Vietnam, Hong Kong, S. Korea
Faculty: Brent Wilson and Jeff Duerr
Class meeting time: Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Trip Dates: May, 2024
Highlights
This tour will study the history, culture, and influence of western values and religion in Asian cultures by visiting several locales in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Students and Faculty will study Eastern Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism. Students will have opportunity to visit several religious temples and historical sites. Of particular interest will be our visits to such sites as Changgyonggung (summer palace built in 1104 for the first Yi king), Namdaemun (14th century gate into the city), Chongmyo (Royal shrine were Confucian rituals are held), Korean National Museum and Buddhist Exhibit, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong Lei Cheng Uk Museum (Burial vault from the Han Dynasty - 25-220 AD), Hoan Kiem Lake in old town Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Students and Faculty will have an opportunity to experience culture through food by attending cooking classes in at least one country. To add to our cultural flavor of the tour, students will have the opportunity to travel trough the countryside of South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam to view visit rural Asia.
Students will be prepared for the trip through a series of readings and language studies. In addition Students will prepare presentations from their readings. Students will also be required to research parts of the trip on the Internet and provide presentations for the group.
Tentative Itinerary
| Day 1-3 | Amman to Portland |
| Day 3-9 | Seoul and the surrounding communities. Some of the things we will do and see are: Changdokkung Palace, home of South Korea's royal family. Piwon, a secret garden used for gathering after church services. Changgyonggung Palace, the summer palace for the first Yi king built in 1104. Namdaemun, a "gate" into old Korea and cultural center. Chongmyo, a Royal shrine were Confucian rituals are held. Korean National Museum and Buddhist Exhibit. Visit a Korean school and orphanage. |
| Day 10-13 |
Arrive in Hong Kong some of the things we will do and see. Walk around Tsim Sha Tsui and see the Clock Tower, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Star House, Ocean Terminal, Kowloon Park, and the Promenade for view of Victoria Harbor. Mix with the crowds and see what it is like in one of the most densely populated cities in Asia. Visit the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Museum of History Hong Kong, and Lei Cheng Uk Museum. Hong Kong island - Central: We will visit government buildings and modern skyscrapers such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and the Bank of China. Go to Hong Kong Park with its greenhouse, an aviary, pools, fountains, a restaurant, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. Visit Victoria Peak taking the tram to the highest point on the island for a panoramic view of Hong Kong. Hong Kong island- Aberdeen: We will take a bus along the south side of the island stopping at Hong Kong University and the Fung Ping Sham Museum with it collection of Chinese antiquities (ceramics, bronzes and jade). In Aberdeen we will tour the harbor and its houseboat community. |
| Day 14-18 | Arrive Hanoi, visit several Buddhist temples and other religious venues. Pair up with Vietnamese University students and spend one day with native families in their homes. Visit historical sites and museums such as Vietnam National Museum and the location of the "Hanoi Hilton" and its significance to the Vietnam war. Visit and view Ho Chi Mihn at his mausoleum. |
| Day 19-21 | Travel to Ha Long Bay on the eastern coast of Vietnam. Take a boat trip through the bay, which is a national point of pride among the Vietnamese people. Ha Long bay has approx. 3000 islands within its circumference. Ha Long bay is considered to be the second most diverse ecosystem in the world, next to the Amazon region. Explore the many natural caves of Ha Long bay along with native fishing villages. |
| Day 22 | Arrive back in Hanoi, visit national Water Puppet Theatre and prepare to go home. |
| Day 23-24 | Flight home to PDX |
