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WCE will post emails and pictures from the 2012 WCE China Trip while the trip is in progress! Please encourage your friends to view the WCE Web Site and follow the trip!! (Posted below are emails and pictures from the
for the 2011 WCE Skyline Student China Trip and the 2011 WCE Everett Area Student China Trip - scroll down past the WCE Skyline Student China Trip Pictures!)
2011 WCE Skyline Student China Trip
6/25/2011 Saturday (Seattle) Our 12 Member Skyline Student China Delegation led by Mrs. Sarah Rainwater and Ms. Rita Ireland (WCE Board) departed from Seattle although a little late, will transfer planes in Beijing,
and arrive in Guangzhou as scheduled. This Student Delegation will visit Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Beijing, China. The Guangdong Education Department will host a School Visit at Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School
and a Guangzhou City Tour also with Students (who speak perfect English) from Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School. Please remind family and friends to follow the trip on this Web Site as Pictures and Emails will be posted
on this page during the trip.
6/26/2011 Sunday Guangzhou (7:45 AM Seattle Time same day 10:45 PM Guangzhou Time) We have spoken with Eva Zhang (our outstanding Guangzhou Guide) and Jessica Chen (our exceptional China Tour Operator) and they have
informed us that our Skyline Student Delegation has arrived safely in Guangzhou and are currently on the bus traveling to the White Swan Hotel (send emails to the White Swan Hotel) where they will check in and get a
well-deserved night’s rest. Their adventure has begun! Tomorrow after an outstanding American Buffet Breakfast our Students will visit the kindergarten and tour Guangzhou City. Encourage family and friends to view
this web site for daily updates and pictures! We have received our first email AND PICTURE from Peter Zhang (our outstanding Guangzhou Guide), “The Skyline delegation has come safe and sound. The trip is very smooth.
All the people are excited about the following day's trip. Tomorrow, we will go to No.2 Kindergarten, the Haixinsha Square, and Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall & the Chen Clan Academy in the afternoon.”
6/27/2011 Monday Guangzhou (8:30 AM Seattle Time same day 11:30 PM Guangzhou Time) We have received another email with MORE PICTURES from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide), "Today, we go to Guangzhou NO.2
Kindergarten in the morning. We watch the flag raising ceremony and seeing the kids line up and behaving well is really significant. Then we have sports lesson and music lesson together with the kids. It is just so
fun to have time together with the kids! Then we visit Haixinsha square--the opening ceremony pavilion of 16th Asian Game. At the Haixinsha square, we also see the 600-meter high Guangzhou TV tower, the newly-built
Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Theatre, as well as the new Guangzhou Library. All the buildings are built in recent 7-8 years and it is so fascinating to travel around the new CBD of Guangzhou. Then we go for our first
Cantonese lunch. The eating culture is so different but we all like the dishes and we eat well. In the afternoon, we go to Dr.Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall and have learned more about the great pioneer of Chinese
revolution. Then we visit the Chen Clan Academy to enjoy more folk arts and we’ve seen and learnt a lot! It’s really a nice trip today. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to visiting Guangzhou Sports Training &
Technical College, visiting the Five Ram Statue and Guangzhou Museum and shopping together with the local students!"
6/28/2011 Tuesday Guangzhou (8:45 AM Seattle Time same day 11:45 PM Guangzhou Time) This day in Guangzhou is always a very exciting day as our delegation visits the Guangzhou Sports Training & Technical College and
have a Buffet lunch with the future Olympic Champions and spends the afternoon touring, eating, and shopping in Guangzhou City with the local Students from Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School (the #1 English
Speaking School in Guangzhou). It is truly a day that our Students will never forget. We have received an update with pictures from Peter Zhang (our exceptional Guangzhou Guide) “Today, we go to Guangzhou Sports
Training & Technical College in the morning. There we tour around the campus and learn more about Chinese sports system. We also communicate with the students in the college. We play ping-pong with ping-pong athletes,
we try to learn how to do fencing, and we also play basketball with local athletes. Through playing together, we come to know each other and understand each other better after the games. We have buffet lunch with the
college’s students and it is really good to share life with them! In the afternoon, we meet with the local Xiguan School students and travel together with them. We go to the Five Ram Statue, which is the symbol of
Guangzhou and Guangzhou Museum to learn more about the local history. Then we go to the Up-and-Down Nine Pedestrian Street for shopping. It is interesting to bargain here, and we get some nice things. For dinner,
we have dim-sum supper or snack supper, which is also Cantonese style and very delicious. What a nice day! Tomorrow, we will learn some Kongfu in the morning and learn Chinese calligraphy & hand painting in the
afternoon. That’s so exciting! We are looking forward to visiting Guangxiao Temple and the Lichi Bay too!”
6/29/2011 Wednesday Guangzhou (8:45 AM Seattle Time same day 11:45 PM Guangzhou Time) We have received an update with more pictures from Peter Zhang (our exceptional Guangzhou Guide) “Today, we practice Chinese Kung fu
at Shamian Park in the morning. Through the practicing, we learn the Chinese culture better and it is really impressing. For lunch, we still try some new Cantonese food. Then we go to a local supermarket to experience
the local people’s life. We get some good things there and like it a lot. Then we go to the Guangxiao Temple to learn more about Buddhism and know about the local Buddhism culture. It is exotic and interesting. After
that, we go to Porcelain Company to learn Chinese calligraphy & hand painting. We’ve learned a lot and also find some unique things here. Then we go to the Lichi Bay to know more about the history and local people’s
life as well as the local style architecture. For dinner, we have tried dim-sum dinner, it is good-looking and delicious. It is really a nice and impressing day! Tomorrow, we will go to Foshan City for more history
and local culture, and we will have English party with local students in the afternoon. We hope to do it a lot!" More outstanding pictures are below!
6/30/2011 Thursday Guangzhou (8:00 AM Seattle Time same day 11:00 PM Guangzhou Time) We spoke briefly with Rita Ireland (our exceptional WCE Trip Leader) who informed us that it is an outstanding delegation and everyone is having a wonderful trip! We have received a detailed
update from Rita Ireland (our exceptional WCE Trip Leader), “Such a great group of students! Their teacher, Mrs. Rainwater, is quite fun and clever. For example, she and Will taught the students at the Foreign
Language School how to dance the Macarena! Everyone joined in and it was a great thing to see! Kevin played his violin first and the students were very impressed. You should have seen the students on the boat cruise
tonight....as we finished a delicious dinner and floated down the Pearl River, seeing all the amazing lights. Each one spoke their thanks out loud to our guides...as it is our last night here in Guangzhou, saying a few
nice compliments. It almost made me cry, it was so touching! Irwin spoke of his gratitude in Cantonese and English and it surprised our tour guides. "He is a first student to do so!" they said. It's soon time to end
this wonderful experience in Guangzhou. We also are practicing new phrases every day. They are curious, smart students. I am so impressed with their inquisitiveness. They are polite to our two guides, Eva and Peter.
(Thanks to good parenting too!) Before they left Seattle, Ms. Rainwater created a game of "Who Could Get the Most M & M's in the Little Bottle in One Minute"! Kevin was our official timer. Students practiced and it
was an exciting start to a great trip so far! (Julia won, by the way.) It was a smooth flight over, with hardly a wiggle from our students on the plane. Lucky for us, there was a Hainan representative to help us
through the maze. So, I am happy to inform you that all students used chopsticks at the first meal and they are very efficient chopstick users now. We have been kept so busy that the 5 days feel like many more, as
there has been so much to see and do, despite that it is raining a lot. It is still hot and humid...which I like. One day we're practicing basketball, fencing, and playing table tennis with possible future athletes at
the Sports Training Facility and the next day, we're practicing Martial Arts with a Kung Fu Master, at a beautiful park near our hotel. Yet, there are quiet times too: the students visited a Buddhist Temple, and then
learned how to do calligraphy and brush painting that day. It seems to be a nice balance. It's the same with the extra time we are giving them at the hotel. They like the free time to relax or swim in the nice, outdoor
pool, or read and listen to music, in between our daily touring activities. Will keep you updated from Xian!” We have received another update with more pictures from Peter (our outstanding Guangzhou Guide), “Today, we go
to Foshan City in the morning for knowledge about pottery and Kung fu because Foshan City is the hometown of the above two. We go to the Ancestral Temple first and know more about the North God who is in charge of water.
Then we go to the Nanfeng Kiln where ancient Chinese make pottery. We really get more knowledge and learn more about culture there. For lunch, we go to McDonald's and we find this fast food is nearly the same all around
the world. In the afternoon, we have English party with local students! Their English is good, so are their performances. We also do some performances for them, too. Kevin played violin, William taught the local students
how to do the Macarena dance, and others are all devoting to it. We really have a good time together. Since it is the last night in Guangzhou, we have a banquet tonight----boat cruise along Pearl River! The dinner is great
and the scenery along the river is even better. It’s really unforgettable. Tomorrow, we will leave for Xi’an City and will miss Guangzhou always.”
7/1/2011 Friday Xi'an (7:30 AM Seattle Time same day 10:30 PM Xi'an Time) We have received an update with PICTURES from Eva Zhang (our excellent China Tour Manager), “Today we took a smooth flight to Xi’an . The local guide
Yellow Jade and Ponder picked up us in the Airport at two. Then we went to the City Wall where is nearby the hotel . The weather is really hot today, So we just spend half hour on the wall .Then we checked into the Howard
Johnson Ginwa Plaza Hotel. In the evening,we enjoyed the wonderful Tang Dynasty Dinner Show and dumpling dinner. Tomorrow our delegation will see the Terra Cotta Warriors!!”
7/2/2011 Saturday Xi'an (7:00 AM Seattle Time same day 10:00 PM Xi'an Time) We have received another quick update from Rita Ireland (our WCE Trip Leader), “A great day at the Terra Cotta exhibits, and all have learned a lot from
Professor Ponder! We are also very hot...nearing 100 degrees! All are healthy. Feeling more like a family each hour. Many threw the frisbee at the Pagoda with others. Tonight we are leaving soon for a hot pot dinner and will
have a great time. Such a wonderful group of students. I am here in the H Johnson lobby using wi-fi with Eva. She's awesome.” And our daily update from Eva Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Tour Manager traveling with our delegation
in Xi’an), “Today was such busy day. We got up early and went to tour the Terra-Cotta Warriors Factory and the Museum in the morning. In the factory we learned how craftsmen make the Terra-Cotta Warriors from dirt and the staff
taught us how to play the Xun (a traditional musical instrument in China and is similar to an ocarina) The Terra-Cotta Warriors Museum is unbelievable. After that everyone knows more Chinese History. In the afternoon we went to
visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Even though have hot weather everyone just enjoy it very much. The highlight was the Hot pot dinner .Everybody had a new experience to cooking the food with boiling water. Tomorrow we will leave for Beijing!”
7/3/2011 Sunday Beijing (6:15 AM Seattle Time same day 9:15 PM Beijing Time) Our Student Delegation is now in Beijing! (Hopefully they still have computers in the rooms at The Lake View Hotel and they are sending emails to you!) We have
received our daily update with pictures from Eva Zhang (our excellent China Tour Manager), “Our Delegation has taken a smooth flight from Xi'an to Beijing and arrived in Beijing at noon. We checked in The Lake View Hotel and had a short
rest before we went out to the Summer Palace (It's 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures). It's hard to believe that they were all hand painted so
many years ago. We had a really nice walk inside. We really enjoyed our time. The first dinner in Beijing was the famous Peking duck. It was delicious. Tomorrow we will have a busy day, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and much
more. Irwin will get the chance to play the piano in the hotel tomorrow morning!” And Rita Ireland (our outstanding WCE Trip Leader) has sent another email, “Another very hot day when we arrived in Beijing. I suggested a lighter meal
as we had just eaten a big meal on plane. Eva agreed and she and Andy (great guy, our Beijing Guide) picked up one half sub sandwiches and we ate them later in our rooms. They are so flexible. Delicious Peking Duck dinner tonight after
a hot crowded walk around the Summer Palace. We challenged Eva to eat the fish eye and Sara would eat the other. Both easily did so... much to the surprise of the students! Nice to be back to The Lake View, but ...oh, they are serious
about anyone wearing swim caps in the pool! What? All parents and kids are fine and happy. We hope to hear Irwin play the piano tomorrow - classical, we hear!”
7/4/2011 Monday Beijing (7:30 AM Seattle Time same day 10:30 PM Beijing Time) We have received a quick update from Rita Ireland (our WCE Trip Leader), "Too tired to write much. Such a full day! From Tiananmen Square to the huge Forbidden City,
a walk to a Silk Factory for a tea ceremony, and ending with dinner and the fantastic Acrobatic Show...not counting our meals around the large, circular table. All spells AWESOME!” We have also received another trip update with pictures from
Eva Zhang (our exceptional China Tour Manager), “It was such busy day as we ever have on this trip. Before we went to Tiananmen Square Irwin and BIair gave us a wonderful piano performance. Then we spent 3 hours touring Tiananmen Square
(which is the largest city square in the world) and the Forbidden City (which has 999 rooms inside) . After a Chinese Lunch, our delegation visited the Temple of Heaven with Kevin's cousin (she is a nice girl and will be 16 years old tomorrow).
We sang happy birthday to her in English and Chinese and then we enjoyed a fantastic Acrobatic Performance after dinner. After an enjoyable day everyone was very tired. Tomorrow we will stand on the Great Wall of China!"
7/5/2011 Tuesday Beijing (7:45 AM Seattle Time same day 10:45 PM Beijing Time) We have received our final pictures and update from Eva Zhang in Beijing, “Today was a beautiful day!! Very nice weather for us. We stood on the Great Wall and everyone is
now a hero. We spent more than 2 hours climbing up the Great Wall. Some of us choose the easy way and some of us picked the hard way. Most of us reach the highest part of the Great Wall. It was the best moment for us!! After the lunch, we had a
relaxed walking in the Ming Tombs Spirit Road with different animal sculptures. Then we took an hour drive back to downtown and shop in the Xiushui Market. Everyone had a great time today! Tomorrow they will fly back to US!!” Tomorrow the delegation
will tour the Olympic stadium and fly back to Seattle in the afternoon. For Parents Meeting the Delegation tomorrow: First check (call Hainan Airlines at 1-888-688-8813 or go online at www.hainan.com and check the Flight Status of Hainan Airlines Flight
#495) to make sure the flight is on time. We will meet the delegation at International Baggage #1 or as the walk up the stairs from the South Concourse. Remember they will need 45 – 60 minutes to clear US Immigrations and US Customs after their flight
arrives. We will see you at the airport tomorrow.
7/6/2011 Wednesday (Seattle) Welcome Home!
Pictures from the 2011 Skyline Student China Trip will be below:
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2011 WCE Everett Area Student China Trip
6/27/2011 Monday (Seattle) Our 25 Member WCE Student Delegation led by Coach Ed Lundberg departed from Seattle, will transfer planes in Vancouver BC, and arrive in Hong Kong to visit Hong Kong, Guangzhou,
Xi'an, and Beijing, China. The Guangdong Education Department will host School Visits and a Tour with Local Students (who speak perfect English) in Guangzhou, China. Emails and pictures will be posted here on this
web site during the trip.
6/28/2011 Tuesday Hong Kong (7:15 am Seattle Time 10:15 pm Hong Kong Time) We have just spoken with Randy Li (our excellent Hong Kong Tour Manager). Our 25 Member Student Delegation has arrived safely in Hong Kong and
are checked into the Regal Riverside Hotel. Everyone is happy to be in Hong Kong and is very excited about tomorrow’s Hong Kong Walking Tour. The Hong Kong Walking Tour is the best way to view the City as the local
people live by subway and light rail. Their adventure has begun! Tomorrow we should receive our first pictures!
6/29/2011 Wednesday Hong Kong (6:30 am Seattle Time 9:30 pm Hong Kong Time) We have received another update with a picture from Randy Li (our excellent Hong Kong Tour Manager). Today (a cloudy Seattle like day except
for the temperature Hi 86°F Lo 77°F) our Students took the Hong Kong Walking Tour (always a fun day) which includes a KCR (light rail) & MTR (subway) Ride to Kowloon to visit Nathan Street (view pearls at a wholesale
outlet, barter for clothes, sun glasses and more), and enjoyed a ride across Victoria Harbour (the #1 Container Harbor in the World) on the Star Ferry. After lunch the delegation took a Double Decker Bus Ride to Mong
Kok to visit Bird Alley, the Flower Market, and Women's Street Market. All of this public transportation allows our Students to experience Hong Kong as the local people do. Tomorrow our Delegation will enjoy viewing
Hong Kong’s most important sites by Charter Bus on the Hong Kong Island Tour!
6/30/2011 Thursday Hong Kong (6:30 am Seattle Time 9:30 pm Hong Kong Time) We have just received an update from Coach Lundberg, "Just a quick note while I have wifi access. All is well. We had a great tip over. Air
Canada was very impressive. We were on a new 777 which was very comfortable. The 13 hour flight went by very quickly. Our first day in Hong Kong was great. Randy showed us around Kowloon. Today we are on our Island tour."
After their American Buffet Breakfast, the delegation spent the day touring Hong Kong's major sites (Victoria Peak for a spectacular view of Hong Kong, Repulse Bay with its magnificent Buddhist Statues, and the Floating
Village of Aberdeen Bay where some residents have never stepped on land). After the tour our members visited Tsim Sha Tsui (a tourist shopping area); enjoyed The Avenue of Stars (modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that
is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront and honors celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chen, etc.); before returning to the hotel. Hannah Yoon celebrated her BIRTHDAY!!
Tomorrow they will take a Charter Bus to Guangzhou!
7/1/2011 Friday Guangzhou (8:00 am Seattle Time 11:00 pm Guangzhou Time) Our Students traveled from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China by Bus (this bus ride allows students to view the China Countryside with its joint venture factories
and growing cities). We have received an update with PICTURES from Peter (our excellent Guangzhou Guide). Peter has informed us that our delegation has arrived safely and enjoyed their first day in Guangzhou, China. “Everything’s
going on very well! Luckily for them, we have rain for the last four days but it just stopped today and the sun comes out from time to time. We reach the White Swan Hotel at noon and it is a really nice hotel. After checking in, we
go for our first Cantonese style food. They are delicious and using chopsticks to eat is very challenging and interesting. After the lunch, we go to the Chen Clan Academy for folk arts and local style buildings. They have Chinese
characters that are very nice and vivid. Then we go to the Lichi Bay Park where local people use to live and have a look at what their life is like. The sceneries are really beautiful. We have dim-sum for dinner and they are just tasty.
And we also learn more eating culture here. It’s really a nice trip today. Tomorrow, we are traveling with the local students.”
7/2/2011 Saturday Guangzhou (8:00 am Seattle Time 11:00 pm Guangzhou Time) We spoke with Jessica Chen (our exceptional China Tour Manager) and she informed us that our Student Delegation had another outstanding day. In the morning just
outside the White Swan Hotel in Shamian Park our delegation was given a lesson in Tai Chi (an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. It is also typically practiced for a variety of other
personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, and longevity. As a consequence, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims. Some of Taijiquan's
training forms are especially known for being practiced at what most people categorize as slow movement.); enjoyed lunch; and spent the day touring (Guangzhou City’s most important sites), shopping; and eating with the local Students from
Guangzhou Xiguan Foreign Language School (who speak perfect English). It is the most important day of their trip to share a day with Students of a similar age. Pictures will follow later.We have received an update with PICTURES from Peter
(our excellent Guangzhou Guide), "Today, we learn Taiji in the morning first! It is really Chinese and pretty difficult. The Taiji master is so great and his movements are so good-looking. We have all learned some movements and it is both
fun and knowledgeable. Then we go to visit the Haixinsha square--the opening ceremony pavilion of 16th Asian Game and also the new CBD (central business district) of Guangzhou. At the Haixinsha square, we also see the newly-built Guangdong
Museum, Guangzhou Theatre, the 600-meter high Guangzhou TV tower, as well as the new Guangzhou Library. All the buildings are built in recent 7-8 years and they witness the development of Guangzhou very well. For lunch, we try another Cantonese
lunch and we are getting used to local food and we like them a lot. Then we go to Xiguan Foreign Language School, one of the best in Guangzhou and meet with the local students. Then we travel together and have a really good time. We go to the
symbol of Guangzhou---- the Five Ram Statue and Guangzhou Museum for more knowledge about the local history. Then we go to the Up-and-Down Nine Pedestrian Street for shopping. It is interesting to bargain here, and we get some nice things. For
dinner, we eat together and share life together, it is really a pleasant memory to be together with the local students. Last but not least, Brett has his birthday celebrated today in China. All of us sing the Chinese version of Happy birthday
song to him and prepare a card as well as a birthday cake. It is really a unique birthday. What a nice day! Tomorrow, we will visit Dr. Sun Yet-sen's Memorial Hall, Guangxiao Temple and Xiangjiang Safari Park. We are looking forward to tomorrow’s
activities a lot."
7/3/2011 Sunday Guangzhou (8:15 am Seattle Time 11:15 pm Guangzhou Time) We have received our daily report with more pictures from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide), “Today, we go to Dr.Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall in the morning, learning
more about the founding father of republic China, a great pioneer of Chinese revolution as well as enjoying the exotic architecture and modern China’s history. Then we visit the Guangxiao Temple for more learning about Buddhism and know about the
local Buddhism culture. There we also see people sending birds free for beliefs, it’s very interesting. Then we try Chinese McDonald’s. This is also an interesting experience. In the afternoon, we go to Xiangjiang Safari Park. It is the highlight
of the travel. We see pandas, white tigers and many other different kinds of animals. They are not caged. They just live in the natural environment and they are so amazing. The animals show is also very impressing. Then in the evening, we have a
special banquet for an end of the trip in Guangzhou. We go for a boat cruise and have buffet dinner on the boat. All the food is delicious and the scenery along the river is beautiful. The after-meal magic show is also a lot of fun. In a word, the
whole journey is unforgettable. Tomorrow, we will leave for Xi’an, a city famous for Terra-Cotta Warriors! We really look forward to visiting there!”
7/4/2011 Monday Xi'an (7:45 am Seattle Time 10:45 pm Xi'an Time) We have received another updated from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide traveling with our Student Delegation In Xi’an), “Today we flew to Xi'an for a whole new city
on this trip. The flight is smooth and we get there at noon. After an impressive lunch, which is different from Cantonese style, we go to the Ancient City Wall. It is gorgeous and we learn more about people's life and work, who are from 600
years ago. For supper, we try the dumplings together with dishes. There are more than 10 different kinds of dumplings with vivid shapes and they are really tasty. After the dinner, we watch the Tang Dynasty style music and dance show. It is also
very impressive. All the movement and music is great. Tomorrow, we will visit the world famous Terra-Cotta Museum. It is so exciting!”
7/5/2011 Tuesday Xi'an (8:45 am Seattle Time 11:45 pm Xi'an Time) We have received another updated from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide traveling with our Student Delegation in Xi’an), “Today we go to Terra-Cotta Warriors' Factory
first. We learn more knowledge about Terra-Cotta Warriors there and there are so many cool things. Then, we go to the world famous Terra-Cotta Museum. First we watch a film about the history and the warriors. Then we go to see the real
ones. It is so amazing to see hundreds of different warriors and learning about relevant knowledge. There are three pits and we visit one by one. To finish, we go to the museum to see more relics found there. They are so great especially considering
the time when they are built. We again have Chinese lunch today and it is delicious as always. In the afternoon, we go to the Muslim Street Market. It is interesting and beneficial to see the life of people with a different religion. For supper, it is
still the tasty Chinese meal. We have a good time all day. Tomorrow, we will fly to Beijing, the capital of China. We are also so excited about that.”
7/6/2011 Wednesday Beijing (8:45 am Seattle Time 11:45 pm Beijing Time) Coach Lundberg has sent us a quick email, “Arrived in Beijing. Had great connections along the way. Yellow Jade and Ponder showed us a great time in Xi'an. Looking forward to seeing
The Great Wall of China tomorrow.” We have received another updated from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide traveling with our Student Delegation in Beijing), “Today we leave Xi’an and fly to Beijing. The flight is good and we arrive in Beijing at
noon. Then we try our first Lu style lunch. There is more chili than the Cantonese food and it is really good. In the afternoon, we visit the Summer Palace. It is really a cool place and we are being imperial for visiting the imperial palace as well as using
the four-star imperial washroom! All the scenery is great! In the evening, we go for local flavor meal - Roast Peking Duck! It is really tasty. Tomorrow, we will visit the Spirits of Ming Tomb and the Great Wall. We are all so excited about that.”
7/7/2011 Thursday Beijing (8:45 am Seattle Time 11:45 pm Beijing Time) We have received another updated from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide traveling with our Student Delegation in Beijing), “Today we go to the Great Wall in the morning. We are very
lucky because today is sunny and the sky is blue and super clear. Chairman Mao said “He who never climbs the Great Wall can’t be called as hero”, and we are heroes today! The Great Wall is very steep and hard to climb but we all try our best to get to where we
can get. This is a really interesting and healthy trip to visit the Great Wall. We have Chinese lunch again and it is delicious as always. In the afternoon, we visit the Walk of the Spirits of Ming Tomb; the architecture there is great and grand. We have a good
time there. For supper, we order subway sandwiches! It is as healthy and delicious as it is back home. In the evening, we watch Chinese Acrobatics Show. It is so amazing. All the movements and activities they perform are challenging and exciting for people to
enjoy. We all love that! Tomorrow, we will visit Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, Tian An Men Square, the Forbidden City as well as take a Hutong Tour. It will be a full and exciting day!”
7/8/2011 Friday Beijing (8:45 am Seattle Time 11:45 pm Beijing Time) Coach Lundberg has sent us a quick email, “Today was a Great Day!" We have received another updated from Peter Zhang (our excellent Guangzhou Guide traveling with our Student Delegation in Beijing),
“Today we go to the Tian An Men Square & Forbidden City in the morning. Tian An Men Square is so big, great and amazing. All the architectures there are worth seeing and enjoying and we know it for sure what “people mountain people sea” means. For the Forbidden City,
it is another royal trip. The buildings inside are really impressive. In the noon, we go to the Hutong and take human-power vehicles and see the local people’s everyday life. Then in the afternoon, we go to the Xiushui Market for the last shopping in China. The things
sold there is great and it’s a lot of fun bargaining. For supper, we have Hard Rock meal. It makes us feel home. Tomorrow, we will see the Bird Nest and be ready to go back home!” Tomorrow the delegation will tour the Olympic stadium and fly back to Seattle in the afternoon
(transferring planes in Vancouver, BC). For Parents meeting the Delegation tomorrow: First check (call Air Canada at 1-888-247-2262 option 4 or go online at http://www.aircanada.com/us/en/home.html and check the Flight Status of Air Canada Flight #8099) to make sure the
flight is on time. You will meet the delegation at Baggage Claim #15 or as the walk up the stairs from the North Concourse. The delegation will have already cleared US Immigrations and US Customs in Vancouver, BC therefore they should arrive at Baggage Claim #15 only 10 or
15 minutes after their flight arrives at Sea-Tac.
7/9/2011 Saturday (Seattle) Welcome Home!
Pictures from the 2011 WCE China Student Trip are below:
WCE Reminder:
If you receive an exciting email or picture from one of our delegation members, please forward the email or picture to the
Washington Cultural Exchange Office and we will post it! Our email address is start@wce.org.
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