10-Day Chinese Language & Silk Road Camp — Chang’an and the Arab World
This 10-day culture study tour in Xi’an centres on the Silk Road and on exchange between China and the Arab world. Three cross-cultural lectures in English cover Chang’an and Arab civilisation, China–Saudi trade under the Belt and Road, and Muslim life and Hui Muslim culture in Xi’an, alongside three Chinese lessons, arts classes and site visits from the Xi’an International University campus.
Length
10 days, 9 nights
Learning focus
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 | Chinese lesson; city wall and Bell and Drum Towers; cycle ride |
| Day 4 | Campus; Tang West Market Museum | Lecture in English on the Silk Road; museum study visit |
| Day 5 | Campus; Terracotta Army | Calligraphy class; the Terracotta Army |
| Day 6 | University campus | Lecture in English on China–Saudi trade; tea culture session |
| Day 7 | Campus; Muslim Quarter | Chinese lesson; a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter |
| Day 8 | University campus | Lecture in English on Muslim life in Xi’an; gentle exercise class |
| Day 9 | Campus; Da Ci’en Temple; Grand Tang Mall | Chinese lesson and closing ceremony; Giant Wild Goose Pagoda; Grand Tang Mall |
| Day 10 | Xi’an | Airport drop-off |
Highlights & Educational Value
- Three lectures in English, each on a different side of China’s links with the Arab world: history along the overland Silk Road, trade with Saudi Arabia under the Belt and Road, and the Hui Muslim community of Xi’an.
- Visits that pick up the lecture topics: the Tang West Market Museum, on Arab and Persian traders of the Tang dynasty, and a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter, where the group spends time in the local Muslim community.
- Three Chinese lessons, spread across Days 3, 7 and 9.
- Arts on campus too: guqin, tea culture and calligraphy, plus a gentle exercise class with simplified tai chi and baduanjin.
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 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
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 · 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 · Calligraphy and the Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army (Qin-dynasty sculpture craft; an introduction to transport on the ancient Silk Road).
Day 6 · China–Saudi trade and tea
Cross-cultural lecture in English: ‘China–Saudi Economic and Trade Relations and Cross-Border Trade under the Belt and Road’.
Chinese tea culture session (tasting flower and green teas, with an explanation of traditional etiquette).
Day 7 · Chinese lesson and the Muslim Quarter
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 · Muslim life in Xi’an
Cross-cultural lecture in English: ‘Muslim Life in China and the Hui Muslim Culture of Xi’an’.
Gentle exercise class (simplified tai chi and baduanjin).
Day 9 · Final lesson and closing ceremony
Chinese lesson; closing ceremony.
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Da Ci’en Temple, and the Grand Tang Mall, a Tang-themed pedestrian street.
Day 10 · 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
What are the three lectures about?
Day 4: ‘The Overland Silk Road: A History of Exchange between Chang’an and Arab Civilisation’. Day 6: ‘China–Saudi Economic and Trade Relations and Cross-Border Trade under the Belt and Road’. Day 8: ‘Muslim Life in China and the Hui Muslim Culture of Xi’an’. All three are listed as cross-cultural lectures in English.
Which mosque does the group visit?
The itinerary lists a historic mosque in the Muslim Quarter; we will confirm which one when we plan your dates.
Is the tai chi a martial arts class?
No. Day 8 has a gentle exercise class with simplified tai chi and baduanjin, not martial arts training. For that, see the 9-Day Martial Arts & Chinese Culture Camp.
For visas, insurance and costs, see our FAQ.
Related Itineraries
7 days
7-Day Chinese Culture Camp
Shares the Silk Road lecture and museum visit in a shorter week, with one introductory Chinese lesson.
14 days
14-Day Chinese Language & Culture Camp
Two weeks with Chinese classes at one of four levels, for groups whose main aim is the language.
Further Reading
- Chinese Culture & Heritage: the theme this itinerary belongs to
- Why Xi’an: the Terracotta Army
- Why Xi’an: the city wall
- Why Xi’an: the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
- FAQ: visas, insurance, safety and costs
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.