Please find below the latest offers from Casterbridge Tours.

GREAT PLACES TO SEE IN
CHINA IN 2007

DISCOVER THE TREASURES
HISTORY & CULTURE
OF CHINA

China is a nation rich in history, tradition and culture. Today it is relatively inexpensive and thoroughly enjoyable to travel to China, and Casterbridge can offer your group a wide range of tours. Whether you are looking for an introductory tour, or a custom-designed thematic program, our experienced staff are ready to assist you in planning an educational and memorable trip for your students to China. Below you will find the 6 places on our newest feature, "The Top 100 Experiences" List.

CHINA WITH CASTERBRIDGE

Always your own Private Tour
Custom-design your Itinerary
Tour manager/guide for the exclusive use of your group
All-Inclusive Tour Price
4-Star Hotels in Twin Rooms
Guaranteed Dates & Flight
Local Specialist-Guides

GREAT WALL
OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China is an impressive symbol for the length and grandeur of the Chinese civilization. The world's largest historical site is referred to in Mandarin as Wanli Changcheng, which translates to "Very Long Wall." The Great Wall begins at Shanhai Guan on the Bo Hai Sea and snakes west to a fort at Jiayu Guan in the Gobi Desert. Its origins date back to the Warring States Period (453-221 BC), when rival kingdoms began building defensive walls to thwart each other's armies. The king of Qin, who eventually conquered the other states to become the first emperor of a unified China, engaged in large-scale wall building toward the end of his reign. During the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the Wall was extended west, and additions were made in completely different locations, according to the military needs of the day. Casterbridge can include visits to several of the Wall's sections, including Ba Da Ling, Juyong Guan, Mutianyu, Jin Shan Ling, and Simatai. For those that really want to explore the Wall, we suggest including one of the all-time great hikes, from Jin Shan Ling to Simatai - it takes around 4 hours to cover the 6 ¼ mile route.

THE
FORBIDDEN
CITY

When in Beijing, you must include a visit to the Forbidden City, a 864,000-sq.-yard complex of red-walled buildings and pavilions topped by a sea of glazed vermilion tile. It is by far the largest and most intricate Imperial Palace in China, and has been praised in Western travel literature ever since the first Europeans laid eyes on it in the late 1500s. Construction of the original palace buildings began in 1406, during the reign of the Yongle emperor, and took an army of workers 14 years to complete. Between 1420 and 1923, the palace was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The palace features enormous ceremonial halls, where the emperor conducted official business, and an Inner Court, a series of smaller buildings and Gardens that served as living quarters. The entire complex features 980 rooms; however, only half of the complex is currently open to visitors.

OTHER "MUST SEE" PLACES IN BEIJING

The Temple of Heaven
The Summer Palace
Tian'an Men Square
The Ming Tombs
Acrobat Show
The Lama Temple
Baiyun Guan
Qinian Dian
Museum of Ancient Architecture

THE TERRA-COTTA
WARRIORS
IN XI'AN

In Xi'an, be sure to include a visit to the Qin Terra Cotta Army Museum. In 1974 a group of peasants, digging a well, made what was to become one of the great archaeological finds of the 20th century when they unearthed fragments of a life sized Terra Cotta Warrior. Excavation of the vault revealed thousands of warriors and their horses, an entire army designed to follow their emperor into eternity. The site is located 1 mile east of the Qin Mausoleum, and the emperor's Terra Cotta Army was found in three underground timber lined vaults. Include Xian and view the thousands of life size soldiers, standing in military formation with their vivid facial expressions frozen for eternity, some of which are being fully restored to display their original rich coloration.

LI RIVER CRUISE

Groups that include Guilin, which dates back over 2,000 years, will have the opportunity to take a Li River Cruise. The cruise lasts about 4 hours, and serves as a relaxing way to view and experience the beauty of Guilin's lush green valleys, sprawling bamboo groves and hundreds of fascinating rock formations. As a cultural highlight of the trip, passengers are also introduced to the ancient method of fishing. The cruise ends in Yangshuo, where you can explore the colorful Local Market for souvenirs.

THE SHANGHAI MUSEUM

Shanghai is one of the world's largest and most fascinating cities. It is a perfect blend of old colonialism and modern Chinese industrialism. It is also home to one of the finest museums in the world, the Shanghai Museum. Located in front of People's Square, the museum has 11 state-of-the-art galleries and three special exhibition halls arranged on four floors, all encircling a spacious cylindrical atrium. The exhibits are tastefully displayed, arranged by theme rather than by dynasty, and feature over 120,000 historical artifacts. Galleries of particular note include: the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, which boasts a marvelous collection of over 400 bronzes from the 18th to the 3rd centuries BC; the Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, with sculptures spanning the Warring States period to the Míng Dynasty; the Painting Gallery, with many ancient original art works on silk scrolls, including landscapes from the Míng Dynasty and Buddhist scrolls from the Táng and Sòng dynasties; and the magnificent Jade Gallery, with intricately carved jade wine vessels, jewelry, and ornaments. Ceramics, coins, Calligraphy seals and furniture are also represented in separate galleries.

LHASA

The Beautiful Potala Palace above Lhasa

Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is surrounded by colossal mountain ranges to the north and south, and is the religious and political heart of the Tibetan world. All Tibetan Buddhists aim to visit Lhasa at least once in their lives, and Casterbridge agrees with them. We therefore we have included Lhasa and its wonderful treasures on our list of the"Top 100 Places to Experience." The dominant feature of the city is the red and white Palaces of the Potala, home to Tibet's spiritual and temporal leaders, the Dalai Lamas, since the 17th century. In addition to the Potala, visitors can view the sacred Jokhang Temple, which forms the heart of the Tibetan quarter, and the captivating neighborhood known as the Barkhor District.

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