In 2010, the Chinese TV network International Channel Shanghai acquired the rights to produce a version for its territories. The show was produced by Shanghai-based production company Fly Films.[5] International Channel Shanghai had previously attempted to make their own version of the show entitled Shanghai Rush.
Filming took place between April 28 and June 3, 2010.[6]
In this season, instead of flipping an hourglass, teams that have been forced to Yield had to wait until a spiral of incense finished burning, which took 15 minutes. This season was the first time an Amazing Race franchise had three non-elimination legs in a row, as the American and Asian editions have never had more than two in a row. It was also the first one to not offer any Fast Forward clues (the 14th American edition had an unaired Fast Forward was the first season to do so, and 18th American edition was the first American season overall not to offer any Fast Forward clue).
Casting
Applications for the first season ended April 16, 2010 (extended from the original deadline on March 29, 2010).
Broadcasting
Episode 2 which scheduled to air on August 15, 2010 was delayed to subsequent week due to National Mourning Day in China for Gansu mudslide victims.[7]
Marketing
The Amazing Race: China Rush had eight official sponsors: CIIC, Double Tree, Hamilton, Hilton, New Balance, Organic Food, Travelzen and Shanghai International Automobile City.[8]
Cast
The 10 teams, all composed of expats living in China, were announced in a press release on April 27, 2010.[3][4]
Karen is currently the first ever Canadian to be on any of the Amazing Race seasons representing Canada (Canadian citizens Tisha Silang, Natalie Glebova and Vince Chung from The Amazing Race Asia 3 were representing Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong respectively). Rick, Joshua and Charlie are the first Australians to represent their country (similarly, Australian citizens Brett Money of The Amazing Race Asia 2, Henry Chan and Bernie Chan of The Amazing Race Asia 3 were representing Indonesia and Malaysia respectively), Paul & Francis are the first team from an African country (Kenya), and Janis, Aleksandra (Latvia) and Sarah (England) are the first Europeans to represent their home countries (British citizens Andy Lawson, Laura Kluk, Francesca von Etzdorf and Howard Bicknell from The Amazing Race Asia 1 represented Thailand, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka respectively and Frenchwoman Aurelia Chenat of The Amazing Race Asia 2 represented Hong Kong).
Janis Vaisla died on January 9, 2016, after being diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis and while waiting for a heart transplant in Berlin, at the age of 46.[9]
The following teams participated in the season, with their relationships at the time of filming. Note this table does not necessarily reflect all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order.
A red team placement indicates that the team was eliminated.
An underlined blue team placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg.
A yellow > indicates that the team chose to use the Yield; < indicates the team who received it.
A brown ⊃ indicates means the team chose to use a U-Turn; ⊂ indicates the team who received it.
Notes
^ Charlie & Rachel initially arrived 2nd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty as Charlie helped Rachel in the Roadblock. Sean & Amy checked in during the penalty time, dropping Charlie & Rachel to 3rd.
^ Deepak & Naresh initially arrived 4th, but were issued a 15-minute penalty for taking a golf cart instead of walking to the Pit Stop. Sarah & Molly checked in during the penalty time, dropping Deepak & Naresh to 5th.
^ Sarah failed to complete the Roadblock in Leg 10. After Sarah's second attempt and after all other teams had already checked in at the Pit Stop, Allan came out to the Roadblock location to inform them of their elimination.
Prizes
The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. All trips are sponsored by TravelZen.
Leg 1 – A three-day, two-night trip for two to Hangzhou.
Leg 2 – A three-day, two-night trip for two to Xiamen.
Leg 3 – A three-day, two-night trip for two to Hong Kong.
Leg 4 – A three-day, two-night trip for two to Xi'an.
Leg 5 – A three-day, two-night trip for two to Inner Mongolia.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to choose a brick and find its matching halve from 1000 different bricks to receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Paul & Francis had to each make a clay tea cup before they could continue racing.
This series' first Detour was a choice between Warriors Strength or Warriors Skill. In Warriors Strength, teams had to take a boat to an island, perform a ladder climb, and rappel from other side to receive their next clue. In Warriors Skill, teams had to hit a bullseye using spears and arrows from the distance of 10 metres (33 ft) to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
At Nanchan Temple, teams had to take a boat down the river and find a building with three green colored lanterns on it.
In Turtle Head Park, teams had to search the garden for the clue box.
In Lingshan Temple, teams had to search for the smaller version of Buddha to find their next clue.
In Lingshan Temple, teams had to climb 88m (217 steps) and correctly count all the flower pots decorating the monument (1509) to receive their next clue from a monk.
Leg 3 (Jiangsu)
Teams traveled to the city of Changzhou for this leg.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Rock or Roll. In Rock, teams took a boat across a lake and climbed to the top of the climbing wall to receive their next clue. In Roll, teams located a bicycle cart with a skateboard. One team member then had to take control of the bicycle and cycle around the park to the skating park while the other rode on the skateboard. Once at the skating park, they will receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to navigate a boat through currents to the other side of the jetty, retrieve a flag and return the boat back in order to receive the next clue.
Additional tasks
At Qingfeng Sports Park, teams found their next clue at the top of a staircase.
In Changzhou Comb Factory, teams had to search for one out of nine combs which have Chinese characters "常州"(Changzhou). Afterwards, they proceeded to Miduqiao Primary School and had to comb and tie the hair of ten female students to receive their next clue from the teacher.
In Baguo Buyi Restaurant, teams played a game of baijiu roulette where a rotating plate with a clue was spun. If the racer received the wine, teams had to finish it before they could play again and play until they spun onto the next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Blade or Brush. In Blade, one team member had to cut out the shape of Haibao, the mascot of Expo 2010, while the other team member traced and cut out the background. In Brush, one team member had to correctly write out a specific Chinese character, while the other reproduced a painting of a bamboo grove.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to finish a 1.5-kilogram (3.3 lb) serving of Yangzhou's famous fried rice to receive their next clue.
Additional task
At Runyang Bridge, teams received their next clue at the top of the bridge.
Leg 5 (Jiangsu → Beijing)
Teams performed an Olympic-styled Detour at the Beijing National Stadium, known locally as the 'Bird's Nest'.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to properly carve a Peking Roast Duck to the head chef's satisfaction to receive their next clue. If the duck was improperly cut, team members had to chop 10 leeks before making another attempt.
This leg's Olympic Games-themed Detour was a choice between Go for Gold or Go for Goal. In Go for the Gold, teams had to search amongst thousands of seats within the stadium's first and third levels to find one of seven gold medals to receive their next clue. In Go for the Goal, one team member had to execute a penalty shot with a soccer ball, while the other team member had to rebound it into an unguarded goal using only their head to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
In 798 art district, teams had to search for a large sculpture of a red monster that was holding the clue box.
At the Yan Club Arts Center, teams had to participate in a team building communication exercise. One team member would be provided a drawing, while the other team member was prevented from seeing the aforementioned drawing. The latter team member had to recreate the drawing, using only verbal cues from their partner, to receive their next clue from a CIIC communications analyst.
Leg 6 (Beijing → Shandong)
Mount Tai was the site of both the Detour and the Pit Stop in Shandong.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to scale the Dragon Reservoir Dam and make their way to a nearby pavilion to receive the next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Trees or Keys. In Trees, teams had to plant a sapling tree to receive their next clue. In Keys, teams had to use one of the keys to open a lock to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
In Dai Temple, teams had to search for the clue box in the compound of the temple.
At Fengshan Dadian, teams dressed up in traditional costume and had to travel by foot along a marked path to the stage area. Once there, they had to bow to the empress to receive their next clue.
At Taishan Stone Shop, teams had to search for a hidden stone tablet inscribed with the Chinese characters for "China Rush" in order to receive their next clue. Afterwards, teams were instructed to carry the tablet and travel to Mount Tai via shuttle bus and cable-car. At the summit, they could drop off the tablet in exchange for their next clue. If teams broke the tablet before they reach the submit, they must go back to the shop and collect the tablet again.
Leg 7 (Shandong)
The skyline of Zhanqiao Pier was the backdrop of the leg's Pit Stop.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to scuba dive in Polar Ocean World's tank and search for seven red letters (A, B, A, L, O, N, E). Once done, that team member had to spell out the word on paper to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Buried Metal or Carried Metal. In Buried Metal, teams had to search a compass in the sand using a metal detector to receive their next clue. In Carried Metal, teams had to make their way to the Qingdao Beer Street, once there, they had to transport six full kegs from one end of the street to the other to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
At Polar Ocean World, teams had to prepare 20 kilograms (44 lb) of fish and then they had to feed a whale to receive their next clue. Afterwards, they had to retrieve their Roadblock information from the observation tunnel.
At Zhanqiao Pier, teams had to ride a motorboat to the Pit Stop.
Additional note
During the Pit Stop, teams traveled by train from Tai'an to Qingdao to begin the leg.
For their Speed Bump, Karen & Lisa had to both have their ears cleaned using traditional ear cleaning tools, which are, in essence, pieces of cotton on sticks of wire, before they could proceed to the Detour.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Hot Pot or Tea Pot. In Hot Pot, teams traveled to the Hot Pot Restaurant, where they had to eat a family-sized serving of meat, cocoa, lettuce, which was dipped in Sichuan's famous fiery Hot Pot soup, and a side serving of diced red peppers. Finally, they would have to find a Face-Changer to receive their next clue. In Tea Pot, teams traveled to a historic part of the area and then, with the assistance of two tea masters, had to properly pour tea into seven teacups per team member using ancient tea pots with long spouts to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the entire 24-acre (97,000 m2) area of the Du Fu Cottage to find a scroll which could be traded for the next clue. For the task, the cottage was in complete darkness, and that team member could only use a single flashlight to navigate.
Additional task
At the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, teams had to properly rig a sail onto a sailboat. If successful, the sailboat would take the team to a raft where they would receive their next clue.
Leg 9 (Sichuan)
One team member participated a panda-feeding Roadblock for this leg.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member would have to wash 10 kilograms (22 lb) of bamboo leaves to clean it and then bring it all to the panda feeding area to receive their next clue. If at any point the leaves drop to the ground along the way, the racer would have to start over.
For their Speed Bump, Deepak & Naresh had to learn and recite a song about Dujiangyan, before they could proceed to the Detour.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Face Detection or Face Detention. In Face Detection, teams received a partial picture of a child's face, whom they had to find in one of the classrooms and then bring to the headmaster's office to receive their next clue. In Face Detention, teams had to copy a sentence in Chinese 50 times onto a blackboard without making any errors to receive their next clue.
Additional task
After completing the Detour, teams had to ride a raft down a river to reach the Pit Stop.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to play golf. They would pick up a club and some tennis balls and hit them towards the hole. If all of the tennis balls landed in the water, they had to retrieve them and try again, but if they could get at least one to land on the island with the hole, they would receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Charlie & Rachel had to help a local farmer and use two water buffalo to plow a field and complete three laps, before they could proceed on to the Detour.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Fish or Float. In Fish, teams had to catch two fish in a rice paddy with their bare hands. In Float, teams would given some bamboo and rope and had to build a raft. They then had to paddle it across Wild Duck Lake without sinking to receive their next clue.
Additional task
At the Yunfeng Shan Temple, teams had to use a donkey to transport 20 kilograms (44 lb) of wood to another temple at the top of the mountain. If the donkeys got tired or refused to cooperate, teams could carry the wood on their backs instead.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to rappel down a large waterfall and swim through a small platform to retrieve the next clue. They then have to swim back to complete the task.
This season's final Detour was a choice between Crags or Cranes. In Crags, teams made their way to an ancient cave. They would find tablets with numbers and Chinese characters. The Chinese characters would translate to an island in the park that contained 500 statues. Teams would have to use the numbers to find the correct statue to find their next clue. In Cranes, teams had to find another island in the park dedicated to the protection of the red-crowned crane. They would then have to herd seven cranes into a pen for the next clue.
Additional tasks
At Longchuan Seafood Restaurant, teams had to eat ten cockroaches to receive their next clue.
At Bagua Village, teams had to find the well and fill buckets with water. They then had to transfer this water to the village's direct center where they would find a large container to fill. Once the container was filled, teams would receive their next clue.
Leg 12 (Guangdong → Shanghai)
The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai was the Finish line of the first season of The Amazing Race: China Rush.
Airdate: October 30, 2010
Zhaoqing (Baiyun Bus Station) to Guangzhou (Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport)
In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the top of a giant metal wheel to retrieve their next clue and then rappel back down to the ground.
Additional tasks
At the Automobile Museum, teams had to find either one of three cars, a 1958 Fiat 500, a 1964 Jaguar XKE, or a 1966 Shanghai SH761, with keys in the ignition amongst many vintage cars and successfully start it. Then, they had to return the keys to the representative to get their next clue.
At the test track, teams had to drive one lap around the track while obeying three different speed limits, within 3 km/h, to receive their next clue; however, only the team member not driving would be able to see the speedometer.
At the South Africa Pavilion, teams had to match five glasses of wine to their corresponding bottles to receive their next clue from the sommelier.
At the China Railway Pavilion, teams would find a map of China and had to correctly identify the ten Pit Stop cities from the season in chronological order by pinning numbered labels to receive their next clue.
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