Volunteering in Zheng Zhou, Henan Province

Would you be interested in visiting world-famous Shaolin Temple, the fifth-century birthplace of Chinese Kung Fu? Have you ever seen or tried the amazing art of Chinese paper cutting? Would you like to learn more about the fascinating history of Chinese traditional medicine? If so, we think you will find the opportunity to live and volunteer in Zheng Zhou, with its long history and sites of national interest, a special treat. Nearby Longmen Grottoes, the famous Yellow River, known as China's Mother River, the site where the ancient Oracle Bones were unearthed, the ancient cities of Yin Xu and Anyang- these are all places you will not want to miss!

With a long history, Zheng Zhou is a national historical and cultural city, ratified by the State Council. It was an important metropolis during the Shang dynasty as early as 3,500 years ago, served as capital of the Chinese Empire during the dynasties of Xia, Shang, Guan, Zheng, and Han, and as a prefecture (local capital) during eight other dynasties. The long history and advanced civilization have made Zheng Zhou rich in humanistic scenery, where there are 137 key protected sites at national or provincial levels. In addition to the places of interest mentioned earlier, other sites with their own special charms, include the Songshan scenic area, the remains of the primitive Dahe Village, Fuxi Mountain, Huancui Valley, North Song Dynasty's Imperial Tombs, and the birthplace of Chinese Emperor Huangdi and famous ancient poet Dufu. In 1999, Zheng Zhou was appraised as one of the China's excellent tourism cities. Every year, over nine million domestic tourists and 150 thousand international tourists visit Zheng Zhou to enjoy the many historical and cultural offerings available here.

Food

The cuisine of China is world-famous and it is well-known that in different parts of China, there are different ways of cooking and different specialties. In Zheng Zhou, the most common and popular food are pastries, various kinds of noodles, and wheat-based desserts. The three essential factors by which Chinese judge cooking are color, aroma and taste. In Zheng Zhou, people use wheat as the starting point for hundreds of different delicious foods. The color of Chinese food, the first of these elements which is so evident in a Chinese banquet, includes the layout and design of dishes, best exemplified in particular by the large elaborately-prepared cold dish served at the beginning of the dinner. Aroma implies more than what one’s nose can detect directly; you can always smell the fragrance of the foods before they arrive at the table! Taste is the art of proper seasoning, though it also involves the texture of food and fine slicing techniques. Attention to these three essential elements is what makes the food in Zheng Zhou so tasteful and wonderful!

Climate

The green coverage of Zheng Zhou is over 35 percent. For this reason Zheng Zhou is often referred to as " The green city in the central plains." With its mild climate and four distinct seasons Zheng Zhou has an annual average temperature of 14C (57F.) The average temperature in the month of July is about 27C (80F) in July. The coldest month is January, when the temperature will drop down to 0C (32F.) The most pleasant seasons are the warm springs and cool autumns, when millions flowers are in full bloom.

Transportation

Airport: XinZheng airport is located 37 KM (60 miles) southeast of Zheng Zhou. It was opened in August 1997 when it became the 21st international airport in China. There are domestic and regional flights from XinZheng airport to most major cities in the People's Republic of China. There are also charter flights to Thailand during the travel season. Flight time from Shanghai to Zheng Zhou is less than two hours.

Train: The distance from Shanghai to Zheng Zhou is about 988KM (about 1,600 miles) and it takes about 16 hours to reach Zheng Zhou by train. We recommend you book a ticket with bed to Zheng Zhou which will cost about 240 RMB. (This price changes seasonally, but not dramatically.)

Bus Travel Within and Around Zheng Zhou: There are many buses running regularly in Zheng Zhou: those with air-conditioning cost 2 RMB for a single ride, non-air-conditioned buses cost only 1 RMB per ride.

Volunteering at Zheng Zhou Middle School

Xu Bo volunteers have the opportunity to work at beautiful Zheng Zhou Middle School No. 42, located on Tongbai Road. This public school is part of the City Education Department and has about 1,400 students. The deep cultural traditions and dedication to educational excellence of Zheng Zhou No.42 Middle School have earned it a high reputation since its founding in 2002.

The four principles which guide the operation of the school have great benefit to their students. These are:

1.	Emphasis on foreign language teaching
2.	Olympic-caliber mathematics program
3.	Teachers of the first rank
4.	Students' extracurricular activities

Accommodations
Zheng Zhou No.42 Middle School is a boarding school offering single rooms to the foreign students. The volunteers will live in a flat on the school's campus. They will be provided with internet service, DVD player, air conditioners and hot water.

Meals
Three meals will be offered daily in the school cafeteria. Volunteers can enjoy delicous Chinese-style meals with your local students, offering more opportunities for building friendships with other teachers and students.

To Apply or Learn More

To apply to volunteer in Zheng Zhou please see our Overseas Partners page where you will find links to several different international organizations who will happy to help you submit your application and/or learn more about the program. You can also submit questions directly to Xu Bo by using the form below. After you enter your name, email address (take care to enter address correctly), age and your question in the provided fields, press the Send button. You will receive a confirmation email shortly and we will respond to your question as soon as possible.

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