The sixteen Americans will start out in downtown Shanghaim, then move to HuangPu Mountain's Mi Tuo Temple for a Buddhist ceremony where they will be instructed to leave all of their worldly possessions behind. The castaways will then be marooned with the clothes on their back at two separate islands on Zhelin Lake (translation: the Land of 1,000 Lakes) located in the Jiangxi Province. They'll will split into two tribes, Fei Long (translation: Flying Dragon) and Zhan Hu (translation: Fighting Tiger), and will each be given a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War for tribe motivation and assistance throughout the game.
Survivor: Human Rights Scandal will once again include Hidden Immunity Idols, which can save someone from elimination at a future tribal Council, or, if the contestant chooses, be used to free a political prisoner. Not.
The contestants, their hometowns and real-life occupations... after the jump...
JEAN-ROBERT BELLANDE, 36, Las Vegas (originally from Long Island, N.Y.)
Professional Poker Player
JAMES CLEMENT, 30, Lafayette, La.
Grave Digger
DAVE CRUSER, 37, Simi Valley, Calif.
Former Model
JAIME DUGAN, 22, Columbia, S.C. (originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
Student
TODD HERZOG, 22, Pleasant Grove, Utah
Flight Attendant
ERIK HUFFMAN, 26, Nashville, Tenn. (originally from Greenville, S.C.)
Musician
AMANDA KIMMEL, 23, Los Angeles (originally from Kalispell, Mont.)
Hiking Guide
PEIH-GEE LAW, 29, Marina Del Rey, Calif. (born in Hong Kong)
Jeweler
SHEREA LLOYD, 26, Atlanta (originally from Pontiac, Mich.)
Elementary Teacher
DENISE MARTIN, 40, Douglas, Mass. (originally from Revere, Mass.)
School Lunch Lady
ASHLEY MASSARO, 28, East Northport, N.Y.
Professional WWE Wrestler
CHICKEN MORRIS, 47, Marion, Va.
Chicken Farmer
LESLIE NEASE, 38, Tega Cay, S.C.
Christian Radio Talk Show Host
AARON REISBERGER, 32, Venice, Calif. (originally from Belmont County, Ohio)
Surfing Instructor
COURTNEY YATES, 26, New York City (originally from Boston)
Waitress
FROSTI ZERNOW, 20, Chicago (originally from Traverse City, Mich.)
Parkour Athlete/Student
This game will have a few added complications, as CBS folks let us know:
"The Immunity Idols will be in plain sight (one at each camp), although the castaways will not realize this at the start of the game. Each week, the winning tribe of the Reward Challenge will be allowed to kidnap someone from the losing tribe. The person who is kidnapped will receive a note from host Jeff Probst before departing for the enemy camp and will be instructed to give it to one member of the enemy tribe (the kidnapped victim will decide who receives it) in private. The clue will inform this person of the Hidden Immunity Idol located somewhere at their camp. This person must then decide if they wish to share the information with their tribe or keep it to themselves. The kidnapped victim will return to their original tribe at the following Immunity Challenge."
The 15th Survivor installment premieres Thursday, Sept. 20 at 8 ET/PT on CBS.