Dalian
Excursions and Trips for the Summer Mandarin Immersion Camps.
(Summer Sessions, May-Aug)
Our trips are geared to introduce you to both the famous sites and cities around China, and also to give you as many chances to use the Chinese language you have learned. We have fully qualified guides with us at all times to ensure trips go smoothly and are an informative and fun experience, but at the same time we believe in giving our students opportunities to gain self sufficiency in the language and culture. To us, this means giving time for students to explore a city on their own or even doing simple tasks, under our close eye, like hotel check ins and ticket buying on their own. Our tours are not luxury 5 star trips. We believe that this type of tour isolates us from "common" Chinese people. By staying in comfortable 3 star hotels, hostels and local home stays, we feel we supply more opportunities to our students to interact with Chinese people and more chances to learn from them; which is really what this program is all about.
For an exact day-to-day itinerary please email us and we will be happy to provide you more information.
Weekend Excursions
Dandong
Day 1 -Visit Hushan mountain, where the easternmost part of the Great Wall overlooks North Korea. Think about stepping across the stream at "yi bu kua",the narrowest point between China and the DPRK. At the �Museum of War to Resist America and Aid Korea� learn the "facts" about the events which led to the deployment of over 2 million Chinese "volunteers" to Korea in 1950. In the late afternoon take a stroll on the �Short Bridge� that was destroyed by by the US air force in the Korean War and now extends to exactly the halfway point between China and DPRK. Then take a fast boat ride on the Yalu river; just a stone throw away from the North Korean bank.
Day 2 -Spend the day at Fenghuang Mountain exploring the many caves, springs and temples that make up this famous scenic area before we catch the evening train back to Dalian. Steep ridges and sharp drops can make this an exciting climb; although there is a car to the top for those less adventurous souls.
Shenyang
Day 1 -Visit the Mukden Palace (Shenyang Imperial Palace or Forbidden City), the second largest palace in China. Followed by trips to Beiling Garden and the North Tomb. End the day with a visit to General Zhang's Mansion.
Day 2 -Spend the day at leisure independently exploring the city. Attractions include the Sept. 18 Incident Museum, Summer Palace-on-the-Water, and the Weird Slope of Shenyang.
2-Week Final Trip
Beijing / Xi'an / Tai'an / Nanjing / Suzhou / Shanghai
Day 1-3 Beijing. Enter the Imperial past with visits to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and see the modern system with visits to Tiananmen Square and the Underground Tunnels. Stroll through bustling markets and eat succulent roast duck. See the changes that the 2008 Olympics are bringing to this ancient city.
Days 4-5 Xi'an. This ancient capital is the starting point of the famed Silk Road and home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of modern times, the Terracotta Warriors.
Day 6-7 Tai'an. Climb Tai Shan, one of China 's holiest mountains, and see its famous sunrise in the morning.
Days 8-9 Nanjing. The city's crumbling walls, palace ruins and the historic drum and bell pavilions are reminders of the south capital's majestic past: While the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre is a reminder of a more recent past.
Days 10-14 Shanghai/Suzhou A cosmopolitan city blending funky architecture with old world charm Shanghai is a place to see and be seen. Walk along the glorious Bund or stroll through one of the flashy shopping districts and feel the vibrant pulse of the new China. Here we will be sure to take a river cruise and to see the famed Chinese acrobats. Take a day trip to Suzhou, the "Venice of the Orient" to see its famous gardens.
All our trips include domestic travel, accommodations based on double occupancy, breakfasts and entrance to most sites and activities
.Our trips do not include visas, vaccines, lunch/supper, or fees for optional activities
.Disclaimer: The above trips are subject to change due to force majeure, or local conditions that make it impossible to follow the above itinerary. The itinerary is also subject to change where we feel said changes will improve the quality and condition of the trip.