ACADEMIC FIELD TRIPS

This trip is an investigative journey to Shandong, experiencing the ancient Confucius theories based on the 6th-grade studies on Chinese civilization sinology and the Analects of Confucius. Students will understand the unique position of Tai mountain in Chinese culture; Discover of the mysteries the” Feng shan” ceremony; Observe the carving and inscription remains of emperors and scholars; Inspect calligraphy under famous people’s hand; Listen to the legends of poets; Pay visits to the birthplace of Confucian philosophy, experience the inexhaustible charms of Confucius, the greatest sage and teacher; Comprehend myths and stories of the Three Confucian; Admire massive trees over 1000 years old,

tablets carved with powerful and steady marks, and majestic aged buildings; Watch magnificent “Shibuxian” shadowgraph shows while learning the process of making them; Feel Mencius’s thoughts and culture by heart; Timetravel back to ancient school; Appreciate teachers; Brew tea; Make stone rubbings; Play Guqin; Chinese go and try out archery. Furthermore, students tasted the celebrated “Confucian Banquet” and recorded a video of thanks and love for their mothers in the “Thanksgiving hall”. Students will absorb the spirit of Confucian philosophy in steps of walking, understand the true charms of traditional Chinese culture, and immerse in an innovative outdoor activity with culture, food and science knowledge.

After learning about ancient Chinese history in their Chinese and World History classes, seventh graders will embark on a trip to Xi’an to study and experience ancient Chinese culture. Students will be visiting Ban Po Museum to look back and experience the lives of their ancestors; visiting Qinshihuang’s mausoleum and Terra-cotta Warriors to feel the awe-inspiring might of the Qin Dynasty; touring the Temple of Great Maternal Grace and Great Wild Good Pagoda to experience the culture of Buddhism and perseverance of Tang Xuan Zang; going to the Hua Qing pool and learn about the romance between Tang xuanzong and yang guifei; going to the Shanxi history museum

to learn about the artifacts and legacies of the capital of 13 dynasties; visiting the People’s Custom Museum to learn about the people of the Midwest region and unique paper-cutting techniques; making colorful tang-era masks at the Xi’an Museum. In addition, students will have the opportunity to watch the live drama “Great Changan”, experience the beauties of the historic imperial capital, stand atop the bell-towers to see both the traditional and modern Xi’an, roam the streets with delicious food unique to the region. This will be a wonderful trip that brings together the elements of the past and the present of Xi’an for the students to experience and remember.

The cultural field trip to the Yellow Mountain and Huizhou for the 8th graders is a cultural exploration based on our Chinese curriculum. Students will go to a dreamlike place the Yellow Mountain and will check the authenticity, “Once you witness the five great mountains of China, there are no other mountains. Once you witness Yellow Mountain, there are no other greats.” as the saying goes. Students will also go to a place surrounded by bamboo and then learn how to cook food in bamboo pots and learn how to make curve decorations on bamboo. Our students will go to Xidi Hongcun and tour the unique architecture of Huizhou, to feel the combination of humanity and nature. While visiting, the students will take photos around the natural wonderland and will submit their favorite work in our “The Beauty of Hongcun” photography contest.

In addition, students will watch the performance of “The lingering charm of Huizhou” to get to know why Hui merchants’ business can last nearly 400 years, to listen to the history story of how the Beijing Opera comes from Hui Opera. Our students have the chance to visit an ink factory called Hukaiwen, witnessing firsthand the entire process of making an ink stick, and will then even have the chance to make their own writing brush and decorate their own ink stick after listening to the lecture about “the four treasures of study”. Students will experience tea farming, picking tea leaves, watching the teamaking ceremony. This trip also involves works of charity. Students will donate a lot of books to the students in a local school, and have class, make a bookcase together with them. This culture-rich trip combines nature and humanities, history and art.

The 9th grade trip to Yunnan is a collaboration between the Social Studies Department and the Chinese Department. This unique and exciting experiential learning experience has been specifically designed to support the 9th-grade curriculum in social studies and Chinese. It also marks the beginning of a service learning-based collaboration with Prop Roots that will continue until students graduate high school. Students will spend one week in Yunnan. Half of the time will be spent at Prop Roots a non-profit organization learning about,

observing, and participating in Minority Jingpo culture. Our time at Prop Roots usually overlaps with the Water splashing festival so students are able to experience the festivities. THIS Students will also team up with local Jingpo children for a culture exchange. After spending time at Prop roots our group will move on to see the famous sights in Dali before returning home. In return, the students must use their observation notes from the trip to create an ethnography and ethnographic exposition of the research conducted.

Chengdu is the destination of the 10th grader trip. Expanding on the grade 10 Chinese curriculum, the students will explore the splendor of Sichuan and the important role it plays in Chinese literature. Students will visit:

• The ancient Sanxingdui Museum
• The Sichuan Cuisine Museum
• The Tapestry Museum to experience unique Sichuan Tapestry art
• The Wuhou Temple to ponder the past heroes and take part in a contest about their knowledge of the Three Kingdoms.

• The Dufu Cottage and take part in a poem contest – Mount Qingcheng, one of the origins of Taoism, to learn the Kungfu.
• Dujiangyan to learn about irrigation and flood control works and feel the wisdom of the founders
• Li Bing and his son.
• Jinli and Kuanzhai alley to feel the prosperous life of Chengdu.
• Wangjianglou Park to visit the historical remains of Xue Tao in the Tang Dynasty and experience the relaxing lifestyle in the bamboo forest and tea house in Chengdu.

Based on the curriculum of grade 11 Chinese class, the 11th graders will proceed to Nanjing, Suzhou, and Yangzhou, three famous cultural cities throughout China’s history, to experience Jiangnan culture, which has been numerously referred to and highly praised by many poets. In Nanjing, students will visit the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Nanjing Presidential Palace, in order to learn the complicated history of the Republic of China. They will go boating on the Qinhuai River and wander through Confucius Temple to learn about the culture and prosperity of the Six Dynasties that all set their capital in Nanjing, and they will try all kinds of Jiangsu food. They will visit The tomb of Xiao Ling of Ming density and Nanjing Museum, to appreciate various kinds of Chinese ancient arts and to see the unique topographical features of Nanjing. They will copy sutra and eat vegetarian food

to reflect on the wisdom of Buddhism, and experience the daily practice of self-improving and refining. In Yangzhou, one of the most famous and important cities of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, students will go to Yangzhou Museum to observe woodblock printing and learn ancient Chinese papermaking technology, so they can have a taste of ancient China’s technology. They will go boating on Slender West Lake, learn to make Yangzhou steamed stuffed-buns and fried rice. In Suzhou, students will visit Hanshan Temple, to experience the artistic prospect of Tang poems. They will observe Zhuozheng Garden to appreciate the most typical buildings of southern China. They will visit Suzhou Museum to see many kinds of Chinese cultural relics. They will go to Pingjiang Road to see Suzhou Pingtan, and then to Suzhou Technology Museum to make paper fans and umbrellas.