| DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Beijing.
DAY
2 ARRIVE BEIJING (3 NIGHTS)
We will arrive at the ancient imperial city of Peking (Beijing)
and will be met by our own private guide and coach to transfer
to our hotel. Beijing has flourished as the prosperous capital
of China for a thousand years as elaborate dynasties gave
birth to a unique culture of imperial splendor and opulence.
China will reveal itself as a kaleidoscope of unforgettable
experiences and from the moment we journey to our hotel along
streets teeming with bicycles, their bells all ringing, you
will know you have arrived.
DAY
3 BEIJING
Beijing is one of the most fascinating cities in
the world and our sightseeing will start at Tian An
Men Square, the center of the modern capital and
together with the Gate of Heavenly Peace
very much the symbol of modern China. We will pass through
the gate into the Forbidden City. The Forbidden
City dates from the 15th century and served as the Imperial
Court for the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Twenty four emperors
lived in luxury and splendor beyond the imagination of the
common people in what are now the largest and best preserved
Palace buildings in China. This evening we will feast upon
the famous local delicacy, Beijing Duck.
DAY
4 BEIJING
Our first visit is to the Temple of Heaven,
considered to be the perfection of Ming architecture where
the Emperor traveled twice a year to inform Heaven of his
plans. We will continue northwards through mountain scenery
to visit The Great Wall of China. One of
the world's great architectural wonders, The Wall stretches
over 4,000 miles long and spans over 2,000 years of history.
We will visit the most famous and magnificent section of the
wall at Ba Da Ling and this will prove to be an experience
that you will never forget. As we return to Beijing we will
visit the Ming Tombs where 13 Chinese Emperors are buried
in an exquisite valley setting. Construction started in 1409
and ended in 1644. This evening we will experience a Circus
Acrobats Performance before returning to our hotel.
DAY
5 FLY FROM BEIJING TO XI'AN (2 NIGHTS)
Today we fly to Xi'an a city dating back over 2,000
years as an ancient capital and was the seat of the royal
court for 11 dynasties. As the starting point of the Silk
Road, by the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) it was a major city
in China's exchanges with foreign countries. In the Tang Dynasty
(618-907AD) Xi'an saw more frequent exchanges between China
and the outside world. Reputed as the world's oriental metropolis,
the city once had over 6,000 foreign envoys, students, monks
and merchants. In the heart of Xi'an the 64 meter (118 ft)
Bell Tower was first built in 1384 as a way
to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early
warning of attack by rival rulers. The wooden tower sits on
a brick platform and is decorated with brackets and delicately
carved doors and windows. The tower provides a vantage point
for a panoramic view of the city. Other sites in Xi'an include
the seven-story Giant Wild Goose Pagoda which
is also 64 meters (118 ft) tall. It was built in the Tang
Dynasty to store the Buddhist Scriptures brought back from
India by the monk Xuan Zang.
DAY
6 XI'AN & TERRA COTTA WARRIORS
Xi'an also preserves the ruins of four imperial
palaces belonging to Western Zhou, Han and Tang Dynasties,
but Xi’an is perhaps best known today for the Terracotta
Warriors at the Qin Tombs. About 1,000 life-like
pottery warriors are buried at the site, which can now be
viewed by the public. Arranged in columns and files that have
a vanguard, rearguard and flank columns, the Terracotta Army
displays the power of a grand army on an expedition. The entire
effect of the site is awesome, especially because of the vast
scale and the skill with which the warriors and horses were
sculpted over 2,000 years ago. In the Shaanxi Province Museum
the Stelae Forest houses the largest and richest collections
of stelae or ancient stone tablets in China. We will also
see the 837 AD Kaicheng Stone Classics, a group of 114 double-sided
stone tablets that bear 650,000 engraved Chinese characters.
They chronicle twelve ancient Chinese writings and continue
to serve as a reference for scholars and historians.
• Your second concert performance
will be today
DAY
7 FLY FROM XI'AN TO SHANGHAI (3 NIGHTS)
Today we will fly to one of the most important cities in China.
Shanghai rose from its humble beginnings as a desolated fishing
village over 5,000 years ago to become a flourishing port
by the 17th century. After the Chinese lost the Opium War
with Britain, Shanghai was forced to open as a trading port
and has remained so since 1843. In the ensuing century the
imperialists called Shanghai the “paradise of adventurers”.
DAY
8 SHANGHAI
Shanghai is China's largest city with a population of 12 million
and it is the most important industrial area in the country.
With its well-developed trade, Shanghai is also one of the
main ports for foreign trade. Our morning City Tour
will introduce the highlights of Shanghai. In the afternoon
we will visit the Yu Yuan Garden, renowned
as the best scenic spot south of the Changjiang River. The
Garden has an exquisite design, meticulous layout and artistic
spacing. The Jade Buddha Temple has a rare
piece of historical relic, the seated Jade Buddha, which is
1.9 meters tall, glittering and translucent with a solemn
facial expression. We will also admire the Longhua Pagoda
which was built more than 1,000 years ago.
• Your third concert performance will be
today
DAY
9 EXCURSION TO SUZHOU
Today we will take the train to Suzhou, sometimes called the
Venice of the East because of its many in-town canals and
waterways. With over 2,500 years of history, the city has
long been a commercial and handicraft center. It now has 400
historical relics and sites under special protection. Suzhou
is also home of over 60 classical Chinese private gardens,
noted for their exquisite delicacy and beauty. The city's
other attractions that we will see on our City Tour
include Tiger Hill Park, Wangshiyuan
(Fishermen's Garden), Xuanmiao Taoist Temple and
Hanshan Monastery. We will return
by train to Shanghai.
DAY 10 DEPARTURE FROM SHANGHAI
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport for the
return flight home.
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