discovery student adventures china survival guide

8/14/2019 Discovery Student Adventures China Survival Guide

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CHINAA Survival Guide


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Beijing Urban Planning CenterThe planning center is a museum that is abso-

lutely 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 CitySeeing these landmarks feels like the your history

textbook is coming to life because you see places

you learned about in history class right in frontof 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 PongAlthough one of the more underrated spectacles

during the trip, you will have so much fun.

Learn from an Olympic coach and tune up yourping pong game. Watch out for stray ping pong

balls, as you play in your own game.

Hutongs/Chinese CalligraphyHutongs 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 wont ruin anything!

Temple of Heaven and Tai ChiTai Chi, one of Chinas many wonders, is practiced

daily in the yard around the Temple. Tai Chi has

been practiced for years and you will have the privi-lege 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.


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Silk MuseumThe 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. Theshopping 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 LessonsAfter 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 achef to the local market to buy meat and veg-

etables and then travel to the restaurant where you

will gear up in a chefs outt and get to work in

the kitchen on making such delicacies as dump-

lings or a meat dish with a prized chef.

Bird Nest and Water CubeSeeing 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 inthe 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.

Dragon BoatsA dragon boat is long and narrow like a canoe

and is used as a team paddling sport of dragonboat 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

798 Chinese ContemporaryTake this time to relax and explore real

China on your own. Keep an eye outfor 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!


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Village near the Great Wall & Mongolian YurtThis village housed soldiers during the time of the

Great Walls use and is now home to people from

almost 20 nationalities. After exploring the village youwill have dinner in a Mongolian Yurt. This will give

you a great perspective on their culture, including great

food and entertainment.

Hike the Great WallThe 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 than2,000 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 tow-

ers 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 milehike uphill and on very uneven difcult 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

Paper Cutting MuseumIf 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.*All items range from $8USD to $60USD and you can get

great gifts for around $15USD.

Summer Mountain Resort and PicnicThis resort, built in 1703, was used as the Em-

perors 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 elds.*You may be sore from the Great Wall, but, be prepared for a

bit of walking today around the resort.


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Mini Potala TempleThe temple is built to resemble the Potala Pal-

ace in Lhasa, and is the largest of the Summer

Resortss outer eight temples and features Tibetanreligious 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 GrottoCarved into the side of a mountain, this collec-

tion 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 SchoolThe Shaolin Temple was built in the 5th century AD

and turned into a place of martial arts when Bodhidar-

ma, an Indian Monk, arrived there in 527. He deriveda system of exercises that evolved into Shaolin Box-

ing, 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 Mas-

ter Students and then Warrior Monks at the temple toimprove your techniques. At the end of your training

you will be tested and get a certication 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 ForestThis 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 denitely be

odd (1, 3, 5, or 7) because of superstitions.


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Gaocheng Astronomical ObservatoryThis observatory is the oldest surviving astro-

nomical observatory in China. The accuracy of

the Chinese discoveries is remarkable because

observations of the Earths rotation were only

about 25 minutes off a year from what NASA has

concluded today.

Grand Shaolin Zen Music ShowThis performance is an amazing combination

of kung fu and music in the beautiful Shaoshi

mountains. Not only do you get to watch greatmasters of kung fu but there are eye opening

light effects that leave you amazed.

Day in the life of a MonkYou will experience how the Monks live and go

through their daily routine. There will be morning

prayers and breakfast with the Monks along withKung Fu at the Shaolin Temple and then afternoon

cleaning of the temple.*Get a good nights sleep the night before!

Duck DinnerFor 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 indig-

enous to the country.

Farewell PartyThe nal evening is a great night which starts

with a dinner with your kung fu teachers and

warrior monks. After dinner, you will all journeyback 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!


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Shopping in ChinaNothing by far can compare to shopping in China. You will be

able to get the most beautiful souve-

nirs 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 denitely at mar-

kets or in hotel shops because you can

bargain with shop owner and get greatauthentic Chinese souvenirs for inex-

pensively. Also if you love silk de-

nitely take full advantage of the silk museums shop because there are

beautiful scarves, clothes, and ties for mom, dad and your friends. Chi-

na 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 arebeautiful 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 awe-

some. The Shaolin Temple also

had great souvenirs like beautiful bracelets

and T-shirts. The Great Wall is denitely a

place to buy a T-shirt or something to re-

mind 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, dont worry! There will

be PLENTY of shopprotunities along

the way. Please note that you cannot buyswords or numb chucks but dont worry,

there will be hundreds of other things to

buy and your only real problem may be

nding somewhere to pack all your newly

acquired gifts.


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Useful PhrasesThroughout the entire trip you will be accompanied by yourtravel 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: SHR

No: BOO SHR

Hello: NEE HOWHow are you?: NEE HOW MA?

(Very) good: (DING) HOW

Goodbye: DZAI JIEN

Please: CHING

Thank you: SHYEH SHYEH

Youre welcome: BOOKACHI

Im sorry: DUEYBOOCHI

I dont understand: WO FINGBUDONG

I am from the United States WO LAI ZI MEI GUODo you speak English? NI SHUO YING YU MA?

Good morning ZAO SHANG HOW

Good afternoon SHYEH WU HOW

Good evening/night WAN SHANG HOW

Where is the bathroom?: TSE SWOH DZAI NA LEE

How much does this cost?: DWOH SHOW CHIEN

Help!: JYO MING AH

Doctor: YEE SHENG

Police: JING CHABeef: NYO RO

Chicken: JEE

Lamb: YANG RO

Fish: YOO

Pork: JOO RO

Veal: NYO RO

Ham: HWO TWAY

Vegetable: SHOO TSAI

Rice: MEEPuried Water: KWANG CHWAN SHWAY

1: YI 2: ER 3: SAN

4: SI 5: WU 6: LIU

7: CHI 8: BA 9: JIU

10: SHI

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FoodsWell, one word to describe au-thentic Chinese food is different. It tastesabsolutely 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 din-

ner. All in all, it may be different but you

will denitely nd

dishes you like.

Some common meals you willencounter include dishes of Tianjin cab-

bage, sh (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 ar-

ray of sauces. Of course, the duckdinner 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 advan-tage 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 TipsPacking 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 outt 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 ip ops 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 layer-

ing.

*Pack a light dufe bag in your suitcase; this will be used to carry home souve-

nirs 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 goldsh are great snacks that are

easy to pack.

*Bring one dressy outt for the last night because you will be dining in a fancy

restaurant!

*You should pack at least 2 outts 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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Teachers OverviewMrs. Sullivans two centsSo, youre 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 couldnt settle on just one

single thing! So, instead, Ive 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 USAEXPECT:

*The unexpected

*To be constantly amazed

*To sweat!

*To receive kindness

*To experience interesting bathrooms :)

*To become a chopstick expert!

NEVER FORGET TO:

*Reect 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- thats the Mom in me!)

If nothing else, remember to fully embrace your experience and all of the

incredible opportunities it brings. You didnt come to China to try some-

thing new. You came to do something new. Do, or, do not. There is no

try.

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Be kind whenever

possible. It is always

possible.- The Dalai Lama


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Photos courtesy of Cory Key

The DSA China 2009 Manalapan Delegation

(L to R) Mrs. Sullivan, Cory Bolotsky, Cait-lyn Silk, Kim Genero, Drew Regino

This survival guide was compiled by the Manala-

pan High School, NJ Discovery Student Adventure

China 2009 Pilot Trip. Participants included CoryBolotsky, 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, andoverall what you will be doing. We cant 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!

discovery student adventures china survival guide

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