China Educator Proposed Itinerary
Dragons China Educator program benefits from a 30+ year history of deeply immersive student programming in off-the-beaten-path locales, exposing participants to cultural and geographical realities and perspectives uncommon to the average traveler. From the “City of Eternal Spring” to the crossroads of trade and cultural fusions, this itinerary presents educators with a layered understanding of ethnic minority and rural issues in modern-day China. Through lectures and visits with local organizations and development experts, rural homestays, and collaborative exchange on curriculum and teaching tools, we go well beyond the Wall to explore a side of China full of complexity, diversity, and contradictions.
| Day 1: Kunming to Damoyu | From Kunming Changshui International Airport, we take a short bus ride to Damoyu, a small Yi ethnic village in the hills above Kunming. Here we settle into our Orientation, getting to know each other, our goals for the trip, and our new surroundings. We will also review important health and safety considerations, as well as introduce cultural do’s and don'ts for our time together. Damoyu is unique in that it is inhabited by “old” villagers and “new” villagers: Yi ethnic villagers who have lived there for generations as well as former city-dwellers who have left behind the stresses of urban living in search of a quieter and more sustainable existence. In our time here, we will explore the similarities and differences between these communities, explore the tension between the pressure to modernize and the desire to revitalize tradition, and enjoy delicious farm-to-table meals. We stay in earthen clay buildings at Gooday Permaculture Center, a sustainable living center in the heart of Damoyu. |
|---|---|
| Day 2: Damoyu | On Day 2, we continue to explore Damoyu, visiting farmers’ and artisans’ homes and workshops as well as important village sites. In doing so, we also introduce the pillars of effective global education for classroom and field-based programming. In our meetings with guest speakers, including the founder of Gooday Permaculture Center, we delve into the topic of sustainability and what it means in a rapidly developing China. We conclude our orientation with a tasty meal and discussion of our plans for the coming days. |
| Day 3: Damoyu to Kunming | After breakfast, we bid farewell to Damoyu and take a short bus ride into the center of Kunming. We meet with a guest speaker whose research focuses on environmental law and policy in China, and who currently works at the intersection of agroforestry and coffee, a relatively new crop in this country so famous for tea. In the afternoon, participants depart on a scavenger hunt activity exploring market places, local history, and place-based education. After a dinner of in-season mushroom hotpot, we take an optional evening stroll around Green Lake Park, taking in the bustling civic life and joining in on locals’ exercise routines if desired! |
| Days 4-5: Kunming | The following two days in Kunming begin with tasty local breakfasts, followed by mornings in the Dragons Program House. We dive into Dragons Global Citizenship, Awareness of Self, and Leadership (GAL) curriculum to frame a conversation surrounding best practices in global education. We also invite diverse scholars, educators, and entrepreneurs to the Dragons Program House, speaking to topics of interest to the group. Some potential topics include resource management, trade-offs in development, religion and philosophy in China, and ethnic minority issues. In the afternoons, we split into smaller groups for our “Independent Study Projects” where educators can choose a traditional art, craft, practice, or other topic of interest to delve into. Some potential ISPs include Chinese medicine, calligraphy, tea ceremony, martial arts, and cooking. After three full days in Kunming, we pack our bags and prepare to head to Lijiang. |
| Day 6: Kunming to Lijiang | We board a high-speed rail and zip from Kunming to Lijiang, enjoying in four hours what was, up until a few years ago, a nine-hour overnight journey. We spend a couple hours wandering the cobbled streets of Lijiang, a UNESCO world heritage site and picturesque city, situated under the towering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We also discuss the commodification and commercialization of Naxi ethnic culture in Lijiang, as we travel out of the city and into Nanyao Village for a three-night homestay with local Naxi farming families. Arriving in the late afternoon, educators meet their individual homestay families and enjoy dinner and evening activities with them. |
| Day 7: Nanyao Village | We gather at our program base, a century-old courtyard, for our daily meeting and a debrief of our first night in the homestay. We discuss homestay facilitation and best practices for framing community engagement. After a short morning exploration of the village, we put on our walking shoes for an afternoon stroll along the shores of Lashihai Lake, to a Tibetan Buddhist temple. We learn about Tibetan Buddhism, chat with monks, and consider the implications of religious freedom in the modern world. |
| Day 8: Nanyao Village | The activities of our final day in Nanyao are dependent upon participant interest (and weather!). We may embark on a hike to Wenhai, a stunning alpine lake, visit a Naxi Dongba priest to learn about traditional Naxi writing systems and religion, visit the elementary school to learn about Chinese education, engage in farming tasks with local families, or visit a nearby village that hosts an international artist residency and learn the traditional Qilin dance. We come together in the afternoon to compare and contrast our experience in rural Nanyao with our time in Kunming, unpacking the urban-rural divide in a country whose population is approximately 45% rural. |
| Day 9: Lijiang to Dali | Waving goodbye to our homestay families, we hop back on the high-speed rail for a 2-hour ride to Dali, the ancient capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom and an important stop on the centuries-old Tea Horse Road. We explore the traditional arts, crafts, and architecture of the Bai ethnic group, as well as issues related to tourism development and its economic, environmental, and cultural impacts. We settle for the night at Xizhou’s Linden Center, a restored traditional courtyard and center for cultural exchange. |
| Day 10: Dali | This final day of our trip takes us down to the banks of Erhai Lake or up to the temples in the Cangshan mountains, immersing ourselves in Dali’s natural beauty. We spend the morning reflecting on our time together and collaboratively brainstorm ways to transfer our learning to our students and communities in the places we call home. We discuss the importance of these “transference” activities and ways for students to intentionally bring their experiential learnings abroad back to their homes and classrooms. After lunch, we take the high-speed rail two hours back to Kunming, and enjoy a final meal together followed by a closing ceremony. |
| Day 11: Departure from Kunming | After breakfast, we wrap up any loose ends and bid a heartfelt goodbye to new friends and colleagues of Sinology and global education! |