Have you been longing for a change of scenery? How about a Kayaking Getaway in Xiaoxi Lake? The school trip program we want to discuss with you this week is WildChina’s 5-day trip called “Xiaoxi Lake Outdoor Adventure,” which will bring you all the fun and excitement of a great school trip to China. The itinerary is designed to enhance your students’ knowledge of history and culture, outdoor education, and team-building skills. Xiaoxi Lake is a two-hour drive away from Beijing. You’ll be able to see sections of the Great Wall called the Huanghua section.
The reservoir is also known as the “little West Lake” (小西湖, xiâo xī hú) which is the literal translation into English and a nod to Hangzhou’s famous West Lake. West Lake, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, has been a source of inspiration for many poets, scholars, and artists alike since the 9th century. On this school trip to China though, you will be exploring Beijing’s Xiaoxi Lake and all that its surrounding areas have to offer.
Team Building, Lantern Workshop, and Master Chef Competition
Your WildChina guide will meet you once you arrive in Beijing on day 1. You’ll take a bus to get to Xiaoxi Lake, where you will check in to the guesthouse. Depending on the time of day you will be arriving, you may partake in some team-building activities, a traditional Lantern-making workshop, and a master chef competition. Team building allows your students to have fun and build a sense of confidence as you move through the next few days of your school trip to China. Studies show that people who actively engage in team-building activities are less likely to become discouraged.
Orienteering and SUP Water Sports
Day 2 is the day for hiking along the 13,400-mile-long Great Wall, which will surely be one of the highlights of your school trip to China. China has 56 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the Great Wall sure is one of them. Let your WildChina guide know if you or your students have any questions about how the Great Wall came to be and they’ll be happy to answer them! While you’re on your hike, you will do an orienteering activity, which is a fun way to explore the grounds that have been around since the 4th century BCE. But you know, that’s only the date that most of the Great Wall was completed.
The earliest sections of the Great Wall were first made all the way back in 220 BCE under the rule of Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇, qín shî huáng), China’s first Emperor. Construction of the Great Wall continued up until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which is when it became the world’s largest military structure. In Chinese, the Great Wall is referred to as Wanli Changcheng (万里长城, wàn lî châng chéng), which means “Ten Thousand League-Long Wall.” After lunch, you will get to have some fun doing SUP water sports in Xiaoxi Lake for the rest of the afternoon. You will then walk back to the local guesthouse to freshen up for a BBQ dinner.
Trekking and Kayaking
Day 3 of your school trip to China calls for a morning trekking activity followed by a kayaking activity in the afternoon. Kayaking will take you back to the waters of Xiaoxi Lake. What you and your students will enjoy about the lake is that you can simultaneously enjoy the wonderful lake view and the majestic mountains on which the Great Wall rests.
Kayaking Getaway in Xiaoxi Lake
Kayaking is also a sport that can be easily grasped by beginners, so don’t worry if you have never kayaked before. Your WildChina guide is there to teach you and help you along the way during your school trip to China. Once you sit in and start feeling the paddles glide along the water, you’ll see why it’s a leisurely sport that many take pleasure in. There’s a sense of freedom in feeling yourself be propelled forward on the surface of the water. The rest of the day will be for resting, having dinner, and a trip reflection.
Farm Activities and Kite Flying
After two days of hiking, trekking, and kayaking on your school trip in China, it will be time for farming activities on day 4. Your WildChina guide will take you and your students to a nearby farm to have a harvesting, jam-making, and scarecrow-making competition. Harvesting, you will notice, is part of what makes this school trip to China a prime getaway from your regular daily life. It gives you a moment to slow down and appreciate the wonders of nature.
You and your students will enjoy a Farm Fresh Lunch and some free time before participating in another competition in the afternoon. In this competition, you will decorate a giant kite and fly it. Did you know that kite flying is a significant part of Chinese history and culture? We previously discussed some of China’s greatest inventions that enhanced civilization, although kites were not on the list.
According to a Chinese legend, kites were invented when a farmer tied a string on his straw hat to keep it on his head during a windstorm. Though this does not seem practical, the story stuck. Nowadays in China, you’ll often see kids flying kites whenever you go to a park on a nice day.
Rock Climbing & Return Home
Before you return home from your school trip in China, one last activity you’ll do is rock climbing. It will also be near Xiaoxi Lake, so you will get to see the lake from a different view one last time. Maybe you’ll discover something new about the landscape, who knows?
Like what you see? We’d love to hear from you!
As we said earlier, this school trip to China includes outdoor education, team building, and a sprinkle of history and culture as you roam around the Huanghua section of the Great Wall of China. It has a blend of intense physical activity and leisurely afternoons of kayaking on Xiaoxi Lake, kite flying, and making jam with local farmers. You’ll even learn how to make a scarecrow! If you’re looking for a Great Wall adventure that differs from the usual hike along the gray cobblestones, you will love this Xiaoxi Lake Outdoor Adventure.
Since our trips are customizable, our Academic Managers would love to help you create a school trip to China that fits your learning objectives. We want to give you and your students an unforgettable experiential learning experience. Since times are still uncertain, check out our Travel Advisory page for the latest news on pandemic travel. If the answers you are looking for are not on the page, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are reachable via phone or email. You may also fill in a form on our website to submit a quote. Can’t wait to hear from you!
Sources: A Kayaking Getaway in Xiaoxi Lake, Beijing
- https://education.wildchina.com/tour/xiaoxi-lake/#learning-objectives
- https://teambuilding.com/blog/team-building-importance
- https://www.britannica.com/summary/Great-Wall-of-China
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cn
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/438
- https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-wall-china/
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/767
- https://www.thoughtco.com/ancient-asian-inventions-195169
