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This is a unique chance to get up-close and personal to the precious Giant Panda in the remote Chinese wilderness. Life is rarely black and white… unless you're a Giant Panda on the brink of extinction. With an already low world population in decline there are certainly no grey areas in this conservation project, so do your bit and ‘panda’ to their every need! Based in majestic surroundings at the foot of the Qingling mountains, you'll also have the chance to work with other fascinating species indigenous to China such as the Golden Monkey, Crested Ibis and the sheep-like Takin.
At this project you will be working in a Chinese conservation centre that aims to preserve some of the world's most endangered species. These include: Giant Pandas, Golden Monkeys, the Crested Ibis, the Takin; which is a large sheep-like creature that lives only in China and Bhutan, as well as the Sika, which is similar in appearance to a deer. The Golden Monkeys and the crested Ibis are both indigenous to China.
The world's total population of wild Giant Pandas stands at about 1,000, which are mainly distributed in Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces of China. In Shaanxi, there are about 270 giant pandas living in Panda Reservations. At the centre where you will be working they are currently looking after and monitoring fifteen giant pandas.
You can also help the staff with their English, which is important so that they can attract more tourists and generate an increase in revenue at the centre, this can then pay for research and looking after the pandas. The project staff also want to improve and practice their English, so that they can attend international conferences about animal conservation.
There's a wide range of activities which you'll be able to choose from to ensure you get the most from your trip! Daily duties have been developed by previous volunteers working together with the staff at the centre and the in country coordinator to maximize your experience and learning opportunities. You will be able to specify which animals in particular you want to work with. Please note that the Pandas are kept in enclosures in the park with access to greenery, however the park is not a safari park.
There is also the opportunity to teach some English phrases at the local Lou Guantai School; nursery rhymes and basic English phrases are particularly popular. The staff at the centre will organize a trip into the mountains either by foot or on horse, weather permitting. Basic Chinese lessons can be arranged for you if required. A TEFL course is included with this adventure, as there will be an element of teaching on an informal basis at this project. You will be asked to teach conversational English to the staff to enable them to communicate with the tourists, and to help them work towards being able to attend international endangered animal conferences and translate journals.
A CV is required for confirmation from the project and the minimum age for this project is 21. You need to be a mature and responsible person, with good communication skills. You also need to use your initiative at the project and be prepared to get stuck in and help out with a wide range of tasks, including cleaning. You need to be quite independent and confident too, as the project is in a remote location with limited facilities and you will attract attention as a foreigner.
You need to be aware that sometimes Chinese people say what they think you want to hear rather than speaking frankly, to save face and to try and please you! A negotiation and compromise is always preferable to confrontation. You will find that you need to use your initiative and be proactive on the project as your colleagues may not be that forthcoming in telling you exactly what needs to be done and when.
From January 2009 you will be staying in onsite accommodation at the park on a shared room basis, with a chance to watch the pandas from your bedroom window! Meals will be taken at a local restaurant.
Up until January 2009 you will be staying in a pleasant hotel in beautiful surroundings, located just a 10-minute walk from the park. The rooms are shared, giving you the perfect opportunity to bond with your fellow volunteers!
Please note that your first three nights accommodation will be in Xi`an, either at the volunteer apartment or at a local guesthouse, before transferring to your main accommodation for the project.
The project will aim to provide any materials or equipment such as boots, gloves and overcoats. However, shoe sizes differ so you may prefer to bring your own wellington boots and gloves! Wellington boots are essential for when it's raining.
*SPECIAL POINTS*: Take old clothes that you don't mind getting dirty; comfortable khaki is preferable, while comfy hiking shoes are essential. Bring a hat in the summer as the sun is extremely strong and hot!
*IMPORTANT NOTE*: In order to protect the Pandas from any infections, the project has requested that you provide a medical note from your doctor when you arrive, confirming that you are fit and well and are not carrying any infectious diseases. Please send this into our office a month prior to your arrival and take it with you to the project.
You will be working in a very remote location, which is about 1.5 to 2 hours away from Xi'an city centre. The area is very rural so DON'T expect a raving nightlife, restaurants and shops!
There are beautiful reserves up in the hills to trek in and you may wish to bring reading materials or an activity to occupy yourself with in the evenings. There are hot springs nearby and you may also want to do some horse riding during your spare time.
There is very limited public transport but you may be able to ride with project staff into Xi'an at weekends so that you can see the sensational local sights (terracotta warriors, Chinese Gardens, historic Muslim Quarter, City wall, bell tower and Pagodas), get internet access and explore! The region you'll be staying in is at the northern foot of Mount Zhongnan - 15 kilometers southeast of the seat of Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi Province. The area is backed by mountains and overlooks a river. The surrounding forests are very lush and beautiful and are great for walking in and are full of Chinese pine, juniper trees and bamboo.
Please check the website http://pandacentre.bebo.com/ for more information about the centre.
You'll be provided with all your meals each day from a nearby restaurant.
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
VVolunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night accommodation is included in this payment; if you require more than one night please inform the team.
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 41.00
Colossal in size and from an historical perspective, China is believed to embody 5,000 years worth of heritage beginning with the Xia dynasty. For centuries it was the world’s leading civilisation and a series of dynasties shaped the country, notably the Tang dynasty which came to the fore at a time that is widely considered to be China’s Golden Age. It was during this period (618-907) that the arts flourished, Buddhism became the main religion and trade prospered. Dynasties like the Song, Yuan and Ming followed, each laying their imprints and evolving the country.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in the early 16th century but it wasn’t until the 18th century that the trade routes were fully exploited by European interests which inevitably led to tensions. The Opium Wars, a dispute over opium trade between China and Britain, raged during the mid-19th century culminating in the signing of treaties which led to China conceding, though later reclaimed, Hong Kong to Britain. China’s land mass and colonial power was further diminished when other countries followed suit and forced treaties to increase trade with China; European colonists took over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, while Japan occupied Korea and Taiwan.
By 1911, imperial rule was brought to a grinding halt when the Qing dynasty was ousted from power and the country was declared a republic. The period was littered with disruption and a lack of political presence with warlords ruling their respective territories. By the 1920s, dominant political forces emerged in the form of the Kuomintang (KMT or Nationalist Party) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After a brief union to ward off Japanese threats, the KMT and CCP’s stiff opposition escalated into civil war from 1945 to 1949. Under Mao Zedong, the CCP were the victors and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was declared in 1949, while the central government of the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan.
In the early days of the communist regime, successful economic and land reforms were carried out to resurrect the country’s economy with a focus on industrial production. Attention was turned to agricultural output and bringing the economy up a gear with the implementation of agricultural communes with plans to abolish money and private property. Rural workers were also encouraged to increase steel production from backyard furnaces which proved futile in strengthening the economy. This in addition to droughts and floods hampered production, while Soviet aid to China ceased in 1960, rendering the effort a large scale catastrophe resulting in widespread famine. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1970) sought to re-establish Chairman Mao’s weakened position within the Communist Party and ward off opponents. A militia group, the Red Army, was installed and Mao’s little red book of quotations became the main ideological framework. The Revolution amounted to upheaval on a large scale and administered the persecution of intellectuals and artists, enforced strict codes of conduct and millions of people were killed or imprisoned.
Post-revolution, the focus was on modernising the economy and an ‘open door policy’ which helped to lay the foundations for China’s current economic boom. Political change and freedom has not been so forthcoming; the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 underpinned the government’s stance on dissent and appeals for democracy. State control and bureaucracy remains deeply ingrained and there are disparities between the booming urban areas and the rural economies. Nevertheless, China has reinvented itself over the past few decades and has a firm footing on the world stage with membership to the World Trade Organisation and is host to the 2008 Olympic Games.
While a Siberian chill lingers in the northeast and sub-tropical notes hit the southwest, China’s climate is as diverse as its landscape. As a general guide, spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October) are the most weather-friendly seasons to visit. The north, including Beijing, experiences harshly cold winters from December to March, while the summer months hot up to temperatures exceeding 30ËšC. In the central region, including Shanghai and around the Yangzi River, there is a higher percentage of rainfall year round with extreme temperatures during winter and summer. The south is hot and humid with November to February bringing welcome relief with a drop in temperature. Hong Kong is mild from mid-September to the end of February, with May to mid-September making air-conditioning feel like the greatest gift on earth.
As much as weather can affect the enjoyment factor for some, peak times may also be a consideration depending on your tolerance for high levels of tourist congestion at the visitor hotspots and on public transport. The busiest time to visit is during Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), the actual date depends on the lunar cycle but usually takes place around February, with the celebrations lasting a couple of weeks before and after the given day. The week long Labour Day holiday, which runs from May 1, and the National Day Holiday, from October 1 (each lasts a couple of days or less in Hong Kong and Macau), sees a large influx of domestic visitors to the main attractions so it’s best to visit the well-known sights before these holidays kick off.
The China Yuàn Renminbi is China’s unit of currency. The current exchange rate is: $1 to Y7.87200. Check www.xe.com or equivalent for the most up to date exchange rate.
The average costs of life’s little essentials are as follows:
In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Dollar is the unit of currency. The current exchange rate is: $1 to HK$7.77841. Check www.xe.com or equivalent for the most up to date exchange rate.
The average costs of life’s little essentials are as follows:
It takes a huge dose of patience, stamina and a love of long distances to rely solely on ground transportation to cover China’s monumental distances, if planning to explore the country to the hilt that is. To get an idea of the distances involved, flights from Beijing to Shanghai are around 2 hours, Xi’an from Beijing or Shanghai is also 2 hours, while Beijing to Hong Kong is over 3 and a half hours. In accordance with its economic good fortune, China is equipped with relatively new or renovated airports together with an extensive airline network that serves the mainland as well as Hong Kong and Macau. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) oversees the country’s main domestic airlines which include Air China, China Eastern and China Southern. It’s best to book domestic flights after you arrive as it can often work out cheaper buying from an agent in China; booking a few days in advance is advisable to get the best price. Discounted rates are also available in-country on select flights.
Train travel is the next best thing. It’s a relatively speedy and safe way to get to the main cities and overnight services are common given the distances involved. Comfort levels depend on which class you choose, for long, overnight journeys, the soft sleeper option is the best. It features four bunks in compartments that are sealed off with a door for privacy, a shared western-style toilet and other mod-cons. Hard sleepers cost considerably less but usually hold 6 bunks, lack the privacy of a closed door compartment and are separated by partitions; a squat toilet is situated at the each end of the carriage which becomes vomit inducing as the journey progresses. For shorter distances, the cheapest way to travel is to opt for the hard seat class. It gets very crowded and the soft seat option is much more pleasant and is available on express trains.
Sleeper buses aren’t as comfortable as their train counterparts but there is a good network of long distance bus services available, mainly along the east coast and between the major cities, that aren’t necessarily back-crunching and leg-numbing experiences. Buses also venture out to remote villages and towns that are inaccessible by train. Bus services in rural areas, however, can seem primitive in comparison and the roads aren’t nearly as smooth as in more developed areas.
Getting around by car is not a feasible option if you want to explore the country at your heart’s desire. Foreign visitors are restricted to driving rented vehicles within Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong only. It’s possible to rent a car with a driver but this works out expensive for long stays.
China is the place for cycle enthusiasts. It boasts more bicycles than any other country and rental is widely available. Buying a bike is also worthwhile if you plan to spend a length of time in the country and it’s possible to re-sell it and recoup part of the cost before you leave. There are designated parking spots for bikes in most towns and cities. Long-distance buses don’t usually charge to carry bikes, unlike trains and airlines.
There’s no shortage of taxis, motorcycle taxis and pedicabs on the city roads. In most cases, it helps to have a map to hand or your destination written in Chinese characters if you don’t speak the language. In addition, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou boast underground rail systems that are an efficient and cheap way of getting around. Beijing’s subway system is being developed further in time for the Olympics and currently has 4 lines that cover the main parts of the city with signs in English. The city also has a convenient bus network but negotiating the extensive routes can be hard work for non-Chinese speakers. Rickshaws are also available but tend to cost more than using a taxi.
Shanghai’s metro system comprises a subway and elevated light railway. It’s easy to use, (with signs in English) cheap and a speedy way to travel across the city, especially during rush hour when the roads are rammed. Like Beijing, bus travel during rush hour is best avoided, particularly between 7.30am and 10am and 5pm and 7pm. Taxis are readily available and the companies operating them are identifiable by colours; turquoise and orange taxis are considered to be among the most reliable and are run by the respective companies Dazhong and Qiangsheng. Unlike other parts of China, Shanghai isn’t as accommodating to bike riders as it once was. In line with the city’s mass development of recent years, motorised vehicles now clog up the roads.
Hong Kong is a breeze to get around thanks to a highly efficient transport system and widely used English language signs and street names. There’s an extensive bus network which includes double-deckers and minibuses; the buses are far-reaching and travel to parts of Kowloon, the New Territories and south of Hong Kong Island where other modes don’t venture. Outside of the populous areas, it is common practice to flag down buses rather than relying on them to stop at designated points. A good way to take in the scenes is to travel on Hong Kong’s major tram line that runs east to west along the northern part of Hong Kong Island. For a quicker way to get around, the underground railway network (in Hong Kong the term subway is used for underground walkways not railways) services the main hot spots and also boasts an express line that links the airport (situated on Lantau Island) to Hong Kong Island. There are also regular train services that work the commuter routes, while the Kowloon-Canton Railway links Kowloon to mainland China. The Light Rail Transit (LRT), meanwhile, connects routes in the western part of the New Territories.
Criss-crossing Victoria Harbour, ferries are a popular and cheap way of travelling between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. There are several ferry companies but the Star Ferry Company is perhaps the best known. The trip is a snip at 7 minutes total duration and ferries depart every 5 to 10 minutes depending on the time of day. There are also a number of ferry services to the outlaying islands, which can get crowded during weekends. If spending a few days in Hong Kong, it’s probably cheaper to purchase an Octopus card which allows unlimited travel for a set price on trains, trams, subways, as well as on most buses and ferries; buses and ferries require exact fares so it also avoids the need to carry around oodles of change.
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We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
* We can be held responsible for any starry-eyed and amazing journeys of enlightenment, discovery and thorough enjoyment...