Travel

Mainly, teachers travel to China as a group, leaving from the closest airport to their home and assembling either on the west coast or east coast. In the previous two summers, teachers have flown directly to Beijing, where they are met by a private tour company provided by Wuhan University, which spends 48 hours introducing them to Chinese culture, food, and customs, while showing them the most significant sites in this stately capital city. On the first morning in China, teachers load a bus for the Great Wall, then later in the day visit the well-preserved Ming Tombs. On the second day, teachers first explore Tian an men Square. From there, we walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace and enter the ages-old Forbidden City. After this overwhelming morning, we have a lunch, and then travel to the restful grounds of the emporer's Summer Palace.

At the end of the trip, most teachers choose to take a short tour through the Three Gorges Dam area, which will soon be flooded in what is the largest single civil engineering project in the history of mankind. From there, teachers fly to Shanghai for two days exploring this fascinating and cosmopolitan city where East truly meets West.