How do you plan your China family trip when you step into a city with your kids? Going to a popular attraction or exploring a quiet corner? How can a full family trip to China be without cultural experiences? As a country with diverse cultures and histories, China provides rich cultural experiences, such as Chinese calligraphy, Chinese martial arts, Peking Opera, etc. If you have no idea about kid-friendly activities, you can read this article to get some helpful tips for traveling to China with kids.
1. Learn Traditional Chinese Calligraphy or Painting
Chinese calligraphy is an ancient Chinese art form. It is not only the writing of words but also a cultural heritage and aesthetic taste. Chinese calligraphy has different styles such as oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script, and cursive script. You can start with the regular script and master the basic skills. When you plan your family trip to China, you and your kid can take a Chinese calligraphy class and try writing Chinese characters with a brush and ink.
In the Chinese traditional arts, calligraphy and painting are regarded as homologous art forms. Experiencing Chinese painting is another way to understand Chinese culture. In a Chinese painting, the artist often writes poems, words or their name next to the painting or in the appropriate place. You can express what you have seen during your family trip to China through Chinese painting. Chinese painting and calligraphy both use the same tools, namely the four treasures of the study (the brush, ink, paper and ink stone).
2. Visit a Local Wet Market
Going to popular destinations, you can experience the essence of classic local culture and culinary delights. Wet markets are different because they are the places with the strongest atmosphere of local life. Wet markets usually have a wide variety, from fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood to whole grains, condiments, dry goods, etc. Wet markets in different regions will feature local specialties. A wet market is like a local specialty museum.
For visitors, a visit to the local wet market is a good opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the local culture and way of life. Why not add China's wet markets to your family travel to China? You will see a dazzling array of delicious food, bustling crowds, and lively bargaining. You can observe what the locals eat and learn about their goods by interacting with stall owners. Don't forget the snack stalls in the market, a great place to savor local specialties.
3. Take a Cooking Class
Food is an indispensable part of tourism. Food not only satisfies people's taste buds but also allows people to better understand the local culture and customs. Taking a cooking class is one of the best things to do in China with kids. In many cities, you have the chance to take part in cooking classes to make and taste local specialties. As a traditional Chinese food, dumplings (jiaozi) are very popular among local people. Dumplings are also one of the most important foods to celebrate the Chinese New Year in northern China. Making dumplings is also easy for kids. First, prepare the filling and dumpling wrappers. Put the proper amount of filling in the center of the wrapper and fold the wrapper in half. Pinch the edges tightly with your fingers to make sure no filling leaks.
Embark on a China food tour and taste and make authentic Chinese cuisine. You can deepen your impression of a city and learn about Chinese food culture. Start by shopping for ingredients at a bustling local wet market. Master the techniques and secrets of Chinese cuisine under the guidance of a chef.
4. Learn Kung Fu or Tai Chi
Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi are two very famous forms of Chinese martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu is also famous in many Chinese martial arts movies. As the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu in China, Henan allows you to experience authentic Chinese Kung Fu. The Shaolin Temple located in Songshan, Henan is undoubtedly an excellent place for kids to watch kung fu performances or participate in kung fu training classes. Under the guidance of professional teachers, you can learn basic Shaolin-style boxing, cudgel, and other simple movements.
Compared to Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi's movements are slow and gentle. Although its movements seem slow, they contain powerful inner strength. If you head to some parks or squares in China, you will see some local people doing Tai Chi. Yes, Tai Chi has become a way for Chinese people, especially the elderly, to tone up their bodies and minds. You can also travel to Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province to study Tai Chi and learn about its history and development.
5. Play Mahjong
Mahjong is a traditional board game that originated in China. Mahjong games usually involve four players and require unique strategy, calculation and luck. Four players play a game by grabbing and playing mahjong tiles. Although the basic playing method of mahjong is simple and easy to get started, there are many changes. There are several variants of mahjong and the rules are somewhat different from place to place.
Mahjong is a very popular game suitable for all ages in China. After traveling to China with kids, you can play mahjong with your family. You can learn the rules and basic knowledge of mahjong from local experts. Mahjong is not only an entertainment activity, but also a social way. You can chat with the locals while playing mahjong and enjoy a pleasant cultural experience.
6. Paint a Peking Opera Mask or Folding Fan
The Peking Opera facial mask is an important element of traditional Chinese opera culture and a part of Peking Opera performance. Masks with different colors and patterns represent the personalities and identities of different characters. For example, red represents loyalty, bravery and integrity, such as Guan Yu. White masks symbolize cunning, insidious and evil, such as Cao Cao. Black color symbolizes uprightness, courage and recklessness, such as Zhang Fei. If you plan to travel to Beijing, you can learn about the related culture of facial makeup and the basic methods of Peking Opera mask drawing. Kids can draw lines, patterns and colors on the mask models to create their own unique masks.
Fan painting is a traditional artwork with a long history in China. Ancient Chinese people often wrote poems and painted on fans to make them look more beautiful. These creations can be landscapes, flowers, birds, figures or calligraphy. Painting a folding fan is also a family-friendly activity. Led by the teacher, you and your kids can pick up a brush to experience the fun of painting on a fan.
7. Make a Kite
According to historical records, Chinese kites were originally used for military and gradually evolved into folk entertainment activities. Kites usually use bamboo sticks or wood as the skeleton and use paper, cloth, plastic, etc. as the surface. Kite making is a traditional folk craft in China. The process of making kites includes designing patterns, making skeletons, pasting paper surfaces, decorating, and other steps. Weifang, Shandong Province, known as the "capital of kites", is famous for its diverse and brightly colored kites.
Making kites is a test of your kid's hands-on skills. You can experience the kite-making process in a kite-making workshop. Tying shelves, pasting paper, drawing patterns... Make a unique kite with the instructor's explanation and demonstration. Many bird and butterfly kite frames are popular. After you have finished making your kites, you can fly them together in an open field.
8. Play Ping Pong
Ping pong has very high popularity and influence in China, known as the "national ball". Ping pong is fascinating because it is extremely skillful and tactical. When playing ping pong, athletes must possess abilities such as rapid movement and precise judgment. Superb skills and rich tactics can make you more powerful.
Ping pong is not only a competitive sport but also a popular leisure activity for people of all ages. You can see many people playing ping pong in the local park or sports field. If you want to improve your reaction and focus, plan a family vacation to China and learn to play ping pong! Make playing ping pong a family sport that you and your kid can interact with.
9. Learn Paper Cutting
Chinese paper cuttings is a kind of Chinese folk art, which uses scissors or carving knives to cut and carve patterns on red paper. Paper cutting is an indispensable Chinese New Year decoration, pasted on the windows, doors or other items at home. Paper-cutting patterns are various with symbolism and auspicious meanings.
If you want to appreciate more Chinese paper-cutting art and learn the exquisite skills of paper cuttings, many northern cities in China are good choices, such as Xi'an, Beijing, etc. You and your kids can take a paper-cutting class or visit a paper-cutting workshop. Kids can use their imagination to create unique works.
10. Visit a Local Family
When you travel to China with kids, how to better integrate into the local culture? The best way is to mingle with the locals and experience the real local life and environment. When you and your kids visit a local family, you will have a different travel experience.
You can learn about old Beijing culture and observe the unique courtyard houses in Beijing's hutongs. Learn to make dumplings and use chopsticks in a Xi'an family. The culture of China's ethnic minorities is also a major feature of Chinese culture, such as Tibetan in Tibet, Naxi in Yunnan, Zhuang in Guilin and other Guangxi regions. If you travel to ethnic areas in China, visiting local families will give you insight into their unique language, costumes, festivals, etc.
11. Experience Chinese Tea Culture
China, as the home of tea, has a rich tea culture. Many cities in China have tea gardens and unique tea cultures. For example, Puer City in Yunnan Province is the birthplace of Pu'er tea. Hangzhou is a famous Longjing tea-producing area in China. Longjing Village by West Lake is an excellent place for tourists to enjoy tea and scenery. The "Three Courses of Tea" of the Bai people in Yunnan can be a good experience to enjoy tea ceremony. Green tea from Mount Emei in Sichuan is known for its unique aroma and flavor.
Tourists can visit tea gardens and learn about the planting, harvesting, and production processes of tea. Follow a local tea farmer and learn how to pick tea leaves. You can learn Chinese tea ceremony and learn to make tea in a tea room.
12. Watch the Cultural Performances
China is a country with a long history and a rich variety of performing art forms, such as Chinese opera, Chinese acrobatic performances, shadow puppetry, etc.
Chinese acrobatics are famous for their difficult physical strength, balance skills and high-altitude performances. Acrobatic performances are usually accompanied by music and dancing.
Shadow puppetry is a unique theatrical form that projects the shadow of puppets onto a screen to perform a story. Shadow figures are operated behind the scenes by slender bamboo skewers, accompanied by music and lines.
If your China family travel itinerary includes Sichuan, you can bring your kids to watch the changing faces of Sichuan Opera. Sichuan Opera actors change faces by gesturing and rotating their heads in an instant.
13. Try Tie-Dyeing
Tie-dye is a traditional dyeing process that creates unique patterns and designs on fabric. Tie-dye has a long history in China, especially in the ethnic minority areas of southwestern China, such as the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan Province, and the Miao people in Guizhou Province. Due to the different ways of binding and dyeing, each tie dye work is unique. Experiencing tie-dye with your kids can be a fun activity to dive into local culture and traditional crafts. After finishing your tie-dye experience, you can take your own tie-dye works home as souvenirs of your family trip to China.
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