Feng Yun International Summer Go Workshop
Hong Kong & Shantou, China, June 28 - July 24, 2009

Feng Yun 9p will return to China in 2009 to teach a three and a half week workshop together with her legendary go coach Huang Jin Xian 6p. Huang Jin Xian was Feng Yun's coach on the Henan provincial team, starting from the time she was 12 years old until she joined the China national team at age 15; he also coached two other players, Liu Xiao Guang and Wang Jian Hong, who also became 9p professionals and, like Feng Yun, won China national individual championships. Your are invited to join us on the occasion of this happy reunion!

Please read this page for basic information, and contact Feng Yun for more details and options. Enrollment from the United States is limited to 30 participants, and airfares likely will be higher later, so you should consider registering soon.

Who Should Come

Players will be divided into groups according to their playing strength and age. A large number of local go students will join the workshop, and there will be players at all levels.

• Players aspiring to become strong dan level players. Achieving a high dan level is very difficult or impossible without international experience. Top level teachers from China will work with students to correct misunderstandings and bad habits that limit their progress. American players attending past workshops have quickly moved up to reach a 4d to 7d AGA rating. Players will also have an opportunity to participate in a a rating tournament to win an official China national rank certificate.
   
• Young novices who want to become intermediate level players quickly and build up their confidence. Younger players will be inspired by the Chinese students of similar ages who have been studying go regularly in their schools and local go clubs. Local teachers who have a lot of experience teaching novices will be available to teach, so no player should feel that they are too weak to participate.
   
• Intermediate level players who want to have fun playing go and experiencing China. Everyone will study to improve their go playing, but there will also be lots of opportunities for physical sports and recreation, classes on Chinese culture, and a variety of field trips. The workshop should be fun for everyone.
   
• Adults who want to immerse themselves in go, learn essential Chinese for go players, and improve their physical conditioning. Although many of the players may be young, adults are also welcome to participate in the workshop and will find many points of interest. In taking a break from their usual routine, adults will surely gain a new perspective on the game in a cross cultural atmosphere.

Teachers and Staff

The teachers for this workshop are outstanding, and this workshop is a rare opportunity to have their attention.

These teachers will be assisted by others.

Location

The principal location of the workshop will be Shantou, Guangdong (Canton) Province, with two days in Hong Kong on the way to Shantou.

Hong Kong, June 28-30

The workshop will begin in Hong Kong where students will have the opportunity to visit local go clubs, meet go professionals, play friendship matches, and tour this unique city. The group will stay two nights in Hong Kong, and then travel together to Shantou.

Shantou, June 30 - July 23

In Shantou, students will stay at the China National Table Tennis Team Training Base, a newly built complex which in addtion to table tennis also has training facilities for badminton, swimming, golf, and general physical conditioning. Go activities will be held in classrooms at the base. Please see picture gallery.

The Shantou Weiqi Association is very active, teaching several thousand young students in half a dozen locations througout the city. Local enthusiasm is so great that Shantou was the first city in China to mandate that all public school students take a go class at least once a week, and they estimate that about one in four families in Shantou know how to play go. This city is truly a special place for go!

Local Chinese players will challenge the international players to hone their skills. Shantou has held many friendship events in the past, including players visiting from Hong Kong and Macao, and the Shantou Weiqi Association is looking forward to hosting more international visitors.

Languages

Workshop instructors will speak either Mandarin Chinese, English, or a combination of both. In particular, Feng Yun is fluent in both languages, having lived in both China and the United States for many years. Lectures and game reviews will be translated to English as needed, and instructors will take care to speak clearly and at a pace that everyone can understand.

A tutorial will be provided early in the workshop to teach English speaking students key Chinese phrases that instructors will use at the go board, so that even without a translator students can understand much of what the instuctor is trying to tell them. Students will be given what is essentially a Chinese-English phrase book and dictionary for go players. Similarly, to facilitate two-way interaction and promote a spirit of friendship, local Chinese students will receive a tutorial on key English phrases. Although some advance knowledge of Mandarin would be helpful, English speakers can expect to feel comfortable, and we encourage players from the Americas, Europe and around the world to join us!

The language on the streets of Shantou is a local dialect, and local guides will accompany international students whenever they leave the base.

Activities in Shantou

A full schedule of go instruction and play is planned for each day, with regular breaks for physical exercise and occasional field trips.

The typical daily schedule for the workshop in Shantou will be as follows.

Go Activities

Go activities will include lectures, problem solving, teaching games, tournament play, and reviews of student games. Students will have ample opportunities to interact with other players, including local Chinese students who will join the workshop. Also, some seats in a China amateur national ranking tournament may be available by special arrangement to students in our workshop; successful players will receive an official rank certificate.

Sports

The workshop will arrange for students to have access to sports facilities at the base, and professional sports trainers will help students get in shape and play better. Just watching the young table tennis trainees play is inspiring!

Cultural Activities

In addition to go and sports for physical health, the workshop program will include special cultural opportunities, including the following.

• Shantou regional history and traditions, taught by a local university professor.
• Chinese calligraphy, and practice writing with style.
• Essential knowledge for reading Chinese go publications.
• Option to live with a local Chinese go playing family in Shantou for a day and overnight.

Field Trips

Every few days students will leave the base on field trips, such as to the beach, parks, go clubs, toy factories, and shopping. These field trips will provide an opportunity not only to relax but also to learn more about the Shantou region and culture.

Residential Facilities in Shantou

The training base is constructed as a walled compound, has ample space in all the buildings, and is new and clean.

• Rooms - Dormitory rooms are large and will be shared by two or three students. Each room has a private bath, utility area, closets, and air conditioning.
• Laundry - Students should bring casual and athletic clothing suitable for warm weather. Basic laundry services for larger items will be available, and smaller items can be hand washed in the dormitory room.
• Meals - Meals will be served in the trainging base dining room, with occasional picnics and excursions to local restaurants. Shantou regional cuisine is renowned in China as among the best, so you should look forward to some great meals! Vegetarian options will be available.
• Internet - Internet access for daily brief e-mail exchanges will be provided at the training base.
• Telephone - An emergency contact telephone number will be provided. However, participants who want to make or receive routine telephone calls should plan to have their own cell phone.

Travel

In all cases, workshop participants should fully inform us of their travel plans in advance so that we can do our best to provide assistance.

Traveling via Hong Kong

Hong Kong has the nearest international airport to Shantou, and we anticipate that flying to and from Hong Kong will be convenient for many participants.

Workshop participants who want to travel from New Jersey together with the Feng Yun Go School should book the following Continental Airlines flights.

Feng Yun Go School staff will take responsibilty for minor children traveling with the group on these flights. Please contact Feng Yun to coordinate.

For participants arriving on other flights, minor children traveling alone will be met at the Hong Kong airport on June 28 by workshop staff and taken directly to the hotel where the group is staying. Adults may prefer to take a taxi or otherwise go to the hotel on their own.

Once at the hotel in Hong Kong, the group will travel together and all necessary ground transportation will be provided by the workshop.

On June 30, the group will leave on a private bus for Shantou which is a few hours away along the coast north of Hong Kong. At the conclusion of the workshop in Shantou on July 23, a bus will return the group to the Hong Kong airport overnight to catch flights on the morning of July 24.

Traveling to Shantou Directly

Participants who choose to fly to Shantou from elsewhere in China will be met by workshop staff at the Shantou airport on June 30, and returned to the Shantou airport on July 23. Please note that the workshop will conclude in Shantou on July 23, and all participants should plan to leave the training base on this day.

Those who expect to arrive in Shantou later than June 30 or to depart earlier than July 23 should tell us when they register for the workshop so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

Visas

Workshop participants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed to enter Hong Kong and mainland China. Please note that although Hong Kong is part of China, Hong Kong is a special administrative region and regulations may differ between Hong Kong and the mainland. For example, United States passport holders do not require a visa to fly to Hong Kong and stay there briefly, but do require a visa to travel to Shantou.

The workshop will provide an invitation letter certifying that you are registered to participate in the workshop and have paid for your accomodations in China, in case this is needed for your visa application. Such a letter will be issued only on your request, since not everyone will need one.

Registration

Please see the registration form. Workshop prices include the following.

• Hong Kong
  • All group go activities and tours in Hong Kong.
  • Two nights accomodation in Hong Kong..
  • All group meals starting with breakfast on June 29.
  • Ground transportation from Hong Kong to Shantou on June 30.
  • Ground transportation from Shantou to Hong Kong on July 23 (arriving July 24).
• Shantou
  • All go instruction, tournament, tour, and sports activity fees.
  • Shared room (2 or 3 students) at the training base for 23 nights.
  • All group meals.
  • Two sets of workshop special shirt and pants.
  • Basic laundry services.
  • Internet access suitable for brief daily e-mail exchanges.

Participants are responsible for their own travel to China and any visa fees.

Please contact Feng Yun if you need more information.

Last updated March 11, 2009.