Explore China Through Six Cultural Themes: History, Kung Fu, Ethnic Traditions, Food, Heritage and the Silk Road

China’s long history, diverse ethnic cultures, rich traditional arts and crafts, and the Silk Road’s legacy of East-West exchange offer a wealth of opportunities for overseas schools planning cultural study tours.

Drawing on years of experience in educational travel in China, China Educational Tours has selected six cultural themes for students to explore: Chinese history and culture, martial arts and kung fu, ethnic cultures, food culture, intangible cultural heritage, and Silk Road culture. Schools can choose one theme for an in-depth exploration or combine several themes to create a China study tour that suits their students’ ages, curriculum goals, and travel schedules.

Theme 1: Chinese History and Culture

Recommended destinations: Beijing, Xi’an

Suitable for students: Those interested in history, ancient civilizations, archaeology and social development.

This study tour on Chinese history and culture enables students to learn about social development across different dynasties of China through historical sites, museums and ancient architecture. Beijing and Xi’an feature abundant historical resources, ideal for learning activities focused on ancient dynasties and key historical events.

The Palace Museum in Beijing served as the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a key site to understand ancient Chinese imperial systems and court life. Students will explore the layout of the Forbidden City, the functions of its halls and traditional decorations. They will learn about the lives of emperors, court rituals, and how architecture reflected social hierarchy. Tailored to students’ age levels, guided treasure-hunting activities can be arranged with professional instructors. Interactive tasks such as “finding dragon patterns”, “counting stone steps” and “observing architectural rankings” help students uncover historical messages hidden in architectural details. After the visit, students can draw floor plans of the Palace Museum, organize their treasure-hunting notes or create themed videos to record their discoveries.

In Xi’an, the Terracotta Army offers students opportunities to study Qin Dynasty military organization, sculptural art and archaeological discoveries. Students will examine the terracotta warriors’ costumes, hairstyles, facial features and formation arrangements, and try to extract historical clues about the Qin army and daily life from these artefacts. They may also join a workshop to make terracotta figurines by hand. They will go through kneading clay, shaping and demoulding to create their own clay artwork.

Learning outcomes: By observing historical relics and artefacts, students will gain knowledge of ancient Chinese dynasties and their social features. They will develop skills in historical observation, documentation and hands-on practice, and learn to find answers from tangible historical evidence.

Theme 2: Chinese Martial Arts and Kung Fu Culture

Recommended destinations: Dengfeng (Henan), Beijing, Wudang Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain

Suitable for students: Those interested in Chinese Kung Fu, traditional sports, physical training and Chinese culture.

Chinese martial arts are more than physical exercise. They carry the history, training traditions and cultural philosophies of different schools. Through martial arts demonstrations, basic skill training and learning about heritage transmission, students can experience the features of traditional Chinese martial arts first-hand.

Dengfeng in Henan Province is the key destination for Shaolin Kung Fu. With cultural briefings, students learn about the origins, fundamental training methods and inheritance traditions of Shaolin martial arts. They will watch Shaolin Kung Fu shows, including bare-hand boxing, weapon routines and hard qigong, to appreciate the strength and skills of Shaolin arts. Under the guidance of professional coaches, students can practise foundational skills such as stance training and leg stretching, learn basic boxing forms and the traditional fist salute. While standardising their movements, they build physical fitness and coordination.

If the itinerary is based only in Beijing, students may visit the Temple of Heaven Park to watch locals and visitors practising Tai Chi in the morning. This shows how Tai Chi is integrated into daily life. Afterwards, under professional instruction, students learn basic Tai Chi stances and routines paired with breathing techniques. They will experience the slow, flowing and balanced movements of Tai Chi, and explore its connections with the concept of Yin and Yang, Taoist thought and traditional health preservation culture.

Learning outcomes: Students will recognise the core characteristics of Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi, and understand the history and cultural meaning of traditional Chinese martial arts. Practising basic movements improves their physical coordination, focus and balance.

Theme 3: Chinese Ethnic Culture

Recommended destinations: Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, Western Hunan

Suitable for students: Those interested in ethnic cultures, community life, traditional customs and cross-cultural communication.

Different regions of China are home to a rich variety of ethnic cultures. Costumes, architecture, festivals, music, food and traditional handicrafts reflect the histories and lifestyles of distinct communities. This ethnic culture study tour helps students explore the cultural diversity of Chinese society and understand cultural differences from the perspectives and lived experiences of local people.

In Guizhou, students engage with the cultural heritage of ethnic groups including the Miao and Dong peoples, exploring traditional costumes, village architecture, festival customs and daily life. For example, in Zhaoxing Dong Village, students observe the architectural features of drum towers and covered wind-rain bridges. They learn about the mortise-and-tenon joints of wooden structures and the ancient construction wisdom behind them, while documenting decorative patterns across the village. Students may also take part in a Dong long table feast, listen to Dong Grand Choirs, try Dong batik, or hike through villages and terraced fields to gain deeper insight into local daily life and ethnic traditions.

To enrich the learning experience, teachers may set research questions in advance, such as: On what occasions are local traditional festivals held? What features define the patterns and materials of traditional ethnic costumes? How is ethnic culture passed down through generations? Students gather information through on-site observation, guided briefings and permitted interviews. They then create a cultural profile or a comparative cultural report, strengthening their understanding of ethnic diversity and heritage transmission.

Learning outcomes: Students will identify the cultural features of China’s different ethnic groups and regions, recognise the connections between traditional customs, local environments and historical backgrounds, and develop skills in cultural observation, documentation, comparative analysis and cross-cultural communication.

Theme 4: Chinese Food and Beverage Culture

Recommended destinations: Xi’an, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Huangshan

Suitable for students: Those interested in local cuisine, history and geography, agriculture, cooking and daily life.

China is a vast country with distinctive ingredients, cooking techniques and eating habits across different regions. This food and beverage culture study tour starts with regional dishes and local snacks, and further explores the links between natural surroundings, agricultural production, historical exchanges and social life.

Huangshan is an ideal destination to learn about Huizhou cuisine. Students visit the Huizhou Cuisine Exhibition Hall to learn about its history and signature dishes. They investigate how local ingredients relate to the mountain environment and how traditional cooking methods adapt to the local climate and living conditions. Walking along Tunxi Old Street, students can taste local specialties including Huangshan sesame cakes, fermented hairy tofu and stinky mandarin fish, experiencing the unique flavours of Huizhou food. In Nanping Ancient Village, students may pick seasonal vegetables in garden plots and learn to cook a Huizhou-style meal under local residents’ guidance, getting hands-on with Huizhou cooking skills.

Teachers may guide students to select several representative foods, record their main ingredients, cooking methods, flavour profiles and dining customs, and analyse how these characteristics connect with the local natural environment, agriculture or history. After the activities, students can create booklets on local food culture, posters introducing signature dishes, or group presentations to share their observations and findings.

Apart from regional cuisine, students may travel to Hangzhou, Guilin, Wuyi Mountain and other locations to explore Chinese tea culture. They will learn about tea planting, plucking and processing, as well as regional tea-drinking customs. Through tea tasting and cultural experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of tea’s role in Chinese daily life, hospitality rituals and traditional culture.

Learning outcomes: Students will recognise the food features of different regions in China, understand the connections between local ingredients, cooking styles, natural environments and historical culture, and build skills in observation, documentation, research organisation and cross-cultural communication.

Theme 5: Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage

Recommended destinations: Guizhou, Jingdezhen, Suzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Guilin

Suitable for students: Those interested in traditional crafts, performing arts, folk art and cultural inheritance.

China boasts abundant intangible cultural heritage, including traditional handicrafts, opera, traditional music, folk arts and related practices. Unlike ordinary sightseeing, this study tour allows students to engage with hands-on craft skills or performance forms, and discover how traditional culture has been passed down through learning, practice and intergenerational transmission.

In Xi’an, students visit Gao Family Courtyard to watch shadow puppetry shows. They learn about the history and features of this traditional performing art, and listen to heritage artisans explain the puppet-making process in the shadow puppet workshop. With guidance, students can colour shadow puppets, assemble their joints, and master basic manipulation skills to make the puppets walk and turn behind the screen, enjoying the fun of backstage performance. Teachers may also divide students into groups to create a short shadow puppet play, helping them build concentration, creative expression and teamwork skills through practice.

In Guilin, students visit woodcarving workshops to observe wood grain, carving tools and different carving techniques. Under the guidance of craftsmen, they start by drawing simple patterns, experience basic carving and polishing steps, and make a small woodcarving artwork by hand. They will gain an understanding of the whole workflow of traditional woodcarving from design to completion.

During the activities, students document the materials, production steps and key features of one traditional craft, and further discuss its inheritance. For example: How do traditional artisans learn their skills? How do modern design and market demands affect traditional crafts? In the end, students can present the cultural background and inheritance characteristics of one intangible heritage item through artwork displays, craft logs or research reports.

Learning outcomes: Students will understand the basic features and production or performance processes of Chinese intangible cultural heritage items, and recognise the value of traditional crafts through hands-on practice.

Theme 6: Chinese Silk Road Culture

Recommended destinations: Xi’an, Dunhuang

Suitable for students: Those interested in world history, ancient trade, geography, art and cross-cultural exchange.

The Silk Road linked China with Central Asia, West Asia and lands beyond. It serves as a key thread for studying ancient trade and cross-regional cultural exchange. At destinations such as Xi’an and Dunhuang, students explore how goods, people, religions and art travelled along these routes, and how such exchanges shaped the development of communities along the way.

Xi’an was one of the vital starting points of the ancient Silk Road. At the Shaanxi History Museum, students examine camel figurines, Tang sancai ceramics, gold and silver artefacts and other Silk Road relics. They learn about goods traded in ancient times and artistic features from diverse cultures. A visit to the West Market Museum of the Tang Dynasty introduces students to commercial activities in the ancient West Market. They discover the bustling scene of foreign merchants trading silk, spices, jewellery and other goods, and trace the development of urban commerce through surviving remains. Teachers may also organise a “Silk Road Merchant Trading Challenge”. Using props such as silk, tea, spices and coins, students simulate buying and selling, practise price negotiation, and reflect on how trade forged connections between distant regions.

One of the most significant sites for studying cultural exchange along the Silk Road is Dunhuang. During a guided tour of the Mogao Grotto, students observe travelling merchants, camels and flying apsaras portrayed in the murals. Students discuss the development of Buddhist art and the interaction among various artistic styles through Silk Road exchange. A visit to the Dunhuang Museum provides additional information on the history of Dunhuang, Silk Road trade and archaeological excavations in the region. Students can also travel to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring to learn about desert topography and the difficulties travellers encountered crossing the desert.

After the activities, students can create a cultural exchange map of the Silk Road, or prepare a presentation focused on one commodity, artefact or mural. They explain its connections with cross-regional trade, religious spread or artistic exchange.

Learning outcomes: Students will grasp the role of the Silk Road in ancient trade and cultural exchange, understand the links between the flow of goods, movement of people and spread of art, and build skills in historical analysis, map reading, documentation and cross-cultural understanding.

Sample Itinerary for Chinese Cultural Study Tours

The following is a seven-day itinerary for learning about Silk Road culture. The combination of Danxia landscapes, Great Wall remnants, aerospace science and Dunhuang culture allows students to study the Hexi Corridor from various angles: physical geography, trade, and science and technology.

Day 1: Arrival in Zhangye

Arrive in Zhangye. Airport pick-up and check-in at the hotel.

Day 2: Zhangye Rainbow Danxia & Geology Museum

Visit Zhangye Rainbow Danxia Landform, observing its colours and formations. Visit the Geology Museum in the afternoon to learn about the formation of the local geological landscape.

Day 3: Jiayuguan & Dunhuang Night Market

Visit Jiayuguan. Climb the ramparts of Jiayuguan Pass to study the defence system of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, and explore the Overhanging Great Wall. In the afternoon, visit Gobi Desert art installations such as "Son of the Earth" and "Boundless", and learn how contemporary art blends with the desert landscape. In the evening, visit the Shazhou Night Market.

Day 4: Dongfeng Aerospace City & Manned Space Launch Site

Head to Dongfeng Aerospace City to learn about the development of China’s aerospace programme. In the afternoon, subject to visit arrangements, explore the manned space launch site and related aerospace facilities.

Day 5: Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring, Dunhuang Museum

Tour Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring. Participate in camel trekking and other desert activities, and learn about dune formation and oasis ecology. In the afternoon, visit the Dunhuang Museum to learn about the history of Dunhuang and Silk Road trade and culture.

Day 6: Mogao Grottoes & Mural Painting Workshop

Tour the Mogao Grottoes. With guided commentary, students learn about cave art, mural themes, and Silk Road culture and trade. In the afternoon, take part in a mural painting workshop to gain hands-on experience in mural painting by working with traditional pigments and composition.

Day 7: Departure

Transfer to the airport according to flight schedules, marking the end of the study tour.

For foreign schools, educational cultural tours have much deeper significance than merely visiting the major sights. It is crucial that the students observe with key questions in mind, find answers through their practical experience and interaction, and form their conclusions afterwards.

Chinese cultural study tours can be designed around six themes: History & Culture, Martial Arts & Kung Fu, Ethnic Culture, Food & Beverage Culture, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Silk Road Culture.

China Educational Tours can tailor observation tasks, practical workshops and learning outcomes for each theme, helping students understand China within authentic cultural contexts.

What to Consider When Planning a Chinese Cultural Study Tour?

When planning a cultural study tour, schools should first define clear learning objectives before selecting destinations and activities based on the chosen theme.

First, ensure that there is a clear relationship between the theme and the school curricula. Examples include history courses focusing on ancient civilisations and artefacts, arts courses incorporating intangible heritage crafts, and social and cultural studies focusing on ethnic lifestyles and food traditions.

Second, incorporate field visits and participatory activities. For instance, after visiting historic sites, the group can have an opportunity to conduct artefact observation and data analysis. After being introduced to martial arts, students can take basic training classes. After being introduced to food culture, they can observe local ingredients and learn how to cook local dishes.

Third, ensure that reception capacity, booking arrangements, language support and any restrictions on student participation are verified sufficiently in advance. The school needs to conduct a risk assessment and prepare an emergency plan before the trip, and define the roles of teachers, group leaders and local hosts. Student management, discipline and safety supervision are the responsibility of the school and teachers throughout the study trip, and these responsibilities should not be delegated entirely to local tour guides or travel agencies.

Lastly, schools can organise a sharing session after the study trip. Students can present their research reports, posters, videos and handmade works, and evaluate them against the predetermined learning outcomes. In this way, the outcomes of the study tour can be integrated into classroom learning.