12-Day Xi’an & Shanghai Chinese Language Summer Camp

Destinations: Xi’an, Shanghai

Tour Features:

This 12-day Xi'an & Shanghai study tour connects ancient Chinese heritage with modern tech innovation for international student groups. Based in Xi'an first, participants enjoy themed Mandarin classes, visit the Terracotta Army and Qinling panda park, and take part in folk workshops and rural village field study. A high-speed rail transfer brings the group to Shanghai and Hangzhou to explore skyscraper engineering, classical gardens, West Lake, Hikvision and Zhangjiang AI Island. Inquiry tasks run through the whole trip, encouraging students to compare traditional culture and emerging digital technology while practising Mandarin in real-life scenarios.

Highlights

1. Dual-theme narrative: Ancient civilisation in Xi'an vs cutting-edge tech innovation in Shanghai & Hangzhou This 12-day learning journey creates a powerful contrast: students unlock Qin and Tang heritage in inland Xi'an, then travel east by high-speed rail to explore coastal China's global finance, smart city infrastructure and AI industry. The east-west comparison becomes a core inquiry task for students.
2. Integrated themed Mandarin classes linked directly to daily workshops and field trips Mandarin lessons are tailored to the day's excursion. Students learn vocabulary for food, relics, wildlife and technology, then practise immediately while making Shaanxi noodles, dressing in Hanfu, visiting museums and discussing AI ethics. Language learning is contextual and functional.
3. World-class archaeological & biodiversity learning in Xi'an Students explore the Terracotta Army and Forest of Stone Steles, then visit Qinling Four Treasures Science Park to observe giant pandas (including the rare brown panda Qi Zai), golden snub-nosed monkeys, crested ibis and takin, with specialist conservation briefings on habitat protection.
4. Multiple take-home intangible heritage hands-on workshops The itinerary includes authentic, instructor-led craft sessions: Shaanxi hand-pulled noodle making, Tang Hanfu etiquette experience and traditional stone rubbing. Students create their own cultural keepsakes while learning artisan skills and folk knowledge.
5. Rural sociology field study in Guanzhong villages Fieldwork at Zhangjia Village and Yuanjia Village moves past tourist sites. Students visit cave dwellings, meet local craftspeople and explore living heritage workshops for oil, vinegar and chilli paste, discussing how rural communities balance heritage preservation and sustainable economic development.
6. Frontier STEM & AI learning in Shanghai and Hangzhou Unique tech-focused visits to Hikvision Innovation Centre and Zhangjiang AI Island SEEDCENTER. Students interact with computer vision, service robots, digital humans and smart medical devices, guided to debate ethical questions around AI, surveillance and smart city design.
7. Classical Chinese landscape aesthetics study at West Lake & Yu Garden The programme balances tech exploration with traditional Chinese landscape thinking. Students analyse Suzhou-style garden design at Yu Garden and study West Lake's hydraulic engineering, ecological management and poetic landscape philosophy.
8. Two distinct accommodation styles for layered cultural immersion Students stay in Xi'an campus dormitories to experience Chinese boarding student life, then move to comfortable 4-star hotels in Shanghai. This shift mirrors the journey from slow, rooted ancient culture to fast-paced global metropolis.
9. Cross-curricular design suitable for international school groups Covers history, archaeology, Mandarin language, environmental science, rural sociology, civil engineering, AI & digital ethics, art and folk culture. It supports lesson extension for humanities, STEAM and language departments.
10. Full educator-led safety & inquiry framework The tour opens with orientation, intercultural discussion, safety briefing and learning journal setup. A dedicated lead educator supervises all activities, high-speed rail transfers and group reflection tasks throughout the programme.

Start: 20 July

Cost: 18890RMB/person

What is Included

• All scheduled accommodation
• Three balanced meals daily (Chinese-Western mixed; vegetarian, halal and allergy-friendly meals by advance request)
• All entrance tickets, museum guided sessions and workshop materials
• Intercity high-speed train fares
• Private coach for all local visits
• Full-time qualified English & Chinese speaking guide
• Specialist Mandarin teacher for Xi'an campus sessions
• Group travel insurance
• Student learning journal, workshop supplies and official study certificate

What is Not Included

• International return air tickets
• Visa and passport processing fees
• Independent shopping, extra snacks, drinks and personal spending
• Supplementary overseas insurance required by the home school
• Additional costs caused by weather disruption, museum closure or force majeure

Note: Mandarin immersion lessons and on-campus dormitory are exclusive to packages that include Xi'an. Beijing-only and Shanghai-only itineraries do not contain campus language classes.

Itinerary:

Day 1 | 18 July | Sun | Arrival in Xian

Educational focus: Orientation, intercultural awareness, group agreement and safety protocols.

Students arrive at Xian international airport or railway station and transfer by private coach to school dormitory. The lead educator delivers a detailed program briefing, introduces learning goals, journal expectations and group responsibilities. Students receive their study journal and prepare for the inquiry journey ahead. Check into the school dormitory, settle into boarding life. Evening: Guided walking exploration of Datang Everbright City, a recreation of Tang-era Chang'an inviting students to visualize the cosmopolitan Silk Road hub. Welcome dinner supports casual cross-cultural conversation.

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 2 | 19 July | Mon | Themed Mandarin Class + Hand-Pulled Noodle Workshop

Educational focus: Applied food vocabulary, functional Mandarin conversation, folk foodways, artisan skill transmission.

09:00–11:00 Themed Mandarin lesson (food, ordering, greetings, self-introduction), content-aligned with the afternoon activity. Afternoon: Intangible heritage noodle workshop led by a local master artisan. Students learn the science of gluten development, kneading, stretching and cooking Shaanxi pulled noodles, following instructions using the Mandarin phrases they have just learned. Learning task: prepare a short Mandarin sentence describing the noodle-making process.

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 3 | 20 July | Tue | Themed Mandarin Class + Hanfu Cultural & Etiquette Workshop

Educational focus: Vocabulary for colour, textiles, clothing and ritual; Tang-Dynasty material culture, symbolic design and social etiquette.

09:00–11:00 Themed Mandarin lesson (colours, patterns, garments, polite etiquette expressions). Afternoon: Hanfu immersive workshop. Students study silk weaving motifs, rank symbolism and Tang fashion history. They dress in authentic Tang-style Hanfu, learn traditional greeting rituals and pose for documentation. Discussion explores how clothing communicates identity, status and cultural memory.

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 4 | 21 July | Wed | Themed Mandarin Class + Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors

Educational focus: Historical vocabulary, numerals, archaeology, statecraft of the Qin Dynasty, funerary culture and heritage preservation.

09:00–11:00 Themed Mandarin lesson (numbers, terms for relics and materials). Afternoon: Guided visit to the Terracotta Army. Students explore Pit 1, Pit 2 and the Bronze Chariot exhibit. The guide leads inquiry into the unification of China under the Qin emperor, large-scale state labour, artistic standardization and modern archaeological excavation ethics. Guided discussion: What can funerary art tell us about a ruler's worldview?

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 5 | 22 July | Thu | Themed Mandarin Class + Qinling Four Treasures Science Park

Educational focus: Nature vocabulary, animal names, environmental conservation, zoology, habitat restoration and biodiversity stewardship.

09:00–11:00 Themed Mandarin lesson (wildlife, forests, habitats, conservation actions). Afternoon: visit to Qinling Four Treasures Science Park. Students observe giant pandas (including the famous brown panda Qi Zai), golden snub-nosed monkeys, crested ibis and takin. A conservation educator delivers a presentation on captive breeding, habitat protection and threats facing endemic Qinling species.

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 6 | 23 July | Fri | Themed Mandarin Class + Forest of Stone Steles & Stone Rubbing Workshop

Educational focus: Chinese character history, calligraphy, epigraphy, museum literacy, traditional documentation technology.

09:00–11:00 Themed Mandarin lesson (origin and evolution of Chinese characters, museum vocabulary). Afternoon: Forest of Stone Steles Museum, one of the greatest collections of ancient stone calligraphy in China. Students trace stylistic shifts in Chinese script across dynasties. This is followed by a hands-on stone rubbing workshop. Students learn the traditional transfer technique and create their own rubbing artwork to keep.

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 7 | 24 July | Sat |  Guanzhong Folk Immersion: Zhangjia Village & Yuanjia Village

Educational focus: Rural sociology, contemporary Chinese village transformation, folk craft economies, food heritage and community life.

Full-day field study in the Guanzhong countryside. First, Zhangjia Village, where students observe modern rural governance, residential renewal and everyday rural life. Then Yuanjia Village, a living folk heritage site. Students visit working traditional workshops for cold-pressed oil, vinegar and chilli paste, meet local artisans and taste regional snacks. Guided discussion: How do communities preserve heritage while building sustainable livelihoods?

Accommodation: Xi'an campus student dormitory

Day 8 | 25 July | Sun | High-speed Train Xi'an to Shanghai, Pudong Riverside Walk

Educational focus: Urban transition, China's east-west development differences, global financial cityscapes.

Morning: Supervised high-speed rail journey to Shanghai. Students complete a comparative writing task contrasting inland historical Xi'an with coastal global Shanghai. Afternoon: Hotel check-in. Evening: Slow guided walk along the Pudong riverside. Students observe the Lujiazui skyline and discuss Shanghai's role as a global financial and innovation hub.

Accommodation: Shanghai 4-star hotel

Day 9 | 26 July | Mon |  Shanghai Tower / Oriental Pearl, Yu Garden & Acrobatics

Educational focus: Skyscraper engineering, urban density, classical garden design, theatrical folk performance art.

Morning: Observation deck visit for a bird's-eye perspective of Shanghai's layered urban fabric. Discussion covers civil engineering, sustainable high-rise design and rapid urbanisation. Afternoon: Yu Garden and City God Temple. Students analyse classical Chinese garden principles: borrowed scenery, asymmetry, enclosure and tranquillity. Evening: Professional Chinese acrobatics show.

Accommodation: Shanghai 4-star hotel

Day 10 | 27 July | Tue |  Day Trip to Hangzhou: Hikvision Innovation Centre + West Lake

Educational focus: Computer vision, AI applications, smart city technology, water ecology, classical landscape aesthetics.

High-speed rail day trip to Hangzhou. Morning: Guided tour of the high-tech company Hikvision. Students learn about artificial vision technology, environmental monitoring and ethical questions around surveillance and smart city infrastructure. Afternoon: Walking study along West Lake, Su Causeway and Bai Causeway. Students study the lake's hydraulic management history, ecological balance and its place within Chinese landscape poetry. Evening: Return by high-speed train to Shanghai.

Accommodation: Shanghai 4-star hotel

Day 11 | 28 July | Wed |  Zhangjiang AI Island SEEDCENTER + Huangpu River Night Cruise

Educational focus: Robotics, digital humans, medical AI, emerging technology ethics, riverfront urban renewal.

Morning: Zhangjiang AI Island SEEDCENTER. Students interact with live demonstrations of service robots, digital human interfaces, smart medical devices and urban AI management systems. The guided session encourages critical inquiry about benefits, risks and ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence. Evening: Huangpu River cruise. Students compare the colonial architecture of the Bund with the futuristic Pudong skyline.

Accommodation: Shanghai 4-star hotel

Day 12 | 29 July | Thu |  Departure from Shanghai

Educational focus: Camp closing

Private transfer to Pudong Airport for the return international flight. No scheduled activities.

Accommodation: Departure