Discovery Student Adventures China Survival Guide

CHINA

A Survival Guide

Beijing Urban Planning Center

The planning center is a museum that is absolutely unbelievable. You will not see anything like this in the States. It contains a full room scale model of Beijing and features a 3D movie about the City along with models of numerous structures you will see touring the country. Do not be fooled by the outside of the building!

Tianamen Square & the Forbidden City

Seeing these landmarks feels like the your history textbook is coming to life because you see places you learned about in history class right in front of you. As you walk through the Forbidden City, you will see rooms that date back to 1420! *Bring a lot of water and be ready to do some walking.

Ping Pong

Although one of the more underrated spectacles during the trip, you will have so much fun. Learn from an Olympic coach and tune up your ping pong game. Watch out for stray ping pong balls, as you play in your own game.

Temple of Heaven and Tai Chi

Tai Chi, one of China’s many wonders, is practiced daily in the yard around the Temple. Tai Chi has been practiced for years and you will have the privilege to learn from the masters. Also, at the Temple of Heaven soak in the culture and enjoy walking around. Make sure to visit the whispering wall and send a message to someone on the other side of the wall to see what happens.

Hutongs/Chinese Calligraphy

Hutongs serve as homes to many people of Beijing and utilize a great deal of Fung Shu in their design. After visiting one home and asking the homeowner questions, you will watch a skilled artist in his home and learn from him how to write a Chinese character in calligraphy. You will be allowed to keep your brush as a souvenir, just make sure you wash it off and store it in a place that won’t ruin anything!

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Silk Museum

The silk museum is located very close to the hotel and will serve as a nice, relaxing, activity. As you walk through the museum enjoy watching the evolution of silk from worm to scarf. The shopping here is great and you will be able to get many great souvenirs for friends and family *Make sure to bring money with you, items here are slightly expensive (but still cheaper than American department stores).

Food Market and Cooking Lessons

After eating authentic Chinese food for a few days it is time to go ahead and cook it yourself. In the morning you have an opportunity to go with a chef to the local market to buy meat and vegetables and then travel to the restaurant where you will gear up in a chef’s outfit and get to work in the kitchen on making such delicacies as dumplings or a meat dish with a prized chef.

“Bird Nest” and “Water Cube”

Seeing the Olympic Stadiums on TV is one thing, but actually going into them is even better.

*Make sure you buy all of your Beijing 2008 souvenirs in the “Bird Nest” as there will be no other place to buy these items. *Bring an extra set of clothes just in case you run through the water show or take a lap around the Olympic track.

798 Chinese Contemporary

Take this time to relax and explore real China on your own. Keep an eye out for good bargains in the shops on unique Chinese handicrafts. Feel free to bargain with the merchants. Dinner in 798 will be VERY enjoyable so savor it!

Dragon Boats

A dragon boat is long and narrow like a canoe and is used as a team paddling sport of dragon boat racing. A drum is also used to indicate when to row. Dragon Boat racing is so much fun and can get pretty competitive. The key to winning is making sure everyone is rowing at the same time.  *Bring an extra pair of clothes or wear a bathing suit because you will get wet 

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Village near the Great Wall & Mongolian Yurt This village housed soldiers during the time of the Great Wall’s use and is now home to people from almost 20 nationalities. After exploring the village you will have dinner in a Mongolian Yurt. This will give you a great perspective on their culture, including great food and entertainment.

Hike the Great Wall

The Great Wall of China took over 1,000 years and three dynasties to build. Today it spans over 30,000 miles and has been around for more than 2,000 years. The wall is one of the seven wonders of the world and seeing it is a great experience that will you will never forget. The view from the towers are absolutely breathtaking! Hiking the wall is a huge opportunity because the part of the wall you will hike, only 5,000 people before have hiked.  *Bring lots of water! Take at least 2-5 before starting. *Bring nutrition bars with you! You will get hungry. *Get in shape before the trip because it is a long 6 mile hike uphill and on very uneven difficult ground. *Take LOTS of pictures, the views are amazing! *Wear a pair of light capris or athletic pants because there will be thorns along the way

Summer Mountain Resort and Picnic

This resort, built in 1703, was used as the Emperor’s summer escape from the heat of Beijing. Take in the beautiful views and be prepared to greet some deer on your travels. Your tour will end with a beautiful picnic in the fields.

*You may be sore from the Great Wall, but, be prepared for a bit of walking today around the resort.

Paper Cutting Museum

If you are looking for one authentic souvenir to bring home, this is it. This studio has hundreds of handmade paper cuttings of gorgeous Chinese graphics. You will have the privilege of meeting the artist and she will teach the trade and let you take a shot at making your own paper cutting.

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*All items range from $8USD to $60USD and you can get great gifts for around $15USD.

Mini Potala Temple

The temple is built to resemble the Potala Palace in Lhasa, and is the largest of the Summer Resorts’s outer eight temples and features Tibetan religious ornaments. *There will be more walking and climbing involved today so be prepared. As tempting as it is, the men that offer to carry you to the top in rickshaw are not safe so do not do it.

Longmen Grotto

Carved into the side of a mountain, this collection of over 2,000 caves and 100,000 statues are absolutely remarkable. These carvings date as far back as 385 AD and are incredibly well preserved with the exception of numerous headless statues destroyed during the anti-Buddhist periods in the Tang dynasty.

Shaolin Temple and Kung Fu School

The Shaolin Temple was built in the 5th century AD and turned into a place of martial arts when Bodhidarma, an Indian Monk, arrived there in 527. He derived a system of exercises that evolved into Shaolin Boxing, the origin of Chinese martial art. The temple is still in use today by Buddhist and Warrior Monks who make pilgrimages to the temple to devote their lives to develop skill. The Small Dragon Kung Fu School is home to over 4,000 students who study Kung Fu daily and hope to one day become Warrior Monks at Shaolin Temple. During your time here, you will tour both the temple and the school. After touring, you will learn from both Kung Fu Master Students and then Warrior Monks at the temple to improve your techniques. At the end of your training you will be tested and get a certification of Shaolin Kung Fu training. *The Kung Fu lessons will be very physically demanding so bring clothes you are comfortable to sweat and exercise in and be very physically prepared to push your body to its limits.

Pagoda Forest

This “forest” is not like any other you will see in life. The Pagoda Forest consists of almost 240 pagodas, or graves, where Buddhist and Warrior Monks are buried. The pagodas date as far back as 791AD and as recent as 2005AD. Count how many tiers the pagodas have, it will definitely be odd (1, 3, 5, or 7) because of superstitions.

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Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory

This observatory is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in China. The accuracy of the Chinese discoveries is remarkable because observations of the Earth’s rotation were only about 25 minutes off a year from what NASA has concluded today.

Grand Shaolin Zen Music Show

This performance is an amazing combination of kung fu and music in the beautiful Shaoshi mountains. Not only do you get to watch great masters of kung fu but there are eye opening light effects that leave you amazed.

Day in the life of a Monk

You will experience how the Monks live and go through their daily routine. There will be morning prayers and breakfast with the Monks along with Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple and then afternoon cleaning of the temple.  *Get a good night’s sleep the night before!

Farewell Party

The final evening is a great night which starts with a dinner with your kung fu teachers and warrior monks. After dinner, you will all journey back to the Shaolin Temple for a talent show with both American and Chinese routines. *Prior to this night, prepare a dance or song to preform for everyone!

Duck Dinner

For the last night, dinner will be a very special treat. This will be your last time to enjoy eating with your whole group and talk about the entire trip over an amazing meal together. Make sure to try eating everything! No one would feed you something that could hurt you. Only in China will you ever be able to try the food that are indigenous to the country.

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Shopping in China

Nothing by far can compare to shopping in China. You will be able to get the most beautiful souvenirs to bring back to everyone. Our dollar is very strong there so you can get so much for so little. The best places to shop are definitely at markets or in hotel shops because you can bargain with shop owner and get great authentic Chinese souvenirs for inexpensively. Also if you love silk definitely take full advantage of the silk museum’s shop because there are beautiful scarves, clothes, and ties for mom, dad and your friends.  China uses beautiful designs in their jewelry tea pots, and fans. It would be a great idea to purchase one of those three things because they are beautiful souvenirs to bring back home. Two notable shopping stops will be the paper cutting studio and the “Bird Nest” where you can get very unique items that are awesome. The Shaolin Temple also had great souvenirs like beautiful bracelets and T-shirts. The Great Wall is definitely a place to buy a T-shirt or something to remind you of your journey because you will want to remember your experience forever. If you feel like you missed out on a chance to buy something, don’t worry! There will be PLENTY of “shopprotunities” along the way. Please note that you cannot buy swords or numb chucks but don’t worry, there will be hundreds of other things to buy and your only real problem may be finding somewhere to pack all your newly acquired gifts.

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Useful Phrases

Throughout the entire trip you will be accompanied by your travel managers who will also serve as your translators. Nonetheless, it is helpful to know a few phrases on your own so here are some to try out: Yes: No: Hello: How are you?: (Very) good: Goodbye: Please: Thank you: You’re welcome: I’m sorry: I don’t understand: I am from the United States Do you speak English? Good morning Good afternoon Good evening/night Where is the bathroom?: How much does this cost?: Help!: Doctor: Police: Beef: Chicken: Lamb: Fish: Pork: Veal: Ham: Vegetable: Rice: Purified Water:

SHR BOO SHR NEE HOW NEE HOW MA? (DING) HOW DZAI JIEN CHING SHYEH SHYEH BOOKACHI DUEYBOOCHI WO FINGBUDONG WO LAI ZI MEI GUO NI SHUO YING YU MA? ZAO SHANG HOW SHYEH WU HOW WAN SHANG HOW TSE SWOH DZAI NA LEE DWOH SHOW CHIEN JYO MING AH YEE SHENG JING CHA NYO RO JEE YANG RO YOO JOO RO NYO RO HWO TWAY SHOO TSAI MEE KWANG CHWAN SHWAY

1: YI 4: SI 7: CHI

2: 5: 8: 10:

7

ER WU BA SHI

3: 6: 9:

SAN LIU JIU

Foods

Well, one word to describe authentic Chinese food is different. It tastes absolutely nothing like the Americanized Chinese food we eat today. It is a very spicy array of cooking. There is a lot of pork, beef, chicken, lamb and vegetables, but you will always see rice. There is nothing like a good bowl of rice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. All in all, it may be different but you will definitely find dishes you like. Some common meals you will encounter include dishes of Tianjin cabbage, fish (almost always with the head still attached), noodles, tofu, meat, and poultry. Some notable meals will include the Mongolian Hot Pot which is served with sliced lamb, vegetables, and noodles dipped in boiling water and an array of sauces. Of course, the duck dinner will be unforgettable and the cooking lesson will be remarkable as well. If you are afraid that you will miss American food, try not to worry. You will have two or more opportunities to get some Golden Arch burgers, but take advantage of the different food opportunities and be ready for something like Duck Brain, Shrimp with their heads in tack, or Scorpions at any moment.

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Packing Tips

Packing for this trip is no easy feat; hopefully these tips will help you make the most of the 44 pounds you are allowed to bring! *The temperature is permanently muggy, it is not sunny and the sky is usually overcast. It is always humid so carry around a travel size deodorant in your backpack. *Everyday you will be doing physical activities, always wear something that you are not afraid to move around in. We suggest Under Armor or Nike Dry Fit. *Make sure to bring at least one conservative outfit for days with the Monks; bring a short sleeve shirt and a pair of light athletic pants/capris (not jeans or warm pants). *Bring enough socks for each day; at the end of some days you will end up throwing them away. *At some hotels there will be a laundry room or service so do not stress about rewearing clothes. *Bring 1 or 2 pairs of sneakers and a cheap pair of flip flops to wear on the train, in the hotel, and during free time. *Bring 1 sweat jacket, a pair of sweat pants, and 1 long sleeve shirt for layering. *Pack a light duffle bag in your suitcase; this will be used to carry home souvenirs that could make your luggage overweight! *The plane ride is long, dress comfy and layer! Keep an extra pair of clothes with you. *What should always be in your backpack: - Camera (with a BIG memory card) - Chap stick, sunscreen, bug spray (wear it every day) - Travel size deodorant - Sunglasses - Travel toilet paper, tissue, wipes - Hand sanitizer - Bottled water (it will be provided, but always have a few with you) - Power bars *Bring food with you! Make sure to pack nutrition bars to boost your energy in case you do not want to eat one of the meals provided. Bring 15-20 bars and other food including trail mix, pretzels, and goldfish are great snacks that are easy to pack. *Bring one dressy outfit for the last night because you will be dining in a fancy restaurant! *You should pack at least 2 outfits you would wear out. You will need these when you see the Zen Music Show, go to the farewell dinner, and at least two other times for dinners.

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Teacher’s Overview Mrs. Sullivan’s two cents

So, you’re going to China- Can you believe it? Congratulations and Good Luck on your amazing journey! I tried to think of a single, “best” piece of advice for traveling in China with DSA, but I couldn’t settle on just one single thing! So, instead, I’ve put together a short list that I think will help keep you on track during your travels: ALWAYS BE: *Open-minded *Quiet (i.e be sure to “stop & smell the roses”) *Respectful *Grateful *Considerate *Inquisitive *Adventurous (but safe!) *Humble *A good ambassador of the USA

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - The Dalai Lama

EXPECT: *The unexpected *To be constantly amazed *To sweat! *To receive kindness *To experience interesting bathrooms :) *To become a chopstick expert!

NEVER FORGET TO: *Reflect on each day of your journey *Talk to a “local” wherever you go *Write in your journal *Try something new (food, language...you name it) *Embrace a different culture *Help your fellow travelers *Drink as much water as possible *Eat fruits & vegetables (sorry- that’s the Mom in me!) If nothing else, remember to fully embrace your experience and all of the incredible opportunities it brings. You didn’t come to China to “try” something new. You came to “do” something new. Do, or, do not. There is no “try”.

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This survival guide was compiled by the Manalapan High School, NJ Discovery Student Adventure China 2009 Pilot Trip. Participants included Cory Bolotsky, Kim Genero, Drew Regino, Caitlyn Silk, and Mrs. Heather Sullivan. We all absolutely loved our China experiences and hope that you are excited for your upcoming trip as well. This booklet should help you with questions you may have regarding packing, eating, accommodations, shopping, and overall what you will be doing. We can’t cover the whole trip in this space but we tried, so hopefully it will help. We hope you have an amazing trip and that we help prepare you!

The DSA China 2009 Manalapan Delegation (L to R) Mrs. Sullivan, Cory Bolotsky, Caitlyn Silk, Kim Genero, Drew Regino Photos courtesy of Cory Key