Chinese Bridge
Shandong Chinese Language & Culture Spring Camp 2009
Welcome to Chinese Bridge -- Shandong Chinese Language & Culture Spring Camp 2009 for Canadian elementary and secondary school students in Alberta and Vancouver.
In this tour, we will bring you across the vast lands of Jing and Lu, to the cradle of Chinese civilization, to experience the deep extensive roots of Chinese culture.
Beijing, the capital of China, amalgamates the magnificence and beauty of Chinese Art and culture. The Great Wall of China, Forbidden Palace Museum, Tiananmen Square and Ming Tombs are all world-renowned heritage sites. Visiting this place is like traveling back in time in a time machine to interact directly with history. When conversing there, you will definitely be able to feel the beauty of the language’s rhythm. This is because the standard for modern day Mandarin is based on the Beijing dialect.
Shandong is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, giving birth to the unique beauty of Qi and Lu cultures that make up an important part of the present day Chinese culture and traditions. The history of ancient civilizations of Shandong dates back more than 5,000 years. Relics of the first written Chinese words, the earliest fortress, the oldest section of the Great Wall and the earliest samples of silk and ceramics were all discovered in Shandong. We will be visiting Jinan, Taian and Qufu. They are very special tourist destinations known for the gathering of mountains, water and saints, a region where the essence of nature and culture integrates into one.
To explore the origins of Huaxia civilizations and experience the power of traditional Chinese language.
Organizers:
The Office of Chinese Language Council International
Shandong Provincial Education Department
Education Office, Consulate General of P.R.C in Vancouver
Maplestudent Benevolent Association
Day 1: Depart from Vancouver to Beijing by Air.
Day 2: Arrive in Beijing in afternoon. Opening ceremony and welcome reception.
Day 3: Attend the flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square; visit the Forbidden Palace Museum and Summer Palace.
Day 4: Visit the Great Wall of China at Badaling Section and the historical Ming Tombs.
Day 5: Visit the Beijing National Stadium on the Olympic Green, Wangfujing Street and have a Hutong (alleyways and courtyard homes) walks.
Day 6: Depart for Jinan, the capital of Shandong in the morning.
Day 7: Morning: Chinese culture lecture: Culture of Yellow River. Afternoon: Jinan city tour and the Yellow River along Jinan.
Day 8: Morning: Take coaches to Qufu. Afternoon: visit Qufu, the hometown of Confucius and enjoy traditional music and dance performance at night.
Day 9: Morning exercises: learn wushu. Take coaches to Taian. Afternoon: Enjoy hiking and explore natural beauty at Mt. Tai.
Day 10: Morning: Visit local temples. Afternoon: Lecture: Culture of Mt. Tai. Visit Taian village. Make dumplings with villagers and experience life in a Chinese village. A campfire will be held at night. Stay with Chinese villagers (2 students per family) or hostels in village.
Day 11: Visit the kite capital of the world, the Weifang Kite Museum as well as a local folk customs theme park – Yangjia Town, to watch the traditional art of making wooden New Year pictures.
Day 12: Depart from Jinan International Airport to return to Vancouver by Air.
(1) Origins and traditions are the 2 specialties of our Spring Camp. This direct contact with the roots of Chinese culture will not only help us understand the core of the language but also have an appreciation of the pure rhythmic beauty of Mandarin, allowing us to experience a deeper understanding of the cultural flair found in the hometown of Confucius.
(2) Experienced and knowledgeable Chinese teachers will be traveling along with the group throughout the trip to help look after the meals and accommodations. These teachers will also be able to help you learn and practice authentic Mandarin by correcting your mistakes regularly during conversations, thus improving your four basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
(3) To prevent long boring language lectures, Chinese culture lectures are given instead by experts, on topics such as Culture of the Yellow River and the origin of Confucianism. The opportunity to discuss the finer details of Chinese culture with these Chinese scholars will help the students establish stronger language foundations.
(4) We will visit 2 world-renowned Jing and Lu heritage sites, and there will also be traditional music and dance performances. These activities will help us gain a genuine understanding of traditional Chinese culture and they will undoubtedly make this culture tour an inspirational eye-opening one.
(5) And an opportunity for our children to acquaint themselves with local students of the same age, letting them experience the splendor of the younger generation and expanding their understanding of true multiculturalism.
Requirements for Participation:
We welcome students who are 12 years old and older to participate. Parents are also welcome.
The Spring Camp package for each student is USD$980.00, and USD$1,380.00 for each accompanying adult.
Package price includes:
(1) Twin share accommodation in 3-star hotels or school dormitory.
(2) Fees for tutorial notes of lectures and talks.
(3) All breakfasts, lunches and dinners included.
(4) Air-conditioned coach bus for all sightseeing tours, admission fees to sightseeing destinations and tour guide.
Package price excludes:
(1) Return Vancouver/Beijing economy class air ticket
(2) China visa application and handling fees.
(3) Travel insurance.
(4) Personal expenses such as long distance phone calls, laundry costs.
(5) Any costs or expenses not mentioned in the “Package price includes” section.
Registration
(1) Registration forms may be downloaded from the website of the Maplestudent Benevolent Association at www.maplestudent.com or email your request directly to Maplestudent Benevolent Association at [email protected].
(2) Registration deadline is December 14, 2008. The package price of USD$980 (student) or USD$1380 (accompanying adult) is due upon registration. You may mail or bring your cheque and registration form to our office at:
8674 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6P 5A1
Please make the cheque payable to: Maplestudent Benevolent Association.
2009_Spring_Chinese_Bridge_Application.doc Download
2009_Spring_Chinese_Bridge_Terms&Conditions.doc Download