We hope you’re ready for some fun! Primarily, the aim of Kindergarten Volunteering programme is to give the local children a basic foundation of the English language. This will give them the best start in life and can lead to real benefits for them in the future years, allowing them to engage in the global community as adults.

Prior knowledge or experience in the education sector is hugely advantageous for volunteers on this programme, although it is not compulsory. All course material is provided for you, although the local program supervisors are always open to new suggestions that could improve the curriculum in terms of engagement, fun and efficiency.

Typically, you will be teaching for around 10 hours per week, but you may also assist with nursing (small children) and you will be required to plan lessons for the following day. If you are teaching, you will be on a standard schedule that includes three 45 minute lessons a day, with time provided during the day where you can observe other lessons and plan your activities.

Daily Schedule

Monday to Friday

• Breakfast
• Kindergarten Volunteering for 3 hours
• Lunch
• Kindergarten Volunteering/Lesson Planning
• Dinner

Evenings and Weekends

Weekends are free. You are welcome to relax and hang out at the volunteer accommodation with other volunteers or you can use this time to travel and explore Guilin and Yangshou with your new friends.

Places to Visit

There are so many wonderful sights and places to visit in this area. A guide book can tell you everything you could want to know, but here are a few ideas we recommend:

The Li River

This river spans 80km from Guilin to Yangshuo and is decorated with rolling hills, unique cliffs, caves and comfortable boats and should not be missed. Especially popular among Chinese tourists is a spot close to Yangshuo that is portrayed on the 20 Yuan bill.

Yangshuo
A picturesque city, famous for its surrounding hills, rivers and bar streets. Lots of activities offered including rafting, biking, rock climbing, a stunning light show on Li River and much more. Make sure to spend at least one of your weekends here!

Seven Star Park
Famed for its rock formations, the park includes many different attractions including the Flower Bridge, Seven-Star Cave, Camel Hill and even a zoo!

Guilin is a province in southern China known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst. And here, in the majestic shadow of its mountains, is the centre you will be staying in. The centre is a 260-year-old building from the Qing dynasty so be prepared for some history as well as a comfortable stay!

About the Accommodation

This accommodation has western-style toilets, a bar with a variety of drinks, snacks, and food all set in a unique Chinese atmosphere.

Available Room Types

• Standard Room 2-8 people per room
• Private rooms available on request
• WIFI in public areas

Food Arrangements

We have our in-house chef busy making food every day for you! Expect typical Chinese food with rice and noodles in Chinese dishes styles. Vegetarian food is also available upon request. Water, tea and coffee are available throughout the day and are included in the programme.

Support

Our experienced Chinese coordinators are bilingual (Mandarin and English) and live as part of the family at the Centre. They are there to run scheduled activities, whilst also assisting those who want to explore the area or undertake self-organised activities. They are onsite 24/7 to deal with any problems or queries volunteers may have.

Facilities

There is a small local shop that sells snacks on-site, but to reach ATMs and bigger shops, you will need to take a 30-minute bus journey into town.

Transportation

Our Centre is about 4 kilometres away from Lian Hua town. It is easy to catch a bus into town during the day – or to cycle. Gongcheng is the largest town nearby and is about 20 km away. Frequent buses also go from there to Yangshuo, 42 kilometres away if you are looking to travel further afield at the weekends.

Money

There are days where you will not have many opportunities to spend your money, but food, drinks and snacks can all be purchased cheaply. Around 100 Yuan per week should be more than enough as spending money if you are staying local. You will however need much more if you are looking at ‘extras’, such as self-organised trips during the week (e.g. to the street barbecues in Gongcheng). Take note that the nearest ATM that accepts international bank or credit cards is half an hour away by car so if you have such plans, you should get cash out at the airport upon your arrival, or in Yangshuo while you are there.

Capital: Beijing
Language: Standard Chinese
Currency: Renminbi (Yuan) (CNY)
Time zone: CST (UTC +8)

China covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers making it the 2nd largest country by land area. It is not only the country with the largest population in the world but it is also one of the largest economies laying claim to being the world’s largest exporter and 2nd largest importer of goods.

It is a country of incredible cultural history boasting one of the earliest ancient civilisations dating back to around 2800 BC. Its landscape is equally rich in diversity, ranging from its forest steppes, its deserts in the north and subtropical forests in the south to its 14,500km long stretch of Pacific Ocean coastline. All of this makes China an incredible and exciting place to be, both in what it has to offer today and the story of its past.

China has solidified itself as a contender for global recognition and as a tourist hotspot.  We have a number of  travel experiences in China from volunteering & gap year travel  to Tours and Paid Teaching.

With an assortment of climates and social structures, it is near impossible to experience all of China in a gap year trip. You can invest yourself and discover a whole new culture and still miss out on a dozen other cultures within arm’s reach while travelling in China, and these programs are dedicated to helping you help others while experiencing the different wonders of the country. Combine adventuring through nature with helping those less fortunate, and you have got yourself a stellar journey ahead of you. If you are looking for a gap year holiday in China, conservation work, an exciting road trip in China,  volunteer work with Pandas, teaching or other work & travel in China have a look at our latest experiences below or contact us for more information.

Please Note TRU are not currently able to accept any volunteers in China due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. We will be sure to update you when it is safe to travel and restrictions ease in China.