Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:30pm
A Big Thank You from the Tour Personnel
The tour has been a great success thanks to the cooperation and teamwork of the tour personnel and the students. Congratulations to all for the wonderful performances. We hope that the students walk away with a deeper understanding of the culture, traditions and customs of China. |
 |
|
 |
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 6:30pm
Farewell Dinner Ends on a High Note
Our last meal as a group was at the Western Food restaurant where we sampled such delicacies as "pizza" and "steak". After a congratulatory speech by Mr. Martin and Mr. Davis, the students had the opportunity to express their gratitude through song -- arroyo style. The song stylings included a special version of the "12 Days of Christmas" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", of course. |
 |
 |
|
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 2:30pm
Quiet Time at the Lama Temple
In the afternoon, students walked through a Buddhist place of worship called the Lama Temple. The active temple holds the largest statue in China, but unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures of it. China received the 85-foot tall statue as a gift from Tibet when they converted an imperial palace into the Buddhist temple. The statue was carved from one massive tree and it took 3 years to ship it to China.
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 10:00am
Playing With The Pandas
The morning started with a trip to the Beijing Zoo to see the pandas. Usually, the zoo houses five pandas, but due to the recent earthquake that injured many pandas and the upcoming Olympics, an additional 15 pandas have joined the colony. The students enjoyed seeing the "bear-cats" (as they are known in China) devour their morning breakfast of bamboo and water.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
