the city, by the beautiful Xuanwu
Lake Park. While in Nanjing, students can make side
trips to Hong Kong (via Shenzhen, right next to Hong Kong); Sanya; Guilin;
etc. For information on side trips,
see the bottom of this page. Yangzhou is a very pretty city, only one hour north of Nanjing. During Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou was very prosperous, comparable to modern NYC
or Shanghai. During our stay in Nanjing,
we can choose to make a one-day trip to Yangzhou. The trip may include the following sites and activities: 1. Slender West
Lake (shou xi hu) Part IV: Suzhou
or Hangzhou (after our studies in Nanjing) After Nanjing,
the travel agency
will take us on a charter bus to Suzhou (about
2 & 1/2 hours away from Nanjing).
Suzhou is acclaimed to be the Oriental
Venice, paradise on earth and home of beautiful Chinese gardens. Sites in Suzhou include: 1. Silk factory Note:
In the summer,
after our stop in Nanjing, we often choose to
make a side trip to the Yellow Mountain and then head to Hangzhou
(rather than Suzhou).
In Hangzhou, we can enjoy the beautiful West Lake (Xi Hu), the Longjing
(Dragon Well)
Tea Plantation,
etc. The city of Hangzhou
is one of China’s
premier tourist destinations, and a favorite weekend retreat for people from Shanghai and other
nearby cities. If you know the Chinese history, this city was the capital of
the southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) which prospered in art and literature,
so this charming city has been the inspiration for poets and artists for
centuries. No pictures online can
convey the charm and beauty of Hangzhou,
especially its West Lake (Xi Hu in
Chinese), except a trip in person to see it with your own eyes. This is the
city where former US ambassador John Leighton Stuart chose to have his ashes
placed. After lunch, take a walk by
the picturesque West Lake, which is said to
be created from a pearl dropped by a phoenix and a dragon, and proclaimed by
the Chinese to be "the landscape composed by a painter." Stroll
along the lake’s causeways and immerse yourself in its beauty. You also
visit the famed “Broken
Bridge” to marvel
at the Golden Fishes. Later, if time permits, you can tour the "Old Street”
with Ming & Qing houses and stone cobbled lanes. Besides silk, the region is
also a major producer of tea. No tour to Hangzhou is
complete without going to the world-renowned Longjing Tea Plantation, where the legendary Longjing green tea is picked and processed
by hand. The first picked tea leaves of the new harvest (in early spring)
were once reserved solely for the Emperor and transported to him via the Grand Canal. You will learn about the harvesting, as
well as the proper way to brew this healthful beverage. The Chinese Tea
Ceremony will be demonstrated. Sample the freshness of the tea, appreciate
its “green color, smooth appearance, fragrant aroma and ever-lingering
taste,” and you will find it hard to resist the temptation to take home
some tea for your loved ones and for yourself. Part V: Shanghai The final excursion
takes us
to Shanghai on a charter bus. Shanghai, our last stop, is just 1
& 1/2 hours from Suzhou/Hangzhou. Students will be given time to
explore on their own and see the best of the modern China. In Shanghai, you can
experience first-hand the amazing developments of this modern cosmopolitan
city, and build your own links of past and present, of East and West, before
flying back to the U.S. Activities students can
have in Shanghai
may
include: 1．
Boat ride on the HuangPu River 2．
the Bund & the French Concession 3．
Shopping on commercial streets (Nanjing Road & Huai Hai Road) 4．
Oriental
Pearl Tower 5．
Jewish Synagogue (to see some history of Jewish communities in
Shanghai
during World War II) 6．
Xin Tian Di (New
World Market) 7．
HengShan Road (pubs & restaurants) 8．
Shanghai Museum 9．
YuYuan Garden Flea Market Part VI: Other Activities If students are interested, we can also plan additional activities which may include
visits to schools, government offices, classes to learn Taiji or Chinese calligraphy, or concerts of traditional
Chinese musical instruments such as Erhu (Chinese
violin) or Chinese regional operas. With this China
program, you will experience Chinese history & culture, interact with
local people, and have a real feel of the Chinese life. Travel and sightseeing
in China
are all arranged
by professional travel agencies, so you do not have anything to worry
about. In each city, they English-speaking
tour guides and charter buses to pick up our group at the airport/train station
and take us
to the
hotel,
restaurants
and tourist sites. Travel agencies may
also help arrange side trips to the following places
*:
Tourists, Chinese and non-Chinese
alike, all dream to see the stunning landscape of Guilin and the breathtaking beauty of the
Li River (Li Jiang). Travel agencies can help arrange a side trip to
this beautiful place if there is sufficient interest. Make
sure you check the following sites: http://www.triptoguilin.com/webpages/cities/guilin/guilin.htm http://www.triptoguilin.com/webpages/cities/guilin/attraction/lijiang.htm Turn on audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4b6F9II17k&feature=related Students in the past found the side trips to be
additional excitements of our China
trip. Information
on side trips will be provided to participants after they are accepted into
the program. * additional cost |
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