Day Thirteen
June 3, 2015: The team departed in the early afternoon for Hong Kong, and upon arrival, checked out the city and ate dinner before seeing much of the beautiful city the next day. The team took a tram up a high-incline to the top of one of the highest points in the city, known as the peak, where you could see over top the entire city and skyline. Later that night, everyone was able to see Hong Kong from the opposite side of the river, Mongkok, to wrap up an incredible trip.
Day Twelve
June 2, 2015: Another full day was on tap for the Hawks, who started the day at 8:00 a.m. when the bus departed for Tiananmen Square. The square had some marvelous structures and much Chinese history, and from there, the group moved a short distance to The Forbidden City. The buildings there were spectacular, and everyone learned about how the emperor used to live there and the history behind the area. The final stop of the day was a quick one at the beautiful Temple of Heaven in Beijing, featuring a large courtyard with even more old buildings, including the main one that had been built using no nails or beams.
Day Eleven
June 1, 2015: The day many people had been waiting for-the opportunity to climb to the Great Wall of China. The bus departed early after a quick breakfast, and upon arriving at the site, you could decide to take a gondola to the top or climb to get to the wall. The majority chose to climb, a steep 1,070 step walk that took about 25 minutes. Upon arriving at the top, those who walked were at tower #10. The highest point in the area the group had arrived at was #15, a tower you could visit the roof of. After walking the wall for a few hours and seeing some incredible views, everyone made it over to tower #6 to take a toboggan slide down to the bottom. The slide consisted of a sled in which the rider controlled the speed to make it down the track.
Day Ten
May 31, 2015: Sunday morning was another flight, this one from Xi'an to Beijing, the capital of China. The two-hour flight brought the Hawks to the large city, and in the afternoon after checking in, the team visited the local market fo eat and do some shopping. Later at night, everyone ate dinner in the hotel to prepare for tomorrow-a trip to the Great Wall of China.
Day Nine
May 30, 2015: Saturday was a day filled with things to see around the area, and the team got started with a trip to the Da Yan Pagoda, an old Chinese temple where the team learned much of the history involved in it, including Buddha. After a brief stop in heavy traffic, the majority of the day was spent seeing the three pits of the Terracotta Warriors, which is said by some to be "The 8th Wonder of the World". An impressive exhibit showcases clay soldiers that were only discovered to have been in the ground in 1974, and have been excavated ever since. On the way back to the hotel, the bus stopped at the Xi'an City Wall, where everyone rented bikes and rode around the cobblestone high rising wall. Most of the group rode the entire way around the wall, which stretches nearly 10 miles.
Day Eight
May 29, 2015: A morning flight was scheduled out of Hefei to Xi'an, and although it was raining, the plane only experienced a brief delay before the two-hour flight on Shandong Airlines. After arriving in Xi'an, the team took a bus to the Bell Tower Hotel, which is in the heart of the city with the beautiful Bell Tower directly across the street. Many shops, restaurants, and a mall are all surrounding the hotel, and are walking distance. At night, everyone went to dinner and a show at the Shaanxi Grand Opera House. Three tables were filled with many different types of dishes, including an assortment of dumplings, before the ten act show commenced. There were dancing and singing performances, all depicting the Tang Dynasty.
Day Seven
May 28, 2015
Most of the day was spent checking out local shops near the hotel in Heifi before the final game of the trip against Anhui Wenyi. Monmouth scored 100+ points for the second straight game, and wrapped up the basketball portion of the trip with a 3-1 record. The team is off to Xi'an tomorrow via plane, and will visit the Terracotta Warriors on Saturday. All game related information is below.
Day Six
May 27, 2015
It poured all day in Hefei, so the early part of the day was mainly spent in the hotel before the huge offensive performance in the win over Anhui Wenyi, 111-101 in the late afternoon/early evening in the third game of the trip. All info on the game is below.
Day Five
May 26, 2015: After an early breakfast in the hotel following the previous night's win, a bus brought the team to the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. The 11:10 a.m. departure featured a high-speed train, with speeds up to 200 miles per hour. It was a three and a half hour ride to Hefei, the location for Monmouth's final two games of the trip. Once in Hefei, the team arrived at the hotel to check-in and sit down for an impressive buffet dinner. The selections were endless, including all types of local food and drink and a large dessert display. Tomorrow marks the third game of the trip, and will be played at 4 p.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern).
| Photo Gallery: Travel from Shanghai to Hefei |
Day Four
May 25, 2015: Many chose to relax before the game on a sunny Monday in Shanghai. Some players went to check out the local aquarium, while some went to the Bund downtown, which is a riverwalk and an area with many shops. At around 5 p.m., the Hawks departed for Fudan University, where they would beat the Shanghai Sharks in blowout fashion, 78-61. All game recap material can be found below.
Day Three
May 24, 2015: Sunday was an off-day from basketball for the Hawks. After starting the day with breakfast in the hotel, the team boarded the bus and headed downtown to visit the Shanghai World Financial Center, one of the tallest buildings in China and in the world. The SWFC stands at 100 floors and 474 meters high, which equates to over 1,555 feet. The top of the building contains a rectangular cutout, which culminates the trip to the highest observatory in the world. There are clear glass floors at points, allowing you to stand and look down 100 floors to the streets of the city. Following lunch and some relaxing, the team went on a boat cruise around the city, allowing the group to take in some incredible views of the buildings of Shanghai lit up at night. The Hawks will play tomorrow, Monday May 25, at Fudan University against the same Shanghai Sharks. All game updates will be on Twitter @MonmouthBBall, and there will be an attempt to again use the Periscope app to allow fans to watch a brief part of the action live. Tip is at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on Monday, 7 p.m. local time.
| Day 2 Sightseeing Photo Gallery |
Day Two
May 23, 2015: On the first full day in China, breakfast was eaten in the hotel before heading out to see some of Shanghai and do some shopping. Everyone took taxis down to the local Shanghai mall, a seemingly underground mall that starts with just one hallway of stores and opens up to endless hallways filled with all types of shops. It's safe to say the trip was enjoyed by all, and everyone took cabs back to the hotel before eating a pregame meal and heading to the Donghui School to play the first game of the trip against the Shanghai Sharks. Links to the game recap with quotes and brief stats, as well as photos from the day can be found at the links below.
Day One
May 21-22, 2015: The Hawks boarded a 10:40 a.m. flight out of Newark International Airport on Thursday morning to begin a 14-day trip to China. The direct flight took 14 hours, totaling 12,854 miles after flying over top of the North Pole. With the time difference, the team landed in Shanghai at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time. Tonight will include dinner and relaxation as the Hawks prepare to open the basketball portion of the trip tomorrow night, when they will take on the Shanghai Sharks at 7:30 p.m. Former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming played for the Sharks before going to the NBA, and Yao is now team president. More updates to come.
Trip Preview Video: Click here to watch Josh James, Greg Noack, Justin Robinson and Chris Brady talk about the trip.
Asbury Park Press preview: Click here to read MU beat reporter Josh Newman preview the trip to China.
Follow @MonmouthBBall on Twitter and @MonmouthMensBBall on Instagram for updates throughout the trip.
http://www.app.com/story/sports/college/monmouth-university/2015/05/28/monmouth-closes-china-trip-another-offensive-explosion-win/28062609/
Photo Gallery: Game 3
