$ 6885/Trimester About Minds Abroad Minds Abroad is a U.S based organization that conducts programs on both sides of the Pacific: we bring both Asian students to the United States and Western students to Asia. Because of the way our programs engage our participants with local communities, Minds Abroad was recently named a ”Top Ten Best Practices Program” by the Center for Citizen Diplomacy in conjunction with the U.S. State Department.

We design programs that inspire participants to understand global issues and our innovative curriculum is both eye opening and transformational.

More than simply a study abroad experience or a student tour, Minds Abroad's programs take participants on a deep journey of discovery of local cultures. While focusing on understanding a different culture on a local level, we help participants to understand global issues and become full global citizens. Program Introduction To fully understand China, it should be experienced through insight into its many different sides, its many different faces, most of which are rarely seen by foreign visitors. From modern metropolises filled with neon and skyscrapers, which almost all Western visitors pass through, to dozens of medium-sized cities in the country’s interior where far fewer outsiders visit, to thousands of smaller traditional villages spread out through the vast countryside many of which many have never been seen by Westerners, the opportunities to see China’s many faces and people are plenty. In fact, one of the most fascinating parts of China is the Himalayan Plateau which covers over one third of the country and is home to dozens of isolated and ancient cultures. Many of these places are as far off the “beaten track” as it is possible.

The Minds Abroad China Trimester brings students to all of these places. The weekday academic core of our program is based in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. Yunnan is China’s most diverse province and Lonely Planet’s top choice in the country. As Lonely Planet says, “If you have time for but one province in China, Yunnan should be it.”

The program runs for ten months in Yunnan Province, China, and has three sessions (trimesters) in addition to two intersession programs in Vietnam. Over the course of the program students are taken to three provinces and dozens of unique towns and cities. Students do not have to sign up for all three sessions. They may opt to sign up for just one, two or three of the trimesters (each only three months).

The Minds Abroad China Trimester Program is a combination of morning Mandarin class, afternoon volunteering, interning or language exchange, and weekend travel or cultural activities. Our morning classes are small, normally consisting of 2-4 students and are taught by experienced Mandarin teachers. For an all-encompassing cultural experience, in addition to the classes, we identify afternoon volunteer and internship opportunities in the student’s chosen field at local NGOs (non-profit organizations) and companies in Kunming. Each weekend students will travel or engage in a cultural activity such as participating in a calligraphy workshop watching a film or documentary screening about China. Program Components

Morning Mandarin Class As a part of the Trimester Program, students will attend intensive Mandarin classes from Monday to Friday every morning for three hours and forty five minutes. During certain weeks when students are traveling the classes may be less than five days per week. Our teachers are experienced and certified in teaching Mandarin Chinese to international students. To ensure maximum student-teacher interaction we have small classes that are normally limited to 2-4 students. The classes cater to complete beginners, intermediate, and advanced students. During the first two weeks in August and the last three weeks in May classes will be one and a half hours each day. This shorter schedule is to allow for a unique experiential learning activity. Chinese classes in the program do not include university credit; however students can opt to add university credit for an addition of $1985/trimester.

Afternoon Option 1: Volunteer Service Learning in Non-Profit Organizations There is no extra fee for students who opt for this afternoon activity. Throughout the trimester program in Kunming, participants will be involved in various volunteering activities in local non-profit organizations or NGOs. Most, though not all, of our placements involve teaching English to disadvantaged children. We partner with several local NGOs which are devoted to helping children from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds including homeless children, the children of migrant workers, and children from economically challenged ethnic minority groups. In addition we have many placements in centers helping autistic children. Minds Abroad participants engage with these children through a variety of stimulating activities. In addition to NGOs working with children, students may alternatively choose to be involved in placements pertaining to environmental protection, health care, or community development. For more details on placement options, please e-mail [email protected] to get a list of volunteer placement sites. Afternoon Option 2: Internship in Local Companies There is an added fee of $485 for an intern placement. In Kunming, every weekday afternoon, students will have the option to intern with local companies. We have a number of internship placements available across various areas such as hospitality (hotels), tourism/travel agencies (developing marketing materials for foreign markets), educational administration (working in the front office of private schools and training centers, not primarily teaching), international trade (import and export companies) and media (English language editing positions). Responsibilities of an intern may include translation of documents from Chinese to English (only for advanced students), proofreading documents in English, contacting new overseas customers and overseas market research for Chinese enterprises seeking to expand abroad. For more info on the placement options, please e-mail [email protected] to get a list of placement sites.

Afternoon Option 3: Language Exchange Sessions There is no extra fee for students who opt for this afternoon activity. A one-on-one Chinese/English language exchange session with local students can supplement language skills that students acquire in class. There is simply no better way to practice one's listening and speaking skills than by having regular conversations with a native speaker. So Minds Abroad can arrange for language exchange sessions with students and young adults from local schools and communities. Students who choose to participate in our afternoon language exchange sessions will get a personal in-depth understanding of Chinese culture and local customs. But most importantly, having a language partner provides students with a fantastic opportunity to make local friends, who will not only help improve their language skills, but will also ensure that they have a fun time while they are studying abroad. Program Components

Evening Cultural Activities During the trip, students can choose to participate in cultural activities to get an in-depth understanding of the ways of life of local people. These activities include going to sites of cultural and historical interest. Students can undertake calligraphy lessons, practice Tai Chi or enjoy bike rides along beautiful lakes.

Academic Excursions to Sites of Historic and Cultural Interest As a part of this program, students will visit fast growing metropolises, beautiful Chinese villages and ancient towns which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We believe this not only gives students a balanced perspective into the rapidly modernizing urban China, but also gives them an understanding of the rural society where the majority of the Chinese still live.

Extend Your Program: the Weekly Morning Class and Afternoon Activities Program This program costs $398/week including meals and housing. This optional program is intended for students interested in learning Chinese on their own schedule. Students can continue to participate in this program either before their Trimester Program begins or as soon as they finish the Trimester Program and have the flexibility to decide upon the length of their course. Students can enroll for a minimum Optional Homestay in Kunming of two weeks to an additional month or more. Our Mandarin classes are small in size, normally two to four students per class, to maximize student-teacher interaction. Morning There is an added placement cost of $385 if students wish to stay with a homestay family. classes are complemented with several optional afternoon activities including Students who have been studying Chinese in our trimester program will have a chance to improve their language skills by living with a local volunteering, interning, language exchange or one-on-one tutorial sessions. homestay family. This homestay experience will not only be an excellent opportunity for the students to brush up and practice what they have learned in a classroom setting, but will also help them understand Chinese culture in a real life context. During this period, students will Travel Immersion Together With Chinese peers participate in family activities with their homestay hosts including cooking meals together, visiting relatives, attending festivals, watching movies, For the Chinese National Day holidays in October and Chinese New Year holidays in February, playing sports and engaging in other recreational activities. Students will be constantly using their Mandarin, while they are interacting with the participants will have the option to team up with their Chinese peers, all local Chinese members of their homestay family. If students prefer not to stay with a homestay family, they are welcome to stay in our apartment. students and travel together to different places outside of Kunming. In our increasingly Alternatively students may opt to stay in a Minds Abroad apartment for a certain part of their study abroad program and in a homestay globalized, interdependent world, students from the western countries’ need to become more accommodation for another part of their program. aware of cultures. Hence, we will introduce our American participants to local Chinese students, approximately of the same age group, who can accompany them to places of historic and cultural significance in China. Three Week Long Trips During Major Chinese Holidays For the Chinese National Day holidays in October and Chinese New Year holidays in February, participants will have the option to travel to different places outside of Kunming. On the first week (National Day in October), they will have the option to go to Lugu Lake and from there to the south of Sichuan to visit a panda sanctuary and UNESCO World Heritage Sites of E Mei Shan and Le Shan. During the second week (the week before Chinese New Year), participants will have the option to travel to tropical Xishuangbanna and Pu’er and participate in volunteer service for three afternoons, in the ancient city of Jianshui. During the third week (the week after Chinese New Year), they will have the option to visit many interesting sites including Jiuxiang, Jiuxiang Karst Cave, Luoping, Bamei Village, Puzhehei, Qinglong Mountain, etc. - National Day (Oct 1- Oct 7): Travel through southern Sichuan (Lugu Lake, Panda Sanctuary, E Mei Shan and Le Shan) - The week before Chinese New Year (late Jan/Feb): Tropical Xishuangbanna and Pu’er, UNESCO site Yuanyang rice terraces and the ancient Confucian center at Jianshui - The week after Chinese New Year (Feb): The scenic and ethnic minority rich Puzhehei, Bamei, famous for its karst topography and Luoping with its sun-soaked rapeseed fields and beautiful hills and Jiuxiang, often designated as “a museum of extraordinary karst landscapes.”

Six Long Weekend Trips Throughout The Year −Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge -The weekend of the second full week in August in the Fall Trimester Session; the weekend of the fourth full week in May in the Spring Trimester Session. −Dali, Cang Mountain and Lake Er’hai -The weekend of the fourth full week in August in the Fall Trimester Session; the weekend of the second full week in May in the Spring Trimester Session. −Western Hill sand Guandu Ancient Town -The weekend of the third full week in August in the Fall Trimester Session; the weekend of the third full week in May in the Spring Trimester Session. − Lashihai and Baisha -Normally the weekend of the third week in September, dates may vary as the dates of this holiday change each year. - Shangri-La - Tomb Sweeping Festival (in the Spring) - Guizhou - Labor Day Weekend (first weekend of May) Saturday or Sunday Day Trips Throughout the Year On Saturdays, participants will go on day trips to places of cultural value and natural beauty near Kunming. Some of these places they will be visiting are: − Chengjiang Fossils and Fuxian Lake, Late October − Daguan Park and bike ride around Dian Lake, Early November − Fahua Buddhist Stone Grottos, Late November − Kunming Museum and Flying Tiger Museum, Early December − Ethnic Minority Museum, Early March − Stone Forest, Late March − Tonghai, Early April − Kunming Wild Zoo for the pandas, Mid April Vietnam Intersession Breaks There are two Vietnam Intersession breaks--one immediately after the Fall Trimester Program, starting in November and the other commencing in the months of February and March immediately after the Winter Trimester Program. Both these intersession programs are optional, enabling them to immerse themselves into the culture of a whole new country, Vietnam. Students, completing the Fall and Winter Trimester Programs, can opt to participate in the Vietnam Intersession Breaks that follow immediately, and then continue with the other half of the Trimester Program. Alternatively, they can return to their home countries after completing their respective Trimester Programs.

In November, students can undertake an optional three-week long trip to the northern part of Vietnam. The bulk of this program will be based in the beautiful hill station of Sapa. During their stay in Sapa, in the morning, students will volunteer at a local non-profit organization and learn about the social and economic situation in rural Vietnam. In the afternoon the students will explore the area by trekking around the nearby hills and taking leisurely strolls through the town, admiring the charm of a typical Vietnamese market-town. In addition to Sapa, students will visit various less-traveled, quaint towns of Vietnam including Lao Cai, Son La, Mau Chau, Cao Bang and Ha Giang.

Students can opt to enroll in the February and March Vietnam Intersession Program after the completion of winter trimester session. This trip will last for two and a half weeks. As a part of this trip, students will first stop at the beautiful Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, where they will engage in volunteering at a local NGO to get an insight into the social problems of a typical developing Asian country.

After Hanoi, students will go to other major historic, scenic and cultural cities of Vietnam, including Halong Bay, Hoi An and Hue. November Vietnam Intersession In November, students can undertake a two-week long trip to the northern part of Vietnam. The sites of Vietnam they will cover include: − Sapa - First Sunday in Vietnam, the day students arrive in Vietnam and most weekdays of the first week(from Monday till Thursday) and second week (from Tuesday to Friday) of November − Lao Cai - Second Friday in Vietnam and second Friday of the month of November in Vietnam − Son La - Second Friday in Vietnam and second Friday of the month of November in Vietnam and second Saturday in Vietnam and second Saturday of the month of November in Vietnam − Mai Chao - Second Sunday in Vietnam and the third Sunday of the month of November in Vietnam − Babe National Park Second Monday in Vietnam and third Monday of the month of November in Vietnam

February and March Vietnam Intersession Students can opt to enroll in the February and March Vietnam Intersession Program after the completion of winter session. − Halong Bay Weekend of the 3rd February week − Hanoi Students will arrive in Hanoi and will spend the fourth full February week and 2 days in the first March week in Hanoi − Hoi An the weekend of the fourth February week − Quang Tri the Monday of the first March week − Hue the Tuesday of the first March week The program price includes these activities: Program price − Morning class of normally two to four students − Chinese classes do not include university credit. However students can get university credit for an $6885/Trimester addition of $1985/trimester − Afternoon activities, volunteer placement and Friday $2485 for the language exchange (if students opt to intern, there is Nov Vietnam Intersession an added fee, see below) − Bedroom shared with one other student in spacious $2985 for the modern apartments in Kunming (students who Feb/ March Vietnam Intersession would like a private bedroom can choose that option, see below) − All meals on weekdays (breakfast, lunch and dinner) − No meals on weekends during the entire duration of the program except for lunches on Saturdays while viewing films or documentaries − There are also three celebration dinners which are included in the price (holiday dinner, New Year dinner, farewell dinner) − A cell phone, SIM card, and a small initial credit for in-country calling − Unlimited public transportation(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, − Land transportation to sites listed in the program, − Tickets to cultural sites and cultural performances listed in the program. Our program fee DOES NOT include visa fees, international travel insurance, or the cost of international airfare to Asia and back home. . The price does NOT include lunches and dinners on weekends except for film weekends where we include lunch.

Additional Prices for Various Optional Components

For students who need university credit for their class, they can get this for an additional $1985 per trimester. Students must double check with their home university to confirm their home university will allow a credit transfer from a Chinese university.

Afternoon internship placement-$485

Private bedroom for three months (one trimester) in Kunming (Still shared hotel room during excursions)-$985

Homestay placement of $385

Weekly Morning Class and Afternoon Activities Program--If students want to extend their program, they can pay $398 per week for class, intern/volunteer placement, room and board. Fall Trimester Session

The trimester program will begin with this session in the second week of August. During this trimester, as with the later trimesters, students will have their Chinese classes in the morning followed by internship at a local business or volunteering at a local non-profit organization in the afternoon.

During their first month in Yunnan, August, they will take three weekend trips covering various historic and cultural places in Yunnan, including the ancient walled city of Dali, Western Hills, an array of hills dotted with ancient Daoist shrines, and the historic town of Guandu that is almost synonymous with ancient Kunming. Students, during this session, will also visit two of Yunnan’s most scenic places that are also designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites--Lijiang, a traditional Chinese mountain town with a distinct minority culture of the Naxi ethnic group and Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world with a spectacular scenery of rugged mountains as its backdrop.

In September, students will enjoy the first three weekends watching documentaries or films about China on Saturday afternoons. On the final weekend, they will travel to the high altitude Lashihai wetlands in the Himalayas, with stupendous views of the towering Jade Dragon Mountain and Baisha, the first settlement of the Naxi ethnic minority.

A long trip to various picturesque places of China, during the Chinese National Day holiday, will mark the beginning of October. Students will first visit the crystal clear Lugu Lake, wedged between Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces and the famed homeland of the matriarchal Mosuo ethnic group. From Lugu Lake, they will travel through southern Sichuan Province, visiting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Mount Le Shan and Mount E Mei Shan. These two sites have been revered through the centuries by devout Buddhist and admired in the present day by historians and scholars of traditional Chinese society. Afterwards, they will continue onto a panda sanctuary.

Later in the month, students will learn more about China by watching carefully selected films and documentaries about China. They will end the month with a trip to Fuxian Lake, where they will visit the site of the Chengjiang Fossils, recently designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Students will have one final week packed with structured activities in November. These will include a visit to Kunming’s Daguan Park that affords an all-embracing vista of the Dian Lake ringed by the Western Hills and a bike ride along Dian Lake, a recipe for an exhilarating experience.

At the end of the trimester, some students will return home, while others will continue with the November Vietnam intersession, and possibly the Winter Trimester. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 2nd Full week of August

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Kunming Kunming Tiger Leaping Gorge Tiger Leaping Gorge Lijiang

AM & PM: Orientation AM: Rest AM: Drive to Tiger AM&PM: Keep AM: Drive to Lijiang. Evening: Welcome PM: Prepare for the Leaping Gorge. trekking around the PM: Explore Mu KTV trip. PM: Start the trek gorge. Evening: Mansion tour, Dongba Evening: Travel to around the gorge. Independent dinner Museum, walk along Kunming Lijiang. Evening: Independent and overnight stay at Jade River. Kunming, a modern city of over three million dinner and overnight the gorge. Evening: Return to people, is famous for its year-round, spring-like stay at the gorge. Kunming 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 Lijiang like Kunming, in China’s interior heartland, is a Lijiang, one of northern Yunnan’s most scenic towns and a UNESCO more “typical” Chinese city than Beijing or World Cultural Heritage Site, is the home of the Naxi ethnic group Shanghai. It is the kind of city where most Chinese famous for their animistic religion, ancient music and unique Dongba people live but few foreigners visit. script, the only remaining pictographic writing system in the world. The old town of Lijiang is steeped in history, dating back more than 800 years, when it was a prime center of trade along the Old Tea Horse Road.

While its recorded history dates from the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC), Lijiang’s most significant era was when it was ruled by the Naxi tribal chiefs during the Ming reign (1368-1644). Lijiang is situated in a valley below the gigantic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and is lined with cobblestone streets and traditional wood and stone houses. With its structured collection of bridges, channels and watercourses, Lijiang is an idyllic example of an ancient, traditional Chinese mountain town.

Tiger Leaping Gorge The site lies only 60 km (38 miles) north of Lijiang and is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. With the spectacular scenery of rugged mountains as a backdrop, the gorge is one of the UNESCO World Heritage natural preservation sites dotted with rare species of plants. This easily makes it a natural habitat for some of the endangered animals too. This beautiful canyon on the Jinsha River is home to the indigenous Naxi minorities living in small, scattered hamlets around the gorge. Legend has it that its namesake, a tiger, in order to escape its brutal death by the hands of a hunter, jumped across the river at the narrowest point. There is no better way of experiencing the ethereal beauty of the forested gorge than by hiking through the small Naxi villages that skirt its sides Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 3rd full week of August

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12

Guandu Ancient Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Western Hills Town

AM: Rest. AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Breakfast at the AM: City tour south: PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern apartment and leave Pagodas, Mosque, or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange for the Western Hills. Archway, Bird and Evening: Participate Evening: Ride a bike Evening: Free time Evening: Free time PM: Lunch at Flower Market in Tai Chi in Green along Dianchi Lake. Western Hills and PM: Explore Guandu Lake Park hike up the hills. Ancient Town and Evening: Kunming Museum. Independent dinner. Attend the Dian Rest after the trip. Opera. Evening: Independent dinner The 4th full week of August

Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Dali Dali Dali

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Rest and then AM: Explore Dali AM: Bike around PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern hike up the Cangshan Ancient Town and Erhai Lake. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Mountains. Dali Museum PM: Continue biking Evening: Free time Evening: Participate Evening: Prepare for Evening: Travel to PM: Keep on hiking. PM: Trip to Zhou and visit villages on in Tai Chi in Green the trip. Dali. Cheng and try the way. Lake Park. traditional tie-dying Evening: activities. Independent dinner

Western Hills (Xi Shan) Evening: and return to Sitting on the western banks of the Dian Lake, the “Western Hills” or Xi Shan boast Independent dinner Kunming. many beautiful trekking trails sprinkled with Daoist shrines, temples and other cultural remnants from the Nanzhao era. Further north near the Dragon Gate (Long Men), which overlooks the Dianchi Lake, lie the legendary Sanqing Temple and the Dragon Gate Grotto complexes. Here one can marvel at many caves carved by Daoist monks.

Guandu Old Town Formerly known as ‘Wodong’, Guandu is worth a trip for many of its temples like Tuzhu and Fading, teeming with history.

Dali Dali, which lies amid the Cang Mountains on the shores of the Lake Erhai, was once regarded as the political, economic and cultural hub of Yunnan. It once served as the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, a rival to China's Tang Dynasty (609 – 960) that contained much of what is now Yunnan. Later it became an administrative center during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1079). Abandoned after the Yuan Dynasty’s Kublai Khan razed the capital to the ground in 1252, it was renovated by the Ming rulers in 1382. This ancient, walled city bristles with a dizzying mélange of ethnic groups, mostly Bai as well as Yi and Hui, who have made it their home for the past 4000 years. This translates into an exhilarating, cultural concoction, which has been shaped by the influence of the Chinese of the central plains, the Tibetans of the Northwest Himalayas as well as other Southeast Asian cultures and indigenous ethnic groups. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Week that ends August and begins September

Day 20 Day 21 Day 22 Day 23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Iiiiiiij6 Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Rest from the trip AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Participate in Evening: KTV session Evening: Free time Evening: Prepare for documentary about Tai Chi in Green Lake the trip. China. Park. The 1st full week of September

Day 27 Day 28 Day 29 Day 30 Day 31 Day 32 Day 33

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China. The 2nd full week of September

Day 34 Day 35 Day36 Day 37 Day 38 Day 39 Day 40

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China

The 3rd full week of September

Day 41 Day 42 Day 43 Day 44 Day 45 Day 46 Day 47

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Lashihai Baisha

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Arrive at Lijiang. AM & PM: Bike to PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Travel to Lashihai. Baisha to explore the or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange PM: Ride a bike around traditional town. Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Lashihai.

Lashihai Himalayan Wetlands Lashihai Wetlands is a scenic spot in the Lijiang County. Beaten paths and walkways meander through the Lashihai wetlands, with stupendous views of the towering Jade Dragon Mountain. The area has been scarcely touched by tourism despite its beauty.

Baisha Baisha is the oldest and the best-preserved part of the town of Lijiang. The term “Baisha” literally means white sand. This beautiful old town is peppered with gorgeous farmlands surrounded by towering mountains. Baisha was the earliest settlement of the Naxi people and many successive dynasties and clans. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Week that ends September and begins October

Day 48 Day 49 Day 50 Day 51 Day 52 Day 53 Day 54

Kunming Kunming Kunming Lugu Lake Lugu Lake Lugu Lake Leshan

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Arrive at Lijiang. AM & PM: Bike to PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Travel to Lashihai. Baisha to explore the or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange PM: Ride a bike traditional town. Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time around Lashihai.

The 1st full week of October

Day 55 Day 56 Day 57 Day 58 Day 59 Day 60 Day 61

Emeishan Leshan Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM & PM: Visit AM & PM: Travel AM & PM: Return to AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time Leshan and back to Kunming. Kunming, rest at PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Eat lunch & Emeishan. home. or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China. The 2nd full week of October

Day 62 Day 63 Day 64 Day 65 Day 66 Day 67 Day 68

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Eat lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China.

Lugu Lake Lugu Lake shines like a pearl dropped amidst the misty Hengduan peaks and lush green mountains of Western Yunnan. Home to five islands, four capes, fourteen inlets and many distinct coastlines, Lugu is the highest lake in Yunnan. Its squiggly banks are peppered with ethnic minority settlements such as Mosuo, Pumi and Tibetans.

Mount Leshan Near Emei Shan is one of China’s most important Buddhist icons and pilgrimage sites. Students will take a trip there in order to witness the grandeur of the Leshan Giant Buddha. One of the main reasons for the Leshan Giant Buddha’s iconic status is how massive it is. At 233 feet tall it is the largest stone Buddha statue in the world.

Mt. E Mei Shan Emei means ‘lofty or haughty eyebrows’ in Chinese, as its contours resemble the shape of a graceful pair of eyebrows. Mt Emei, standing tall at more than 10,000 ft (3048 meters) and resting at the tip of the Eastern Himalayan range, has attained the UNESCO heritage status due to its rich culture and history like its neighboring Le Shan. Catching the sun rise from a sea of fluffy clouds as one stands on the summit between Jiulao Dong and Xi Xiang Chi can be an ultimate visual treat. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 3rd full week of October

Day 69 Day70 Day 71 Day 72 Day 73 Day 74 Day 75

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Fuxian Lake Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Visit Chengjiang Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Fossils. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange PM: Bike around Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Fuxian Lake. Week that ends October and begins November

Day 76 Day 77 Day 78 Day 79 Day 80 Day 81 Day 82

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Eat lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China. The 1st full week of November

Day 83 Day 84 Day 85 Day 86 Day 87 Day 88 Day 89

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Visit Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Daguan Park and or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange bike ride around Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Dian Lake.

Chengjiang Fossil Site and Fuxian Lake A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chengjiang Fossil Site boasts of the most comprehensive record of ancient Cambrian marine life, showcasing a mind boggling diversity of life that came into existence around 500 million years ago. Fuxian Lake, the deepest lake in Yunnan and the third deepest fresh water lake in China, sprawls across the counties of Chengjiang, Jiangchuan and Huaning of Yunnan and teems with an astounding variety of fauna.

Daguan Park and Bike Ride Around Dian Lake (Day-trip, included in the base price)

Daguan Park in Kunming sits on the Daguan Stream, which empties into Dian Lake. It is home to a legendary poem (the longest set of rhyming couplets in China), which is engraved on its gateposts and was penned by the famous scholar Sun Ran from the Qing Dynasty. While in Daguan Park, one can treasure the beauty of the Daguan Stream and the misty and distant Western Hills. A bike ride along the pristine Dian Lake is always invigorating, as it offers beautiful vistas of the rugged mountains looming on the horizon. Vietnam November Intersession

In November, students can undertake a two-week long trip to the northern part of Vietnam. The bulk of this program will be based in the hill station of Sapa, famous for its exhilarating scenic beauty and with a patchwork of unique ethnic groups living in the hills and mountains nearby.

During their stay in Sapa, in the morning, students will volunteer at a local non-profit organization and learn about the social and economic situation in rural Vietnam. In the afternoon the students will explore the area by trekking around the nearby hills and cloud-covered mountains. Surrounded by hills and blessed with idyllic scenic beauty, Sapa offers ample opportunities for trekking and experiencing nature at its purest form. They will also take leisurely strolls through the town and admire the beauty of the terraced rice fields and waterfalls that surround it. They will also wander through its open-air night market to experience a slice of authentic, unadulterated, tribal Vietnam.

In addition to Sapa, students will visit various “off-the-beaten track” and less explored Vietnamese towns over the second weekend, during their stay in Vietnam. The weekend trip will start on a Friday and will continue through to Monday of the students’ second week in Vietnam. An interesting aspect of this weekend trip is a bike expedition from Sapa to the historic town of Lao Cai, which was completely destroyed during the Chinese invasion in 1979. Like a phoenix, the town resurrected from its ashes of destruction and has undergone a face-lift. From Sapa and Lao Cai students will visit Dien Bien Phu, students will assess the aftermath of the climactic altercation between the French Far East Expeditionary Corps and nationalist revolutionaries of Vietnam in form of the first Indochina War. Afterward students will drive to the city of Son-La, famous for its “Que Lam Ngu Che” epitaph, the temple of its creator, King Le Thai Tong, that now lies in shambles and various nature’s beautiful aberrations including the “Hang Doi” (Bat Cave) and Thac Dai Yen” (Brassiere Waterfall) . Students will spend one night in Son-La. They will trek to the mist-swathed “Hang Doi” (Bat Cave) and ““Thac Dai Yen” (Brassiere Waterfall) tucked away in Son La’s forested and gigantic Moc Chau Plateau the morning after. Students will visit the Son-La Former Prison and Museum, still infamously known as the “hell on earth”, for the brutal treatment meted out to the Vietnamese inmates by the French colonialists.

On Sunday, from Son-La, students will travel to the picturesque district of Mau Chau, home to innumerable quaint tribal villages surrounded by lush green paddy fields. The allure of Mau Chau lies in its astonishing display of ethnic minority cultures and their beautiful villages. Here students will explore the villages and get to witness the way of life of the local men and women. On Monday of their last week in Vietnam, students will travel to Ba Be National Park. Here they will admire its incredible natural beauty manifested through its surrounding tall limestone mountains towering high above it and deep valleys, plunging waterfalls and beautiful lakes that have lent the place a character of its own. From Ba Be National Park, they will head back to Sapa, the day after, where they will continue with their volunteering and trekking activities. The Saturday of their last week in Vietnam (the third Saturday of the month of November) will mark the end of the trip. Some students will end the program and head home while other students will come back to Kunming after the completion of this trip. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Day 1

Kunming/Sapa

AM--PML: Arrive in Sapa.

Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8

Sapa/Lao Cai/ Sapa Sapa Sapa Sapa Son-La Mai Chau Son La

AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Start the tour. AM: Trek around AM: Travel to Mai local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit Travel to Lao Cai and “Hang Doi” (Bat Chau. organization organization organization organization see Điện Biên Phủ Cave) and “Thac Dai PM: Explore the PM: Hike PM: Explore Cat Cat PM: PM: Trek in and battlefield. Yen” (Brassiere nearby quaint up the Sa Xeng-Hau Village, Cat Cat Explore the Sapa around the town. PM: Drive to Son La Waterfall) villages and stay Thai-Giay Chai and waterfall and Sin town and its night and spend the night PM: Visit Son La overnight there. Y Linh Ho Hills. Chai Village. market. in a hotel. Former Prison and Museum. Evening: Stay overnight there.

Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14

Ba Be National Sapa Sapa Sapa Sapa Sapa--Kunming Park

AM: Explore Ba Be AM: Drive back to AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at AM: Volunteer at AM--PM: Arrive in National Park. Sapa. local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit Kunming. PM: Explore PM: Rest in the organization organization organization the area and stay apartment. PM: Trek near the PM: rest in PM: Trek near the overnight there. town. apartment town.

Mai Chau The town of Mai Chau is a world away from the hubbub of the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. The enduring allure of the town lies in the cluster of beautiful tribal villages in the town’s vicinity. The villages are a feast for the eyes because of their soothing green paddy fields that attain a golden hue each autumn. The rich color pallet of its landscape and the background soundtrack characterized by the chirping of the birds and the burbles of the streams surging through the villages continue to fascinate visitors, who frequent Mai Chau. Local minorities have been living in these villages, since time immemorial. Despite their proximity to Hanoi and contact with a steady stream of visitors, they have fiercely preserved their identity, culture and traditions. Son La Son La is a north western Vietnamese province, the capital of which is Son La City. Geographically this province is full of hills, rivers and rich in mineral resources. Son La is a historically significant city mainly because of the pivotal role that the Viet Minh Government played, led by the communists, in the resistance war against the French colonialists in 1945. The most renowned but grim historic relic of the town is Son La Former Prison and Museum that stands as a witness to the inhuman torture and brutality that the Vietnamese political prisoners suffered in the hands of their French captors, their untold misery, struggle and the unstinted solidarity of the people of this nation during the resistance. Artifacts, giving a peek into the ways of life of the ethnic minority groups inhabiting this province, are also displayed at this museum. Son La is located near the pristine Moc Chau Plateau, dotted with caves, waterfalls and sprawling fruit plantations. Besides a lavish dose of history, Son La also provides an idyllic setting for anyone who wants a welcome break from the humdrum of daily life and revel in the intriguing beauty of nature.

Sapa Sapa in northwestern Vietnam is a welcome escape from the din and bustle of typical Vietnamese cities teeming with hundreds of motorcycles buzzing about. The market town is famous for its tribal patchwork and breathtaking scenery. On most weekends, locals and travelers flock to open markets hosted by Vietnamese villages in Sapa’s lush highlands. Students will explore Sapa, trekking around its misty mountains and wandering through its open-air, colorful markets with a tribal twist. They will also visit the time-warp Hmong minority farming villages that are tucked away in the highlands. One of the largest hill tribes in the Mekong region, the Hmong used to be known for their opium farming in the high mountains before it was banned in the nineties. While there are many subgroups, the Hmong living in villages around Bac Ha are called the Flower Hmong. They are known by their quintessential embroidered indigo-dyed clothing and their ornate silver jewellery. Winter Trimester Session

The second session of this trimester program will begin in the fourth fall week of November. Some students, who had been in the program in August and went on to participate in the Vietnam intersession, will come back to Kunming. In addition, new students will arrive in China from their home countries to join the program in late November.

As with the other trimesters, the weekday core of the program will consist of morning Mandarin classes followed by afternoon volunteering, internship or language exchange activities. The months of November and December that comprise the first half of this session will have less emphasis on travelling, and more stress on cultural immersion and exploration of Kunming. In November and December, students will have the chance to visit museums in Kunming, take lessons in Chinese painting and calligraphy and watch insightful documentaries and films on China in the Minds Abroad office. These will give them ample opportunities to socialize with local people and learn about the culture first-hand.

In January, during the first three weeks, students will continue with their morning language classes and afternoon activities, including volunteering, internships or language exchange sessions, during the weekdays. Over weekends, they will either watch documentaries or films about China or participate in calligraphy workshops arranged for them in Kunming.

Before Chinese New Year, students will go on a 9-day trip to tropical Xishuangbanna, then to Pu’er, home to the world-renowned Pu’er tea, and Yuanyang that commands spectacular sights of the UNESCO World Heritage terraced rice fields carved from the mountains by the indigenous Hani ethnic minority. They will cap off their 9-day journey with a trip to Jianshui, where they will explore its historic relics, temples and caves and complete a volunteer project.

After Chinese New Year, which is also the final week of this session, students will undertake another week-long journey. After enjoying free time during the Chinese New Year, students will enjoy the extraordinary karst landscapes in Jiuxiang. Their next stops would be the verdant Luoping with its extraordinary rapeseed fields and the secluded but beautiful Bamei Village. Students will finish their journey with visits to the Puzhehei Village, Puzhehei Lake and Qinglong Mountain, where they will marvel at the diversity of their landscapes and natural beauty. This will also mark the end of this session. During this week students will also engage in a volunteer project in Jiuxiang.

Some students will continue on to a Vietnam Spring Intersession will other students will end the program. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Day 1

Kunming

AM & PM: Arrive in Kunming. Evening: Orientation

The 4th full week of November

Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China.

Week that ends November and begins December

Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Explore the Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Kunming Museum & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Flying Tiger Museum Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time PM: Visit the South Asia Gate.

The 1st full week of December

Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21 Day 22

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Attend a Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern calligraphy workshop. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

The 2nd full week of December

Day 23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28 Day 29

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch a film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China.

The 3rd Full week of December

Day 30 Day 31 Day 32 Day 33 Day 34 Day 35 Day 36

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Chinese AM & PM: Attend a Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern class calligraphy workshop or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Volunteer, Evening: Holiday Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time intern or language Dinner exchange Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Week that ends December and begins January

Day 37 Day 38 Day 39 Day 40 Day 41 Day 42 Day 43

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: New Year's Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Dinner or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

The 1st full week of January

Day 44 Day 45 Day 46 Day 47 Day 48 Day 49 Day 50

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Attend a Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern calligraphy workshop. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

The 2nd full week of January

Day 51 Day 52 Day 53 Day 54 Day 55 Day 56 Day 57

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch a film/ Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time documentary about China. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

The 3rd full week of January

Day 58 Day 59 Day 60 Day 61 Day 62 Day 63 Day 64

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Attend a Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern calligraphy workshop. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

The 4th full week of January

Day 65 Day 66 Day 67 Day 68 Day 69 Day 70 Day 71

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Visit AM & PM: Explore PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Xishuangbanna. Bulong Shan. Stop or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Travel to Bulong Shan in ethnic villages Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time along the way

Kunming Museum and the Flying Tigers Museum The Kunming Museum houses numerous exhibits reflecting the city’s ancient Bronze culture and Dian traditions dating back to 400 BC, as well as relics passed down from the Qing, Song and Ming dynasties. The Flying Tigers were U.S. air force aviators under the leadership of General Chennault, who provided ardent support to China in World War II and played a significant role in turning the fortune in China’s favor.

Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna, more commonly known as Banna, represents a slice of South Asia. It owes much of its popularity to its unhurried pace of life and its rich tapestry of minority cultures- the Dai, Hani, Lisu, Yao, to name a few. What is notable about Banna is its peoples’ staunch refusal to be rushed into things. As a result, it is easy to lose weeks in Xishuangbanna. The prefecture attracts an interesting mix of people, looking to soak in its sun and participate in its colorful water-splashing festivals and wilderness treks that add to its uniqueness. Banna is blessed with plenty of rainfall and sunshine, providing a perfect habitat for its vast range of tropical flora and fauna. Home to dense tropical forests, Xishuangbanna earned a reputation for raising and domesticating wild elephants. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 1st full week of February

Day 72 Day 73 Day 74 Day 75 Day 76 Day 77 Day 78

Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna Pu'er Yuanyang Jianshui Jianshui Jianshui

AM: Drive to AM & PM: Explore AM: Drive to Pu'er AM & PM: Explore AM: Drive to Jianshui. AM: Volunteer AM & PM: Travel back Damenglong Jinghong, including PM: Arrive at Pu'er Yuanyang Explore Jianshui Old PM: Visit Yanzi Cave. to Kunming and rest PM: Visit two famed the botanical gardens, and participate in a Town. upon return. Pagodas (White the general temple tea ceremony. Drive to PM: Volunteer Bamboo Shoot Pagoda and downtown. Visit Yuanyang. Pu’er & the Black Pagoda) National Rainforest Drinking tea is one of the most ubiquitous traditions in China that located to the East of stretches back thousands of years, and one of the most famous tea Jinghong nearby producing areas is Pu’er. Pu’er Tea is a high quality green tea with a Mengla. distinct variety of flavors. And the tea fields make for a beautiful spot for a day trip. These fields are interspersed tea trees, some of which are hundreds of years old and small home-owned shops that serve fragrant tea with delectable local cuisines. The idyllic Pu’er County entices all travellers with the delicious aroma of its tea, vivid greenery and the promise of an invigorating outing.

Yuanyang Yuanyang, in the south of Yunnan, commands spectacular sights of terraced rice fields carved from the mountains by the indigenous Hani ethnic minority. The Hani people worked for centuries to create these terraces, which have been honored as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Lying in the Red River Valley, Yuanyang enjoys wet summers and dry winters, which are perfectly favorable for paddy farming. They will also explore a Hani farming village in the area in order to learn about their cultural quirks and norms.

Jianshui Jianshui County is a town of historic interest on the north bank of the Red River's midstream in Yunnan's Honghe Prefecture. Now the town is known for its well-preserved historic relics, its friendly residents and the Jianshui Confucius Temple, which is the second largest Confucius temple in China. Jianshui is also loved for its traditional architecture that dates back to the Yuan Dynasty. Due to its rich cultural heritage, Jianshui has earned the moniker of 'Museum of Olden Buildings and Residential Houses'. Juggled in the hands of Nanzhao, Yuan, Qing and Ming Empires over the centuries, it is no surprise that the town still retains its old world charm. Jianshui once formed an important center of Yunnan and an obligatory stop on route from Kunming to Vietnam. Puzhehei Puzhehei is rich in caves, lakes, hills and karst landforms. It is also dotted with farmlands and small villages inhabited by the minority population. This locality is a vibrant place where one can experience nature and culture at their best. Ethnic minorities living here are mainly Yi, Zhuang and Miao. The Sani people belong to a branch of the Yi minority group. Their animistic beliefs and rituals render a degree of mysticism to their festivals, making them all the more fascinating.

Luoping Luoping is a Mecca for photographers. In early spring the rapeseed flowers in full bloom render their fields a golden hue and this is something that captures the imagination of every nature lover. Jinjifeng (Golden Chicken Peak) offers a breathtaking view of these gilded, sun-soaked fields, bursting into yellow blossoms. Luoping is understandably famous for its canola oil that is extracted from the rapeseed flowers

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 2nd full week of February

Day 79 Day 80 Day 81 Day 82 Day 83 Day 84 Day 85

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Jiuxiang Jiuxiang

AM & PM: Free time AM & PM: Free time AM & PM: Free time AM & PM: Free time AM & PM: Free time AM: Drive to Jiuxiang. AM: Explore Jiuxiang during Chinese New during Chinese New during Chinese New during Chinese New during Chinese New PM: Volunteer karst cave. Year Year Year Year Year PM: Volunteer Evening: Bus trip to Guangnan The 3rd full week of February

Day 86 Day 87 Day 88 Day 89 Day 90

Luoping Bamei Bamei Puzhehei Kunming/ Vietnam

AM: Volunteer AM: Continue to view AM: Explore Bamei AM & PM: View the AM & PM:Some PM: Drive to rapeseed flowers in Village. Puzhehei Lake and students will travel Luoping. Enjoy the bloom. PM: Drive to Puzhehei Qinglong Mountain. back to Kunming. view of rapeseed PM: Drive to and explore Puzhehei Evening: Depart Students, who want to flowers. Guangnan and visit Village. Puzhehei continue, will travel to Bamei Village. Vietnam.

Jiuxiang Jiuxiang, near Kunming is considered by many as a museum of extraordinary karst landscapes, sprawls across an area of 20 square kilometers. Jiuxiang’ pride is its cluster sixty-six karst caves. The extraordinary shape, majestic history of the caves, juxtaposed against amazing scenic beauty, render them a site that is somewhat sublime and surreal. Jiuxiang also happens to be the birthplace of the colorful Yi ethnic group, their myths, their legends and their traditions. It hosts a vast majority of festivals such as the Hunting Festival, the white Dragon Festival and many more. Bamei Bamei is a Hidden valley with a small town only accessible via boat through a long limestone river cave. Part of the Karst topography, Bamei is crisscrossed by the beautiful Tuoniang River. The valley is inhabited by the hard-working, pastoral Zhuang minority people. They are completely separated from the modern world outside and have deftly preserved their age-old custom, traditions and ways of life. Chinese Scholar Tao Yuanming wrote about a fabled land name Peach Blossom Valley. Bamei Village bears an uncanny resemblance to Yao Yuangmin’s Utopian wonderland. Vietnam February and March Intersession Program

Students can opt to enroll in the February and March Vietnam Intersession Program after the completion of winter trimester session. This trip will last for two and a half weeks. As a part of this trip, students will first stop at the beautiful Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, where they will engage in an intense volunteering experience to connect with local people and understand development issues in a typical developing Asian country.

After Hanoi, students will go to Halong Bay, where they will explore the karst caves for two days. During the third full week of February, students will volunteer at a local non-profit in Hanoi every morning. In the evening, they will visit sites of cultural and historical significance including several museums, the renowned Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Lenin Park and Hoan Kiem Lake. During their next weekend in Vietnam, they will visit the ancient city of Hoi An strewn with beautiful pagodas and museums. From Hoi An they will take a trip to Hue to explore the demilitarized zone of Quang Tri. After contemplating on the history of this site, students will return to Hue to explore its imperial monuments and tombs.

After their adventure in Hoi An and Hue, students will eventually go back to Hanoi, where they will continue to volunteer in the morning and do sightseeing in the evenings of the rest of the weekdays. On the third weekend they will finish their Vietnam trip with a visit to Hanoi’s old quarter, the 36 ancient streets and guilds, before travelling back to Kunming or ending the program and returning to their home countries. Hanoi Unlike many cities in Southeast Asia, caught between the old and new Asia, Hanoi is distinct in its touch of Parisian grace borrowed from its French colonial legacy. The city is home to a plethora of historic monuments, pagodas and colonial architecture as well as modern developments- all jostling for attention. This charming Vietnamese capital is a bustling city of motorcycles, pedestrians, teeming market places, street peddlers in conical hats and old alleys with locals spending leisurely hours sipping coffee and playing mahjong. Hanoi's charm lies in all this and the mazy markets of the Old Quarter where motorcycles, peddlers, shops and aromas of spicy Vietnamese cuisine enliven the memories of an “oriental bazaar.” Coupled with this would be the sites of history and culture like Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Museum and his Stilt House. A number of museums populate Hanoi, including the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which is a good place to understand the diverse cultures of the tribal Vietnamese people.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

In Transit Hanoi Halong Bay Haong Bay

AM--PM: Students Students from abroad AM--PM: Enjoy AM--PM: Explore the continuing from will arrive in boating at Halong Bay. limestone caves. winter session will Hanoi. Evening: Journey depart from Kunming. back to Hanoi

Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11

Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi Hoi An Hue

AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Volunteer at a AM: Visit Vietnamese AM: Visit Imperial local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit local nonprofit Demilitarized Zone. Citadel and Purple organization organization organization organization organization PM:Visit Dakrong Forbidden City. PM: Explore the PM: Explore the PM: Explore Ho Chi PM: Visit the Hoa Lo PM: Travel to Quang bridge and rockpile PM: Explore the Ethnology Temple of Literature, Minh’s Prison Museum and Tri and go to Hue City Tombs of the Museum. Army Museum and Mausoleum. Hoan Kiem Emperors. the Lenin Park. Lake.

Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17

Quang Tri Hue Hanoi Hanoi Hanoi In Transit

AM : Visit Hoi An's AM: Explore the AM & PM: Volunteer AM & PM: Volunteer AM&PM: Volunteer& AM: Visit 36 ancient Museum of history ancient town of Hoi & visit Ba Dinh & see the Long Bien visit Cathedral and streets & and culture. An. Square and one pillar bridge and Hanoi imperial Citadel of PM:Some students PM: back to Hoi An PM: Explore Quan pagoda Opera House Thang Long fly home while others Cong temple, Chuc will continue with the Thanh Pagoda and spring session, Japanese Covered Bridge. Go to Danang Airport and flight to Hanoi Hue Hue and Hoi An, two of the biggest attractions of Vietnam, are located south of the Ben Hai river in Central Vietnam which demarcates North Vietnam from South Vietnam. While Hanoi remained the most important city in northern Vietnam, Hue was the most important city in 0 central Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century. Originally a seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, it remained the national capital until 1945, when a communist government was established An Hanoi. Tombs and pagodas are everywhere in Hue, as local kings had ordered burial tombs to be built before their death in the fashion of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. One of the lesser glamorous aspects of Hue is that it still constantly reminds the world of the gory war in the 1970s. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which was the scene of heavy fighting, lies here. Dotted with war period attractions, travellers from across the globe visit the Cu Chi and the Vin Moch tunnels, the remains of Khe Sanh and other US bases along the DMZ.

Hoi An This beautiful ancient town was once the most cosmopolitan port city of Vietnam. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hoi An's old town has maintained its cosmopolitan medieval world atmosphere through its old wooden merchant houses, its mazy alleys, its Chinese tea houses and silk lanterns and its French fashioned riverside setting. What's amazing is that these old world cultural remnants are stylish restaurants, cafes and wine bars on the inside, but these have preserved an old-world charm outside. Amid the swarm of temples, pagodas, tailor shops, motorcycles, fish peddling women in conical hats, Hoi An is Vietnam's culinary mecca and shopping destination. Pho “noodle soup” and “com” rice dishes with an assortment of fresh herbs, fish sauces and chillies encompass some of the most popular, affordable and delicious options of Vietnam.

Halong Bay Karst limestone hills covered with lush vegetation on emerald blue seas epitomize the familiar scenery of Halong Bay. In northern Vietnam this World Heritage Site has over 3000 different islands dotting the Gulf of Tonkin. Halong means “where the dragon descends the sea.” It is believed that a mythical dragon descended the seas here creating these islands with its mighty plunge. The limestone caves offer a mystic sight with their weather beaten grottoes and their stalactite and stalagmite formations. Cruises along these small islands are a must-do. Spring Trimester Session

The spring trimester will start from the first week of March. Some students will return from the Vietnam intersession, while other students will arrive in China from their home country and join the program anew.

Students will continue with the weekday core of the program: weekday morning Mandarin classes along with afternoon volunteering, internship or language exchange. In March, they will spend many Saturdays watching documentaries or independent film screenings.

On the third Saturday in March, students will take a day trip to the Stone Forest, famous for its karst landscapes, near Kunming. On the first Saturday of April, they will visit the somnolent town of Tonghai and its beautiful temples. On the third Saturday in April, students will visit the Kunming Wild Zoo and enjoy the views of the wild animals roaming free and come face to face with China’s famed giant panda. On the last weekend of April, they will travel to Guizhou and enjoy its undulating peaks, terraced rice farms, lush forests, labyrinth of karsts caves and ethnic villages. This trip will end with a visit to the Huangguoshu Waterfall, which is the tallest waterfall in China.

During the second week of May they will take a three-day trip to the fortified and historic town of Dali, where they will explore its major landmarks including Erhai Lake and Cang Mountains. On the third weekend of May they will take a two-day expedition to the forested Western Hills, home to centuries old Daoist temples and explore the old town of Guandu.

The last weekend of May will mark the end of this session as well as this year-long program. Over this weekend, students will take a three-day trekking trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world, with a breathtaking backdrop of rugged snowy mountains. They will also visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lijiang. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Day 1 Day 2

Kunming Kunming

AM & PM: Arrive in Kunming. Evening: Orientation The 1st full week of March

Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Eat lunch & watch or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange a film/ documentary Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time about China. The 2nd full week of March

Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Stone Forest Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM&PM: Visit the Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Stone Forest. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time The 3rd full week of March

Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21 Day 22 Day 23

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Eat lunch & watch or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange a film/ documentary Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time about China. Week that ends March and begins April

Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28 Day 29 Day 30

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Tonghai Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: Visit Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Tonghai. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

Stone Forest Stone Forest near Kunming is a collection of ash-colored limestone boulders in strange shapes (some resembling mythical phoenixes and turtles) and is a remarkable ecological occurrence, as it was created under the sea around 275 million years ago.

Tonghai Tonghai is a sleepy hill town land-locked between Kunming and Jiangshu. The hill that overlooks the town is called Xiu Shan and is home to five temples dating back to the Tang Dynasty as well as many other temples from the later Ming and Qing Dynasties. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

The 1st full week of April

Day 31 Day 32 Day 33 Day 34 Day 35 Day 36 Day 37

Shangri-La Shangri-La Shangri-La Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Arrive in AM: Visit the AM & PM: Travel AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time Lijiang. Travel to Suntseling Tibetan back to Kunming. PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, PM: Eat lunch & watch a Shangri-La Buddhist Monastery intern or language intern or language film/ documentary about PM: Bike around PM: Explore Yang exchange exchange China Napahai Lake Tang Qu (Xiao Zhong Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Nature Reserve and Dian). visit a local village. Evening: Participate in a traditional Tibetan Circle Dance in the Old Town. The 2nd full week of April

Day 38 Day 39 Day 40 Day 41 Day 42 Day 43 Day 44

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM & PM: See the pandas Free time PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, at the Kunming Wild intern or language intern or language intern or language intern or language intern or language Zoo. exchange exchange exchange exchange exchange Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time

Shangri-La Towards the north of Yunnan lies the Tibetan town of Shangri-La, surrounded by snow-clad Himalayas on all sides. As an erstwhile transit stop for the famous Old Tea-Horse Caravan Road in southwest China, the town and its surrounding areas offer amazing vistas and excellent trekking opportunities. British author James Hilton, in his novel Lost Horizon, described Shangri-La as a fictional Himalayan kingdom. This unexplored Tibetan town was renamed Shangri-La apparently because it was claimed to be the inspiration behind Hilton’s’s novel. One does not need to travel all the way to Lhasa to gain an insight into Tibetan life. Replete with gorgeous lakes, mountains and parks, Shangri-La perfectly embodies unique Tibetan culture, heritage and identity. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 3rd full week of April

Day 45 Day 46 Day 47 Day 48 Day 49 Day 50 Day 51

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Free time Free time PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Have lunch & or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange watch a Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time film/documentary about China. The ending week of April/week beginning May

Day 52 Day 53 Day 54 Day 55 Day 56 Day 57 Day 58

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Guizhou Guizhou

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Arrive in AM: Drive to Xifeng PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Guizhou. County and visit or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange PM:Visit the Tianke Xifeng Concentration Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Lake and explore the Camp. Qingyan Ancient PM: Drive to the city Town. of Zunyi to visit the Evening: Explore site of Zunyi meeting. Huaxi Park.

Guizhou Province With its undulating peaks, terraced rice farms, lush forests, labyrinth of karst caves and ethnic villages, Guizhou is among China's most fascinating provinces. Guizhou’s landscape is made even more fascinating by the massive towers built by the Dong minority group. At least one third of the natives of Guizhou belong to minority groups such as Dong, Miao, Hui, Hmong and Zhuang. The province is renowned for its year-round fairs and folk festivals. Historically, Guizhou never piqued the interest of most Chinese kings as a province. However, a government was set up there in BC 206 till AD 220, only to exert power over local tribes. Guizhou became an official province during the Ming rule in the 15th century. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 1st full week of May

Day 59 Day 60 Day 61 Day 62 Day 63 Day 64 Day 65

Guizhou Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming

AM: Visit Huangguoshu AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class Free time Free time Waterfall. PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Visit the or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Huangguoshu Waterfall Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time National Park. The 2nd full week of May

Day 66 Day 67 Day 68 Day 69 Day 70 Day 71 Day 72

Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Dali Dali Dali

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Rest, and then AM: Explore the Dali AM: Bike around Erhai PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern hike up the Cangshan Ancient Town and Dali Lake. or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange Mountains. Museum. PM: Continue biking Evening: KTV session Evening: Tai Chi in Evening: Bike along Evening: Travel to Dali. PM: Keep on hiking. PM: Take a trip to Zhou and visit villages on the Green Lake Park Dianchi Lake Evening: Free time Cheng to try traditional way. tie-dying methods. Evening: Return to Kunming. The 3rd full week of May

Day 73 Day 74 Day 75 Day 76 Day 77 Day 78 Day 79

Guandu Ancient Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Western Hill Town

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Breakfast at the AM: City tour south: PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern apartment and then Pagodas, Mosque, or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange or language exchange leave for Western Hills. Archway, Bird and Evening: Free time Evening: Tai Chi in Evening: Free time Evening: Free time Evening: Free time PM: Eat lunch at Flower Market Green Lake Park Western Hills and then PM: Explore Guandu hike up the hill. Ancient Town and Evening: Rest after the Kunming Museum. trip. Attend the Dian Opera.

Dali (Included in the base price)Dali, which lies amid the Cang Mountains on the shores of the Lake Erhai, was once regarded as the political, economic and cultural hub of Yunnan. It once served as the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, a rival to China's Tang Dynasty (609 – 960) that contained much of what is now Yunnan. Later it became an administrative center during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1079). Abandoned after the Yuan Dynasty’s Kublai Khan razed the capital to the ground in 1252, it was renovated by the Ming rulers in 1382. This ancient, walled city bristles with a dizzying mélange of ethnic groups, mostly Bai as well as Yi and Hui, who have made it their home for the past 4000 years. This translates into an exhilarating, cultural concoction, which has been shaped by the influence of the Chinese of the central plains, the Tibetans of the Northwest Himalayas as well as other Southeast Asian cultures and indigenous ethnic minorities. Western Hills (Xi Shan) (Included in the base price)Sitting on the western banks of the Dian Lake, Western Hills or Xi Shan boast of many trekking trails sprinkled with numerous Daoist shrines like Huatang and Taihua temples and other cultural remnants from the Nanzhao era. Further north near the Dragon Gate (Long Men), which overlooks the Dianchi Lake, lie the legendary Sanqing Temple and the Dragon Gate Grotto complexes. Here one can marvel at many caves carved by Daoist monks during 28th century.

Guandu Old Town, formerly known as ‘Wodong’, Guandu is worth a trip for many of its temples like Tuzhu and Fading, teeming with history.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The 4th full week of May

Day 80 Day 81 Day 82 Day 83 Day 84 Day 85 Day 86

Tiger Leaping Tiger Leaping Kunming Kunming Kunming Kunming Lijiang Gorge Gorge

AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Chinese class AM: Drive to Tiger AM&PM: Keep on AM: Drive to Lijiang PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, PM: Volunteer, intern PM: Volunteer, intern Leaping Gorge. trekking on Tiger Ancient Town. or language exchange intern or language or language exchange or language exchange PM: Start the trek up Leaping Gorge. PM: Explore the Mu Evening: Free time exchange Evening: Prepare for Evening: Travel to the Tiger Leaping Evening: Stay in the Mansion, Dongba Evening: Participate the coming trip. Lijiang. Gorge. gorge. Museum and walk in Tai Chi in Green Evening: Stay in the north along Jade Lake Park. gorge. River. Evening: Return to Kunming.

Week that ends April and begins Lijiang May Lijiang, one of northern Yunnan’s most scenic towns and a UNESCO World Cultural Day 87 Day 88 Heritage Site, is the home of the Naxi ethnic group famous for their animistic religion, ancient music and unique Dongba script, the only remaining pictographic Kunming Kunming/Home writing system in the world. The old town of Lijiang is steeped in history, dating back AM: Take rest after AM: Fly home. more than 800 years, when it was a prime center of trade along the Old Tea Horse the trip. PM: Free Road. time

While its recorded history dates from the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC), Lijiang’s most significant era was when it was ruled by the Naxi tribal chiefs during the Ming reign (1368-1644). Lijiang is situated in a valley below the gigantic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and is lined with cobblestone streets and traditional wood and stone houses. With its structured collection of bridges, channels and watercourses, Lijiang is an idyllic example of an ancient, traditional Chinese mountain town.

Tiger Leaping Gorge Tiger Leaping Gorge (Included in the base price)The site lies only 60 km (38 miles) north of Lijiang and is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. With the spectacular scenery of rugged mountains as a backdrop, the gorge is one of the UNESCO World Heritage natural preservation sites dotted with rare species of plants. This easily makes it a natural habitat for some of the endangered animals too. This beautiful canyon on the Jinsha River is home to the indigenous Naxi minorities living in small, scattered hamlets around the gorge. Legend has it that its namesake, a tiger, in order to escape its brutal death by the hands of a hunter, jumped across the river at the narrowest point. There is no better way of experiencing the ethereal beauty of the forested gorge than by hiking through the small Naxi villages that skirt its sides