Visit Hong Kong & Guangzhou as a part of our summer study abroad programs

To a first-time visitor, Hong Kong may be outright bamboozling. But students will soon start savoring the sights and sounds of this city, always buzzing with excitement. Hong Kong with its teeming sidewalks, steamy-hot family restaurants, magnificent harbor vistas and panoramic night-views from the Victoria peak can be a traveler’s delight. Students will explore some of the most beautiful temples and cultural masterpieces in the heart of urban Kowloon and take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak for a stunning bird’s eye-view of the city.

Historically known as Canton, Guangzhou is the main manufacturing epicentre of the Pearl River Delta, one of the world’s biggest industrial hubs and mainland China’s leading manufacturing region. It one of the first industrial boom towns of China that opened up to the West and as a result, developed at a break-neck speed. In fact, Guangzhou hosts China's largest trade fair, the Canton Fair. Tall, concrete buildings mix with the extraordinary pace of life that is modern, industrial Guangzhou.

However, beneath the seemingly endless sky-scrapers and shopping-malls, there is a lot of culture and history. There are many pockets that still retain the quintessential essence of a traditional Guangzhou. Students will visit Guangzhou’s famous Shamian Island to explore its colonial past. They will also visit the bustling Chinese Medicine Market, the haven of traditional Chinese remedies and closely observe the Cantonese Chinese people, their unique dialect and ways of living. Students will also sample some of the legendary Dim Sum delicacies, which Guangzhou has earned its reputation for.

Take a walk around Avenue of Stars and the Victoria Harbor, head to the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple and sample the local “dim sum” for brunch.

Explore the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple and then, take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak for a stunning, panoramic view of Hong Kong. Take a walk around the Peak Tower.

Have dinner at the Victoria Peak. Enjoy the night view of Hong Kong and the Victoria Harbor on the Peak and then, go back to the hotel.

Take an early train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and start the two-day trip by savoring the Cantonese Morning Tea, one of the most popular drinks amongst the locals. Explore the city's colonial history, starting from Shamian Island and then, cross the canal to visit the Chinese Medicine Market, the haven of age-old, traditional Chinese remedies and exotic herbs. Finally, visit the Temple of Six Banyan Trees, a world famous ancient Buddhist temple built in 537, during the Liang dynasty.

Have an early dinner at one of the legendary and authentic Cantonese restaurants.

Day 3:

Take breakfast and visit the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, a well preserved architecture from the 19th century. Afterwards, visit the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which was founded in honor of the great revolutionary forerunner of China.

Have lunch and then, head over to the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. Towards the end of their stay at Guangzhou, students will also get to see the sculpture of the Five Rams, located at the heart of the Yuexiu Park. Legend has it that five immortal beings, clad in robes of five colours and perched on the backs of rams, came to Guangzhou. All of them handed over rice to the people of Guangzhou, freeing them from the spell of famine.