China is about as geographically impressive as it gets. Expose your students to the unfamiliar and encourage students’ geographical enquiry skills. China will undoubtedly engender ‘awe and wonder’ in your students.
Contrast imperial grandeur with stark communist architecture in the vast modern metropolis of Beijing. This rapidly developing world city offers opportunities to study urban planning and transport, contrast development from tiny city workshops to huge industrial plants and consider evidence of conflict and unequal spaces. Compare the Olympic Park and its famous Bird’s Nest Stadium to the London 2012 development and consider issues, such as social economic and environmental costs along with the sustainability of the site.
Contrast teeming Beijing with rural poverty and cultural diversity en route to Xian. With 3000 years of history, Xian was the starting place of the ancient silk-road which brought precious trade from the Orient to the West. The city of emperors is surrounded by a 14km of walls, offering one of the largest and most complete ancient defensive systems in the world. A highlight will be a visit to see the 7000 life-sized figures of the terracotta army. Assess the growing impact of tourism and examine the management of China’s heritage in the oldest continuous civilisation of the world.
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Key Study Areas
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Location Click here to view map
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Geography Excursions
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Our best value sample itinerary from £1131
8 Days to Beijing & Xi'an
Day 1:
Travel overnight to Beijing by air.
Day 2:
Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your accommodation. Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring the local area. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 3:
In the morning visit the Forbidden City, the imperial palace where the court lived in luxury isolated from the outside world, and Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world covering some 40 hectares. In the afternoon visit the Summer Palace of the imperial family just outside of Beijing. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 4:
Visit the Great Wall of China and walk along the steep pathway and see the watch towers. Continue to the Temple of Heaven, then onwards to a local craft factory. Take the overnight sleeper train to Xian.
Day 5:
Arrive in Xian. Visit the Wild Goose Pagoda within the Temple of Grace and the Bell and Drum Tower Square. Overnight in Xian.
Day 6:
Visit the Terracotta Army Museum, built in pits over 2000 years ago to guard the tomb of the Emperor Qin followed by Hua Qing Hot Springs or the Banpo Museum and local craft factory. Overnight on sleeper train to Beijing.
Day 7:
Arrive in Beijing. Visit the Hutongs, narrow alleys and lanes lined on both sides with traditional Beijing 'Sieyuan' courtyard houses, or four-sided enclosed yards. Afterwards enjoy a traditional Tea Ceremony at the Beijing Tea House. Visit Wangfujing Street. Overnight in Beijing.
Day 8:
Transfer to the airport for return flight, usually arriving early evening on the same day.
