China Information

Information on Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province. It is a well-known city with a longstanding history and civilization. Chengdu, as early as 5,000 years ago, was a major trading hub southwestern China. Chengdu has many places of interest and is famous for its traditional arts and crafts, ethnic folklore, and beautiful landscapes.

Chengdu sports an advantageous geographical location, as well as the Shuangliu International Airport.  The Chengdu Railway Station is also the largest transportation center in southwestern China.
 
It has easy access to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River; Jiuzhaigou, and Huanglong Temple, to the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an, and to Mt. Emei and the Giant Buddha in Leshan.
 

This programme is based in Bifengxia, which is 16km from Ya’an and 150km from Chengdu all of which are part of the Sichuan province.

China

The land that China occupies has been home to ancient civilisations dating back six millennia, making it one of the longest occupied areas in the world. They also have the longest continuous writing system and the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China - paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing.

China was ruled over by Dynasties until 1912, when the Qing dynasty became the last in a very long line. At this point China became a Republic and began to develop into the country that we would recognise today.In 1949, Mao Zedong came to power at the head the Chinese Communist Party and introduced policies such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which left the Education system and the economy in tatters. Mao, however, is still a figure of great reverence- just have a look at the queue coming out of his mausoleum in Tiananmen Square!

China’s rapid development in the 1990s began after Mao’s death and has made China the world’s next super power. Although it is modernising rapidly, many aspects of the ancient civilisations remain in the form of temples, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors and much more. Age-old practices are much more alive amongst the rural farming communities, who have in general missed out on the development seen by the bigger cities. In that respect China is full of opposites- yin and yang you could say! Saying that though, you’ll still find the traditional Chinese dragons prancing about all over the country when New Year rolls around!

Time
China is eight hours ahead of GMT.

Location

This programme is based in Bifengxia, which is 16km from Ya’an and 150km from Chengdu all of which are part of the Sichuan province.

Getting There

You should arrange your flights into Chengdu airport where you will be met by a representative and transferred to the project.

Weather and Climate

The best times to visit China tend to be in the spring, March and April and in the Autumn, September and October in the lower plains, whereas the higher altitude areas are best between June and September. Although daytime temperatures may be reasonable, between 20C to 30C, the nights can still be really cold. China is such a vast country that it is worth bearing in mind that northern and southern areas will have completely different climates, so it is best to research the area you are going to, rather than the country as a whole. The south is subtropical with the temperatures in Yunnan ranging from 20°C in the winter to 29°C in the Summer, while Beijing’s climate in the north ranges from 1°C to 31°C