Manhattan Mandarin Travel
Spring Break 2019
High School Excursion
March 16 - March 28, 2019
On March 16th, 2019 a group of intrepid students set out on the first Spring Break Excursion. Forgoing the rest and relaxation of a Southern beach or the familiarity of the same ski slopes our students chose the strenuous life of a whirlwind trip through 5 Chinese cities in 12 days, all while drastically improving their Mandarin.
Beijing - 北京
In Beijing we clambered up The Great Wall, met government officials and kung fu masters, shot sling shots into Hou Hai (who knew this was a Old Beijing tradition?), breezed through Tian'an Men and The Forbidden City, climbed Gu Lou (Drum Tower) and observed Beijing's glory on a pollution-less day, chowed on Beijing duck, Mr. Shi's Dumplings and jianbing.
Xi'An - 西安
In Xi'an (just 30 hours) we scoured Hui Min Jie for hidden treasures, ate rou jia mo and biang biang mian, woke up early and biked around the ancient city wall, faced Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Warriors, and bargained for "Superms".
Chengdu - 成都
On the gao tie (高铁) to Chengdu we met William, a 7 year old future leader of China, and his friends. We saw his massive smile the next day at the panda sanctuary and reset US-China relations. In Chengdu we shopped in a local market and checked off our list for a cooking class of Sichuan staples, tested our spice tolerance, visited a nunnery for a silent lunch, had tea in Renmin park, and were hosted by old friends to true Sichuan food.
Guilin - 桂林 - Yangshuo - 阳朔
In Guilin we found Harry studying business Mandarin on top of a mountain with the CLI program, took a 3 hour cruise picturesque cruise down the Li River, shopped our way through West Street in Yangshuo, walked off a feast to the Sun and Moon Pagota's, and lounged in the Sheraton overlooking the river.
Shanghai - 上海
We sped through the rice paddies of the south on an overnight train from Guilin to Shanghai and watched the sunrise over eastern lakes. In Shanghai we stayed in the art deco Jin Jiang Prime Hotel, bargained for bespoke suits, learned the art of tea drinking, walked the Bund, sung KTV, and sped away to the airport at 247MPH.