Photogenic Huangshan & Wuyuan

Apart from the capital Beijing, Shanghai is also regarded as one of the top three tourist destinations of China and has been chosen to be the entry city by many overseas travelers. Although the direct flight has not been opened between Luxemburg and China, people who plan a China tour from Luxemburg can choose to transit at a third city like Paris, Amsterdam, London, Munich, Frankfort, Madrid, Zurich, Rome, Vienna or Istanbul to Shanghai. Here we would like to provide you with several transit options via Paris, Amsterdam and Istanbul for your reference.

To those who will transit at Paris, you can take Luxair flight LG8019 1635/1735, stay at Paris Airport for 3 hours & 45 minutes and then transfer to flight MU570 2120/1440+1 of China Eastern Airlines to Shanghai. Or you may consider taking flight LG8011 0755/0855, wait for 4.5 hours and change to flight MU554 1325/0700+1 to Shanghai. The first flight takes around 16 hours for the whole trip while the latter one takes about 17 hours.

If you choose to connect the flight at Amsterdam, you are suggested to take KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL1740 1030/1135, have a nearly 6 hours' layover and leave for Shanghai by flight KL895 1730/1005+1. The flying time is 17 hours & 35 minutes.

People who intend to make transfer at Istanbul can take Turkish Airlines flight TK1356 1640/2055 first and then connect to flight TK026 0120/1630+1 to Shanghai. The entire air travel takes 17 hours & 50 minutes including 4.5 hours' stopover in Istanbul.

Our most obliging guide and driver will be waiting for you at the airport. As soon as you come out from the restricted area, you will be greeted with a friendly smile. In a short while you will find yourself at the designated hotel and register for a one-night stay. Spend the rest of the day as you will.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available
Accommodation: Ocean Hotel Shanghai

Today, you will take a high-speed train to Huangshan - the shutterbugs' paradise. You will be met at the railway station and taken to the hotel in downtown Huangshan. After a short rest, you will go to visit the Tunxi Old Street, which is the best preserved commercial street with a history of more than hundred years.

Tips: Wide-angle lens, telephoto lens, polarizing and color-enhancing filters, and tripod will assist you in getting professional quality pictures.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: International Hotel

An exciting day awaits you! It takes about one hour to get to Huangshan Scenic Area. We will ascend the mountain, and arrive at the hotel. After a short break, we will shoot the grotesque rock formations. Next we do the Xihai Grand Canyon, yet more spectacular scenery. We follow up with the Bright Summit and the Flying Stone. Should the conditions be right, you may even get to shoot the Sea of Clouds. On our way back to the hotel, we will stop at Cloud Dispersing Pavilion to photograph the stunning sunset.

Tips: Don't get distracted, look where you walk! Come to a complete halt before reaching for your camera.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Xihai Hotel - North Building

Today we focus on the mountainous view from the North Sea. If it is clear, we will capture the sunrise at the Lion Peak. The Lion Peak has foothold for only 10 persons, first come first served. Next set is the Beginning-to-Believe Peak with a fairy tale like collection of strange pines and absurd stones. We will catch the last cable car down the mountain and proceed to Yixian County. Stay overnight at local guest house.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Local Guesthouse

We will set out early to visit Hongcun Village. The 900+ years-old Hongcun Village is the idealized village in a landscape painting. The Yuezhao Pond is a starting point for creative picture taking. Also, use wide-angle lens for scenic views. Jinxiu Hall offers good reference material for photographing buildings. The Nanhu Academy adds a cultural touch to the photographs. Don't miss the tranquil Nanhu Lake, which looks like a replica of an ancient Chinese scroll painting.

Afterwards, we head to the Nanping Village, where there are some 300 Ming and Qing era houses in interlaced alleys. The most outstanding feature would be the ancestral temples. It is most oft filmed, so take special note. We will get to the hotel in Tunxi by late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: International Hotel

We drive one hour to Wuyuan after breakfast. Wuyuan is reputed the "most beautiful countryside in China" for its classic rural landscape, villages and folkways as if placed in a time capsule. We will start by visiting Sixi village and Yan village. The pastoral scenery will inspire creative shooting. Next we visit the photogenic Qinghua Rainbow Bridge where prize winning gallery pictures are made. Our guide and driver are indulging to all your photographic whims. The last stop today is the Moon Bay. The Moon Bay presents "Hui" style buildings arranged on a crescent shore, along quiet river water.

Seasonal supplemental spot for photography:  
In March or April tours, we may include a visit to Jiangling for you to view flora. At that time, the terraced fields from valley to hill top are literary yellow blooming rape flowers. Bring extra memory cards and spare batteries for your cameras.

The Shicheng village is especially camera ready in autumn. Towering trees, mainly maples, are then cloaked in autumn's amazing colors. We will guide you to a favourable shooting location.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Wuyuan International Hotel

This morning we will continue to explore and shoot pictures in more villages: Likeng, Wangkou and Xiaoqi. Rise early to enjoy the rustic airs. After lunch, we will drive to Hangzhou, which can brag as being 'Heaven on Earth' because of its rich cultural endowment. The trip can take up to four hours.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Zhongwei Sunny Hotel

Visit the West Lake! Next to the Baochu Pagoda in morning light, you may capture a memorable West Lake in splendour. A scene from the lake: "Three-Pools-Mirroring-the-Moon", has come to adorn a side of the 1 RMB banknote. After that, we will move on to the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Lingyin Temple. When conditions warrant, you can be at the Twist Bridge in the West Lake for the CNN cited sunset scene with Leifeng Pagoda.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

This morning, we will arrange for you to take a one-hour high speed train from Hangzhou to Shanghai. Upon arrival, please take a taxi to the Pudong International flight by yourself. For your flight from Shanghai to Luxemburg, please refer to the following:

You can take Austrian Airline OS076 23:00/05:50 (12h50m) to Vienna first, stop there for 3 hours and 50 minutes, and then take OS7081 09:40/11:25 (1h45m) to get back to Luxemburg. The whole duration is 18.5 hours. Alternatively, you can choose to take Lufthansa Airline LH729 23:50/07:25 (13h35m) to Frankfurt, with a transit of 5.5 hours, and then take LH394 13:00/13:40 (40m) to get back. The total trip is around 20 hours. We wish you a good journey home! 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast