wexplore china study tour - participant handbook

Participant Handbook

WEXPLOREChina Study Tour

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August 6, 2009

Dear WEXPLORE participants,

Why China?

You may have asked yourself this question before signing up for the WEXPLORE tour. There are many sources that you can use to learn about China nowadays, such as the media or your friends and families. And we believe that most of the ideas are quite conflicting. There won’t be a final answer for you unless you make your way here. Then you would the one telling others about your China experience.

What makes China so unique? China, one of the world’s most ancient civilizations, has recorded over 5,000 years of history. It has experienced numerous stages, and each era has resulted in different historical achievements. Today, it is a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups, each of which has their own clothing styles, music, languages and ways of living. We hope this tour can expose you to a taste of the vast diversity China has to offer.

Upon arr iva l , you may have a lready experienced numerous culture shocks, some of which might have led to miscommunication, especially regarding business matters. For example, it is often difficult for Chinese people to be as direct as foreigners. Most Chinese business partnerships are based on guanxi (relationships and connection), which goes

before benefit and cost. To understand the fundamental reasons, you would need to understand how Confucian teachings have affected the way of thinking for China’s 1.3 billion people. By getting to know the Chinese people, you will better understand this nation’s deep philosophical underpinnings.

This tour will take you to some of the most famous historical sites in the world. You will see wondrous places and try things you’ve never tried before. However, it is up to you to make sure this experience fulfills your goals. We hope this is simply the first visit of many more to come.

Sincerely,

Founder, WEXPLORE China Study Tour

Welcom

e Message

Table of ContentsWelcome Message 1Introduction to Facilitators 2WEXPLORE Itinerary 3Group Competitions 7Guidebook 8

BEIJING 8SHANGHAI 12XI’AN 14MAPS 17

Guidelines and Regulations 21China Tips 24

WEXPLORE China Study Tour Participant Handbook

WELAND International

Room 1115, Zuo An Gong She, Bei Si Huan Xi Lu No.68, Haidian District, Beijing, P.R. China, 100080

TEL. +86-10-62636880 FAX. +86-10-82626361

Email. [email protected] Web. www.wemunc.org


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Introduction to Facilitators

WEXPLORE GUIDES AND FACILITATORS

Yichan Yuan (袁乙婵)FounderYichan Yuan, from Hainan, China is a graduate of Beijing University of International Business and Economics, with a degree in Finance. At school, she became vice-president of the university’s student union responsible for external relations. She has participated in AIESEC, the world's biggest student organization, serving as vice president focusing on culture exchange and global communication, after which she joined McKinsey as a knowledge specialist focusing on Chinese macro-economic development. She came to Weland with the passion to help international Youth gain a unique perspective on China.

River Yang (杨子娇)Chief FacilitatorRiver Yang is a native Beijinger. After graduating from Qinghua High School, she was accepted to the Beijing University of Technology, where she is currently majoring in English. During her time at university, she served as chief volunteer of the Beijing Olympic Games as well as founder of her university’s MUN Organizing Committee. In her spare time she loves discussing MUN with her peers and travelling. She joined Weland International this year and will make every effort to create a fascinating WEXPLORE Study Tour for international students!

Michael Gold (金迈克)International Liaison/WEXPLORE DocumentarianMichael was born and raised in Palo Alto, California and attended Yale University, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in anthropology. During college he produced and directed a documentary about environmental issues in Thailand and served as a Freshman Counselor for the class of 2010. After graduation he studied Chinese in Beijing for one year and worked at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Finding the charms of China impossible to resist, however, he moved back to Beijing in May 2009 to work for Weland International.

Vincent Zhu (朱鸣岐)GuideVincent Zhu is now a student at China Foreign Affairs University, majoring in English and International Studies. He is a devoted MUN veteran with a great deal of conference organizing experience. Before joining the Weland Platform, he worked with the United Nations Development Program, Chinese Cultural Club and other Foreign Service branches, where he earned his credentials as both a Chinese culture expert and a qualified event organizer. Vincent also serves in the External Relations Department of WE Model United Nations Conference 2009, where he is in charge of several exciting events including the Secretary General Summit.

Beck B. KimanoffGuideBeck B. Kimanoff was born and raised in Kazakhstan. After graduating from high school he received a presidential scholarship to study in the United States. He participated in AIESEC, the biggest student organization in the world, during his university time, where he was in charge of managing international exchange. In summer 2009 he joined the WEXPLORE project and absolutely loves his unique China experience!

August 6, 2009, Thursday二零零九年八月六号，星期四

August 7, 2009, Friday二零零九年八月七号，星期五

August 8, 2009, Saturday二零零九年八月八号，星期六

14:00 Travel to hotel

16:00 Check-in, short rest, small snack

17:00 Gather in lobby to travel to Hei Long Tan Park

17:30 Opening ceremony

19:30 Traditional Beijing duck dinner

21:00 Return to hotel

9:00 Gather in hotel lobby

9:15 Travel to hutong

9:45 Explore hutong in teams

12:00 Reunite at hutong restaurant for lunch

13:00 Leave for embassy visit

13:30 Embassy tour

15:30 Travel to Peking University

16:00 Tour Peking University

17:00 Sports/games/relax at Peking Uni

18:30 Hotpot dinner

20:00 Return to hotel, meet with homestay families

20:45 Disperse to homestays

8:30 After homestay breakfast, reunite at hotel

9:00 Set out to explore Beijing in small teams - Lunch in teams - Use per diem for food and transportation

17:00 Return to hotel to meet with homestay families - Dinner and evening time with homestay families



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August 9, 2009, Sunday二零零九年八月九号，星期天

August 10, 2009, Monday二零零九年八月十号，星期一

August 11, 2009, Tuesday二零零九年八月十一号，星期二

8:45 After homestay breakfast, gather at Weland office

9:00 Lecture on rural Chinese development from academic expert

10:00 Leave for Jin Shan Ling – Great Wall rural area

12:00 Arrive at Jin Shan Ling; lunch in farmhouse restaurant

13:30 Activities in rural areas, possibilities include: - Horseback riding - Fishing - Hiking - Sewing - English teaching at local schools

18:00 Barbecue dinner

19:30 Campfire, s’mores

21:00 Pitch tents, roll out sleeping bags, camp on Great Wall

8:00 Breakfast, pack up tents and sleeping gear

9:00 Trek Great Wall

11:00 Lunch

12:00 Depart for Ming Tombs

14:30 Tour Ming Tombs

16:30 Leave for Beijing city center

18:00 Dinner

19:00 Leave for acrobat show

21:00 Depart back to hotel

7:45 After hotel breakfast, gather in hotel lobby

8:00 Leave for Tian Tan – The Temple of Heaven

8:30 Taichi class

9:30 Leave for Chinese tea house

10:00 Beijing closing ceremony

12:00 Depart for Silk Market

12:30 Lunch

13:00 Shopping


15:30 Pack for Shanghai/Xi’an

16:00 Depart for airport

17:00 Airport check-in, dinner

20:00 Depart for Shanghai

22:15 Arrive in Shanghai

24:00 Hotel check-in

August 12, 2009, Wednesday二零零九年八月十二号，星期三

August 13, 2009, Thursday二零零九年八月十三号，星期四

August 14, 2009, Friday二零零九年八月十四号，星期五

9:30 After hotel breakfast, gather in lobby

9:45 Depart for Pudong and the Bund – Shanghai riverfront scenic area

10:45 Explore Pudong and the Bund

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Depart for Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

14:30 Tour Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

16:00 Depart for Cheng Huang Miao – Shanghai city temple and gardens

16:30 Tour Cheng Huang Miao

18:30 Dinner

19:30 Depart for Xin Tian Di – restored “stone-gate” shops and cafés

20:00 Stroll Xin Tian Di



10:00 Depart for local factory

10:30 Factory tour

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Travel to Creative Industry Center – hotbed of Chinese modern art

14:00 Tour Creative Industry Center

16:30 Travel to train station

17:30 Dinner near train station

20:05 Train departs for Xi’an

9:49 Train arrives in Xi’an

10:00 Travel to hotel for rest, shower, lunch

12:30 Depart for Bing Ma Yong – ancient Terracotta warriors, “make your own Terracotta statue”

17:30 Return to Xi’an

18:30 Dinner

20:00 Tang Dynasty Performance




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During the Beijing closing ceremony we’ll be hosting a Chinese knowledge competition structured in the format of the game show Jeopardy, with a special

prize for the winning team. We’ll save the specific questions for the closing ceremony, but keep in mind the following categories for the game:

Each team is invited to participate in the Beijing photo scavenger hunt. Any team that collects an example of each of the following shots wins our secret prize:

An old man holding a bird•

A large group of elderly Chinese dancing in public•

A stop along the not-yet-opened Line 4 subway•

Deep-fried insects•

Outdoor hotpot restaurant•

An advertisement featuring Liu Xiang, Athens • 2004 Olympic gold-medalist hurdler

A clean natural-gas powered bus•

The character for “peace” on a road sign•

An article of clothing or accessory featuring • Chairman Mao

The full moon•

Group Com

petitions

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August 15, 2009, Saturday二零零九年八月十五号，星期六

August 16, 2009, Sunday二零零九年八月十六号，星期天

August 17, 2009, Monday二零零九年八月十七号，星期一


7:30 Kung fu lesson with Buddhist monk

8:30 Breakfast

9:30 City tour, explore the ancient Xi’an city wall

12:00 Lesson on dumpling rolling and noodle pulling

13:00 Eat what we made!

14:00 Continue Xi’an tour – visit Big Goose Pagoda and drum and gong tower

17:00 Explore Xi’an Muslim district

18:00 Dinner in Muslim district

19:00 Further explore Muslim district or early return to hotel


10:00 Depart for local factory

10:30 Factory tour

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Travel to Creative Industry Center – hotbed of Chinese modern art

14:00 Tour Creative Industry Center

16:30 Travel to train station

17:30 Dinner near train station

20:05 Train departs for Xi’an

For students still in Beijing, free explore - Receive per diem for food and transportation

18:00 Surprise good-bye party!

WEXPLORE BEIJING TEAM COMPETITIONS

History Geography Language Economics Pop Culture Facts & Figures

200 200 200 200 200 200

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800 800 800 800 800 800

1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000

Chinese Jeopardy!

Photo Scavenger Hunt



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Guidebook

Tiananmen SquareTiananmen Square is a modern creation, China being a land where large public gathering places were not traditionally built. Its construction broke down walls of the Forbidden City to make way for the large thoroughfare, Chang’an Jie. Previously Tiananmen Square was occupied by imperial offices which were inside the Forbidden City and connected the Temple of Heaven to Qianmen and the palace.

Tiananmen (translated from Chinese: The Gate of Heavenly Peace) is the original gate of the Imperial Palace, commonly known as the Forbidden City. It is now one of the entrances for tourists visiting the Forbidden City. Built and burned down a few times starting in 1417, its recent incarnation dates to 1651. Today it is a world-recognized symbol of where Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) declared the foundation the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. In the middle of Tiananmen Square sits the Renmin Yinxiong Jinian Bei, or Monument to the People’s Heroes, which can be seen in the foreground. Dedicated to the men and women who died in the struggles to make China an independent nation in the century before the Communists came to power, it

has acted as a lightning rod for dissent. After the start of the Falungong demonstrations, for example, it was cordoned off from the public.

The cornerstone was laid by Mao Zedong and Zhu De on September 30, 1949, a day before the official establishment of the People’s Republic of China. The location chosen represented a clear break with the feudal dynastic past by being positioned in the middle of the old imperial pathway. Completed in 1958, more than 10,000 tons of stone were used for the 40 meter high obelisk. At the base of the monument are eight two meter tall bas-relief panels depicting seminal events in the Communist interpretation of Chinese history between 1839 and 1949.

The Forbidden CityThe Forbidden City was the former imperial palace which was the home to 24 Chinese emperors over 491 years between 1420 and 1911. The Forbidden City is now known as the Palace Museum and is open to Beijing’s visitors.

Guidebook

Wear comfortable walking shoes as the palace is 960 meters long and 750 meters wide. It has 9,999 rooms—a room being the space between four pillars. The well-guarded palace is surrounded by a moat 3,800 meters long and 52 meters wide. Intruders were discouraged by guards in watchtowers with bow and arrows.

HutongsA hutong is an ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where hutongs run into the several thousand. Surrounding the Forbidden City, many were built during the Yuan (1206 – 1341AD), Ming (1368 – 1628AD) and Qing (1644 – 1908AD) dynasties. In the prime of these dynasties, the emperors, in order to establish supreme power for themselves, planned the city and arranged the residential areas according to the etiquette systems of the Zhou Dynasty. The center of the city of Beijing was the royal palace—the Forbidden City.

One kind of hutongs, usually referred to as the regular hutong, was near the palace to the east and west and arranged in orderly fashion along the streets. Most of the residents of these hutongs were imperial kinsmen and aristocrats. Another kind, the simple and crude hutong, was mostly located far to the north and south of the palace. The residents were merchants and other non-aristocrats.

The Great WallThe Great Wall was key to protecting agriculture and resisting cavalry of the Huns and other warrior tribes from the north. The advantages of the enormous barrier diminished with the advancement of gunpowder and other weaponry.

The wall was originally built of stone, wood, grass and earth. In the Ming Dynasty bricks were produced in kilns set up along the wall. The bricks were transported by men carrying them on their backs. Donkeys, mules and even goats had a brick tied to their heads before being driven up a mountain.

The Great Wall of China was built over more than two thousand years. Construction on the first section began between the 7th and 6th century BC, and the last work on the wall was done between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Olympic GreenThe Olympic Green is an Olympic Park constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Beijing Olympic Park is a big oxygen bar of the city. It is a leisure park with scenery similar to that of a classical Chinese landscape painting. Beijing Olympic Park lies in the north of the central axis of the city. Covering an area of 1,215 hectares, with 760 hectares set aside for woods and grass, 405 hectares for the

BEIJING



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International Exhibition and Sports Center and 50 hectares for the Chinese Nationalities Museum, Beijing Olympic Park is larger that the total of the Summer Palace and the Yuanmingyuan Park (Old Summer Palace) combined.

Beijing Olympic Park is the central area for holding Olympic sports. It contains 44 percent of the total Olympic sports venues and most of the service facilities—fourteen sports venues; an Olympic Village for 16,000 athletes, coaches and accompanying staff; a reporters’ village with 400,000 square meters of floor space; and an international broadcasting and TV center.

The Summer PalaceLocated 15 km northwest from the central city and occupying an area of about 300 hectares, the Summer Palace is associated with the Qing dynasty’s dowager empress Cixi, but has a history of more than 800 years as an imperial garden dating back to the 1150s. The name in Chinese, Yiheyuan, means “garden of restful peace”. It served as a suburban pleasance for emperors, a place in the countryside yet near the capital.

The Yiheyuan in its present form dates from Manchu rule over China, 1644-1911. In the 1750s the emperor Qianlong commanded the creation of the lake and redesigned the temple atop Longevity Hill. Severely damaged during the punitive Anglo-French

expedition of 1860, the Empress Dowager ordered its restoration in the 1880s. It became a public park in 1924.

The function of corr idors in Chinese garden architecture is to offer a sheltered passageway from direct sun as well as inclement weather when passing between buildings. The corridor in the Summer Palace, over 700 meters long, is interspersed with a quartet of double-eave octagonal pavilions symbolizing each of the four seasons. The horizontal support beams inside the corridor are painted with scenes from West Lake in Hangzhou, as well as figures from fables and history, landscapes and flowers.

Lama TempleLama Temple (Yonghe Temple; Yonghe Lamasery) is the largest and best-preserved lamasery in Beijing. It was built in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as the residence of the Emperor Yongzheng (the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty) before he ascended the throne. In the year 1744, the residence was completely converted into a lamasery. This resplendent architectural complex is endowed with the style of an imperial palace, making it distinctive from other temples. It occupies an area of 66,400 square meters (16 acres) and is described as a mini-palace with yellow glazed tiles on the roof and red walls circling the group of buildings.

As a result of the ancient architecture, every element

of the temple is entirely symmetrical, with main halls on a north-south axis and wing halls on both sides. It is comprised of a courtyard in the south and five main halls in separate courtyards in the north: the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Harmony and Peace, the Hall of Everlasting Blessings, the Hall of the Dharma Wheel and the Pavilion of Infinite Happiness. Furthermore, this splendid temple combines various Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan architectural styles.

Old Summer PalaceThe Old Summer Palace, which is also known as the Ruins of the Yuanmingyuan (the Garden of Perfection and Light), is located northwest of Beijing and to the east of the (present-day) Summer Palace. The Garden was first constructed in the year of 1709 during the reign of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Over the next 150 years of the Qing Dynasty, this Garden was expanded to become a large-scale Chinese emperors’ private pleasure garden, covering a total area of 350 hectares (over 864 acres).

Generally speaking, the Old Summer Palace consists of three parts—Yuanmingyuan, Wanchunyuan (the Garden of Blossoming Spring) and Changchunyuan (the Garden of Eternal Spring). These three gardens are often referred to as one common name: Yuanmingyuan. Hundreds of scenic spots in the Garden are made up of exquisitely constructed halls, pavilions, chambers, kiosks, earth and rock hills,

rivers and ponds, and exotic flowers and grasses from different parts of the country. Indeed, it embodies the essence of Chinese ancient landscape gardening.

The vast majority of the remaining scenic spots were destroyed in the 1980s, but under the due protection of the Chinese government, a park has been established on the ruin site. Visitors can imagine the former grandeur of the Old Summer Palace from the crumbling walls and ruins. In addition, there is also an opportunity for visitors to view the complete picture of Yuanmingyuan in its heyday in the exhibition hall. The reconstruction of some of the original structures and scenic spots provides people with a lovely place to relax.



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Guidebook

Guidebook Intro

Shanghai is 1460km/906mi away from Beijing and can be reached by a two-hour flight or 17-hour train journey. There are also connections by rail and air with Nanking, Hangzhou, Canton and other main cities. There are three shipping lines operating services to Dalian, Tsingtau and Ningbo.

The name Shanghai means “over the sea”. It is the largest city in China and the center of the nation’s trade and industry, with the biggest and most important port in the land. The city is experiencing a meteoric economic expansion, one result of which has been a massive building boom. Much of this activity is focused on the new industrial zone of Pudong, a district in the east of the city reached via two high-level bridges and tunnel that cross over and under the Huangpujiang River.

Shanghai, also named “Hu” or “Shen” for short, is situated at 31”14’ north latitude and 121”29’ east longitude, and is in the middle of China’s east coastline. It occupies a total area of 6,341sq.km. (of which Pudong New Area occupies 523sq.km.), with a total resident population of 16 million. It has a pleasant climate, with four distinct seasons. The average temperature is around 18 °C and the annual

precipitation is 1,240mm.

Shanghai, an open city on the coast and a famous historical and cultural city, is a gate to the Yangtze River delta. It is a municipality under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government, the largest economic and trade center, a comprehensive industrial base and the leading port in China.

Shanghai is well known in the world not only for its prosperous cosmopolitan features but also for its rich humanistic resources. In recent years, a number of modern buildings have been added to the city, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus City, Shanghai City-Planning Exhibition Hall and Jin Mao Tower, and the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, which have all become new scenic sights in Shanghai. Colorful festivities, like Shanghai Tourism Festival and Shanghai China International Art Festival, have attracted an increasing number of tourists from home and overseas.

Shanghai’s tourist infrastructure is also becoming increasingly sophisticated: by the end of 2002, there were 40 international travel services, 524 domestic travel services and 300 star-rated hotels with about 50,000 rooms. Shanghai is also an ideal paradise for shoppers and gourmets. There are commercial streets and shopping areas like the famous Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Huaihai Road, Sichuan Bei Road, Yuyuan Commercial and Tourist Area, the Ever Bright Commercial City, Xujiahui Commercial City and Zhangyang Road Commercial City in Pudong. There, shops stand rows upon rows with large collections of beautiful commodities, meeting the needs of tourists of different income levels.

SHANGHAI The BundThe Bund is one of the m o s t r e c o g n i z a b l e architectural symbols of Shanghai. The word “bund” derives from an Anglo-Indian word for an embankment along a muddy waterfront and that is what it was in the

beginning, when the first British company opened an office there in 1846. It became the epitome of elegance during Shanghai’s history as a city of trade. Now many attractive new constructions have been erected in addition to the historical buildings. A 771-metre long retaining wall for flood control was recently built; atop the wall is a spacious walkway for sightseeing, paved with colorful tiles and dotted with flower beds and European-style garden lights. It is a good place for a leisurely stroll and a view of the Huangpu River.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition HallFilmmakers and science -f ict ion writers have imagined it, but if you want to see what a city of the future is really going to look like, take yourself over to this museum on the eastern end of People’s Square. Housed in a striking modern five-story building made of microlite glass, this is one of the world’s largest showcases of urban development and is much more interesting than its dry name suggests. The highlight is on the third floor: an awesome vast scale model of urban Shanghai as it will look in 2020, a master plan full of endless skyscrapers punctuated occasionally by patches of green. The clear plastic models indicate structures yet to be built, and there are many of them. The fourth floor also offers displays on proposed forms of future transportation,

including magnetic levitation (maglev), subway, and light-rail trains that are going to change even the face of the Bund. The rest of the building includes a U-shaped mezzanine with photographic exhibits of colonial and contemporary Shanghai, a temporary exhibit hall on the second floor, and a cafe and art gallery on the fifth. There are restaurants and retail outlets crafted in the style of 1930s Shanghai on the underground level that connects to the Metro.

Xin Tian DiLocated in the center of Shanghai City south of Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai Xin Tian Di has become an urban tourist attraction that holds the historical and cultural legacies of the city. Shanghai Xin Tian Di is a fashionable pedestrian street composed of Shikumen (“stone gate”) and modern architecture style.

Shanghai Xin Tian Di is unique because of its concept of construction. It retains the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai. On the other hand, its interior embodies a totally different world of international galleries, bars and cafes, boutiques or theme restaurants. When you walk into Xin Tian Di, you will get the taste both of Shanghai in the 1920s and the sonic modern lifestyle of urbanites of the 21st century.



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Guidebook

Guidebook Intro

Originally known as Chang’an, Xi’an was in ancient times the starting point of the famed Silk Road. Over a period of more than 2,000 years, Xi’an was the capital city of eleven different dynasties. Along with Rome and Constantinople, this city was a world leader in culture and trade and played a vital role in bridging the gap between East and West. Often called a “living museum”, the Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty, along with other relics and excavations nearby, such as the restored city wall, the Big Goose Pagoda, and the Banpo Neolithic Village, tell the story of why Xi’an is considered to be such an invaluable historical site in China. Xi’an is located in the southern portion of the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province, with the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Weihe River to the south. Xi’an, the provincial capital, is the largest city in northwest China.

Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and HorsesO n e d ay i n 1 9 7 4 , n e a r X i ’a n , s o m e f a r m e r s accidentally stumbled upon this site of the terracotta soldiers built to guard the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. They are over 2,200 years old and still stand just as proudly today.

From inside the hall, you can view over 1,000 horses and soldiers that have been excavated and cleaned up; the rest of the 5,000 are in the process of being carefully cleaned. The army forms a rectangular formation facing east with 210 warriors lining each

of the first three rows making up the front ranks. Behind them are the marching soldiers and horses drawing chariots, making up the main body of this army. The two sides of the army and the rear each have a line of warriors, divided to face south, north and west to protect the body of the army from attack in other directions. All the structures are in the same proportions and the same size as real people, reflecting the skill of the Qin dynasty sculptors. From the location, hair, clothing and weaponry, one can generally deduce their rank and position. Soldiers with relatively long beards, most likely older generals, are placed towards the rear. Each has a special pose according to his duties, such as the kneeling archer ready to fire.

This site is especially famous because it was so strange and mysterious to bury a whole army

XI’AN underground. It is hard to understand why anyone would create so many glorious sculptures just for burial. This site makes the sophistication and advanced culture of ancient China evident to the entire world. Everyone who sees these soldiers has a similar reaction to that of the former French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin who exclaimed, “The Qin terracotta pit is one of the marvels of the world. To go to Egypt and not see the pyramids is not really going to Egypt; to go to China and not see this sight is not really going to China.”

Xi’an City WallSince ancient weapons did not have the power to break through a wall, the only way for an enemy to enter the city was by attacking the gate of the city wall. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xi’an, the city wall includes four gates and they are respectively named as Changle (eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one. It is very near to the Bell Tower in the center of the city. Important greeting ceremonies organized by the Provincial Government are usually held in the south gate square.

Bell TowerThe Bell Tower is a stately traditional building that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.

The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118

feet) high. It stands on a brick base 35.5 meters (116.4 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28.2 feet) high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xi’an was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower.

The tower was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.

The Great MosqueLocated in Muslim district along Huajue Lane, the Great Mosque is short walk from the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower at the center of town. The mosque, which is still an active place of worship and was established by the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD) in 742 AD for Muslim traders from Central Asia who settled in Xi’an.

Inside the Great Mosque compound it is difficult to tell that the buildings are Islamic because it was



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Guidebook

built according to traditional Chinese architectural forms and many of the Islamic symbols are Sinicized. Unlike typical Chinese temples, which are built on a north-south axis, the mosque is built east-west with the prayer hall at the far west end in accordance to the Islamic regulation of facing Mecca for prayer. Although originally built during the Tang dynasty, it has been extensively renovated with many of the present buildings hailing from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 AD). The mosque and the surrounding buildings take up an area of 13,000 square meters, though not all areas, such as the prayer hall, are accessible to non-Muslims.

The mosque grounds are quiet, giving it an aura of religious sanctity, and there is a large wooden gateway dating from the reign of the emperor of the Qing dynasty, Kangxi, who reigned from 1662 to 1723 AD. The gateway features the calligraphy by Mi Fu, a famous Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127 AD) calligrapher and painter.

Shanxi History MuseumShaanxi Province is the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization. Xi’an City was the capital city in thirteen dynasties which in total lasted over 1,100 years. Consequently, the ancient history of Shaanxi is to some degree the ancient history of China. The Shaanxi History Museum is situated in the southern suburb of Xi’an City, northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Since it was opened to the public in 1991, its architecture, internal design, and exhibits have made it famous as a first-class museum in China.

MAPS

BEIJING MAP



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Guidebook

Guidebook

BEIJING SUBWAY MAP SHANGHAI MAP



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Guidelines and Regulations

Payment and RegistrationAll WEXPLORE fees must be paid in full before the student’s arrival in China. Upon completion of the MUN conference, all WEXPLORE participants will gather with all belongings in the lobby of the International Conference Center for check-in promptly at 15:30. We strongly advise all participants to pack the night before.

Opening CeremonyAt the opening ceremony, all participants will receive the following, most of which is also included in this e-mail:

Pertinent Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an information•

Detailed tour itinerary•

Guide biographies•

Name tag•

Emergency contact sheet•

Beijing group game introduction•

Per diem for meals and transportation on group • explore days

Mobile phone—this phone is on lend from the • travel agency and charges a fee for every call. Please use it for emergencies only

Please don’t lose these materials—especially the phone and the emergency contact sheet, which you should keep with you at all times.

IdentificationPlease make a photocopy of your passport photo page and Chinese Visa and keep it with you at all times. Chinese police reserve the right to ask for identification at any time. We recommend that you leave your passport in a secure place in your luggage.

Also, please bring your student I.D. card. This will allow us all to save money on a number of entrance fees.

TransportationMost transportation on the tour is by private bus. However, some days we will travel by public transportation (subway or public bus) or homestay family private car. Please use common sense and remain aware of your surroundings at all times while in transit. Rely on each other, your fellow travelers, and your guides as well.

MealsMost meals are arranged in advance. However, some meals will be selected independently in small explore travel groups. You will receive a daily budget for these meals; any extra money you spend on food must come out of your own pocket.

Guidebook

XI’AN MAP WEXPLORE GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS



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LODGING

HotelsStudents must present passports upon check-in at all hotels. Students must remember that they are guests of both the hotels and WEXPLORE. All students are expected to be quiet and respectful on hotel premises. WEXPLORE participants are not the sole occupants of hotels, and therefore, we must respect the other guests. This includes all elevators, hallways, and stairwells. Any damage to or theft of hotel property will not be tolerated, and individuals will be charged for items that are missing or damaged in the hotel.

HomestayThe homestay is a special opportunity for cultural exchange. Please be respectful of your hosts and their property and be mindful that your hosts may possess a viewpoint that differs significantly from your own. Your homestay families will receive your schedules beforehand but it is your responsibility to make sure you are on time to all events.

CampingThe Great Wall is an extremely ancient, sensitive area. Littering and graffiti are not permitted. In addition, the tents and sleeping bags are rented equipment and must be returned in the same condition you found them. The camping may include some physically demanding activities such as hiking and horseback riding. Though a physician’s certification is not necessary for WEXPLORE, we recommend all students complete a routine check-up before attending.

Packing ListThe following is a suggested list of items to bring:

Student I.D.•

Insect repellant•

Sunscreen•

Hat•

Umbrella•

Comfortable shoes•

Day pack•

Overnight bag•

Long and short pants•

Extra cash/traveler’s checks in case of emergency•

Medicine for headache, gastrointestinal upset, etc•

Chinese-English phrasebook•

Camera with USB cable, memory card, etc. to • connect to computer

We’ll be hosting a photo competition as well • as a photo scavenger hunt during the Beijing leg of the tour

Weland International is not responsible for any lost or missing belongings. We suggest you purchase lost luggage insurance before departure.

Equal TreatmentWEXPLORE best achieves a cultural-exchange environment if we offer equal opportunity and access to all students. Instances of discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, or disability will not be tolerated. If you feel disadvantaged because of any of these reasons, please speak with any of the WEXPLORE staff.

Prohibited SubstancesNo student may buy, possess, or consume any alcoholic beverages, narcotic drugs, or any other illegal substances. The drinking age in the People’s Republic of China is 18 and will be strictly enforced. Any violations of this rule will be taken very seriously and the student’s faculty advisor will be notified.

Health and SafetyAs our tour is entirely city-based (even the camping is not more than a few hours outside of Beijing city center), high-quality, sanitary, Western-style medical care will be available to all students should the need arise. WEXPLORE guides will be familiar with the hospital nearest to all the sites we visit, and we have designed our itinerary with the health and safety needs of our participants first and foremost in our minds. All participants will be provided with clean bottled water everyday and our guides will be prepared to answer any health and safety-related question a participant might have.

However, health and evacuation insurance is not covered in the trip fee and we strongly urge all participants to purchase international emergency health insurance before departure, as stipulated in the original WEXPLORE brochure.

Weland International will not be held financially responsible for any physical harm to a participant of WEXPLORE.

EnforcementAll WEXPLORE personnel will act to uphold these rules of conduct. WEXPLORE staff members will address any infringement directly. Serious violations of policy will be referred to faculty advisor and parents. WEXPLORE reserves the right to address any violation of the aforementioned Guidelines and Regulations by removing the offender(s) from WEXPLORE at participant’s expense, suspending the individual from participation in WEXPLORE, and/or prohibiting the individual from future involvement in WEXPLORE. The WEXPLORE staff will make every effort to resolve violations of this code with efficiency and discretion; however, if incidents involve hotel security personnel or local police officials, WEXPLORE will cooperate fully with the authorities.



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China TipsBEIJING STATISTICSArea (Municipality): 16,801 km2/6,487 mi2•

Elevation: 43.5 m/143 ft•

Population: 17 mil (Municipality), 12 mil (Metro)•

Average Annual Income: 36,097 RMB/4,660 USD•

Life Expectancy: 80.07 Years•

Literacy Rate: 90.6%•

CURRENCIES100 Chinese Yuan RMB (as of 12 June 2009)

Region Currency Exchange Rate

USA Dollar 14.63

EU Euro 10.39

UK Pound 8.86

Japan Yen 1,433

India Rupee 693.69

Brazil Real 28.54

Russia Ruble 452.09

USEFUL WORDS/PHRASES

English Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation

Hello 你好 nǐ hǎo nee-how

Good-bye 再见 zàijiàn zai-jeean

Yes 是 shì shur

No 不是 búshì boo-shur

Thank you 谢谢 xièxie sheh-sheh

How are you? 你怎么样？ nǐ zěnme yàng?

nee-zen-muh yahng?

I’m good 我好 wǒ hǎo woh-how

Right; correct 对 duì dway

Wrong; incorrect

不对 bú duì boo-dway

Sorry; excuse me

对不起 duì bu qǐ dway-boo-chee

WEATHER

Month July August

Average High °C (°F) 30 (8a6) 29 (85)

Average Low °C (°F) 22 (72) 20 (69)

Precipitation cm (inches) 22 (8.8) 17 (6.7)

China Tips

CHINA TIPS

TIME ZONES

12:00 Beijing Time

City Time City Time

Jakarta 11:00 London (GMT) 5:00

Mumbai 9:30 São Paulo 1:00

Tehran 8:30 New York 0:00

Moscow 8:00 Los Angeles 21:00

Cape Town 6:00 Sydney 14:00

Berlin 6:00 Tokyo 13:00

INTERNATIONAL DIALING CODESFrom Beijing, dial 00 +

Destination Code Destination Code

USA 1 Russia 7

UK 44 Australia 61

Germany 49 Brazil 55

Japan 81 France 33

India 91 Mexico 52

Indonesia 62 South Africa 27

wexplore china study tour - participant handbook

Education