China Extended Stay FAQs
What type of accommodations are provided?
Volunteers are individually lodged in on-campus teachers housing or in residential complexes near the campuses to which they are assigned. Volunteers can look forward to a small but clean and comfortable apartment with a private bathroom and shower. Many apartments also consist of a separate room for sleeping, a small sitting room, and an eating area with utensils and limited kitchen appliances. These apartments come fully furnished, and volunteers need not worry about bedding or other essential articles. Apartments also have hot water and dependable electricity, as well as local and international telephone access.
The schools will provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for volunteers from Monday through Friday in the same cafeteria used by the Chinese teachers, thus presenting a wonderful opportunity to get to know their Chinese colleagues better. Weekend meals will be volunteers' own responsibility and can be taken in the apartment or at local restaurants. The grocery stores and dining scene in Xian offer healthy, richly varied, and inexpensive cuisine.
Global Volunteers and our Chinese hosts will facilitate the acquisition of the tourist and/or work visas needed to extend volunteers' stays in China.
What type of free-time options will I have?
As the capital of 11 dynasties, Xi'an attracted a cosmopolitan mix of diplomats, merchants, students from countries across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The Qin Dynasty, which was the first to unite all of China under one empire, was founded in Xi'an in the third century BC. Qin Shihuang, the emperor who united China, left many legacies. But, for Xi'an, the emperor's greatest legacy is the Army of Terra-cotta Warriors who vigilantly guard the area surrounding his tomb. Workers digging a well in 1974 discovered this underground vault of earth and timber that revealed thousands of life-size statues of soldiers and horses in battle formation. You can also visit the Forest of Stone Tablets devoted mainly to the history of the Silk Road. The museum's collection of 2,000 massive stone tablets, chiseled with the work of China's ancient calligraphy masters, is the largest stone library in China. Near the museum lies the wall built around the city in 1370. Xi'an is one of the few cities where city walls and moat still stand. It is also a city of many temples and pagodas, including the historic Da Ci En Temple, home to Buddhism in China, where you can view the massive new water fountains and watch the spectacular "dancing water" light and music performances each evening.
What is the Service Program fee?
The standard service-program fee for three weeks in China is $2,520 (for former volunteers, the fee is $2,470). The cost of the long-term program is $150 for each additional week spent on the program. Internet, family, and multi-person discounts are also available for the standard service program. Please consult a volunteer coordinator for further details. As in all of our programs, this tax-deductible fee covers all meals, lodging, in-country ground transportation, orientation materials, project costs and team leader and administrative expenses.
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