Trip to China
Planned for February 2010
The International
Travel Study Program will focus on China during the 2010 February
school
vacation week. Students enrolled in this course will learn about the
history,
culture, economy and customs of China.
Oliver
Ames High School teacher Eveline
Johnson is organizing the trip. She has
led international student trips since 1989, and is offering this trip
to Oliver
Ames High School students. Interested parents may also contact her. The
students attend meetings and do research on their destinations during
second
and third terms.
The group will
depart
on Thursday, February 11th on an overnight flight from the
United
States. The next few days will be spent in Beijing.
Students will be taught Taiji
exercises and some traditional Chinese expressions before visiting the
majestic
Temple of Heaven and being introduced to Beijing on Friday.
On Saturday, the
Chinese professors and guides will work with the students on their
language and
currency skills when visiting the Forbidden City, a maze of buildings
also
known as the Imperial Palace that was off-limits to the public for 5oo
years.
That evening, we will go to Tiananmen Square and learn about the
history of
this very significant site before witnessing the flag descending
ceremony. A traditional Peking Duck
dinner and entertainment is included for Saturday evening.
Sunday, the 14th
will find the group at the Great Wall of China, where students will
hike along
the world’s largest manmade structure while learning of its history. In the afternoon, we go to Old Beijing and
tour the Hutong area to see how Chinese
families live
in a close community. We will visit a
local family and all are invited to help make dinner this evening,
which will
be a traditional meal featuring delicious Chinese dumplings!
Monday morning we
leave early to fly to Xi’an and arrive in time to go to a local school
and meet
with students there. A special dinner is
planned for us that evening.
Tuesday, discover
the
eighth wonder of the world- the life-size Terra Cotta Warriors, on our
full-day
excursion to Shaanxi. We will visit the Bronze Chariot and see a Circle
Vision
(Omni theatre-style) movie. After lunch
we visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Built in 648 AD, it is set in the middle of a large temple
complex. The
pagoda has seven floors and visitors are allowed to climb it. The Big
Wild
Goose Pagoda was built to house the Buddhist sutras brought to China
from India
by the monk Xuan Zhang.
It is a fascinating place. The temple has
many beautiful gardens, and stunning buildings. The buildings in the
temple
complex are built in the style of the Tang Dynasty. This evening, we
will go to
a Tang Dynasty Show, which is quite spectacular.
Wednesday we head
to
Shanghai and visit a local opera school, where we learn about the
Chinese style
of opera, and will learn the art of opera face drawing with instructors
and
students there. This evening, we will have dinner and an evening tour
of
Shanghai.
Thursday’s full
day
tour of Shanghai will include all the highlights of the city, from the
business
district of the Bund, to the only fully restored classical garden in
the city,
Yu Yuan. All will have a chance to explore the lively district of Nanjiing Lu to do some shopping and will also
visit the
Jade Buddha Temple. Tonight’s dinner
will be followed by a traditional Chinese acrobatic show.
Friday, the group
departs for the United States, and arrives home on Saturday.
Mrs. Eveline
Johnson
has enrollment materials available, and students may sign up at their
earliest
convenience. Enrollment is open to all
high school students. Students
can secure a spot by completing an application
form and paying a $150 deposit to ACIS.
The trip is
coordinated by the American Council for International Studies (ACIS),
and the
company provides college professors to guide the group. Anyone who
wishes to
learn more about the trip is encouraged to email Johnson at esj4176@aol.com,
call her at Oliver Ames, 230-3210 or visit her website, at http://home.comcast.net/~kmj53/ev.html.