FOSHAN, Guangdong, China
Historically, Guangdong acted as a gateway into and out of China. We will begin our voyage into Guangdong’s storied past in Foshan. There we will visit the city’s Ancestral Temple, where we will explore the relationship between three of the major religions in China, learn about the fascinating history of Foshan, and encounter local folk hero and Kungfu master Wong Fei Hung.
We’ll push ourselves to the limit the next day at the Wong Fei Hung Lion Dance Training Center. Learning from the very best – the center has rooms full of trophies to attest it – we’ll gain valuable insights into the traditions underpinning the world-famous Chinese Lion Dance as well as discover the roots and traditions of martial arts. Recovering from all the physical exertion, we’ll spend the afternoon in a more relaxed activity at the ancient Nanfeng Kiln, trying our hand at creating our very own ceramic masterpieces, while learning about a product so identifiable with China that in the rest of the world it shares its name! What’s more, we’ll also get to test our culinary skills, learning how to make a local delicacy, Shuang Pi Nai, from scratch. And all this in a working kiln where the fire has burned for over five hundred years! But we won’t be burned out, not just yet. On the next morning, we will travel from Foshan to Kaiping, formerly bandit country, where in the Ming Dynasty, locals began to build their houses in the shape of giant watchtowers for security. This style of building, the Diaolou, came back in a big way towards the end of the 19th century as emigrants who had left the region in search of fortune started to send back money, foreign influences, and materials, to build fabulously ostentatious homes for their families, as both fortresses and symbols of status and success. We will explore fascinating Diaolou clusters, and discover the unbelievable stories of a lost age, the impacts of the fall of a dynasty and the rise of the warlord era, as well as the driving factors behind mass migration from an area sometimes referred to as “the home of Overseas Chinese”. Through scavenger hunts, mapping activities, and storytelling, amongst other things, in Kaiping we’ll find ourselves transported into a different world, one rich in detail and excitement, and one you won’t want to leave. We will immerse ourselves in breathtaking scenery, cycling back in time through the rolling hills of Kaiping in between Diaolou clusters, challenging ourselves with questions about what the future holds for this magical corner of the country. Travel between Hong Kong and China will be by train. This trip is coordinated by The Hutong, a specialist educational tour provider based in China. Leader: Brad Munt
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