11-Day Middle School Students Trip to China

Morning — Arrival in Beijing
As soon as you step off the plane at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), your guide will be waiting just outside the baggage-claim area holding a name sign. A private vehicle will transfer you to your hotel, where your guide assists with check-in and provides a brief orientation. The rest of the day is yours to relax and recover from the long flight.

Morning — Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square is one of the world's largest public squares, once the gateway to the imperial city and the stage for royal proclamations and celebrations. From there, step into the Forbidden City — the Palace Museum — home to 24 emperors and the political heart of imperial China from the Ming to Qing dynasties. Your group can join a treasure-hunt activity, collecting clues from your guide among the world's largest imperial palace complex, with winners receiving special souvenirs.

Afternoon — Hutong Tour
Beijing's hutongs are historic alleyways lined with traditional courtyard (siheyuan) homes, serving as a living museum of the city's folk culture. You can stroll, rent a bicycle, or take a rickshaw through preserved neighborhoods, and join a Chinese calligraphy class in a resident's home to deepen your cultural understanding.

(Optional: Try painting a Peking Opera face mask with a local artisan, learning the meanings behind its colors and patterns.)

Evening — Peking Roast Duck Dinner
In the evening, savor an authentic Peking roast duck dinner at a renowned local restaurant — a crispy, flavorful highlight of Beijing cuisine.

Morning — The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven, built in 1420 under the Ming Yongle Emperor, is the largest existing complex in the world dedicated to heaven worship, where Ming and Qing emperors performed rites to pray for good harvests. Commoners were once barred from this vast park, but today you can admire the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and test the acoustics of the Echo Wall. Students can also explore the mathematical design of the Circular Mound Altar.

Afternoon — Badaling Great Wall
The Badaling section, about 3,741 meters long, is the best-preserved and most visited stretch of the Great Wall, built in the Ming Dynasty as a key northern defensive pass. Its magnificent scenery and convenient access make it ideal for first-time visitors, and cable cars serve those who prefer not to hike. Your group can walk the ramparts and take in sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.

Evening — Water Cube & Bird's Nest
On the way back, pass the Water Cube and Bird's Nest — landmark venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that symbolize a modern, creative ‘new' Beijing and showcase striking contemporary design.

Morning — The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace began as the Qing-era imperial garden Qingyi Yuan, later rebuilt and expanded by Empress Dowager Cixi as a retreat where she entertained guests and received foreign envoys. Its highlights include Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, linked by the 728-meter Long Corridor that ends at the Marble Boat. You can climb Longevity Hill for sweeping views over the gardens and toward the Fragrant Hills.

(Optional activity: During the semester we can offer an alternative school-exchange visit with local students in Beijing, giving your group a glimpse of campus life across different socioeconomic backgrounds.)

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Xi'an
After lunch, board the high-speed train on the 1,216-kilometer journey to Xi'an. After about four hours you'll arrive at Xi'an North Railway Station, where enthusiastic drivers and guides will greet you and transfer you to your hotel to rest or explore the city.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Terracotta Army and Clay Warrior Workshop
Today you will dedicate the bulk of your time to exploring the world wonder of the Terracotta Army, the subterranean military escort of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor to unify China. The army comprises different branches of the armed forces, chariots and horses with their weapons, and thousands of life-sized statues of varying heights and facial characteristics; four pits have been excavated so far, with most of the figures still buried. While admiring the warriors you may wonder how ancient craftsmen created them, and after leaving the museum you will have the chance to craft a clay warrior in person at a local artisan's workshop set within a cave dwelling. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

Afternoon — Huaqing Palace
Coming out of the Terracotta Army, we head to Huaqing Palace, built on Mount Li in Lintong, Shaanxi Province, during the Tang Dynasty and used as a royal garden by emperors of various dynasties. Students will explore the Tang Imperial Baths Site Museum, take a scenic ride through Mount Li — the setting of the famous story of lighting beacon fires to entertain the feudal lords — and visit the Pavilion of the Military Counsel, where they can trace the historic events of the Xi'an Incident. The hot springs here have been prized for their restorative waters for well over a thousand years.

Evening — The Everlasting Sorrow Performance
As night falls, a performance of The Everlasting Sorrow brings the timeless romance of Emperor Xuanzong and Concubine Yang Guifei back to life through a blend of light and shadow. With melodious music and stunning stage effects, fragments of history replay before your eyes, carrying a deep affection that seems to reach across time and space.

Cultural Insight
The show is staged outdoors at the foot of Mount Li, with the hillside and its pavilions woven into the stage design, so the landscape itself becomes part of the story.

Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.

Morning — City Wall & Small Wild Goose Pagoda
The Xi'an City Wall is the most complete and best-preserved ancient city fortification in China, rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD) atop Tang-era foundations and stretching 13.7 kilometers around the old city. Its complex of ramparts, watchtowers, and a surrounding moat now doubles as a vibrant urban park — cycle or walk the top for views of both historic and modern districts. Nearby, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the Tang Dynasty (707–709 AD), is a graceful Buddhist monument renowned for its serene beauty through the seasons.

Afternoon — Muslim Quarter & Great Mosque
Xi'an was the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, drawing traders from the West since the 1st century BC, and its Muslim Quarter preserves that legacy of cultural exchange. As evening approaches the area buzzes with exotic shops and halal restaurants where you can taste local snacks and explore traditional markets. The Great Mosque — one of China's largest and best-preserved early mosques, first built in the Tang Dynasty and expanded over later dynasties — uniquely fuses Chinese architecture with Islamic design.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Qinling Four Rare Animals Science Park
Located in Zhouzhi County southwest of Xi'an, the Qinling Four Rare Animals Science Park is named for the four iconic endangered species of the Qinling Mountains: the giant panda, crested ibis, golden snub-nosed monkey, and takin. More than a zoo, it is a center for wildlife conservation, education, and research where you can observe these ‘four treasures' up close. Don't miss ‘Qi Zi,' the world's only known brown panda in human care, and you may feed certain animals under guidance or join a conservation workshop.

(Optional: Discover Huxian farmer paintings, a Guanzhong folk art, and exchange with students from a nearby rural school.)

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Chengdu
After the park, continue your journey to Chengdu by high-speed railway. On arrival, your personal guide will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel for a good night's rest.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Giant Panda Base
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, established in 1987, is a world-renowned conservation center on the city's outskirts dedicated to the care and study of China's beloved giant pandas. Your group can observe pandas at close range — from cubs to adults — and learn how keepers feed them and prepare bamboo and panda cakes. Bring your camera for an intimate encounter with these adorable creatures.

Afternoon — Dujiangyan Irrigation System
About a 40-minute drive away, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System is an ancient engineering marvel built around 256 BC by the Qin statesman Li Bing and his son. As the world's oldest non-dam irrigation works, it still regulates the Min River and sustains the Chengdu Plain today — a testament to over 2,200 years of ingenuity. Your guide will explain how its fish-mouth levee and channeling design turned flood-prone land into a fertile heartland.

Evening — At Your Leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure — you may rest at the hotel or explore the nearby surroundings on your own.

Morning — Wuhou Memorial Temple & Jinli Street
The Wuhou Memorial Temple, in Chengdu's southern suburbs, honors Zhuge Liang, the ‘Martial Marquis' of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period, and is the only temple jointly dedicated to him and his king, Liu Bei. Just outside, Jinli Ancient Street recreates Qing-dynasty buildings filled with lacquerware, Shu embroidery, calligraphy, and folk artisans performing puppet theater and paper-cutting.

(Optional: Explore Kuan-zhai Lane, blending northern courtyard and western-Sichuan styles across Kuan, Zhai, and Jing lanes, and learn about Shu brocade and embroidery, Sichuan's exquisite traditional silk crafts.)

Afternoon — Flight to Shanghai
Take an afternoon flight after lunch to Shanghai, landing at Pudong or Hongqiao Airport, where your local guide will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel for rest.

Evening — Arrival and Check-In
Arrive in Shanghai in the evening and transfer to your hotel to settle in after the journey. The rest of the evening is free: rest, or take an easy walk in the neighbourhood around the hotel. The city itself is kept for tomorrow, when the programme spends the full day in Shanghai.

Morning — Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum, founded in 1952 and relocated to People's Square in 1996, is one of China's premier museums of ancient art, housing over one million artifacts. Its distinctive circular-domed building symbolizes the traditional concept of a round sky above a square earth. Highlights include bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Song-Ming ceramics, calligraphy, and national treasures such as the Da Ke Ding bronze tripod.

Afternoon — Yu Garden
Yu Garden is a 400-plus-year-old Ming Dynasty classical garden, celebrated for its exquisite rockeries — including the famous Grand Rockery — serene ponds, and pavilions. Designed to harmonize with nature, it reflects the refined landscaping traditions of Jiangnan and houses the prized Exquisite Jade Rock. Adjacent to the City God Temple and the lively Yuyuan Bazaar, it is a cultural treasure of old Shanghai.

Evening — The Bund
As the sun sets, walk the Bund promenade to admire colonial-era landmarks such as the Peace Hotel, then stroll the illuminated waterfront. Across the Huangpu River, Pudong's glowing skyline offers a striking contrast — an optional Huangpu River cruise lets you view both shores from the water.

Morning — Departure Transfer
Your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for your departure flight home, bringing your journey to a close.