OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON YOUR PROGRAMME

1-WEEK CHINESE CULTURAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME IN FENGYHAN:
1 week of cultural integration into the rich life of China,
Price: £225, including food and accommodation

Ni Hao and Welcome to China. In this fun-filled 1-week Culture Immersion Programme you'll meet the local people, taste the local cuisine and get familiar with Chinese customs. Your mornings will be spent learning how to speak Chinese and understanding cultural customs before adventuring into the local towns and cities and exploring the streets while socialising with the locals. You have opportunities to visit a Confucius temple and a Guangong temple, local fairs, and some amazing natural scenery sites in groups or individually during free time.

A typical week in the Cultural Immersion Programme is:

• Monday: Start your day with a typical Chinese breakfast, followed by Chinese language lessons and a tour of Fengyan village, which will include the Old house. After lunch you will learn about Chinese philosophy and what is found Taboo. In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit a local family for a welcome party and learn how to make oil tea.
• Tuesday: Your second Chinese lesson will follow breakfast and then you will visit Lianhua town where you will register and you can do some shopping. After lunch you will have a culture session about Chinese festivals which will lead onto a late afternoon visit Hongyan village and a climb up one of the mountains and finishing the day with Bamboo rafting.
• Wednesday: Your morning will be spent studying and participating in Chinese language lessons, Calligraphy and painting, followed by a Chinese culture session focused on the History of China. In the Afternoon you will visit the Confucius and Guangong temples and walk along the Cha river. You won't just look at the Confucius temple, you'll understand what it felt like to be the number one scholar in the Imperial city, to pass the Emperor’s examinations and the path through the temple that only you were allowed to walk. In the evening if you would like, you can join the Gongcheng BBQ.
• Thursday: Today you are going to learn how to buy and bargain in Chinese, and then visit the Market of Lianhua to buy some food and practice what you have learned. The afternoon will be filled with further culture lesson and an introduction into Chinese cooking, where you will learn how to make Dumplings amoung other things.
• Friday: This morning not only will you further improve on your Chinese but also learn different Chinese songs. Your final lesson for the day will be the art of paper cutting, which is strong in Chinese culture as paper was originally invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty in the 2nd Century AD. Free time will be given in the afternoon for preparation for your weekend.
• Saturday and Sunday: You are able to travel freely today and visit Yangshuo and Gongcheng, explore the culture with your newly acquired knowledge in culture and language, or alternatively you can stay at the centre and rest before your next adventure.

Most evenings are spent learning how to play Chinese games like; Mah-jong, Chess or watching Chinese films.

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1-WEEK PANDA CONSERVATION IN YA'AN, CHENGDU:
Price: £375, including food and accommodation.

Get up close and personal, with both baby pandas who weigh only 100 grams at birth and gradually develop to 60lbs in their second year of life to their far larger parents that weigh a massive 250-350 lbs. In the last 2 years the volunteer work at the panda base has contributed to the doubling of the panda population – which is an amazing achievement. The work you'll be able to do will vary depending on what is required at the time upi're there, so flexibility is essential. During your placement your daily activities will include:

• Cleaning of the Giant Panda enclosures, and the nursery.
• Preparing the food and feeding the Giant Pandas. 99% of their diet is bamboo, however the balance usually consists of rice gruel, high fibre biscuits, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes.
• You may also be asked to conduct some research into their habits and health, in order to expand the knowledge of how best to care for these highly endangered species.

If you're interested in animal conservation, this represents a real opportunity to learn about the Giant Panda, something that is unique to China. A typical programme is as follows, but this will vary from week to week and season to season.

Sunday:
Pick up from Chengdu airport.
You will be collected from Chengdu airport by one of our English speaking co-ordinators who will transfer you to the city where you will stay for two nights.
Monday:
After a morning's rest, you can take a tour the city of Chengdu including local markets, parks and the famous ancient pedestrian street of Kuan-zhai Alley. Visit the Business quarter. Later, join us at the welcome dinner in one of the City’s restaurants.
Tuesday:
Transfer to the Panda Reserve (3 hours by bus). Lunch at the Panda base.
Afternoon briefing and introduction to the work you will be doing.
Also registration (where you will be issued with your uniform, volunteer card etc).
Guided tour of the Panda base and meet the panda keepers whom you will be assisting.
Dinner at the hostel restaurant.
Wednesday – Friday:
For the next 3 days you will work as an assistant to the Panda Keeper. General duties will include cleaning, preparing food, chopping and carrying bamboo.
Saturday:
8:00 am transfer to Chengdu City/airport (arriving Chengdu airport at approximately 11.00 a.m) for your departure. Afternoon flights are recommended.

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