EXPERIENCE THE CAPITAL BEIJING: OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2017

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1 EXPERIENCE THE CAPITAL BEIJING: OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2017 PREPARED BY THE HUTONG FOR YCIS SHANGHAI- GUBEI CAMPUS

2 KEY CONCEPTS CULTURAL IMMERSION We aim to provide fun, exceptional, and engaging learning experiences that empower students to build a bridge between their classroom and the world around them. More than travel providers of guided tours, our leaders and our programs challenge students to reckon with the heady issues faced by the communities they travel to and take them to a deeper level of understanding about the world around them. Innovative and interactive activities engage students and ensure they are supported to engage critically with the issues of the communities they visit and are challenged to think outside the box. TEAM BUILDING Many activities naturally lend themselves to aiding the students to break down barriers, work as teams and develop leadership qualities, but none more so than hiking on the Great Wall of China and conquering Via Ferrata. The Hutong practices responsible tourism in far flung areas of the Great Wall with pristine hiking opportunities. Here, students will hone their communication and team-building skills while living rustically. The activities will encourage the students to push their physical and cultural boundaries. HISTORY AND MODERNIZATION Students will experience some of Beijing s most traditional culture through nontraditional means. Hutong-designed scavenger hunts get students interacting with local shopkeepers, historical characters and examining ancient architecture, all while motivating them to explore on their own. Students will discover some of Beijing s most innovative districts and meet the trendsetters who drive creativity in Beijing while examining how both the ancient and modern survive and thrive in China s capital. CHINESE LANGUAGE Students will experience the capital and get behind Beijing s red curtain, while also having a language goal or component built into most of their activities. The objective of the language components will be to enable students to comfortably apply their Chinese language skills regardless of level, with The Hutong working closely with school staff to ensure activities are properly calibrated to their Chinese language program 2

3 DESTINATION BEIJING 北京 Welcome to the capital of China! As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for most of the past eight centuries. The city is renowned for its imperial palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates, and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of Chinese culture and arts. From the historic Forbidden City to the breathtaking Great Wall of China, Beijing has something for everyone. We at The Hutong have called Beijing home for the past decade with our own courtyard buried deep in Beijing s old network of alleyways that we use as our base to help visitors go beyond Beijing s must-see spots to experience this vibrant capital in a distinct new way. A stay in Beijing with The Hutong offers much more than just a visit to Beijing s main attractions; we work with you to create a memorable cultural experience 3

4 ITINERARY & DAILY SCHEDULE Meals provided indicated in schedule as Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), and Dinner (D) DAY LOCATION ACTIVITIES Day 1 Shanghai - Beijing - Tianxianyu Morning: Train from Shanghai to Beijing Packed lunch on the train Accommodation: Village Guesthouse Meals: D Afternoon: Transfer to Tianxianyu Village Guesthouse Check-In Village Exploration Dinner at local farmhouse Program Introduction Day 2 Tianxianyu- Huanghuacheng - Beijing Morning: Breakfast & Check Out Short Transfer to Huanghuacheng Wild Great Wall Conquer the Wall at Huanghuacheng Accommodation: Hotel Meals: B, L, D Afternoon: Late Lunch Overlooking the Great Wall Transfer to Beijing Evening: Hotel Check in Showers and clean-up Beijing Dinner Story Presentations and Debrief 4

5 ITINERARY & DAILY SCHEDULE Meals provided indicated in schedule as Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), and Dinner (D) Day 3 Tianxianyu - Beijing Accommodation: Hotel Meals: B, L, D Morning: Breakfast at hotel Split into two groups Group A: Transfer to The Hutong Venue Small Team Cooking Competition a.k.a Hook n Cook Lunch at The Hutong Venue Break Group B: The Hutong Amazing Race Lunch at Local Restaurant Break Evening: Group B: Transfer to The Hutong Venue Small Team Cooking Competition a.k.a Hook n Cook Dinner at The Hutong Venue *Visit to Nanluguoxiang Night Market (Optional) Return to Hotel Daily Reflections and Debrief Group A: The Hutong Amazing Race Dinner at Local Restaurant *Visit to Nanluguoxiang Night Market (Optional) Return to Hotel Daily Reflections and Debrief 5

6 ITINERARY & DAILY SCHEDULE Meals provided indicated in schedule as Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), and Dinner (D) Day 4 Beijing Accommodation: Hotel Meals: B, L, D Morning: Breakfast at hotel Walk to Ditan Park Rotational Activities in Ditan Park -Geriatric Gymnastics -Laowai Street Theater Afternoon: Transfer to 798 Art District Lunch in 798 Rotational Activities in 798 Art District -Sketching in 798 -Gallery Visits *798 Scavenger Hunt (Optional) Evening: Peking Duck Dinner Chinese Acrobats Show Return to Hotel Daily Reflections and Debrief Day 5 Beijing - Shanghai Accommodation: Hotel Morning: Breakfast and hotel Check-Out Transfer to Temple of Heaven Park Kung Fu Workshop in Temple of Heaven Park Transfer to Beijing South Station Meals: B Afternoon: Lunch on your own at Station Take early afternoon train to Shanghai 6

7 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: EXPERIENCE BEIJING HIKE ON THE GREAT WALL Like the Mongolian armies of centuries past, arduous journeys were made before attacks could be commenced against the Han forces guarding the Great Wall. The Hutong Education facilitators will take the students on a journey through the most turbulent eras of the Great Wall of China. They will learn terminology to describe their surroundings and the basic history of The Wall. VILLAGE EXPLORATION Students will participate in an exciting adventure race through the narrow streets and winding alleys surrounding the village. Working in small groups, students will interview local shop-keepers, search for artifacts, and use creative problem-solving in order to successfully complete a series of interactive challenges. 7

8 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: EXPERIENCE BEIJING VILLAGE HOMESTAYS Snuggled warmly into traditional courtyard homes, Students will have the opportunity to really experience what life is like for local residents by staying in local village. With home cooked meals, and traditional games, and sleeping in the shadow of the great wall, the village homestay is sure to be a fan favorite! 798 ART DISTRICT This flourishing art district on the surface offers a mixture of internationally renowned giants of the art world such as UCCA and also small local galleries. However, beneath the surface we will investigate the fascinating story behind the area s original purpose and it s gradual change to the top Beijing destination we know today. Here students will have the opportunity to hone their creative sketching skills as well as think critically about some of the exciting exhibitions happening within the district. 8

9 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: EXPERIENCE BEIJING BEIJING DINNER STORY An incredibly fun, interactive evening activity, The Hutong s Beijing Dinner Story gets students out into the narrow hutong alleyways around their hotel, interacting with friendly locals, and tasting some of the capital s most delicious dishes. Their mission will be to work in small teams to learn about specific dishes and be able to tell the storied history of those dishes to their peers back at the hotel. TEMPLE OF EARTH (DITAN PARK) More than just an iconic site in Beijing s landscape, The Temple of Earth provides an exciting opportunity to watch and join in with the city s elderly residents performing their morning rituals from martial arts, to ball room dancing, to music and singing to geriatric gymnastics! To help fully engage in the experience, The Hutong staff will help lead students in a variety of activities aimed at maximizing participation. CHINESE ACROBATS SHOW Question How many people can you fit on one bicycle? Come to this show and find out! The skill and dexterity often verging on the impossible of these incredible acrobats is not to be missed and offers a fitting climax to the trip. 9

10 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: EXPERIENCE BEIJING HOOK N COOK The Hook n Cook is our trademark iron chef style culinary challenge. You ll unwind, roll up your sleeves, and come together while creating something personal and delicious. It s a culinary team building experience that helps develop skills such as positive collaboration, rapid decision making, creativity, and communication. THE HUTONG AMAZING RACE Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt: Students will be required to use team- work, creative thinking, human ingenuity and navigation skills to complete this hutong challenge. The hunt brings students through the winding alleys, local markets and quirky neighborhoods of the ancient capital. 10

11 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: EXPERIENCE BEIJING TEMPLE OF HEAVEN Not only is it the grandest, most iconic, ancient site of worship in Beijing s landscape, the magni cent Temple of Heaven also provides an exciting opportunity to watch and join in with the city s elderly residents performing their morning rituals from martial arts, to ballroom dancing, to music and singing to geriatric gymnastics! Following this our sta will facilitate rotational activities such as Qi Gong and Jianzi (keepy-uppies with traditional feather shuttle cocks). KUNG FU WORKSHOP Our residential Kung-Fu Master will lead the students through the fundamental forms of ancient Shaolin martial arts, in the beautiful surroundings of the galleries of Caochangdi. 11

12 VALUES AND CHALLENGES Throughout our programs, we challenge students to not only push their boundaries and explore their surrounding culture but we encourage them to take responsibility for their actions through embracing sustainable travel, making good decisions and supporting their classmates. These notions are born out of our own company Core Values: 1. Be a good egg! 2. Embrace diversity! 3. Light a spark! 4. Go the extra li (mile)! 5. Seek challenge! 6. Smile more! We like to challenge students to adopt these practices and award those who demonstrate such values during the trip, through initiatives such as: THE CHOPSTICK CHALLENGE Each student is given their very own set of sustainable bamboo chopsticks with a stylish pouch to keep them in. Why? Forests are being chopped down for producing chopsticks 20 million trees per year to produce 80 billion disposable chopsticks for China alone. To discourage deforestation and wasteful consumption we avoid using disposable chopsticks and encourage responsibility for possessions. Students who demonstrate best sustainability practices will earn the Golden Chopstick Award. THE HUTONG HELMSMAN Mao Zedong was known as The Great Helmsman because of his ability to steer the PRC to the right course of action. At The Hutong, we will choose our Helmsmen and Helmswomen based on who has lived up to the Hutong s Core Values that day, thereby helping steer us to a more successful trip. We typically have each teacher choose someone from his or her group, and by the end of the trip each student ends up being recognized for their positive contributions. 12

13 CLIMATE AND PACKING LIST CITY MONTH AVERAGE HIGH AVERAGE LOW Beijing Early November 15 5 Ask any local Beijinger when the best time of year to visit the capital, the answer will always be Autumn. Besides being less overwhlemed by tourists, Beijing and its surrounding hills are covered in the colorful fall leaves throughout the month. However, November is the time when a dry cold sets in and temperatures begin crawling towards winter. While some late- October/early-November days may still be a bit warmer, be prepared for wintery ones and much chillier nights. Though rain is unlikley at this time of year, come prepared. Our activities will take be a mixture of indoors and outdoors and it is important to bring comfortable, warm, breathable clothes and good walking shoes. There is no need to bring any formal wear. RECOMMENDED BAGS - 1x large backpack (Medium size is sufficient 35L-50L) - 1x smaller day pack RECOMMENDED CLOTHING - 2-3x pair of long trousers - 5x t-shirts - 2x lightweight fleece/vest/jumper/hoodie/sweatshirt - 1x warm down coat/jacket - 1x breathable warm waterproof jacket or poncho - 5x underwear - 5x socks - 1x sunhat/cap - 1x warm hat & pair of gloves - 2x pair of comfortable walking/sports shoes or hiking boots RECOMMENDED TOILETRIES - Sun screen - Small bottle of insect repellant - Toiletries, including soap or body wash - Toothpaste and Toothbrush - Any required medication - Antibacterial hand gel - Wet wipes OTHER RECOMMENDED ITEMS - Sunglasses - Pens & Notebook - Camera - Re-useable Water bottle REMINDERS - Passport! - Pocket Money (recommended RMB) This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, please use your own judgment when packing. PLEASE KEEP PACKING TO A MINIMUM and pay attention to bolded items! BEIJING FUN WITH FOOD SEPTEMBER