A student holding up a calligraphy scroll they have written

7-Day Chinese Culture Camp

This 7-day culture study tour in Xi’an combines hands-on classes in Chinese arts with visits to the city’s historic sites. Several days follow a Silk Road thread: a guqin workshop on the music of the Tang-dynasty Silk Road, a lecture in English on Chang’an’s exchange with the Arab world, and a museum visit on Arab and Persian merchants of the Tang dynasty. Your group stays and studies on the Xi’an International University campus.

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Length

7 days, 6 nights

Learning focus

Chinese Culture & Heritage

Base

Xi’an International University campus, Xi’an

Ages

Confirmed for each group at enquiry

Price

Price on enquiry

Itinerary at a Glance

Day	Where	Highlights
Day 1	Xi’an; university campus	Airport pick-up and hotel check-in
Day 2	University campus	Opening ceremony, campus tour, guqin workshop
Day 3	Campus; old city	Introductory Chinese lesson; city wall and Bell and Drum Towers; cycle ride; Muslim Quarter
Day 4	Campus; Tang West Market Museum	Lecture in English on the Silk Road; museum study visit
Day 5	Campus; Terracotta Army	Tea culture session; the Terracotta Army
Day 6	Campus; Da Ci’en Temple; Grand Tang Mall	Calligraphy class and closing ceremony; Giant Wild Goose Pagoda; Grand Tang Mall
Day 7	Xi’an	Airport drop-off

Highlights & Educational Value

The Silk Road seen from Xi’an: a morning lecture in English on Chang’an and the Arab world, then an afternoon at the Tang West Market Museum studying relics left by Arab and Persian merchants in Tang-dynasty Chang’an.
Three hands-on classes in Chinese arts: a guqin and Chinese music appreciation workshop, a tea culture session tasting flower and green teas, and a calligraphy class.
History on site, each visit with a set topic: Qin-dynasty sculpture craft and ancient Silk Road transport at the Terracotta Army, and the planning and ritual order of ancient Chang’an on the cycle ride through the old city.
A single introductory Chinese lesson on Day 3, covering simple everyday Chinese.
Classes and lectures take place at Xi’an International University, where the group also stays on campus.

A class applauding from their seats at rows of guqin

A study group outside the entrance to the Terracotta Army museum

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.

Request a quotation

Full Itinerary

Day 1 · Arrival

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

Day 2 · Opening ceremony and guqin

Opening ceremony and campus tour.

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 3 · Chinese lesson and the old city

Introductory Chinese lesson (simple everyday Chinese).

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); in the evening, a walk around the Muslim Quarter.

Day 4 · The Silk Road and the Tang West Market

Cross-cultural lecture in English: ‘The Overland Silk Road: A History of Exchange between Chang’an and Arab Civilisation’ (drawing on relics of Arab merchants at the Tang West Market).

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 · Tea and the Terracotta Army

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

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

Day 6 · Calligraphy and the closing ceremony

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 7 · 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.

Questions About This Itinerary

Is the Silk Road lecture given in English?

Yes. It is listed as a cross-cultural lecture in English. The same afternoon, the group goes to the Tang West Market Museum to study what Arab and Persian merchants of the period left behind.

Where does the cycle ride go?

It is part of Day 3, together with the Ming-dynasty city wall and the Bell and Drum Towers, and is listed as a ride through the old city. Ask us for the route and the arrangements when we plan your dates.

How does this camp compare with the 10-day camp?

Both include the Silk Road lecture and the Tang West Market Museum. The 10-Day Chinese Language & Silk Road Camp adds two more lectures in English, on China–Saudi trade and on Muslim life and Hui Muslim culture in Xi’an, and has three Chinese lessons instead of one introductory lesson.

For visas, insurance and costs, see our FAQ.