The Beijing Center

YUNNAN PROVINCE

Spring Semester

WELCOME TO CHINA, NOW LET'S GO TRAVEL

For two weeks you will have the opportunity to live, learn and share the rich and diverse cultures of China’s ethnic minorities as part of your education abroad. You will have the rare opportunity to participate in homestays in various villages and explore a tropical rainforest. In addition, you will celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year) during this trip and enjoy the tropical climate of Xishuangbanna where you will stay in the villages of the Dai people. The Yunnan Province excursion is included in tuition and is a compulsory part of the spring semester. This itinerary is just to give you a taste of what’s to come and is subject to change.

The YUNNAN PROVINCE Map

WELCOME TO CHINA,

NOW LET’S GO TRAVEL

• Eat “Across-the-Bridge-Noodles”
• Feed Siberian Seagulls at Emerald Lake
• Experience Guandu Old Town
• Visit Provincial and Ethnic Museums

Explore the “City of Eternal Spring,” home to Yunnan’s earliest inhabitants and the cradle of its first civilization. Known as the City of Eternal Spring for its mild climate and profusion of flowers and plants. Nowadays as the provincial capital of Yunnan, Kunming is a bustling metropolis with an urban population of about 3 million. Seagull watching at Cuihu lake.

• Chitchat with the Yi People
• Enjoy the “Sea-weed Tune” and learn the “Dragon Dance”
• Participate in a community party with the local Yi People
• Overnight with a local host family
• Learn making bean curd

Be awed by the beauty of traditional dress with intricate embroidery and silver ornaments. Meet the Yi people, the largest minority nationality in Southwest China, a collective term for a large Tibetan-Burman group. A typical Yi village is identified by two-story adobe houses with flat roofs.

• Visit the second-largest Confucius Temple of its kind in China
• Stroll through the Zhu Family Garden- restored Qing Dynasty mansion and garden
• Walk through the ancient eastern gateway to the city, Chaoyang Tower
• Shop for handicraft at the village museum
• Sample the bean curd secret recipes of the locals

Relax and take a break from the tourist route as you visit the historical sights and meet the friendly people of Jianshui. Jianshui has preserved over 100 old temples, academies of classical learning, and large residences. It was once a thriving trading center that connected routes between Vietnam, the Dai kingdom of Xishuangbanna and the edge of the Chinese empire.

• Talk with monks at the village temple
• Participate in a community party with the local Dai People
• Overnight with a local host family
• Enjoy the traditional Peacock Dance

Take the time to get to know the people of this Dai Village. Traditional Dai homes are located on flat, level embankments, facing rivers or lakes, and are built of bamboo on stilts, with hinged walls, and a trapdoor and ladder leading below. Buddhism plays a central role in their culture, and young men normally spend a period of their youth as monks living in the temples and studying the Buddhist sutras.

• Hike Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
• Dine at the village shaman’s house
• Learn the Naxi pictographic symbols called dongba
• Participate in a community party with the local Naxi People
• Explore the Dayan Old Town

Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yunnan Province, China. Known for its well-preserved ancient town, stunning natural scenery, and diverse ethnic cultures, Lijiang attracts millions of visitors each year. The old town’s cobblestone streets, wooden buildings, and picturesque canals make it a popular destination for sightseeing and cultural exploration. Additionally, the surrounding area offers opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and visiting nearby attractions like the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

• Visit Zhiyun Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist lamasery
• Meet the people of Donglianhua Muslim Village
• Participate in a Three-Course Tea Ceremony
• Watch traditional cormorant fishing on Er Hai Lake

Take a moment to smell the flowers. Dali is famous for being the “Flower Kingdom” of camellia, azalea and orchids, and for the many types of marble it produces, which are used primarily in construction and for decorative objects. Sandwiched between Er Hai Lake to the east and the Cang Shan Mountain range to the west, the picturesque little town of Dali draws many visitors. In the nearby countryside, numerous Bai villages offer a glimpse into traditional culture, and are particularly interesting on market days.