Virginia Tech RSAP Summer 2020 Beijing 北京 | Guilin 桂林 | Shanghai 上海
Each year, CLI partners with a select number of universi es to create one-of-a-kind, fully customizable study experiences around the world. With careful guidance from CLI’s team of American and interna onal educators, Virginia Tech RSAP students will gain invaluable insight into China’s cultural heritage and modern ascension.
CLI provides three core services: (1) assistance in developing your program i nerary; (2) comprehensive pre-departure support; and (3) facilita on of all logis cal provisions (e.g., domes c and interna onal airfare, buses, hotel accommoda ons, restaurant recommenda ons and bookings, ac vity planning, and CLI program leaders).
Please note that while the spirit of the below schedule will remain unchanged, certain aspects — in consulta on with VT faculty leaders — are subject to be updated. Company and university visits are typically scheduled one to five months prior to the program start date. As a result, our proposal may include a few placeholders for unspecified visits. Each will be specified in the months leading up to May 2020, and this process will be completed in close collabora on with Virginia Tech faculty leaders. CLI maintains a strong track record of providing engaging and impac ul visits to local firms, mul na onal corpora ons, local educa onal ins tu ons, and more.
Our team looks forward to welcoming Virginia Tech RSAP back to China in 2020!
May 17 - May 21: Beijing | Explora on of China’s Cultural Heritage | | || Day 1 | Sunday, May 17 (Washington, DC to Beijing) All Day Fly from Washington, DC to Beijing, China
Day 2 | Monday, May 18 (Beijing) A ernoon Arrive in Beijing and transfer to Heyuan Interna onal Youth Hostel While traveling into Beijing, engage in a comprehensive orienta on session to understand and conceptualize the journey ahead, and share program goals and expecta ons amongst your fellow travelers. 6:30 PM Welcome to China! Commence with a group welcome dinner at a famed Peking Duck restaurant
Day 3 | Tuesday, May 19 (Beijing) 8:30 AM Explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City The Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the largest palace complex in the world and home to centuries of Chinese history.
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12:30 PM Group lunch, followed by a walking tour of a Qing Dynasty-era hutong Enjoy lunch and conversa on with a local family, ascend the Beijing Drum Tower, and relax near Houhai. 3:00 PM Stroll through exhibi ons at the Na onal Museum of China 6:30 PM Dinner at a Xinjiang Uyghur restaurant China is home to an incredible array of tradi ons, ethnici es, and cuisines. For this evening’s dinner, students will enjoy an authen c Uyghur meal at a small, family-run Xinjiang restaurant. Xinjiang is China’s largest province (roughly twice the size of Texas), home to China’s greatest wealth of natural resources, and o en mired in controversy due to sporadic separa st movements.
Day 4 | Wednesday, May 20 (Beijing ) Morning Free me to explore Beijing! 2:00 PM Company visit to Tuspark Tuspark (Tsinghua University Science Park) was launched by the pres gious Tsinghua University’s technology department. It is o en referred to as China’s Silicon Valley and houses many of China’s most promising high-tech startups. 4:00 PM Visit the School of Engineering Technology at Beijing Normal University for a lab tour and cultural exchange ac vi es Explore campus, tour its engineering laboratories, and meet with local peers. 6:30 PM Group dinner with Beijing Normal University students
Day 5 | Thursday, May 21 (Beijing) 9:00 AM Visit Pra & Whitney United Technologies Gain insight into the produc on process for United Airlines aircra engines with a live demonstra on, factory visit, and discussion led by on-site engineers. 12:30 PM Group lunch nearby 1:30 PM Ascend the Great Wall of China, followed by small group dinners Evening Free me to explore Beijing!
May 22 - May 25: Guilin | History and Culture Along the Li River . Day 6 | Friday, May 22 (Beijing to Guilin) 9:00 AM Hotel check-out and depart for the airport 12:15 PM Fly nonstop to Guilin (~3.5 hours) 4:00 PM Arrive in Guilin and check into your hotel 5:30 PM Embark on the Discover Guilin Scavenger Hunt with local university students The Guilin scavenger hunt is a cultural icebreaker designed to introduce you to your new surroundings, both geographically and culturally. Meet local
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community members, explore the city, and compete in teams of fellow classmates and local university peers as you embark on the Discover Guilin Scavenger Hunt. 8:00 PM Group dinner with local university peers, followed by a walking tour of the ‘Two Rivers Four Lakes’ scenic area
Day 7 | Saturday, May 23 (Guilin) 9:30 AM Hike Chuanshan for a panoramic view of Guilin’s karst mountain landscape 12:30 PM Group lunch in a specialty cave restaurant 2:00 PM Explore a li le-known Buddhist temple built into the side of a karst mountain Learn about Buddhism through a conversa on with monks, then explore the temple’s underground prayer caves and visit a nearby tradi onal Chinese medicine market. 5:30 PM Free me to explore Guilin
Day 8 | Sunday, May 24 (Day Trip to Yangshuo) 8:00 AM Leisurely boat ride down the iconic Li River to Yangshuo 12:30 PM Free me for shopping, small group lunches, and explora on on West Street 2:00 PM Op onal ac vi es in Yangshuo Embark on a bicycle ride along the breathtaking Yulonghe (“Dragon Encounter Creek”) or take part in calligraphy and Chinese pain ng classes near West Street. 5:30 PM Group dinner in Yangshuo 7:00 PM Witness the Yinxiang Liu San Jie (印象刘三姐) river performance This outdoor produc on, set amongst Yangshuo’s breathtaking karst mountains, includes over 600 performers and is choreographed by one of China’s most renowned directors, Zhang Yimou, who also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. 9:00 PM Return to Guilin by bus (~1.5 hours)
Day 9 | Monday, May 25 (Guilin) 9:00 AM Visit a local engineering firm and gain insight into its inner-workings 12:00 PM Group lunch at a local specialty restaurant 2:00 PM Par cipate in an intercultural communica ons class at CLI Join a workshop led by CLI’s resident expert to deepen your understanding of Chinese culture, strengthen your communica on skills, and become an effec ve global engineer. 6:00 PM Free me to explore Guilin
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Virginia Tech RSAP Summer 2020 Beijing 北京 | Guilin 桂林 | Shanghai 上海
May 26 - May 30: Shanghai | I ntroduc on to China’s Modern Ascension | Day 10 | Tuesday, May 26 ( Guilin to Shanghai) 8:40 AM Fly nonstop to Shanghai (~2.5 hours) 12:30 PM Group lunch and reflec on nearby; check into your hotel 2:00 PM Embark on a city tour of Shanghai, China’s economic capital Walk to the Bund and take a ferry across the Huangpu River to Pudong. Ascend the famous Shanghai World Financial Center, then explore the Shanghai History Museum beneath the Pearl Tower. 6:30 PM Free me for small group dinners on your own near the Bund
Day 11 | Wednesday, May 27 ( Shanghai) 8:00 AM A end a site visit to the Shanghai Baowu Steel Factory Baowu Steel is a state-owned enterprise headquartered in the Baosteel Tower in Shanghai’s modern Pudong District. According to the World Steel Associa on, Baowu is the fi h-largest steel producer in the world measured by crude steel output, with an annual produc on of around 35 million tons. 12:30 PM Small group lunches on your own 2:00 PM Visit Canature Environmental Industrial Park H ome to nearly 20 acres of factory facili es and warehouses, the Canature Environmental Industrial Park produces an array of water filtra on devices for China’s water treatment industry. 6:00 PM Free me and small group dinners on your own in Tianzifang
Day 12 | Thursday, May 28 ( Shanghai) 9:00 AM Visit Shanghai University of Engineering Science Engage in cultural exchange ac vi es with local university peers, explore campus with local students as guides, and tour an engineering lab with a Shanghai University of Engineering Science professor. 12:00 PM Group lunch on campus with local students 2:00 PM Site visit to SAIC General Motors Corpora on Established in 1997, this joint venture between SAIC Motor and General Motors manufactures and markets twenty product lines in mainland China under the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac brands. 6:00 PM Free me for small group dinners
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Virginia Tech RSAP Summer 2020 Beijing 北京 | Guilin 桂林 | Shanghai 上海
Day 13 | Friday, May 29 (Shanghai) Morning/A ernoon Free me and op onal ac vi es, including visi ng the Shanghai Disney Resort 6:30 PM Reflect on your me in China while enjoying a program farewell dinner with your classmates and program leaders
Day 14 | Saturday, May 30 (Shanghai to Washington, DC) All Day Fly back to the USA
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