Impression China

Welcome to the mysterious land of China. Once you have collected your luggage and been cleared by customs, your professional guide will greet you in the Arrivals Hall of Beijing Airport. We will transfer you to the hotel for a three-night stay, where we suggest you relax during the remainder of the day to recover from jet lag, so that you can enjoy this 14-day China tour to the fullest.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

After breakfast this morning, there will be a short briefing when you can get to know other members of your group. Your sightseeing tour in Beijing will start from the magnificent Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world and considered to be the political center of China. Within walking distance, you reach the Forbidden City, world-famous for its imperial history as the home and office for emperors during Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 – 1911 AD). You will step into a sacred compound, where everything must conform to dreadfully strict standards, from the selection of materials of its floor tiles to how a servant served her master. For example, it’s said the maids couldn’t sleep or walk casually at night, to make sure they were near at hand in case their bosses needed them; most terribly, they couldn’t answer the call of nature freely!

★ Join us to visit the treasure house in Forbidden City
In the northeast of the Forbidden City lies the Treasure Gallery. As its name implies, it exhibits the most extravagant side of ancient palace life, represented by a 2m tall, 5,000 kilo jade sculpture, depicting a Chinese ancestor controlling the flood. With us, you get to step into this treasure house and appreciate this giant jade sculpture, along with other treasures including lifelike potted landscapes, all made of precious gemstones.

You will enjoy an a la carte welcome lunch meal (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a quality restaurant at midday, where the famous Peking Roast Duck – a cultural symbol of both Beijing and China - is also served. Remember to eat the duck with refreshing scallions and cucumber, if you don’t want to fill your mouth with too much fat.

After lunch, we visit Yonghe Temple, or Harmony and Peace Palace Lamasery, the center for the Qing government to preside over state affairs concerning Tibetan Buddhism. Then we head to the ancient Temple of Heaven. As the place for Ming and Qing emperors to pray for bumper harvests, its majestic main buildings, with blue-tiled roofs symbolizing Heaven, will surely impress you.

This evening, you will be surprised with a special treat – we will take you to a prestigious local theater to appreciate Peking Opera. As a cultural bridge that connects China and the world, it’s a special drama form that can go beyond the limit of language and be understood through appearance and movements of the artists. That is, to be a Peking Opera artist, you have to be not only a singer, but a dancer, an actor, perhaps even a martial artist, as there are often acrobatics in fight scenes. Facial makeup and costumes also contribute to your understanding of a certain character. Today, we will give you a chance to see how the artists put up heavy colorful makeup before their shows start. Afterwards, we will take you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Today your guide and driver will transfer you to Mutianyu Great Wall, a section of the Great Wall of China and famous for its season-defying beauty. The round-trip cable car is included. As your host, we will provide the group with red wine for a celebratory toast to commemorate this memorable moment on the Great Wall.

In the afternoon, we drive by the Olympic National Stadium (Bird's Nest) on the way back, for you to catch a glimpse of the unique features of this sports venue.

Then we head to Hutongs, where we will arrange for you a Hutong tour by rickshaw, to travel through ancient alleys lined with courtyard houses on both sides. Your tour will end with a visit to a local family in a courtyard house. You will be encouraged by the family members to ask whatever interests you, like the traditional family culture of living in a multi-generational household or the stories behind the Hutong they live in. It’s getting late. Now it’s time for us to get you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, giant pandas are waiting for your visit at the Panda Hall, Beijing Zoo. We will go there when they are most playful for you to observe their life. See if you can catch one male panda do a handstand against a tree – instead of being an acrobat, it’s actually … peeing, just to mark its territory.

Out from the zoo, we head for your last stop in Beijing - Summer Palace, an imperial garden constructed during Qing Dynasty featuring a blend of picturesque natural landscape and classical Chinese architecture.

After a local flavor lunch, you will board a flight to Xi'an, where your local guide will pick you up outside the baggage claim area at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for a three-night stay.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Xi'an

Today's sightseeing will start with a visit to the Terracotta Army, which serves as the funeral object of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC), who united China amid wars and chaos and turned it into the first empire in China’s history. The army fascinates visitors not only with their grandeur, but also with the mysteries unearthed along with it. The biggest one that still puzzles the world concerns the Emperor’s underground palace. It’s said a hundred ton of mercury – symbolizing river and ocean - was flowing inside, carrying his coffined body to uncertain locations, which is probably true, as a test of the surface soil has proved the existence of mercury.

★ Privilege of Our Guests:

► Special Home Visit to Know the Discoverer of the First Terracotta Warrior!
The stunning underworld wonder might still be a hidden secret if it’s not for Mr. Yang Zhifa, who accidentally dug out the first terracotta warrior in 1974. After visiting the museum, we will guide you to visit his home and learn first-hand information about the great unearthing. At Mr. Yang’s home, you can witness the hoe he used to dig, the wooden cart that transported the warrior, and its replica, which was rewarded to him for his discovery by the museum. Grab the opportunity to take photos with this great discoverer!

► Make a Mini Terracotta Warrior on Your Own
You will be more surprised about our next activity arranged by our travel experts. Following the guide, you will be led to a studio to make a mini Terracotta Warrior by yourself. Under the guidance of a craftsman, you will learn to make it step by step using mini molds and carve details to refine it. The making process is simple and interesting, and you will surely be proud of your final work. Of course, you can take your masterpiece back home.

Considering Xi’an’s profound history, next we’d like to take you to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, to witness an ancient tower that was used to store Buddhist sutras brought from India 1,300 years ago – a testimony to the cultural inclusiveness and prosperity of Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). This evening, you will be entertained by the fascinating and colorful Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show while enjoying a delicious Dumpling Dinner. Then we will drive you back for a good rest.

Travel Tips: Guests visiting in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec need to arrange the dinner and evening activity on their own for this day, since the theater is usually not open at those times.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

This morning, before you visit the mighty City Wall, we will take you to explore the City Wall Park first, where you can not only experience the real life of local people, but also learn to do Tai Chi – a most-practiced school of Chinese Kung Fu exercise that involves gentle moves and meditation - in a laid-back atmosphere. Then we ascend the City Wall, which is quite a pride of Xi'an. The circumvallation, along with the surrounding green belt and the moat, which shines like a necklace, adds charm to this ancient city of thirteen dynasties. If you are interested, you may rent a bicycle to ride on the ancient wall.

You will eat your lunch at the popular and lively Muslim Quarter, a bazaar for both locals and visitors. For anyone with a sweet tooth, there are Ba Bao Zhou (cold and sweet rice porridge), Zeng Gao (glutinous rice with red dates), Suan Mei Tang (sweet-sour plum juice), etc. If you prefer spicy food, there are Hu La Tang (spicy soup with meatballs), Liang Pi (steamed cold noodles), Biang Biang Mian (belt-wide noodles), etc. The list goes on and on.

Then you will continue with visits to the Great Mosque and Shaanxi History Museum. The former is a tranquil mosque with classical Chinese architecture hidden in the bustling Muslim Quarter; the latter a UNESCO-recognized first class museum boasting a collection of 1.7 million historical relics. If the Shaanxi History Museum is not available, alternatively, the famous Forest of Stone Steles Museum will be arranged instead. After we exit the museum, it will be time for us to take you back.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local flavor lunch

After breakfast, your guide sees you off at the North Railway Station for your morning high-speed train journey to Chengdu. We suggest you prepare some snacks, fruits, music or movies in advance to entertain yourself during this 3.5-hour journey. Upon your arrival, your local guide will meet you and help you check in at the hotel.

This afternoon remains free for you to relax. As your hotel is located near popular commercial and cultural districts, Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road, which are just 1 subway station away, you can stroll there and have a taste of the famous Sichuan food, which features spicy and hot. Your guide will also be very helpful in providing you with some suggestions.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza

As we are right in the hometown of giant pandas, a visit to adorable giant pandas becomes a must. This morning, the guide will take you to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to see more of those lovely creatures as they are eating and playing with each other. Then go on to visit the Wide and Narrow Alleys, where you will catch a glimpse of classical side of this city and taste traditional local cuisines with the guide's suggestions.

In the afternoon, your visit continues to Jinsha Site Museum, the site for religious rites of ancient Shu civilization, which begun to thrive in the late Neolithic Age and mysteriously vanished two thousand years later. After that, you will be transferred to a popular local venue, the Renmin Park, where you could experience the casual lifestyle of Chengdu people, like drinking tea, singing, exercising, playing Mahjong, and mingle with locals. We will also take you to see the interesting marriage market in the park, where parents seek spouses for their children. Out from the park, you will be driven back.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today your guide will transfer you to the railway station to catch a 2-hour high speed train trip to Chongqing. Upon your arrival, your guide in Chongqing will meet you at the station and escort you to visit Jiefangbei CBD and Ci Qi Kou ancient village. Then you will board the newly-launched 5-star Century Oasis ship for a three-day Yangtze River cruise tour.

★ We provide you with the most enjoyable Yangtze River cruise for:
● An exquisite buffet dinner and a welcome wine party hosted by the Captain for today;
● Newly built, top class amenities;
● We book cabins with private balcony;
● Three elaborately prepared meals a day, with abundant alcoholic drinks provided, while other ships serve soft drinks with limit only;
● Night snacks.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Buffet dinner
Cruises: Century Oasis

The buffet breakfast is served between 07:00 and 08:00 at the dining hall, after which the river guide will give a brief introduction to the itinerary and the facilities on the ship. Then you will have a shore excursion to the Ghost City in Fengdu, a man-made underworld with historical buildings often mentioned in Chinese folklores and classics. Then re-embark and continue the cruise trip. Your lazy afternoon will be refreshed with various interesting programs arranged by the cruise company. You can fly kite on deck, attend a lecture about the Three Gorges which you are going to traverse, or learn interesting skills from ship workers. Have fun!

Meals: Full board served in buffet style

Today, continue to sail downstream along Yangtze River through the awe-inspiring Three Gorges, namely Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. In the afternoon, after some time through the Wu Gorge, you will have a side sampan tour on Shennv Stream, a poetic tributary of Yangtze River along which you get to learn about the isolated life of Tujia people, a local tribe, and see coffins hung from cliffs. The guide and the boatman will also sing some folk songs to make your day. Afterwards, re-embark the ship and continue the cruise into the western section of Xiling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges. As darkness gathers, you will enjoy some cultural performances.

Meals: Full board served in buffet style

After breakfast, you will check out and disembark for an excursion around the Three Gorges Dam. As the world's largest hydro-electric project, it makes a great economic contribution by generating energy, controlling flood, and filtering sediment. Then you will be transferred to the Three Gorges Tourist Center in Yichang City, where your local guide will pick you up and take you to Yichang East Railway Station for a 6.5-hour high speed train journey to Shanghai, which is the last destination of your 14 days China tour. A local guide in Shanghai will meet you at the railway station upon your arrival and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Shanghai Museum is our first stop for today's schedule. It is worthwhile for the numerous precious ancient works of art it exhibits, especially for its bronze and ceramic wares and calligraphic collections. Then go on a visit to the well-known Yu Garden, once a private garden during the Ming dynasty and now a fabulous attraction showing the design style of classical Chinese garden architecture. Walk out of the garden, and you will see a traditional bazaar. It is a prosperous area that both local people and travelers like to explore.

At noon, an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) will be served at a restaurant famous for representing Shanghai cuisine.

Our next stop is the landmark of Shanghai - the Bund , where you will have a one-hour cruise tour on the Huangpu River. Free time will be provided at the Bund, so you can take great pictures or selfies. The last stop of the day is Tianzifang, a vibrant quarter in the Former French Concession, where you will delve into the local life and see the past of Shanghai by walking through the old alleys and typical Shikumen houses. Upon returning to the hotel, your guide will see you into the lobby and wish you bon voyage on your journey home.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Please pack your luggage after breakfast and check out before 12:00pm. We have to part ways now. You can book a taxi or take Metro Line 2 at the metro station before your hotel to either Pudong or Hongqiao International Airport. Have a smooth journey home!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast