Suzhou Rayhua
Bilingual Academy
Summer Chinese Language &
Culture Camp
June 4-22, 2007
Location

Located in the Municipality of Suzhou, Jiangsu
Province, Rayhua Bilingual Academy is located
about 70 miles west of Shanghai. The school
is a privately owned K-12 boarding/day school
that offers a full-scale curriculums according
the national educational standards stipulated
by the Chinese Ministry of Education. As
such, the Academy is fully accredited by the
Chinese Government.

The school occupies 128 acres of land with
classroom buildings, A/V rooms, science and
computer labs, and a library. Other student
service facilities include a gymnasium, track &
field, basketball and tennis courts, a cafeteria,
dormitories, business and administrative
buildings, school nurse’ office and a security
office.

Half of the students enrolled in Rayhua are
placed in the bilingual program, with classes
conducted in both English and Mandarin.
Dorms

While at Rayhua, students will most
likely stay either in the student dorm or
one of the faculty houses.

Each dorm room is equipped with a/c,
bunk beds, all necessary beddings,
desks and chairs. It also has maid
service. The shared bathrooms and
showers are in the hallway. During
summer season each student is also
given a mosquito net.

Each faculty house usually comes with
5-6 bedrooms, three bathrooms, a
kitchen and a large living room. It also
has a/c and cleaning service.
Food Services

The school provides three Chinese
style meals a day to the students.
Breakfast usually includes rice
porridge, steamed buns and small
dishes such as marble eggs and
Chinese pickles. Lunch and dinner
include rice and various stir-fried
dishes.

Suzhou is the birth place of the SuStyle cuisine, also known as the
Shanghai cuisine. In downtown
Suzhou, which is about 10 minutes
ride by taxi, students can find a widerange of restaurants serving a variety
of food from local flavors to regional
cuisines, as well as Western fast-food
such as Big Macs (McDonalds) and
fried chicken (KFC).
Surroundings – Downtown Suzhou


Suzhou is one of the most important historical cities in
China. The city was first built during the Spring and
Autumn Period as the capital of the Kingdom of Wu.
Beginning from the Sui Dynasty, Suzhou enjoyed a
tremendous prosperity due to its central location on the
Grant Canal of China.
Throughout history, Suzhou has housed and
produced some of the most prominent literati in
China. Many great poets wrote poems and prose
in praise of the natural beauty of the city and its
famous gardens – widely considered the
prototype of Chinese garden style architecture.
Surroundings - Mudu
Rayhua Academy is within 5 minutes bus ride to Mudu (木渎),
a historical town with cultural significance.



The name "Mudu", meaning "timbers blocking the
river", comes from an ancient story: During the
Spring and Autumn Period, King Wu set to build “the
Guanwa Palace " for his concubine Xishi. The large
quantity of timbers needed for this palace rafted
from the upstream and got stuck at the Mudu
section of the river.
With many Ming and Qing period gardens, Mudu is
also known as “the town of Gardens".
Program Overview

I. Chinese Language Instructions:
Students will be placed according to their language proficiency into different Chinese
language classes. Each morning students will have two periods of Chinese language
training and two periods of cultural communication class with the local students who
are enrolled in the bilingual program.

II. Art and Culture Classes
Students will explore Chinese arts and cultures through afternoon and evening
classes such as martial arts, calligraphy, Chinese paintings, Chinese music and the
Kun-style opera. These classes are usually taught by professional masters and
performers in Suzhou area.

III. Cultural Field Trips:
A. On weekends students will participate in scenic tours to Suzhou, Shanghai,
Hangzhou and the Tai Lake Areas. To ensure the students’ maximum exposure to
Chinese cultures, these tours are conducted jointly with local Chinese students.
B. Once a week the students will also participate in culture tours to the Silk Museum,
the Embroidery Museum and the literati gardens such as the Humble Administrators
Garden, the Lingering Garden and the Lion Grove Garden.
Program Overview - continued

IV. Chinese Cultural Topics
Evenings at Rayhua can be lively, with activities such as Chinese cooking classes to
introduce students to the Chinese food and dining culture, Chinese fashion show to
demonstrate the history of traditional Chinese costumes, and performances of
Chinese opera or the Suzhou-style music/story-telling.

V. Contests and Activities
To encourage the cultural and language exchange between the international students
and the local students, Rayhua will also host special events and contests, such as
Drama Contest, Sports Competitions, etc.

VI. Community Service
Service to others is a virtue that should be carried out wherever one goes. At
Rayhua students will be provided with opportunities to serve as English tutors, sports
coaches or in other capacities as needed by the school, the local students, and the
neighborhood. Service hours can be recognized by the Christian Service Program at
Bellarmine.
Costs

Airfare: around $1000
San Francisco ---- Shanghai Pudong International Airport:
Participants can arrange air travel together through a travel agency, or purchase
tickets on their own. It would be preferred if students can arrange to arrive on the
same day.
Airport transfers: Shanghai Pudong Airport ---- Suzhou Rayhua Academy:
Rayhua Academy will provide airport transfers between the Shanghai Pudong
International Airport and the Rayhua Academy at no extra cost to the students.

Tuition and fees:
The tuition and fees for studying at Rayhua will be $220 per week, which includes full
room and board, class materials, all local transportations, program-sponsored field
trips and tours.

Travel extension: add about $500-800
One week travel extension (June 23-28) to Beijing and Xi’an is available at extra cost.
Safety and Medical Care

Chaperon: This trip is not sponsored by Bellarmine; therefore Bellarmine does not
provide chaperons at any time. Once students arrive in Shanghai, they will be
chaperoned by the faculty from Rayhua Academy, which is a fully insured and
accredited institution.

While common-sense precautions should be exercised at all time, China is a relatively
safe place to travel and stay. This is particularly true at Rayhua. The campus is
enclosed and has 24 hour security guards on campus and at each entrance.

There will be safety boxes for students to safeguard their travel documents and
valuables.

Students should provide their own medical insurance should there be a medical
emergency which requires medical attention at local hospitals. Minor injuries can be
treated by nurses on campus.

Students with special medical needs or history of allergies should provide
documentations to the Rayhua administration upon arrival. They are also advised to
bring necessary medication with them.

While tab water in China is safe to drink, Rayhua also provides bottled water to
students daily.
Registration and Communication

Students who wish to participate in the Rayhua Academy Summer Chinese Program
should submit their application forms to Ms. Xu no later than April 15th.

Disclaimer: The Rayhua Academy Summer Chinese Language & Culture program is
not a Bellarmine-sponsored program, therefore Bellarmine College Preparatory does
not assume any responsibilities related to this program. All agreements to the
program will be made between the Rayhua Bilingual Academy and the participants.

Considering the fact that most participants of the program will be from the Mandarin
classes at Bellarmine College Prep, Ms. Lanting Xu, the Mandarin Teacher at
Bellarmine would help facilitate the communications between the participants and the
Rayhua Academy and coordinate the travel arrangements and special needs of the
students and families. This by no means imply that the teacher can be held liable
should the participants encounter difficulties or problems while studying at the
Rayhua Bilingual Academy.

Contact information at Rayhua:
Program Coordinator: Ms. Teresa Yang
Tel: +86-512-6636-5762, 6636-1588，+86-133-8214-3289 (Tel & Fax)
Location: #99 Fengjiang Road, Mudu, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Website: www.rayhua.org