China January Study+Travel Program (4 Weeks, 7 Cities) PROGRAM INTRODUCTION

We live in a shrinking global village. Easy, widespread communications have broken down walls of isolation around the world. Now, more than ever, we need to become acquainted with other cultures in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided in this new age of global interdependence. Our Winter Study+Travel Program aims to give students an authentic insight into the modern day China as well as its traditional past. This program involves trips to bustling metropolitan cities like Beijing and Shanghai as well as small rural towns and villages in China's interior heartland. Experiencing the great diversity of land, people and cultures is at the root of the Chinese experience.

As a part of our Winter Study+Travel Program, students will have the opportunity to explore Yunnan, China's most diverse province and Lonely Planet's top choice in China. As Lonely Planet contends, “If you have time for but one province in China, Yunnan should be it.”

Yunnan, and its cosmopolitan capital Kunming, are perfect destinations for cultural immersion because of their great diversity of land and people. From Tibetan towns in the Himalayan north to Thai villages in the tropical rainforests of the South, Yunnan is the perfect microcosm of China.

Unlike most Mandarin-speaking cities located in China' north, Kunming enjoys warm winters and cool summers, making it an ideal place to study Mandarin. The city's average summer temperature ranges between 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degree Celsius) and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), whereas its average winter temperature fluctuates between 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). Kunming's air quality is the best of all large cities in China according to UN's climate monitors. About Minds Abroad Minds Abroad is a US based organization that conducts study abroad programs in China for both individual students and customized groups from colleges and universities. Our programs are a blend of morning classes, afternoon volunteering or language exchange sessions, evening cultural activities and weekend excursions to sites of educational value. We were recently named as a “Top 10 Program in Citizen Diplomacy” by the Center for Citizen Diplomacy and U.S. State Department.

This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general.

Two Options for Individual Students: (1)Weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activity Program, and (2) Study+Travel program: Students, who enroll in Minds Abroad directly, rather than with a school group, have two options. First, students participating in our weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activities Program can enroll on any Monday and stay as many weeks as they like. In the afternoons, they can intern in a local business, volunteer with one of our partner non-profit organizations or take part in our language exchange program. Second, we also conduct Study+Travel Programs which incorporate all the elements in the previously-mentioned program but also include extensive travel to sites of historic and cultural importance on weekends. In total, the Study+Travel program combines morning Mandarin classes, afternoon interning, volunteering or language exchange sessions and weekend academic travel.

Earn University Credits Through our Classes: In China, we teach Chinese language and cater to all levels of language students - beginner, intermediate and advanced. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students.Students may be able to earn credits from our partner universities, where our classes are held, depending on the policies of their home institutions. For more information on transfer of credits, visit our “Transfer Credits” page.

Small Class Size and ExperiencedUniversity Faculty: Our class size is usually small (normally 2-4 students but with a maximum of 7 students) in order to enhance interaction between students and teachers. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students. About Minds Abroad(contd) This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general.

Opportunities Beyond Class- Afternoon Interning, Volunteering, or Language Exchange: In addition to the classes, we identify several afternoon activities for our students. Students are free to choose internships in local companies and non-profits or hands-on volunteer service learning work to help the local community. Volunteer service learning projects for interested participants can be arranged for at our non-profit partner organizations in both China and India.Participants intent on polishing their Chinese skills could also choose to take part in language exchange sessions with students from local schools and universities. Through all these activities we hope to improve the participant's insight into the social, economic and cultural life of the Chinese people.

Impact Abroad, the Volunteer Partner of Minds Abroad: Impact Abroad, a volunteer organization that works with Minds Abroad, collaborates with various local non-profit organizations in the fields of education and community development to serve the less fortunate individuals with limited economic and educational opportunities in China. Impact Abroad creates and coordinates volunteer placements for international volunteers and students at these non-profit organizations. Program Components Morning Mandarin Class While in Kunming, students will study basic Mandarin with teachers from Minds Abroad's partner institution in the mornings. The purpose of these classes is to help give students the basic Chinese language skills they need to more fully enjoy and experience their time in China. Knowing basic Chinese will not only enable them to do simple tasks like order food and ask where the bathroom is but will also give them the confidence and skills they need to interact with Chinese people on a daily basis. To ensure maximum student-teacher interaction we have small class sizes, normally 2-4studentsbut with a maximum of 7 students.

Afternoon Volunteering in Non Profit Organizations During weekdays, in the afternoon, participants will teach English to students in non-profit organizations that are devoted to helping children from ethnic minority groups. These groups are from extremely economically disadvantaged areas and many people belonging to these groups migrate to Kunming in search of a better livelihood. Participants will primarily give English lessons to these children, changing their lives for the better. Minds Abroad provides teaching curricula and manuals to help participants efficiently offer lessons to the children who are not well conversant in English language. Our materials emphasize the different teaching methods that our participants can employ in order to make this learning experience a stimulating and fun-filled one. We encourage participants to use a lot of audio-visual tools (wall-charts, flash-cards, illustrated pictures, two-dimensional objects) and other out-of-the-box teaching methods (sign languages, real-life settings and role-playing) in order to engage the children's attention. Participants can always use their own teaching aids, while imparting lessons to these children. Teaching English can be a rewarding experience, especially when it succeeds in instilling passion for the language in these children. By teaching basic English to these disadvantaged children, participants will indirectly give them the skills that they need to escape poverty. Through this activity, participants will not only have an excellent opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture but will also learn about community and developmental issues in a typical Chinese city. Weekend Academic Tours As a part of this program, over the weekends students will visit fast growing metropolises and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We believe this diversity of excursions not only gives participants a balanced perspective on the rapidly modernizing urban China, but also on rural society where the majority of the people in China still live. Some of the places of interest that students will visit are large metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and ancient towns like Dali, an ancient walled city, Shaxi, a beautiful mountain village, Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Shangri-La, a Tibetan town in the Himalayas.

Evening Cultural Activities During the trip, students are free to participate in cultural activities to get an in- depth understanding of the ways of life of the local people. These activities include attending performances from local ethnic musicians and dancers, visiting local museums, and going to sites of local interest. The Price and Items Covered in the Program The full price of this program is $3985. This is inclusive of the following:

- Morning class or facilitated language exchange of normally two to four students (however with a maximum of seven students) - Afternoon activities, either volunteer placement or language exchange - Weekend academic excursions listed in the program including admission tickets to all sites - Accommodations in spacious modern apartments (more details below) - All meals during the days of the program (except on select weekends when students do not have any scheduled activities) - A cell phone, SIM card, and a small initial credit for in-country calling - All domestic airfare and ground transportation to sites listed in the itinerary - Unlimited public transport (via buses) for all program activities while in Kunming - Detailed in-country orientation within the first few days of arrival - 24/7 staff support throughout the program

For programs running in the Fall Semester (September through December) or the Spring Semester (February through April), the basic program fee covers a private room in a shared apartment (i.e. students do not have to pay any additional fee for a private room).

Our program fee DOES NOT include visa fees or the cost of your flight from your home country to the starting city on our program and then the flight back home from the final city in our program.

Refundable Deposits Some additional fully refundable deposits which are not included within the participation fee:

- Housing deposit paid along with the program fee ($285) – This is paid by students while they are in their home country and is also reimbursed upon checkout in China or in their home country on conclusion of stay, less any damages. - Cell phone deposit paid in China (CNY 250) – This is a deposit that covers a cell-phone and SIM card we provide every student on the first day of the program. This amount is reimbursed in China after the program concludes, less any charges for loss, damages. - Bus card deposit paid in China (CNY 50) – This is a deposit that covers a bus card to be used in Kunming for travelling to places included in program activities. This amount is reimbursed in China after the program concludes unless the bus card is lost by the student. Discounts for Early Enrollment and Refundable Deposits For our Study+Travel programs we are offering discounts for signing up with a friend. Signing up with one friend qualifies each participant for a 5% discount. Signing up with two friends qualifies each of the three participants for a 10% discount. We also offer discounts for early enrollment. Please inquire about the nearest deadline for early enrollment. To qualify for an early enrollment discount a completed registration form and NON- REFUNDABLE 20% deposit should reach us as the first step to secure a place in the program. The remaining 80% payment must be received in full within 60 days prior to the start date of the program.

Limitations on Booking Airfare Students SHOULD NOT book international flights until 60 days before the start of the program as we need to confirm that we will have enough students to offer the program. This is solely a precaution as we have never had to cancel a program in the past, but if we do not have enough students in a program to run it, it may become necessary. Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 26th Dec 27th Dec 28th Dec 29th Dec 30th Dec

Bashang/ Beijing Beijing Beijing Beijing Kunming If students would Arrive in Beijing, Morning: Morning: Morning: like to arrive rest, adjust to Visit Head to the Participate in early, Minds jetlag. Tiananmen Mutianyu outdoor Abroad staff will Square and section of the adventure sports be on the ground explore Great Wall. like horse-riding to receive them. If Forbidden City. and archery. Afternoon: they arrive on Afternoon & Afternoon: Drive to Thursday evening, Eat lunch in Evening : Bashang Return to Beijing their expenses will Houhai Park. Grassland. and leave for be covered by our Afterwards, visit program. But if Evening: Kunming. the Temple of Enjoy a bonfire they decide to Heaven. arrive on and spend the Wednesday, they Evening: night with local will have to pay Have a feast of family. an extra $185 for Peking Duck. food and an extra night in the hotel.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 31st Dec 1st Jan 2nd Jan 3rd Jan 4th Jan 5th Jan 6th Jan

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Central Kunming Yunnan Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Chinese Chinese Chinese Chinese Free time. Spend the day Visits sites Language Language Language Language hiking up the around Class. Class. Afternoon: Class. Class. Volunteer Western Hills. Kunming. Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Service Afternoon: Afternoon: Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Learning. Explore famous Visit Yunnan Service Service Service Service Evening: Buddhist Provincial Learning. Learning. Learning. Learning. Dinner and free temples at the Museum. Evening: Evening: Evening: Evening: time or base of Western Afterwards, Dinner and free Dinner and free Dinner and free Dinner and free extracurricular Hills. explore Bird time or time or time or time or activities. and Flower extracurricular extracurricular extracurricular extracurricular Evening: Market. Return to activities. activities. activities. activities. Kunming. Evening: Attend Dynamic Yunnan. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 7th Jan 8th Jan 9th Jan 10th Jan 11th Jan 12th Jan 13th Jan

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Dali Shaxi Lijiang

Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Chinese Chinese Chinese Chinese Leave early for Leave early for Drive to Lijiang. Language Class. Language Class. Language Class. Language Class. Shaxi. Dali. Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Afternoon: Explore the town. Volunteer Volunteer Service Volunteer Service Volunteer Service Take a cable Take a tour of the Service Learning. Learning. Learning. Evening: Learning. car up the Cang village. Participate in a Dinner Dinner Evening: Mountains. Evening: Dinner Evening: Evening: Evening: tea ceremony. and free time or and free time or Dinner and free and free time or Evening: Have traditional extracurricular extracurricular time or extracurricular Explore Dali dinner. activities. activities. extracurricular activities. Old Town. activities.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 14th Jan 15th Jan 16th Jan 17th Jan 18th Jan 19th Jan 20th Jan

Lijiang Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Shanghai Shanghai

Morning & Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Morning: Afternoon: Students will be Chinese Chinese Chinese Chinese If flight timing Take a trip to led on a Language Language Language Language Class. permits, take a Black Dragon Class. Class. Class. walking tour of trip to M50, Pool and visit Afternoon & the Bund. Afternoon: home to many art Dongba Culture Afternoon: Afternoon: Evening: Volunteer Volunteer Volunteer Afternoon: galleries. Fly to Shanghai. Museum. Service Tour the Service Service Afternoon: Evening: Learning. Learning. Learning. business district of Lujiazui. Fly home. Take a train Evening: Evening: Evening: Visit back to Dinner and free Dinner and free Dinner and free Evening: Shanghai Kunming. time or time or time or Financial extracurricular extracurricular extracurricular Center. activities. activities. activities. Beijing & Bashang

Beijing is the seat of China's political power and a modern city punctuated with colossal flyovers and multilane boulevards. Beneath its din and bustle and concrete façade lie numerous pockets of historical charm. In fact, Beijing is not only China's capital city, but is also home to its greatest collection of historical sites. This city is an ideal location for anyone looking to get a glimpse of the country's history and culture. Beijing's uniqueness has its origin in the juxtaposition of the old city against its modern bustling counterpart. As a part of the Minds Abroad program, students will see many faces of Beijing. They will hike up the legendary Great Wall, wander through the Forbidden City, China's former imperial palace, and explore the Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world.

Students will also take a trip to the Bashang Grassland, an extension of the Inner Mongolia grassland and enjoy its unique rural charm, legendary hospitality of the local herdsmen, and outdoor adventure sports amidst idyllic nature. The nomadic lifestyle that these Mongolian herdsmen encounter on a day to day basis largely stem from an extreme continental climate and rugged desert geography. One of the few nomadic tribes in the world, Mongolians are always on the move. That is why their main source of living is animal husbandry. Despite their difficult nomadic lifestyle and many hardships they encounter they are known throughout China to have a friendly and hospitable demeanour. The warmth of the Mongols always rubs off on travellers, as they will always try to make their guests feel at home and comfortable.

Wednesday, 26th December, Beijing If students decide to arrive on Wednesday, Minds Abroad staff will be on the ground to receive them. However, they will have to pay an extra $185 for food and an extra night in the hotel. These extra days will allow our students to book the most affordable flight. Students will also get some extra time to adjust if they need that extra time. We can arrange for accommodations, meals, and chaperones. However for the most part the students will have free time to explore on their own and adjust to jetlag.

Thursday, 27th December, Beijing Arrive, rest and adjust to jetlag in Beijing. Beijing & Bashang

Friday, 28th December, Beijing Morning: Visit the Tiananmen Square, a site of several important events in Chinese history. Tiananmen is also surrounded by some of the most important buildings in China including the Forbidden City, the Great Hall of the People (the seat of China's government) and Mao Zedong's Mausoleum. Afterwards explore the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a complex in central Beijing that was the home of Chinese emperors from 1420 until 1912. In addition to being the home of the emperor, the complex was also home to the vast imperial entourage and served as the political and ceremonial capital of China. Today, the Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is easily one of the most fascinating sites for a visitor to explore. Afternoon: Eat lunch in Houhai Park. Houhai is a park with a cluster of restaurants, surrounding small lakes, in the center of Beijing. After lunch, if time permits, students are free to have a walk around Houhai and Hutong in the old neighborhoods around the lake. Hutong is a type of traditional narrow streets or alleys most commonly associated with Beijing. Afterwards, visit the Temple of Heaven, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be one of the most important Daoist sites in the world. Evening: Have a feast of Peking Duck, and then return to hotel. Peking Duck is one of Beijing's signature dishes and is easily one of the most renowned dishes in China.

Saturday, 29th December, Beijing/Bashang Morning: Eat breakfast, and then head to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, located in Huairou County, 44 miles( 77 Km) northeast of Beijing. Mutianyu is an original Ming Dynasty section of the Great Wall that snakes across a breathtaking mountainous landscape. Afternoon: Eat lunch near the Great Wall, and then drive to the beautiful and lush-green Bashang Grassland in northwest of Beijing. This is an ideal weekend getaway for someone who wants to get back to nature and the peaceful simplicity of life. Bashang sprawling at the foothills of the Yanshan Mountains shares its border with the Inner Mongolia Plateau, which is still untouched by the humdrum of modern life. Here, people lead a pastoral, nomadic life and are happy as long as the basic necessities of their lives are met. Horses are still their only mode of transportation and in Bashang, students will feel as if they have stepped back in time. Depending upon their arrival time, students will visit a typical local Mongolian family to witness their way of living. In the process, participants will also be able to experience their extraordinary hospitability. In spite of China's incredible economic progress, modernity is something that is still elusive and intangible to these people. Evening: Gather around a camp fire under a tapestry of the star-studded, clear, night sky and enjoy delicious lamb kebabs, while watching local men and women merrily singing and dancing around the fire. This is one of the highlights of this trip. Students can easily join in the revelry and even invite passers-by to participate in the same. Depending on the day, they may also admire the wonderful views of a collage of fire-works set up by the locals, as they explode in a riot of colors against the night-sky. Students will spend the night with a local family. Beijing & Kunming

Sunday, 30th December, Bashang /Beijing Morning: Watch the sun rise on the prairie, while soaking in the exhilarating beauty of nature. After the sunrise, students will have some additional time to explore the grassland and spend the morning participating in Bashang's iconic outdoor adventure sports such as horse-riding and archery. Since Mongolians greatly rely on animal husbandry as their source of income and transportation, they treasure their horses. Horses are held in high regard even in their folklore and legends. Hence, horse riding is a part and parcel of their daily lives and Mongolians take great pride in their riding skills. Mongolians also have a long standing history of archery. According to one of their famous legends, the Mongolian hero Erekhe Mergen saved his country from acute drought by shooting down six suns. In Mongolia, many competitions and games were hosted since time immemorial, where archers from around the country had the chance to demonstrate their archery skills. Afternoon & Evening: Catch a flight.

Kunming Kunming, a modern city of over three million people, is famous for its year-round, spring-like weather, excellent air quality and striking cultural diversity. According to the UN climate monitors, Kunming has the cleanest air of the 30 largest cities in China. Another interesting aspect of this city is its relaxed pace of life, which makes it an ideal place to study Mandarin in China. The city is home to a multitude of ethnic minorities in China and an astounding variety of flora and fauna.

Exploration of Kunming provides an in-depth understanding of what modern day China is like. Kunming definitely has much to offer in terms of scenic and cultural beauty and Minds Abroad will arrange for visits to sites of interest and cultural performances. A city like Kunming, in China's interior heartland, is a more “typical” Chinese city than Beijing or Shanghai. It is the kind of city where most Chinese people live but few foreigners visit. What is more, Kunming is famous for its delicious cuisine that has its origin in its fresh produce.

From bowls of rice noodles, seasoned with cilantro to barbequed lotus roots stuffed with sticky rice, Kunming has delicacies that can appeal to people with various tastes.

Monday, 31st December, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities. Kunming

Tuesday, 1st January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Wednesday, 2nd January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Thursday, 3rd January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Friday, 4th January, Kunming Morning: Free time. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities. Kunming

Saturday, 5th January, Trip to Western Hills Morning: Students will arrive at the main entrance to the Western Hills at around 9a.m. They will start hiking the hills through the Mini Stone Forest with its set of limestone formations in the early hours of the morning. In mid-morning, as students continue ascending the steep track to the summit, they will briefly stop over at Yingxi Pavilion, one the many pavilions that are prolific in the region. They will spend some time on the scenic summit of the hill further up the track, and savor the breathtaking views of the Lake Dian below. After exploring the Lingxu Pavilion, situated nearly at the top of the Beauty Peak of the summit, the students will head down to the base of the hills through a series of Daoist sites including the Dragon Gate. Once they reach the bottom of the path they will enjoy a well-earned lunch after their long hike. Students will stop over at some of the sites to get a deeper feel of the places and of the eras in which they originated.

Afternoon: Students will arrive at the base of the hills and, after lunch, they will explore famous Buddhist temples such as Taihua and Huating. Taihua temple, one of the oldest temples in Western Hills, came into existence during the Yuan Dynasty. Huating Temple, on the other hand, is one of the largest temples in Yunnan Province. It has been destroyed and reconstructed many times throughout China's tumultuous history. If time permits, they will also explore other Buddhist sites in the vicinity.

Evening: After wandering through the temples and admiring their beauty, students will head back to the main gate of the Western Hills, where they started from that morning and return to Kunming. Kunming

Sunday, 6t h January, Kunming Walking Tour Morning: Students will begin their day with a visit to the famous Green Lake Park, considered as a “Jade in Kunming”. There they will observe local Chinese residents performing Tai Chi and dancing to traditional music. The group will afterwards visit local sites of interest like the Yunnan Southern Army Military School (Jiangwutang). They will take an extended walk through the modern urban core of Kunming until they reach the iconic Golden Horse and Jade Roaster (JinmaBiji) Archway, the symbol of Kunming, and the Eastern and Western Pagodas from the Qing Dynasty.

Afternoon: Students will have lunch and visit the Yunnan Provincial Museum. The Yunnan Provincial Museum is a comprehensive museum founded in 1951. It showcases a vast array of special items from Yunnan's prehistoric past From the bronze collection of the Dian Dynasty to cultural items of the 26 minorities that inhabit present day Yunnan, the museum is worth a visit for a peek into the city's as well as the province's history. Students will then be free to explore Kunming's famous Bird & Flower Market, a small-town quaint Chinese market selling exotic items like flowers, pets, typical ethnic costumes from Yunnan, jade jewelry and Chinese antiques.

Evening: The group will attend Dynamic Yunnan, a sensational and powerful performance by various talented and ethnic artists. These dance and song performances will give them a basic understanding of the diverse and culturally rich ethnic minorities that abound in Yunnan. Kunming

Monday, 7th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Tuesday, 8th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Wednesday, 9th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Thursday, 10th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities. Dali-Shaxi

Friday Jan 11th to Monday Jan 14th : Dali, Shaxi, Lijiang Excursion Dali During this four day weekend, we will lead students to explore the traditional town of Dali, which lies between the Cang Mountains on the shores of Lake Erhai. Dali is a traditional town lying between the Cang Mountains and the shores of the lake Erhai. Over 1000 years ago, it used to be the capital of Nanzhao Kingdom, the southern rivals of the Tang Dynasty. Apart from its breathtaking scenic beauty and historical importance, Dali is home to the Bai people, one of Yunnan's largest ethnic minority groups. An exploration of Dali's old city and a trip to the verdant Cang Mountains are the highlights of this leg of the trip.

Friday, 11th January, Dali Morning: Leave for Dali in the morning. Afternoon: Settle down in hotel. Take a cable car up the Cang Mountains for a bird's eye view of Dali as well as Lake Erhai (a gorgeous lake next to Dali) and its surroundings. Hike around its peaks and explore innumerable Daoist monasteries and temples that are located on the mountain. Evening: Explore Dali Old Town, also famously known as the Yu town. Nestled at the foot of the Cang Mountains, this ancient, time-warp town is a treasure-trove of charming, well- preserved houses, antique shops and historical relics that are unique to the area. Stop for a while in front of the famous Three Pagodas, situated north of Dali. These pagodas were originally built over 1000 years ago and are some of China's most renowned examples of classic Chinese Buddhist architecture.

Shaxi From Dali students will go to Shaxi, a relatively unexplored town nestled in the Himalayan foothills. The allure of Shaxi lies in its mountains and scenic beauty against a rich and abundant ethnic backdrop. Home to the Bai and Yi minority people, Shaxi is a remote farming town that once formed an important trading stop along the ancient Southern Silk Road carrying tea from China through the Himalayas to India and the West.

Saturday, 12th January, Shaxi Morning: Have breakfast and start for Shaxi. Afternoon: Arrive in Shaxi, a picturesque traditional town that was a major trade center in the past centuries. The ancient temples, meeting halls and houses with which the town is strewn, all reflect Ming architecture. The students will take a small tour of the town including the town center with its Ming dynasty temples. Evening: Have traditional dinner cooked by the Bai and Yi people who inhabit the town. Lijiang

Lijiang From Shaxi students will continue onto Lijiang, one of northern Yunnan's most scenic towns and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Lijiang is the home of Naxi ethnic group famous for their animistic religion, their ancient music and their unique Dongba script, the only remaining pictographic writing system in the world. It is an old town with cobblestoned streets and dotted with traditional wood and stone houses. Lijiang is situated in a valley below the gigantic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Students here will experience the traditional Chinese charm of ancient, beautiful Himalayan mountain town with a distinct minority culture of the Naxis.

Sunday, 13th January, Lijiang Morning & Afternoon: Have breakfast and drive to Lijiang. Upon arrival in Lijiang, tour the ancient town of Lijiang, a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is famous for its organized conglomeration of bridges and waterways. The ancient town of Lijiang is steeped in history, going back more than 800 years, when it used to be a foremost center of trade and commerce along the Old Tea Horse Road. Evening: Have dinner, and then arrange for students to participate in a quintessentially Naxi tea ceremony, where they can get an insight into the Naxi culture. From time immemorial, the art of serving and drinking tea has earned a special place in the hearts of Chinese people. Refined tea, served in small cups, inspired the birth of many celebrated songs and poems in Chinese courts. Every round of tea is meant to be a sensory gratification.

Monday, 14th January, Lijiang Morning & Afternoon: Take a trip to Lijiang's Black Dragon Pool, a gorgeous park renowned for its picturesque view of Lijiang's massive Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Afterwards, take a trip to the Dongba Culture Museum, situated in the north of the Black Dragon Pool. The museum displays a wealth of cultural relics and antiques, giving an insightful understanding of the grand Dongba culture and the way of living of the Naxi minorities. Evening: Take a night train back to Kunming. Kunming

Tuesday, 15th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Wednesday, 16t h January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Thursday, 17th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Volunteer Service Learning. Evening: Dinner followed by free time, when students can relax or take part in extracurricular activities.

Friday, 18th January, Kunming Morning: Chinese Language Class. Afternoon: Fly to Shanghai. Shanghai

Shanghai is China at its most modern , fast, and on the move. With swanky, modern structures, shopping paradises and a bustling night life in Pudong, Shanghai is a city full of opportunities. As the economic and financial center of China, Shanghai attracts tens of thousands of investors both from home and abroad. The rapid development of Pudong New Area, the Zhangjiang high-tech park, the Waigaoqiao tax-free zone, the 101-story Shanghai World Finance Center, among others show that Shanghai is in economic fast lane. Students will tour the old-world colonial architecture of the Bund area in Puxi, take a trip to the Lujiazui, a foremost financial district in the Pudong area of Shanghai, which boasts of buildings with world-class architecture such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jinmao Building and the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Saturday, 19th January, Kunming

Morning: Students will be led on a walking tour of the Bund, the historical area of Shanghai that once served as

Shanghai's financial center in the 20s and 30s. While much of the city's commerce has moved away from the Bund, what still remains are beautiful colonial era buildings along the Huangpu River that are a must see for any visitor to

Shanghai. Afternoon: Tour the business district of Lujiazui in the Pudong area of Shanghai Evening: Eat dinner and then ascend on of Lujiazui's iconic skyscraper; the 101-story Shanghai World Finance Center, for one of the best night-time views of Shanghai.

Sunday, 20th January, Kunming

Morning: If flight time permits take a trip to M50. Some of the city's best-known artists work here. Galleries like

ShanghArt, Eastlink Gallery and Biz Art are some notable ones to visit. With all kinds of art exhibitions and promotional activities done by galleries and art organizations in Moganshan, M50 has become a important symbol of Shanghai's modern culture. Afternoon: Fly home. Optional Extension Language Class As an extension to our Winter Study + Travel programs ending in China, international students can also opt for our highly flexible and low cost Mandarin classes. This optional program is primarily aimed at students, who want to continue with their Mandarin learning on their own schedule after the conclusion of the winter program. As an extension to our winter programs only students, who have already participated in our WinterStudy + Travel programs, can opt to avail this program.

What makes this program unique is its flexibility, as we offer Mandarin classes all through the year. Students can begin immediately after they have finished their winter immersion program and decide upon the length of the program, depending on their schedule. Our classes are delivered by experienced and qualified teachers for 3 hrs 45mins every day, from Monday to Thursday. All our teachers are guest-lecturers and professors of our university partner in Kunming, Yunnan. They have years of experience in teaching Mandarin to international students. All teaching materials are carefully prepared and students can also opt for language exchange sessions arranged by us. After each class, students will have the freedom to opt for an additional two hours of one-to-one tutoring session with our teachers to improve their personal skills in relation to Mandarin lessons.

Our classes are divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced, depending upon the students' level of knowledge of Chinese. Our class size is usually small (normally 2-4 students but with a maximum of 7 students) in order to enhance interaction between students and teachers. Classes will begin on the first Monday after the winter program gets over. With all our classes teachers will take students through the nuances of Mandarin, including pinyin, pronunciation and tones, developing their basic Mandarin which students have already acquired in the winter program. Using their newly acquired vocabulary of most commonly used Mandarin words; students will also be able to interact more confidently with people from their immediate, local communities, gaining an insight into their values and customs.

In the evening, students can also opt to participate in language exchange to deepen their cultural experience and make their study-abroad experience a more stimulating one.

However, students who want to extend for more than two weeks will not have class during the week of Chinese New Year. During that week, they can stay in the apartments or travel to South East Asia on their own. Options For Booking Tickets

International airfare to and from the program are not included in the program price. However we would like to provide some advice on how to book low cost tickets. First, please note, students should only book their flight-tickets 60 days prior to the commencement of the program. You should not book your tickets any earlier than that. This is because Minds Abroad reserves the right to cancel a program due to uncontrollable circumstance (in our history we have never cancelled any programs however at times this may be necessary). Minds Abroad reserves the right to cancel a program and inform students, and their parents, 60 days prior to the commencement of the program. Moreover, if you book your tickets any earlier than 60 days, you might not find the lowest priced fares. Airfare is typically lowest around 60 days before the flight. Students will begin their program in Beijing, China and end their program in Shanghai, China. There are several international flight options you can choose from to minimize the cost of your flight. Here are three options:

I) OPEN JAW - You can choose to fly into Beijing, where the trip begins, and fly out of Shanghai, where your trip will officially end. This is called an “open jaw.” An open jaw ticket is sometimes the best alternative option for a trip, especially when it involves multiple destinations. ii) BEIJING ROUND TRIP - At times, open jaw tickets, such as one entering into Beijing and departing from Shanghai, can be expensive. One other option you may want to consider is purchasing a round trip ticket from your home country into and out of Beijing and then purchase a one-way trip from Shanghai to Beijing. iii) SHANGHAI ROUND TRIP - Another option that can help you substantially save money is to purchase a round trip from your home country into and out of Shanghai and then, purchase a one-way ticket to Beijing, where your trip will officially start. Instead of flying into Beijing from your home country, where the trip will start, you can fly directly to Shanghai and then, fly from Shanghai to Beijing.

The open jaw option can be a better than the Beijing round trip option or the Shanghai round trip option, even if it might appear to be a couple of hundred dollars more than either of the two round trip options. This is because the open jaw option will help you save both time and money - it involves no additional flight costs within China. Also in either of the round trip options you may lose one extra day as you will have to return from Shanghai to Beijing, where you have officially started your trip. However you have to keep an eye open to see if the Shanghai round trip option or the Beijing round trip option is substantially less and drastically slashes the overall price of international airfare. As a general rule, if the Beijing or Shanghai round trip is more than $250 less expensive than the open jaw option, it is a better idea to book the Beijing or Shanghai round trip, as the approximate price of a one way ticket between Beijing and Shanghai is approximately$200- $250. If you do decide to fly round trip to either Beijing or Shanghai and subsequently have to book a one way ticket within China we suggest you check fairs on local Chinese websites. The two sites we recommend are eLong (http://www.elong.com) and c Trip (http://www.ctrip.com). As most low-cost tickets or deals are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you are advised to shop for tickets on these two days. If you live in or anywhere close to any of these sixteen most populous cities--New York, Washington, Los Angeles , San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris, Berlin , Frankfurt, Rome , Madrid, Amsterdam , Moscow, Mexico City, San Paulo, you can refer to the links below and gain an overall understanding of the flight fares. The URLs provided below contain all the three options for booking flights. You may have to click well past the first page before you see ‘open jaw’ deals. The airport code for Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing is PEK and the airport code for Pu Dong Airport in Shanghai is PVG .

As mentioned earlier by flying “open jaw” into Beijing via PEK and out of Shanghai via PVG , you can cut down a lot of needless expenses and time. Although “open jaw” flight plans are outnumbered by the round-trip flight plans, please keep an eye out for “open jaw” flight plans in the search results below. If you fly round trip into either Beijing or Shanghai, you will need to pay a one-way fare between these two cities, which typically runs between $200 - $250. As you may have noticed from the three options described above, if you purchase an “open jaw”, you will not need to pay this one-way fare. However open jaws are more difficult to find and might not always be the cheapest option. Though at times you may see open jaw options on the first page of flight search results, you may, at other times, have to click through many pages of flight search results till come across any option jaw options. In case of round-trip flight plans, where you are flying in and out of Beijing or Shanghai, we advise you to look through all three options to see if the one-way ticket back to Beijing makes the overall cost of the trip considerably lower than the “open-jaw” flight plans.

Asia Pacific Latin America Seoul: www.goo.gl/EAUQs Mexico City: www.goo.gl/UvpjV Sydney: www.goo.gl/VqrrP Sao Paulo: www.goo.gl/byBEi Tokyo: www.goo.gl/4ei78 US & Canada Europe Chicago: www.goo.gl/gtrcM Berlin: www.goo.gl/uhH36 Los Angeles: www.goo.gl/pXVpK Frankfurt: www.goo.gl/Onkhq New York: www.goo.gl/0i860 London: www.goo.gl/uL8QV San Francisco: www.goo.gl/EdWSN Madrid: www.goo.gl/rFXZM Toronto: www.goo.gl/ePBRE Moscow: www.goo.gl/klHns Washington: www.goo.gl/6Hs2e Paris: www.goo.gl/Fm1Ta Rome: www.goo.gl/d1cpL