China Summer:
International Volunteer Workcamp
July 27-August 21, 2008

Travel Route

Participants will arrive in Shanghai and spend a few days in the city. The group will then take a train to Changsha in Hunan Province, and a two hour bus ride to the Workcamp site in the village of Xiaoshicun. Participants will also visit a nearby city during the Workcamp.

"For Americans, 2008 is an important election year. But for much of the world, it is likely to be seen as the year that China moved to center stage, with the Olympics serving as the country's long-awaited coming-out party. The much-heralded advent of China as a global power is no longer a forecast but a reality. On issue after issue, China has become the second most important country on the planet." (Newsweek, January 2008)

Workcampers in ShanghaiShanghai

Historically very Western in lifestyle, Shanghai is increasingly a critical center of communication with the Western world. The Pudong district of Shanghai contains contemporary architecture and "modern"-feeling districts, in close proximity to major international trade and hospitality zones. Visitors to Shanghai find free public parks manicured to startling perfection; in distinct contrast to the massive industrial installations which reveal China's emerging environmental concerns. Shanghai's international diversity is perhaps the world's foremost window into the rich, historic and complex society of today's China. Shanghai is often regarded as the center of finance and trade in mainland China. Modern development began with economic reforms in 1992, a decade later than many of the Southern Chinese provinces, but since then Shanghai quickly overtook those provinces and maintained its role as the business center in mainland China.

ChangshaChangsha

The capital of Hunan Province, Changsha traces its history back nearly three thousand years. In one dramatic example, the Hunan Provincial Museum (which we will visit) houses a fascinating exhibit of a 2,100 year old tomb of a Han Dynasty princess discovered in downtown Changsha only decades ago. The location of Changsha's downtown has remained unchanged for centuries, and Hunan University, nestled against Yuelu Mountain on the city outskirts, houses an ancient university over two thousand years old.

Flowers in the ParkChangsha today is burdened with neglected factories, remnants of the Socialist planning system, and yet responsible local administration is slowly transforming this ancient city. Thanks in part to closed factories; Changsha's air and water are the cleanest they have been in decades. The new mayor has build broad riverside parks and entirely refurbished many Mao-era public facilities. Visiting Changsha will offer us a rare glimpse into the complex social and economic challenges facing modern urban China. See "Local Enviroment" for more information on the area of Hunan Province where the Workcamp itself takes place.

 

CliffsFor additional information, please see these links:

 

 

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This page last updated Saturday, March 1, 2008