American International School of Guangzhou

The American International School of Guangzhou is the oldest and largest international school in Guangzhou, China. The school uses an English curriculum and is an IB World School serving the expatriate community in Guangzhou. AISG's current student body consists of approximately 950 students from over 40 countries.

History

The school was founded in 1981 to educate the children of the staff of the US Consulate. It was then based in the Dong Fang Hotel. Students of other nationalities were later admitted and the school relocated to the Garden Hotel in 1985. In 1987 the school received accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to teach kindergarten to grade 8. In 1994 AISG moved into a purpose-built school in the Greenery, a housing estate in the Tianhe District. Enrollment was then 102 students from 21 different nationalities. The high school was accredited and added in 1996-97. AISG became an International Baccalaureate World School in 2001.

It moved to its current location in Er Sha Island in 2002. Rapid growth fueled the need to identify a larger site able to accommodate the school’s size over the long term. In 2007 the Middle and High School moved to a spacious modern facility among the green hills in Science Park, north east of the city center. In the coming months, construction of a new Elementary School will start beside the new Middle and High School buildings.

Accreditation and Memberships

AISG is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is registered with the Chinese government as a School for Foreign Students. It is a member of the Council of International Schools, the East Asian Regional Council of Schools , the Asia Pacific Activities Conference and the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools . The school is an authorized provider of International Baccalaureate programs at primary and high school levels. The school also offers Advanced Placement courses.

Academics

The school is an IB World School that runs from Preschool through to grade 12. The Elementary School follows the IB Primary Years Program. In the Middle School students follow a challenging internetional curriculum to prepare them for the IB Diploma Program. In the High School student can participate in the IB Diploma Programme. AISG also offers . The school emphasizes on academics and the development of the whole child.

Average SAT Score 570 Writing and 655 Math

Facilities

Elementary Campus

*Thirty-five classrooms
*Large Library
*3 Computer labs
*4 Science labs
*Art rooms
*Music rooms
*Gymnasium
*Playing Field
*ErSha Island Campus is a wireless environment.

Middle and High School Campus

*Fifty classrooms
*Large Library
*Computer labs
*Science labs
*3 Art rooms
*Separate Music building
*Practice rooms
*Theater
*Large Sports Hall
*Playing Field
*Science Park Campus is a wireless environment.

Student Life

At the Elementary School, students can select a variety of after school activities, whether from an arts, sport, community or academic thread. Some of the after school activities include drama, choir, sudoku and chess. There is also a Service Learning club, and a group of students who come together to produce the Elementary School newspaper.

Middle and High School students are involved in many extracurricular activities, from student government to a strong performing arts program. Student have opportunities to be members in active Music and Drama Clubs as well as in Model United Nations groups. Community service initiatives include Habitat for Humanity and working with mentally challenged adults in Guangzhou. There are also opportunities to participate in a wide range of both recreational and competitive sports. High School students also participate in China Trips where they get to know and help the country they now live.

Athletics

Elementary

At the Elementary School, after school sports include volleyball, soccer, floor hockey, taekwondo, table tennis and badminton.

Middle and High School

AISG fields sports a large number of teams at the High School and Middle School level. Some of the sports that many students participate competitively in are volleyball, basketball, soccer, rugby and badminton, in which they play against other International Schools and Chinese Universities in the region. AISG has recently been invited to to join APAC, the Asia Pacific Activities Conference. This allows the students to compete against the top International Schools from China, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. APAC also includes activities such as Drama, Speech and Debate, Orchestra and Band. The school is also a member of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools , which provides opportunities to play other international schools.

The Boys varsity Volleyball team has been the Division 1 ACAMIS Champions the last 2 years. While the Boys varsity Basketball team has been the Division 1 ACAMIS Champions the last 4 years.

AISG is hosting the APAC Basketball tournament in February.

Yang Cheng Tong

Yang Cheng Tong, 羊城通 is a rechargeable stored value smartcard designed for paying the travel fares in the , buses, s and in Guangzhou, China and surrounding cities, namely Foshan, Huadu, Zengcheng and Panyu.
It is built and managed by Guangzhou Yang Cheng Tong Limited , Guangzhou Public Transport Data Control Center and .

The card is also sometimes accepted by city merchants, zoos, restaurants, parking meters, and in other establishments as payment.
With the card holder's personal information stored in the Yang Cheng Tong, further functions can be applied, such as access control of buildings and roll call in school.
The system was successfully launched in 30th December, 2001.
According to the official statistics announced by its operator,
the circulation of Yang Cheng Tong is over 5 million cards and 2.2 million transactions per day.

The card does not accept anonymous purchase and a bank card is required for the application.

Yang Cheng Tong literally means ''Ram City Pass'', since the ''Five Rams'', 五羊 statue is one of the important landmarks in Guangzhou.
''Wu Yang Cheng'' or ''Yang Cheng'' are both well-known nicknames of Guangzhou among Chinese people.

Type of card

There are different types of the Yang Cheng Tong card, but their functions are basically the same.

*Standard card, sold for 80RMB and containing deposit value of 30RMB. Deposit will be refunded when the card is returned.
*Memorial card, deposit not included and refund of this type is prohibited. For example, the designs of these cards in 2006 are travel spots-themed, sold for 20RMB each card. When showing this card to relative spot box office, 10% discount would be offered for admission.
*Xeno-card is a wrist watch, key chain or cell phone lanyard which is implanted with the chip used in Yang Cheng Tong cards. These products may derive from the idea of .
*Enterprise card.
*Joint card.

Criticism

Compared to other contactless smartcards in use,
the data transmission of Yang Cheng Tong is criticized by commuters that it takes 1~2 seconds between the card and reader to complete the transaction,
though the operator claims that the data communication only costs 0.5 seconds in its official site.


Moreover, there are insufficient facilities to refill the card value with cash.
Currently there are only two Yang Cheng Tong customer service centers,
a few 7-Eleven stores and a small number of Guangzhou Metro stations accepting the cash for recharging value to Yang Cheng Tong card.
Otherwise, a bank card is required for using automatic self-service add-value terminals located at each Guangzhou Metro station and in joint banks, McDonald's restaurants, car parks, etc.

Whampoa Military Academy

The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy ，and Nationalist commanders Chen Cheng, Du Yuming, and Hu Zongnan. These young students first showed their training and courage in the war against local warlord and dissident of Sun, Chen Jiongming ，and later the unification of Guangdong province. Then they made greater contributions in the .

Influence

The Whampoa Military Academy plays an important role in Chinese history. Although it is primarily a military academy aiming to train military elites like the United States Military Academy, it has exhibited a broad influence on Chinese history. It not only supplied many military commanders for both the KMT and CCP, but also its graduates have much more influence on both parties' policies and governance. Especially for Chiang and KMT, the Whampoa Clique was pivotal for his governance. It competed with other cliques of KMT such as the New Guangxi Clique led by Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, CC Clique led by Chen Lifu and Chen Guofu, Politics Research Group led by Yang Yongtai and Zhang Qun . At the same time, when the CPC built its first after the Nanchang Uprising in 1927 most of its commanders were from Whampoa, and in the following two decades, the CPC trained its army in the Whampoa way.

The motto of the academy "Camaraderie" was proclaimed by Sun Yat-sen at the opening ceremonies. The irony is that during the Chinese Civil War both the commanders from KMT and CPC were trained and educated in Whampoa. They fought for different beliefs and ideals although they used to live and study together like brothers in arms.

The academy also had significant influence over the 20th century history of other Asian countries. The fourth term of the Academy saw students not only from all parts of China, but also from different parts of Asia enroll. For example, there were 30 Koreans among them. Some of them were brought up in China, others were active participants during the national liberation movement of Korea in 1917-1926 and emigrated to China later only to take up arms for struggle for freedom of their country once again after the education was over.

Also a big group of students was originally from Vietnam. This group was led by an exiled to-be leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Vietnamese struggle for independence Ho Chi Minh.

Relocations

The original Whampoa Military Academy existed from 1924 to 1926, over 6 terms it enrolled more than 7000. However, Chiang Kai-Shek purged the Communist Party of China during the the academy was moved to the newly established capital in Nanjing after the defeat of the warlords in 1928. The academy moved again to Chengdu during the Japanese invasion.



In 1950, after the Communist victory on mainland China and the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the academy followed KMT and was re-established in Fongshan, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan as the Chinese Military Academy and changed name in 2004 to the Military University. .

Utahloy International School of Guangzhou

Utahloy International School is an international school in Guangzhou, China. It caters for primary school to high school level and prepares students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. It was established in August 1997 and approved by the Ministry of Education in 1998. It has 640 students as of 2005. Current enrollment in K-12 is 820 students this year . The primary language of curriculum delivery is in English but ESL support is available as most of the students are not native English speakers. Also the teachers in the school receive specialist training on delivering mainstream subjects to ESL students in their classrooms. This level of support and understanding for students studying such a rigorous curriculum in a second language is unique in Guangzhou.

UISG is an IBO world school delivering the Middle Years Programme for years 7-10 and International Baccalaureate Diploma for years 11 and 12. Its graduates have been accepted into top rank universities around the world to include the London School of Economics, Syracuse University, and Hong Kong City University. It has a link with Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia providing a second bridge to tertiary education abroad for students.

The school is also involved in the ACAMIS league , which is a league that holds sports competitions between international schools in China and Mongolia, mathematics competitions, cultural conventions, etc. The school has a strong student-athlete culture with excellence in academics and code of conduct which inculcates a sense of pride and respect throughout the school.

The school is a member of the Council of International Schools. It is run under the aegis of the Utahloy Education Foundation, a non-profit Hong Kong based foundation.

The School has become known for its stimulating, supportive, caring environment. Located on the edge of a beautiful lake, nestled into forested hillsides Utahloy is only 20 minutes from the centre of Guangzhou. Most classrooms and outdoor areas overlook the lake. The School has spacious and attractive grounds, creating a healthy, safe and pleasant environment for students. Utahloy has been providing an exceptional academic programme for the international community since 1998. The school commenced with 50 children in kindergarten and primary classes. It now offers an international education from K-12 for more than 700 expatriate students who represent over 40 nationalities.

Utahloy is a member of the Council of International Schools and is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to provide the IB Middle Years and Diploma programmes. We are implementing PYP as a Candidate School. Academic rigour is assured, due to the IB frameworks and high calibre of international teachers employed. The teaching staff comprises well-qualified teachers, recruited from: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.A.

Mother Tongue languages are sustained and developed within the curriculum. Students develop an academic vocabulary, expand their language usage, and study literature and culture in their mother tongue programme. Languages currently offered to Mother Tongue speakers include: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French and German. Other languages will be added in the next year, such as Spanish and Hindi.

The Arts are celebrated through music, drama, dance and visual art. Students have the opportunity to study these subjects to IB Diploma level. The School has connections with a national dance company and local artists, creating an arts-rich environment for all students. There are music ensembles, bands and orchestras in the after-school-activities programme.

Providing a range of healthy activities characterises our approach to a well–balanced physical development programme. Students gain an understanding of the importance of fitness in their P.E. lessons, sports teams, outdoor education camps, sports tournaments, and the whole-school Fit-for-Life initiative.

The host country language and culture is studied through Chinese language classes, integrated units of work in the classroom and field trips in the region. Global citizenship is developed through: community service projects; environmental sustainability action and awareness; Model United Nations participation; and through our emphasis on multilingual communication. We are proud of Utahloy’s commitment to the development of internationally-minded students, who will benefit personally from their global connections and help create a better world.

Thirteen Factories

Thirteen Factories is an area of Guangzhou, China where the first foreign trade was allowed in the 18th century since Hai jin. It is also referred to as the ''"Thirteen Hongs"'' or the ''"Canton Factories"''.

Terminology

Factories were "foreigners quarters" outside the city walls in Guangzhou. These were business markets, not actual factories where goods were manufactured. The name came from the foreign agent term of "", who maintained offices or ''factories''. Chinese citizens often referred to the factories as "Barbarian Houses". In 1686, Westerners were allowed to also live in the area of the factories in Canton, at the head of the . In 1757, the Emperor Qianlong limited Westerners to the port of Canton, and no other area.

In 1793, attempts were made by who sent representative Lord to request that ports in northern China be opened to trade. Emperor Qianlong denied

{|class="wikitable"
! width=35% | Chinese Pinyin Names
! width=35% | English Names
! width=30% | Chinese Names
|-
| e-ho-hong || Factory of Justice and Peace ||义和行（小溪馆）
|-
| paeon-ho-hong || Factory of Tranquillity ||新英国馆（保和行）？？
|-
| || Hog lane ||猪巷
|-
| fung-tae-hong || Chow-Chow Factory || 炒炒馆（丰泰行、巴斯行）
|-
| bung-shan-hong || Old English Factory ||旧英国馆（隆顺行）
|-
| suy-hang || Swedish Factory ||瑞典行（瑞行）
|-
| ma-ying-hang || Imperial Factory ||帝国馆（孖鹰行）
|-
| paon-shun-hang || Precious and Prosperous Factory ||宝顺馆（宝顺行）
|-
| kwang-yuen-hang || American Factory ||美国行（广源行）
|-
| || Old China street ||老中国街
|-
| || French Factory ||法兰西馆（高公行）
|-
| || Spanish Factory ||西班牙馆（大吕宋行）
|-
| || Danish Factory ||丹麦行
|-
In 1835, medical missionary opened an Ophthalmic Hospital at 3 Hog Lane. Lam Qua, a Western-trained Chinese painter who also had workshops in the Thirteen Factories area, was commissioned by Parker to paint pre-operative portraits of patients who had large tumors or other major deformities.

Policies

The emperor appointed an official called the hoppo, to take charge and collect taxes from the goods traded. The position also overlook whether the trades went accordingly. The hoppo was responsible for merchant relations on behalf of the Qing court. It was an important position since merchants were not allowed to communicate with the emperor directly.

Foreigners were also not allowed to learn Chinese by rule at the time though the British did have as a translator. The four linguists representing the Chinese side included Atom, Achow, Atung and Akang.

The British School of Guangzhou

The British School of Guangzhou was established in June 2005, as a non-profit education organisation offering the English National Curriculum to expatriate families living in Guangzhou. The school has recently opened in a new campus north of the city, offering ample classroom facilities, all in a green fresh air environment. Employing only UK qualified teachers with experience, the school follows a strict admissions policy ensuring that high academic standards and levels of spoken/written English in classrooms. The British School of Guangzhou is a member of the East Asian Association of British International Schools , is registered at the UK QCA and is fully licensed by the Chinese authorities.

Shamian Island

Shamian Island, formerly known as Shameen Island, from its pronunciation is a sandbank island in Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China. The territory was originally divided in two given to France and the United Kingdom by the Qing Dynasty government in the 19th century. The island's name literally means "sandy surface" in .





The island covers an area of 0.3 square kilometers and is a gazetted historical area that serves as a tranquil reminder of the colonial European period, with quiet pedestrian avenues flanked by trees and lined by historical buildings in various states of upkeep. The island is the location of several hotels, a youth hostel, restaurants and shops selling curios and souvenirs.

Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. For example, one statute entitled "A gentleman, a lady and a darn woman" shows a Western couple watching a Chinese woman darning cloth. Another depicts the changing appearances and stature of Chinese women, with a woman from colonial times in traditional clothing, a slightly taller woman from the early or mid 20th century wearing a , and a relatively tall and slender young Chinese woman wearing shorts and talking on a mobile phone.

The island was the scene of fighting during the "May 30 incident" in 1925 .

Since the early 2000s, Shamian Island has become well known for the many Western couples who reside there while seeking to Chinese babies and young children, most of whom are orphaned and female. The White Swan Hotel is perhaps the best-known hotel in Guangzhou, having been in operation for many years, and is usually the hotel of choice for these couples. One reason for this popularity is that the hotel was once adjacent to the United States consulate, making it convenient to file paperwork and handle bureaucratic matters. The consulate has since moved , but the hotel is still the most popular destination for adopting couples. Beginning in 2007, the Chinese government slowed the rate of adoptions, and as a result the percentage of tourists to Shamian Island who are Westerners has decreased as well.




A is located within a short walk from the island.