Chinese and international students practising tai chi in a hall

9-Day Martial Arts & Chinese Culture Camp

This 9-day martial arts study tour in Xi’an gives students one class each in nanquan (Southern Fist), changquan (Long Fist) and tai chi. Around them sit two Chinese lessons, classes in guqin, tea and calligraphy, and trips out to historic Xi’an, all from a base on the Xi’an International University campus.

Length

9 days

Base

Xi’an International University campus, Xi’an

Ages

Confirmed for each group at enquiry

Price

Price on enquiry

Itinerary at a Glance

DayWhereHighlights
Day 1Xi’an; university campusAirport pick-up and hotel check-in
Day 2University campusOpening ceremony, campus tour; tai chi
Day 3Campus; old cityChinese lesson; city wall and Bell and Drum Towers; cycle ride
Day 4Campus; Tang West Market MuseumNanquan; museum study visit
Day 5Campus; Terracotta ArmyChinese lesson; the Terracotta Army
Day 6University campusChangquan; guqin workshop
Day 7Campus; Muslim QuarterTea culture session; a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter
Day 8Campus; Da Ci’en Temple; Grand Tang MallChinese calligraphy class and closing ceremony; Giant Wild Goose Pagoda; Grand Tang Mall
Day 9Xi’anAirport drop-off

Highlights & Educational Value

  • Three martial arts classes, each in a different style: tai chi on Day 2, nanquan on Day 4 and changquan on Day 6.
  • Two Chinese lessons, on Days 3 and 5.
  • Arts and culture between the martial arts classes: a guqin workshop, a tea culture session and a Chinese calligraphy class.
  • Visits with a topic: the Terracotta Army, the Tang West Market Museum, the city wall and a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter.
A teacher giving one-to-one guidance at a guqin
Students holding up the calligraphy they have just written

Tour Essentials

Group size

Tell us how many students and teachers are travelling, and we will confirm the minimum and maximum group size for this itinerary.

Age range

Not yet set for this itinerary. Let us know who is travelling, school or university and how old, and we will confirm whether it fits.

Accommodation

Horyan Hotel at Xi’an International University, on campus; check-in on Day 1

Meals

Ask us whether meals are included; your quotation will state which, if any.

Dates

Tell us your preferred month, and we will confirm which dates are possible.

Price on enquiry.

Full Itinerary

Day 1 · Arrival

Airport pick-up; check-in at the Horyan Hotel at Xi’an International University.

Day 2 · Opening ceremony and tai chi

Opening ceremony and campus tour.

Chinese martial arts: tai chi.

Day 3 · Chinese lesson and the old city

Chinese lesson.

The Ming-dynasty city wall and the Bell and Drum Towers; a cycle ride through the old city (a talk on the city planning and ritual order of ancient Chang’an).

Day 4 · Nanquan and the Tang West Market

Chinese martial arts: nanquan (Southern Fist).

Tang West Market Museum (a study visit on relics of Arab and Persian merchants of the Tang dynasty, reconstructing the history of Middle Eastern merchants’ trade in ancient Chang’an).

Day 5 · Chinese lesson and the Terracotta Army

Chinese lesson.

The Terracotta Army (Qin-dynasty sculpture craft; an introduction to transport on the ancient Silk Road).

Day 6 · Changquan and guqin

Chinese martial arts: changquan (Long Fist).

Guqin and Chinese music appreciation workshop (students try the guqin, with a talk on what Tang-dynasty Silk Road music shares with ancient Middle Eastern music).

Day 7 · Tea and the Muslim Quarter

Chinese tea culture session (tasting flower and green teas, with an explanation of traditional etiquette).

Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter, including a visit to a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter (getting to know the local Muslim community and learning in depth about Chinese Islamic folk culture).

Day 8 · Calligraphy and the closing ceremony

Chinese calligraphy class; closing ceremony.

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Da Ci’en Temple, and the Grand Tang Mall, a Tang-themed pedestrian street.

Day 9 · Departure

Airport drop-off.

The days can be rearranged or changed in advance for your group. Tell us what you would like to change when you enquire.

What’s Included

Inclusions for this itinerary are confirmed in each quotation. When you receive yours, check whether it covers airport transfers, meals, local transport and entrance tickets, and ask us about anything that is not listed.

What’s Not Included

  • Medical insurance. Each participant needs their own medical cover.

Any other exclusions are listed in your quotation.

Accommodation

Accommodation is at the Horyan Hotel, in the centre of the Xi’an International University campus. Rooms face either the campus lake or the sports ground and have en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, a TV, a mini-fridge and a kettle.

The campus is about 40 minutes from Xi’an Xianyang International Airport. For campus life, safety and how planning works, see School Trips to China.

A twin room in the hotel on campus

Questions About This Itinerary

Does the camp include martial arts grading or certification?

The itinerary lists three classes, one each in tai chi, nanquan and changquan. It does not list grading or martial arts certification.

Do students need martial arts experience?

The itinerary does not set a level. Tell us about your students’ experience when you enquire, and we will confirm the arrangements with the host university.

What is the Day 7 afternoon visit?

A visit to Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter and a historic mosque there, focused on the local Muslim community and Chinese Islamic folk culture. The mosque itself is confirmed at the planning stage.

Related Itineraries

7 days

7-Day Chinese Culture Camp

A shorter culture camp sharing the guqin, tea and calligraphy classes and the Tang West Market Museum.

See itinerary ›

10 days

10-Day Chinese Language & Silk Road Camp

Ten days built around three lectures in English on China and the Arab world.

See itinerary ›

Further Reading

Plan This Camp for Your Group

Send us your group size, the ages of your students and your preferred dates. We will reply with a plan based on this itinerary and a quotation.