It's been a couple of weeks since 21 BRVGS staff, students, and family members set foot on American soil after 8 days of traveling through China, but some are probably just getting over the jet lag now. Participants would agree that the long flights were worth the trip, however. Trip participants, including BRVGS students and grads from Orange, Madison and Nelson schools, packed in tons of sightseeing, learning, and experiences throughout the trip.
To see an article about the trip from the Nelson County Times, please click "Governor's School Students Embark on Journey to China", and to see pics, click on China 2016 Photos.
The journey began with arrival in Beijing, China's capital city, where students climbed the Great Wall of China, toured Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Summer Palace, learned about China's tea traditions, and practiced Tai Chi in the Temple of Heaven Park.
Next, after a brief plane ride to the ancient city of Xi'an, travelers bicycled around the ancient city walls, toured the site of the fabled Terra Cotta Warriors, explored the city's ancient Muslim Quarter, and practiced Chinese calligraphy at an art museum.
The final leg of the trip was the ultra-modern city of Shanghai, where the group ascended to the observation deck of the Shanghai World Financial center (now the 2nd tallest buidling in Shanghai), toured the Jade Buddha Temple and Yuyuan Gardens, and got in some much-deserved shopping time.
Despite having packed so much traveling and sightseeing into such a short time, participants had a great time enjoying the sights, culture, and of course, the food of China. BRVGS hopes to use this 1st-ever BRVGS international student trip as a starting point for more adventures in the future, so students and parents should be on the lookout for more opportunities like this to come.
