Shaolin Kung Fu and Ancient Culture

Beijing, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Shaolin Temple, Kaifeng- 10 Days                    

This educational tour is designed for the student of Asian Civilization, Ancient History, World Civilization, and Ancient Culture. The tour centers on the cradle of civilization in China, with some sites dating back to over 8,000 years ago. Students explore ancient archaeological sites, and learn about the age-old Chinese practice of Kung Fu and other martial arts from the Shaolin monks, at the birthplace of Kung Fu, the Shaolin Temple. They discover traditional Chinese medicinal techniques and study the Buddhist religion.  Students travel to some of China’s ancient capitals, exploring the cultural roots and historical beginnings of today’s Chinese population.

Day 1: International Flight, U.S. to Beijing, Cross the Date Line

Days 2 - 4: Beijing  (Peking Duck Dinner)  

Day 2: Students begin their journey in Beijing, the capital of China, dating back 3,000 years.  Take a twilight walk through Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world, and site of student political controversy. In the evening, feast on the famous Peking Duck.

Day 3: At Juyong Pass near Beijing, you will have a chance to walk on the Great Wall.  Built 2,200 years ago, it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  This is the only man-made object that is visible from space and is four thousand one hundred and sixty three miles long. It has to be one of the most remarkable engineering feats of all time. The original wall was constructed in ten years, around 220 BC by the first man to rule all of China, the emperor Qin Shihuang. Since that time, especially during the Ming dynasty, the wall has been restored. From here, you will travel to see the Ming Emperor Tombs and the extraordinary Dingling Tomb.

Day 4: Today, you will enter the Forbidden City, the spectacular 580 year-old palace.  This is the world’s largest imperial palace, housing over 900 rooms and halls filled with thousands of priceless relics. Later, you will visit the magnificent Temple of Heaven to marvel at the wonders of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.  This temple was built in 1,420, a place for the emperors to worship heaven and to pray for good harvests. Night train to Luoyang.

Day 5: Luoyang

Historic Luoyang was the capital of thirteen dynasties. Here, you will visit China’s very first Buddhist temple, the 1,900 year-old White Horse Temple. You will also be able to see the Longmen Grotto, built 1,500 years ago; where 2,345 caves and more than 100,000 statues of Buddha were carved from a solid rock mountain.  The statues range in size from miniature (1 inch high) to giant-size (57 feet).

Visit the Tri-Color Art Studio, and learn about the famous ceramic artforms, passed down from the Tang Dynasty.

In the afternoon, join local high school students for cultural exchange.  Make friends and exchange emails. At night, relax and enjoy the tastes of the delicious Water Feast, a traditional meal handed down from the Tang Dynasty empress.

Day 6: Shaolin Temple

Your journey takes you to the 1,500 year-old Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Kung Fu, the mother of all martial arts. Here you will see an amazing live Kung Fu demonstration, performed by the grandmasters and monks. In the Thousand Buddhas Hall, you can still see the footprints of the monks stamped into the floor, a reminder of the intensity of their training.

As part of the tour, students may opt for some Kung Fu training. There are courses available in Shaolin pugilistic sequences, Wu Shu philosophy, and the free style pugilism forms including Tanglan Quan, Tiger Quan, Da Hong Quang, Eagle Quan, and Meihua Quan.  

Journey into the surrounding Pagoda Forest, the largest forest of its type in China. Here, 220 Shaolin monks are buried. The forest is a favorite location for filming Kung Fu movies and it is also the resting-place for many eminent Shaolin monks. 

Day 7: Zhengzhou

Take a bus to Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan Province. Here, you’ll visit Dahe village, an archeological site dating back 8,000 years, and you’ll witness thousands of recent discoveries from a New Stone Age civilization.  Discovered in 1964 and first unearthed in 1972, the ruins have been dug in 21 times, clearing 47 house foundations in different periods, 290 pits, 184 adult graves and 170 urns and coffins, unearthing 3500 pieces of tools made of pottery, stone, bone, and jade.
The ruins of the Dahe village are rare amongst all the ancient ruins unearthed in the central plains because of the large area uncovered, rich relics, wide cultural contents and the historical time period they cover.

The Henan National Museum, whose modern architecture  resembles a Mayan Pyramid, is the repository for 160,000 historic and prehistoric national treasures, including the world's earliest musical instrument, an 8,000 year old, perfectly tuned bone flute. 

Day 8: Kaifeng  (Traditional Baozi Banquet)

Travel to Kaifeng, the ancient capital of seven dynasties. During the Song Dynasty 1,000 years ago, Kaifeng was the richest and most culturally diverse city in the world. In Kaifeng, visit the famous Dragon Pavilion and Iron Pagoda.

You’ll be transported back to that time when you visit the historical recreation of a Song Dynasty city at Riverside Park. You’ll experience daily Song life as you board an ancient boat, explore the narrow streets, cross the rainbow bridge, try your hand at traditional crafts, participate in ceremonies, and meet “officials” and “residents” in period costumes.

At noon, you can enjoy the traditional dishes of the Baozi Banquet.  This banquet features many different flavors of the local cuisine.

Visit the Grand Xiangguo Monastery located in downtown Kaifeng, one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries in China. It was set up in 555 during the Northern Qi Dynasty. Learn about the history of Buddhism in Ancient China.

Day 9:Beijing

Flight to Beijing. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping on the busy streets of Beijing, and reacquaint yourselves with the 21st century in China. Use the famous Beijing Underground Rail. Visit a local cyber cafe to write an email home about your experiences on the trip.

Day 10: International Flight to US

X’ian Extension, 3 days