Country Info
China is one of the oldest countries in the world. While its borders and politics have fluctuated greatly, Chinese culture has formed continuously for over 4,000 years. Today the country is governed by the Communist Party of China who rules with an authoritarian party system. China is too vast to summarize. WorldTeach volunteers, however, will all live and work in one province: Hunan.
Centrally located and south of Dongting Lake (Hunan means "south of the lake"), Hunan is in the heartland of China. The province is 88,000 square miles, or about the size of Utah. The eastern half is fertile and relatively flat, making Hunan a major agricultural center throughout Chinese history. The western half is mountainous, home to some of the most beautiful spires in the world. The Xiang River slices through the province, providing an important economic link to Wuhan and Shanghai. Hunan is home to roughly 64 million people (compared to Utah's 2.7 million in the same area).
Historically, Hunan was a quiet place, at least until 1910 when the Qing Dynasty started to collapse. Hunan became the site of major communist demonstrations shortly after the fall, led by a Hunanese native, Mao Zedong. Mao started the Hunan Soviet in 1927 but was driven out by the Chinese Nationalist army shortly thereafter. This was the start of the infamous Long March. Hunan still occupies an important place in modern Chinese history because of these formative events.
Unique challenges for China Hunan volunteers
One of the hardest challenges of living in China is being totally illiterate. While even a few short weeks of Spanish lessons will allow you to grasp many signs in a Spanish speaking country, even people with years of study can be foiled by a common store sign in Chinese. Being unable to read the simplest signs, ask the most basic questions, or communicate on the level of a toddler can be very isolating. Learning to communicate despite these barriers is one of the most difficult, and most rewarding experiences every volunteer must deal with.
"Intense" is perhaps the best word to describe the China Summer program. Volunteers are busy for most of their 8 weeks. Camp, classes, planning, games, cultural activities with the teachers and students, and Chinese language study leave little free time. Perseverance is a key to success through the program.