• Course tuition
• Accommodation: CSA Luxury Apartment or Chinese standard 3 or 4 stars Hotel (Beijing, Shanghai and Yangshuo 3 stars hotel; Xi`an and Guilin 4 stars hotel).
• Sightseeing and Activities Fee: All sightseeing trip and activities arranged by CSA are free for the program participants.
• Transportation: Airport pick-up, sightseeing trips, activities onsite visit, train/bus/flight transportation between cities, transportation to nearby city of departure.
• Insurance: The StudentCare Plus insurance policy is provided for all program participants. The policy includes emergency medical and travel coverage, plus 24 hour assistance.
• Weclome Pack: includes mobile phone with local SIM card and pre-paid long distance calling card, dictionary, CSA polo shirt, Chinese DVDs, Beijing/Shanghai guide book and more.
• 24 Hour Assistance: should any problems arise at any time during the program, CSA staff members will be available on 24 hour call.

Students in the Beijing Study and Travel Program have the choice of studying at the  Beijing Language and Cultures University or the  Beijing Mandarin Academy. They will undergo an accelerated mandarin learning program, with four hours of instruction, five days a week. Those in the intensive program will receive an additional two hours of daily one-on-one instruction. This rigorous language training is intended as an equivalent of one semester of academic mandarin study.

Students are placed in classes according to their proficiency in Chinese, which is determined through methods which may include a diagnostic exam administered prior to arrival, a review of each student’s previous study of Chinese and letters of recommendation from the students’ previous instructors. Daily homework, written and oral examinations, and classroom attendance are required of all students.

Each weekend, students embark on fully guided tours of Beijing’s celebrated cultural sites including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple, the Temple of Heaven, the Confucius Temple, the Hutongs, and Tiananmen Square. This program also includes many of China Study Abroad’s acclaimed activities such as Karaoke Night and a night at the Beijing Opera followed by roasted duck.

After the study session has been completed, students will begin the travel portion of their program. Students will be taken on a guided tour by a well-traveled China Study Abroad representative with intimate knowledge of each destination. The trip is split into three major destinations and their surrounding areas: Xi’an, Shanghai and Guilin.

Day 1 – 3: Xi’an

Home to the famous terracotta warriors unearthed only 30 years ago, Xi'an is undoubtedly the historical center of China. Over the millennia, Xi'an has been host to more than a dozen Chinese dynasties. It was also the terminus for the ancient Silk Road and was visited by merchants from all over the world.

Today, the rich and deep-rooted historical and cultural heritage of Xi'an is visible through a wealth of cultural relics, museums, and historical sites, including the world-famous terracotta army of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The highlights of this section include the Bell and Drum Tower, the Stone Forest, the Neolithic Banpo Village, a visit to the Huaqing Hot Springs, and of course Qin Shi Huang’s great mausoleum and the terracotta warriors.

Day 4 – 9: Shanghai and Outlying Areas

Shanghai is the largest city in all of China. It’s the financial heart of China’s massive economic growth, and also the site of its modern cultural and political renaissance. This is new China. Strategically located where the Yangtze River Delta meets the Pacific, Shanghai is one of the world’s most modern cities and pulses with a vibrancy of a people on the cusp of world greatness. The highlights of the Shanghai tour include the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Hu Pu river cruise, Shanghai acrobatic show, the Bund, the French Concession, and the Yuyuan Garden.

From Shanghai, students will be taken on daytrips to Hangzhou, which Marco Polo was claimed to be the “most beautiful city in the world,” and to the water townships of Zhouzhuang and Tongli, the “Venice of China.” Canals run throughout both of these villages, and their inhabitants traverse from place to place in small boats and gondolas. Here students will witness well-preserved ancient residential houses, boat rides through the canals and under bridges, and observe local customs as merchants sell their wares from their gondolas.

Day 10 – 15: Guilin to Shenzhen and Hong Kong

The Chinese government thinks so highly of Guilin’s natural wonder and beauty that they have placed its iconic image on the back of the 50 yuan bill. Before this, its cloud-covered peaks have adorned water colorings and inspired Chinese poets for centuries. In fact, the Seven Star Park, thus named because it resembles the Big Dipper, has been a tourist attraction since 517 AD. After touring Guilin’s famed peaks, caves and cruising along the Li River, prepare for bike rides and hiking through the nearby Yangshou countryside.

After seeing the beauty of China’s countryside, the students will fly to Shenzhen. After a city tour, program participants will take the subway into Hong Kong, from which they will have the option to fly home or explore Hong Kong on their own. Program participants have the option of requesting a China Study Abroad guide through Hong Kong at an additional expense.

*All hotels stays, entrance tickets, and transportation from Beijing to Hong Kong on the tour are included in the cost of the program.