On the Expedition

Document the traditional religious activities, architecture, and legends in China’s Yulin area.

The first two teams will be based in the Botanical Garden of Wo Yun Shan and the last two will live and work in Miao Jia Getai village. At both sites, volunteers will stay in traditional cave dwellings with basic facilities – beds atop brick platforms, pit toilets, water available for drinking and hand washing, and little electricity. For the occasional shower, bathhouses are located approximately five kilometers from Miao Jia Getai and 20 kilometers from Wo Yun Shan. Teams in Wo Yun Shan will be housed at the temple guesthouse and will take meals at the guest eatery, while teams staying in Miao Jia Getai will be welcomed into villagers’ homes. Villagers will prepare local food for the teams, consisting of mainly vegetarian fare prepared with fresh local ingredients, as well as steamed breads and dumplings.

Meals and Accommodations

Teams will be based in either the Botanical Garden of Wo Yun Shan or in Miao Jia Getai village. At both sites, volunteers will stay in traditional cave dwellings with basic facilities – beds atop brick platforms, pit toilets, water available for drinking and hand washing, and little electricity. For the occasional shower, bathhouses are located approximately five kilometers from Miao Jia Getai and 20 kilometers from Wo Yun Shan. Teams in Wo Yun Shan will be housed at the temple guesthouse and will take meals at the guest eatery, while teams staying in Miao Jia Getai will be welcomed into villagers’ homes. Villagers will prepare local food for the teams, consisting of mainly vegetarian fare prepared with fresh local ingredients, as well as steamed breads and dumplings.

About the Research Area

Earthwatch teams will work in the villages around Wo Yun Shan temple and within the village of Miao Jia Getai, located in the Yulin area of China’s Shaanxi province, in the northern part of the arid Loess Plateau. With its temple surrounded by a beautiful botanical garden and forest, Wo Yun Shan is a model for integrating popular religion and the environment. The first two teams will conduct research both at the temple itself and within the surrounding townships.

Miao Jia Getai village is home to about 45 households. The villagers are generally modest and hospitable farmers who have lived in the township throughout their lives. They grow crops such as corn, millet, soybean and potatoes. Domestic animals in the area include sheep, pigs, donkeys, cattle, horses, dogs, cats, and chickens, and there are wild sparrows, magpies, crows, foxes, weasels, and more. The area is scattered with willow, poplar, date, apricot, peach, and other fruit trees.

The villagers living in the research area speak a local dialect and almost no one speaks English. Prior to this research project, they had experienced little contact with foreigners. Regardless, the villagers enjoy communicating and interacting with outsiders and treat foreigners with great respect. You will find that they are eager to share their best food and bedding, and that they are interested in national and world news and in discussions of political, economic, social, scientific, and technological issues.