Get creative
Organize your art supplies and get to crafting. Consider painting the Forbidden Palace, recreating this famous Chinese architectural masterpiece, or learn traditional calligraphy.
Need more inspiration? Check out these virtual tours of the Palace.
Pick a film
Watch a movie that relates to your destination. Some ideas for China include:
- The Karate Kid (2010)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- Beijing Bicycle (2001)
Study some history
Dive deep into the history of specific sites you’ll visit on tour. Study China’s dynastic period for when you visit Beijing, Xi’an, and the Great Wall. Learn about China’s colonial past and the impact it had on places like Shanghai’s French Concession and the Bund. Then, tour some of China’s ancient history and modern marvels with this virtual reality video.
Choose a book
Read and discuss a book that takes place in your destination or describes the local culture. Pick from titles like:
- Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux
- Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
- East Wind: West Wind by Pearl S. Buck
Fill up your plate
Arrange a potluck and encourage your friends to bring a traditional dish from your destination. Know a chef? Hold a virtual hot pot cooking class with your travel group, or support a local restaurant that offers delivery/take-out of your destination’s cuisine. Try dim sum, baozi, beef noodle soup, dumplings, or bubble tea.
Learn the language
Call up a friend or set up a group video chat and practice your language skills. It helps to make flashcards with common sayings to use on the phone or throughout your travels (think about ordering at restaurants, buying souvenirs, and chatting with locals).
Did you know?
Put together, all of China’s railway lines could loop around the earth twice!
Meet Your Partner in Travel
Pierce spent four years living and working in China. He used this time to perfect his Mandarin skills and travel extensively around the country, growing to love the food as much as the diverse landscapes and sights he encountered. Some of Pierce’s fondest travel memories are drifting down the Li River in Yangshuo, Guangxi province, and seeing the sunrise atop the Yellow Mountains in Anhui province. Now back in the U.S., Pierce maintains his love of China by keeping in touch with friends and supporting Boston’s Asian food scene.