MPH Plans for Spring Break 2019 China Trip

Over Spring Break in 2017, twenty MPH Upper Schoolers embarked on adventure of a lifetime, introducing them to a new culture and new experiences in China.  World Language Instructor Wei Gao led the excursion, which had a lasting impact on the students. The experience was so positive, in fact, that Wei has decided to lead another group for Spring Break 2019.

MPH sophomore Christian Mezzalingua was one of the students who traveled to China in 2017 and he is eager to return. Here’s what he had to say about his experience:

How did this trip contribute to your experience as an MPH student?
The MPH China trip allowed me to solidify my passion for learning Chinese and speaking this interesting language. Being fully immersed in the experience of consistently talking in Chinese, basically giving no choice, was a daunting but provoking task. It was daunting because I was only in my first year of Chinese language class and so I wasn’t proficient in the language yet. This is what made it so provoking…because it pushed me to learn more. When I came back from the trip, I was even more interested in learning the Chinese language, especially because it is an important language in the business world.

After I went to China, the next thing on my list was to go back to China. This trip made me love Chinese culture so much, I can’t wait to return. Since the trip is happening again during Spring Break 2019, maybe you can find a love for China and its culture as I did.

What kinds of relationships did you build on this trip?
I became friends with people I wouldn’t necessarily become friends with in a typical MPH school year. Even though MPH is such a small school, there are lots of kids you don’t always get to know. The China trip allowed me to build relationships with kids in my grade and in the grade above, all people who I am still close with today.

What were your favorite moments on the trip?
It’s so difficult choose one favorite moment from this trip. We visited the Great Wall of China. We went to the Forbidden City. We saw the Terracotta Army. We ate at a dumpling house and saw a live performance. It was all amazing, but if I had to pick I think I would have to say it was biking around the Xian city wall. This experience not only gave me an incredible sense of freedom and clarity as we biked along the beautiful breezy blockaded city, it brought the hundreds of thousands of years of Chinese history into perspective. In addition to arriving in the city of Xian, the sleeper train ride from Beijing to Xian was a really great moment to bond with the other people on the trip.

If you were convincing your best buddy go on this trip, what would you tell them about?
The china trip is really cool. You can get immersed in a culture that’s completely different from America. You get to have unlimited Chinese food for a whole week. You get to meet a diverse group of the MPH community, including connecting with exchange students, students from other grades, and faculty.

 

MPH Spring Break China Trip   April 12 – April 21, 2019
Open to all Upper School students

Day 1:   April 12  Syracuse to Beijing

Day 2: April 13  Arrive in Beijing. Meet our guide and private coach bus driver at the airport and check into hotel.

Day 3:  April 14  Beijing visit- Start your time in Beijing with a visit to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven.  Evening: tour around the Hou Hai(back lake) alley.

Day 4:  April 15  Great Wall- Climb the Great Wall of China.   Afternoon: Silk market shopping.   Evening: Board the overnight train to Xi’an on soft sleepers.

Day 5:  April 16  Arrive Xi’an in the morning. Visit Terra Cotta Warrior Museum and Wild Goose Pagoda.   Evening: musical with dinner.

Day 6:  April 17  Visit Xi’an No. 1 Middle School and have culture exchange activities together. Tour the Muslim court, a bustling business court famous for snacks and souvenirs.

 Day 7:  April 18  Take a fast train to Chengdu in the morning.  Freshen up and head to the biggest Panda base in the world, which houses over 100 pandas.  Evening: Chun Xi business district.

Day 8: April 19  Chengdu-Morning visit to Dujiangyan Dam, a historical cultural heritage. Fly to Shanghai in the afternoon.  Evening: take a ferry ride and visit Shanghai Bund area.

Day 9:  April 20  Visit Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Tower.

Day 10:  April 21  Fly back to Syracuse, arrive home the same day.

Cost of trip:  $2950 per person, based on double occupancy

Tour Cost Includes:

  1. 8 night hotels accommodation with daily breakfast included
  2. Private air-conditioned bus
  3. Admission fees as listed
  4. Round trip airport and ground transportation with baggage handling
  5. Bilingual tour guide service
  6. Daily lunch and dinner included.

Does NOT Include: Gratitude tips, travel insurance(optional), Chinese entry visa fee