Return to your Yale-China experience by traveling to join Yale-China as we celebrate our 125th anniversary and other milestones with our partners in mainland China and Hong Kong!
Confirm Your Participation
All members of the Yale-China family—former Fellows/Bachelors/ELIs, students, trustees, staff, supporters, and friends—are welcome.
Below you will find details on the current schedule, accommodation options, transportation between cities, and more. If you are planning to attend any of the anniversary events, we ask that you please review this information and complete this confirmation form by September 11.
Please email anniversary@yalechina.org with any questions you may have.
Schedule of Events (subject to change)
Changsha, Hunan: October 17-19
Saturday, October 17
| Morning | Yali High School celebrates its 120th anniversary with ceremonial events, a campus visit and tours, and conversations with current and former students |
| Medical Education Forum at Xiangya Hospital (only in Chinese) | |
| Evening | Joint anniversary event and dinner for Yale-China, Yali High School, and Xiangya Hospital |
Sunday, October 18
| Morning | Xiangya Hospital celebrates its 120th anniversary with a commemorative ceremony and a special celebration to honor the 150th birthday of Dr. Edward Hume |
| Afternoon | Optional tour of the new Xiangya History Museum |
Monday, October 19
| Morning | City tour of Changsha, with a focus on Yale-China history |
Xiuning, Anhui: October 21-22
Wednesday, October 21
| Morning | Official ceremony to celebrate the 20th anniversary of partnership between Xiuning High School and the Yale-China Association, featuring a bench lantern dragon dance representing each of the Fellows who have taught at Xiuzhong and the unveiling of a new Yale-China-Xiuning Cultural Exchange Exhibition Hall |
| Campus tour and class observation | |
| Tree-planting ceremony | |
| Afternoon | Conversation with students, local handicraft workshops, and friendly sporting competition with students and teachers |
| Evening | Celebratory Dinner |
Thursday, October 22
| Morning | Visit to the Xiuning Scholars Museum |
| Afternoon | Qiyun Mountain hike |
| Evening | Dinner and live performances in the Qiyun Mountain scenic area |
Hong Kong: October 24-25
Saturday, October 24
| Midday | Dim sum lunch at CUHK, followed by a campus tour, including New Asia College, and interaction with current students and Fellows |
| Evening | Yale-China 125th Anniversary Banquet (by invitation) |
Sunday, October 25
| Afternoon | 125th Anniversary hike ending at the evening's restaurant |
| Evening | Casual and fun farewell party |
Travel Information
Who will pay for my expenses?
Attendees are responsible for their own reservations and travel expenses, unless otherwise indicated below.
Visas
American citizens are required to have a valid visa or Chinese-issued travel permit to travel to mainland China, as well as a passport that will not expire within six months. If you or anyone in your group does not have a valid visa, you should start the application process for a Tourist (“L”) Visa through an authorized agent or directly through your local consulate via https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ as soon as possible. A precondition of application is to have a passport that does not expire within the coming six months. Expect the visa application to take several weeks.
If you have a valid visa in an expired passport, you can enter China if you bring both your current passport and the expired passport with the visa in it, as long as the biographical information in both passports is identical. If the information in the two passports is different (i.e. one is missing a middle name or your last name has changed) they will not grant you entry.
NOTE: China has recently instituted a visa-free transit policy that allows Americans to enter China for up to ten days without a visa, after registering at the border. This policy is predicated on the idea that you will depart mainland China for a separate country or region than you arrived from, including layovers. Hong Kong counts as a separate region for this purpose. If you fly directly from the United States to mainland China, then exit via Hong Kong, you will meet the requirements for this policy; however, if you enter China via Hong Kong, you would need to exit to a different location.
Hong Kong is visa-free for American citizens.
Accommodation
You have the option to join accommodation arrangements coordinated for the Yale-China delegation at any of the three locations, or make separate arrangements. Please review the following options before indicating your plans on the confirmation form:
For Changsha
Join the Yale-China group booking at Empark Grand Hotel.
All participants in the Yale-China delegation are offered a special rate of RMB 500 per night for a Deluxe king bed, river view, with buffet breakfast included, payable at the hotel. Please note on the confirmation form if you would like Yale-China to book this option for you.
You may also choose to book a different room or rate directly with the hotel at the link above.
Or arrange accommodations at a separate hotel.
For Xiuning
Join the Yale-China group booking at the Ramada by Wyndham Huangshan, Xiuning.
All participants in the Yale-China delegation are offered free accommodation (including buffet breakfast). These rooms are courtesy of Xiuning Middle School and the local government. Please note on the confirmation form if you would like Yale-China to book this option for you.
You may make your own arrangements to self-pay at this hotel using the link above.
Or arrange accommodations at a separate hotel.
For Hong Kong
All Hong Kong accommodation choices are self-pay.
For those who want to be near CUHK, we recommend booking one of the following options:
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin – Located next to CUHK campus train station.
Regal Riverside Hotel – Minibus and taxi access to CUHK, to MTR stations, and express bus service directly to airport.
Friendship Lodge at New Asia College – We have reserved a limited supply of basic guest rooms in the building that Yale-China helped build and where decades of Fellows have lived. These rooms are at the top of the CUHK mountain and require independently navigating campus buses, so they are better for people who are familiar with campus. Prices are around HKD 450 per person night. First come, first served.
Transportation
All three event locations are easily accessible by high speed rail, which will be the most convenient domestic travel option for most guests. We recommend booking your tickets through Trip.com. Train schedules are available now, but tickets are not available to purchase until 2 weeks in advance. There are several different classes of seating; we suggest second or first class.
Getting to Changsha
We suggest arriving in Changsha by Friday, October 16.
Changsha is accessible via plane and high-speed rail. Changsha Huanghua International Airport does not have any direct flights to/from North America but is very accessible via transfer. You may also fly into any major city in China and take a high-speed train to Changsha South Railway Station.
Changsha to Xiuning
We suggest arriving in Xiuning by Tuesday, October 20.
The most convenient method would be by high-speed train to Huangshan North Railway Station. Huangshan North is just a short 20-30 minute taxi ride or local bus trip away from Xiuning.
Note: Current planning suggests that the 2:08 PM (G1768) train from Changsha South to Huangshan North may be a convenient option for guests interested in traveling around the same time. Additional transportation coordination information will be shared closer to the events.
Xiuning to Hong Kong
We suggest arriving in Hong Kong by Friday, October 23
There is one direct high-speed train every day from Huangshan North to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station that arrives by 10 PM (G901).
You may also choose to take a direct high-speed train from Huangshan North to Shenzhen North Railway Station. From Shenzhen North you have two options:
High-Speed Train Option: Take a bullet train from Shenzhen North directly to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station where you will pass through customs.
Metro Option: Take Shenzhen Metro Line 4 to Futian Checkpoint or Line 1 to Luohu Station, clear customs on foot, and transfer to the Hong Kong MTR East Rail Line.
I have more questions. Who should I ask?
Email anniversary@yalechina.org