China- South of the Clouds

  China

• Beijing: 
Beijing
• Shanghai: 
Shanghai
• Kunming: 
Kunming
• All Other Areas in China: 
Chengdu,  Yangzhou
• Xi'an: 
Xi'an
• Rural Areas: 
Rural Areas

Dates: Sept 6- Dec. 8 / Feb. 9- May 12

Description: Few countries evoke the same curiosity, the myriad of images, and intense fascination. Is this great country, with its 5000 years of history a global superpower or a nation ridden with dissent and poverty? How does one reconcile the monumental economic growth of the past two decades with so little autonomy for the individual?

Dragons China semester delves deep into the heart of China, pairing a strong curriculum in Chinese language, history, politics and development issues with on-the-ground travel, service projects, and home-stays. Visiting modern seats of power and little-discovered rural villages, we examine the tapestry of life that is China. We look at the diverse cultures of this immense country, staying in minority regions and exploring concepts of national identity and ethnicity. We speak at length with schoolchildren and business executives about their vision and understanding of China today.

Kunming, the capital of China's southwest Yunnan Province, is our home for six weeks of the semester. This "city of eternal spring" is an ideal location from which we explore Han Chinese/minority relations, economic reforms and development, environmental concerns, as well as China's history and its present. While in Kunming, each student lives with a Chinese host family, and meets every morning at the Dragons Program House for instruction in Chinese, and discussions about Chinese history and development issues. During the afternoons, students study tai ji chuan, cooking, art, and calligraphy, in addition to working on an Independent Study Project (ISP) of their own choosing. Topics range from studying the correlation between traditional Chinese martial arts and Western dance, to examining the impacts of China's WTO entrance on small business entrepreneurs. Students meet weekly with both a Dragons leader and a local community mentor to monitor the progress on their ISP research. On the weekends, we spend time with host families, participate in service projects such as building houses in impoverished communities or assisting in HIV/AIDS prevention education, and journey to nearby villages and mountains. Our time in Kunming culminates in a final banquet, where each student presents the results of his or her ISP.

The unique Dragons itinerary and emphasis on interactions with the many and varied cultures that form China enables us to glimpse a little-seen side of this vast country. During our semester, we will not resolve the contradictions of China; rather, we will seek to gain an understanding of the many aspects that come together to form China today.

Highlights: (The following is a projected itinerary, which will vary according to season.)

Week One:
Arrive in Beijing, where small night markets selling scorpions on skewers and other local delicacies sit next to 21st century neon-lit department stores. Visit sites famous for political and historic significance: the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Summer Palace; go hutong hopping - exploring the old traditional alleys of courtyard houses found only in Beijing; spend a night camping at an armament atop the Great Wall.

Week Two:
Travel to Xi'an, ancient capital of China. Visit tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, who united China over 2000 years ago. View excavation site of terra cotta soldiers and learn about archeology and ancient China. Discussions of Xi'an's role as endpoint of the Silk Road and gateway to the world beyond the Wall. Dine on a thirteen-course meal of China's most famous jiaozi, or dumplings; explore the Muslim Quarter, home to one of the most prominent and beautiful mosques in China.

Travel to beautiful Xiahe, situated high on Gansu Province's Tibetan Plateau. Study basic tenets of Tibetan Buddhism as we meet Tibetan pilgrims who come from afar to visit the Labrang Monastery. Guest lectures in Tibetan, Tibetan Cooking, Calligraphy, and Thangka painting. Camp with nomads on nearby grasslands.

Weeks Three - Four:
Chengdu, Sichuan: famous (and spicy!) Sichuanese cuisine, visit Panda Breeding reserve. Travel to Xichang, gateway to a little traveled passage to Yunnan. Stay in Lugu Hu, home to the matrilineal Moisu culture. Teach English at a local elementary school. Journey to Zhongdian, in the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau. Meet with local and international NGOs, participate in environmental service project.

Weeks Five - Eleven:
In Kunming, the capitol of Yunnan Province, students begin home-stays with Chinese families. Throughout home-stay daily classes are held at the Dragons program house, with continued lessons in Mandarin Chinese, lectures on modern Chinese history, and lectures in modern Chinese social and developmental issues. Students work on Independent Study Project (ISP), incorporating apprenticeship with a local artist, a photo-essay project, an ethnography formed by a compilation of interviews, or a topic of the student's choosing. Weekend trips to sites throughout Yunnan. Participate in service projects ranging from work on the Yunnan-Burmese border to educate youth about HIV/AIDS, to helping build homes for impoverished communities in nearby rural areas.

Week Twelve - Thirteen:
Amid the beautiful karst mountains and terraced rice fields of Guangxi Province we visit the Dong minority "Wind and Rain Village". Travel to Yangshuo: bike in the surrounding countryside and attend guest lectures in traditional Chinese medicine, calligraphy, and Yi minority cooking.

Final days in Hong Kong, discussing the historical impacts of colonialism, and looking at concepts of national and ethnic identity. Visit Victoria's Peak, wander through the small alleys of Mongkok. Finish with a feast of Hong Kong's famous dim sum before returning home.

Cost in US$: 8,800

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to China in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of max. 12

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Where There Be Dragons's Mission Statement: Through expertly guided and honest introductions to the cultural and physical landscapes of developing Asia and Latin America, and through Experiential Education that stresses the empowerment of the student, Dragons strives to cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity, opportunities for personal growth through physical and emotional challenges, and a commitment to the communities through which we travel, providing young adults with a richer understanding of themselves, and of the social and physical worlds around them.

Year Founded: 1992