DAY 1: Saturday - Departure from USA
- Depart the USA to China. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey. Please note that your flight may depart just after midnight. Be aware, if it does, you must check in at the airport the evening prior to your departure date.
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DAY 2: Sunday - Arrive Beijing
- Arrival Beijing Airport, transfer from airport to hotel.
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DAY 3: Monday - Beijing, China
- Tiananmen Square (50 minutes): Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the centre of Beijing, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. As the worlds largest city square and enduring symbol of Chinas national pride, it is surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Maos Mausoleum.
- The Forbidden City (2.5 hours): The Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors between 1368 and 1911.This "city within a city" is a World Heritage Site, and is the largest and the best preserved ancient imperial architecture complex in the world, with great square, halls and gates contrast with intricate halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are all important treasures of ancient China.
- Hutong Tour in Dongcheng District: Hutong is a maze of historic alleyways with old single storey traditional courtyard houses, which are now fast disappearing. In this one hour tour, you can hop on a rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys as well as visit a local family and find out about the different thresholds of the courtyards.
- Treasure Houses (30 minutes): Treasure house has undergone 4 time renovations, the present one takes up almost 220 square metres, more than 440 treasures on display belonged to Qing dynasty royalty, half of which have not never been on display in the old one. Its worthy of visiting.
- Courtyard 7 Restaurant: Courtyard 7 is located in central area of Nan Luo Guo. Its well designed Chinese style modeling, the layout makes it antiquity and rusticity. Its special featured restaurant provides new modern French dishes. Seating in Courtyard 7, you may see the fusion of eastern and western culture, and smell apart of old and new fashion air. Here, you can not only taste delicious gourmet food, but also can enjoy a piece of pure land and haven in such a busy city. Courtyard 7 welcomes you stay and enjoy.
( B, L )
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DAY 4: Tuesday - Beijing, China
- Xiao Long Pu Resort: Xiao Long Pu Restaurant is located near the Mutianyu Great Wall. It is built in a traditional Chinese Quadrangles of blue bricks and grey tiles. It serves a great variety of Chinese delicacies. The seating arrangement provides wonderful views of mountains.
- Cloisonne Factory: Cloisonne is an intricate and detailed process, dating back over 700 years, to produce fine enamel on a copper base. You can watch the workers at all stages of the process to see how these beautiful objects are produced. Theres a showroom attached for those who would like a souvenir of the visit, big or small, and all objects are guaranteed. This is a popular place for those looking for special, quality souvenirs. China Highlights customers have the opportunity to see the manufacturing process. This is an exclusive offer for our customers There is no pressure to buy
- Temple of Heaven (1.5 hours): Built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty, Temple of Heaven is a complex of Taoist buildings where emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties visited for annual ceremonies of pray for good harvests. Located in the south of Central Beijing, it covers an area of 273 hectares. Temple of Heaven was enrolled as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.
- The Mutianyu Great Wall(with round way cable car) (2 hours): This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a about 2.5 hours drive from downtown Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
( B, L )
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DAY 5: Wednesday - Beijing to Xian, China
- Exterior visit of Beijing Olympic Stadiums(Birds Nest and Water Cube) (1 hour): Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City, with a large area of 1215 hectares, it contains National museum, exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues. Approximately 31 venues are used in Beijing Olympics, including National Stadium, the Birds Nest and National Aquatics Center. You will explore the park, but it doesnt include going inside the Birds Nest and Water Cube.
- Summer Palace (1.5 hours): Much-loved summer retreat of the Imperial families, the lovely landscaped gardens, halls, pavilions and corridors are set around the lake and rivers in natural harmony. It is the largest and best preserved imperial garden in China, and also a World Heritage Site.
- Red Classic Theme Restaurant: "Red Classic Theme Restaurant" has a China in 70s theme. Very popular among middle-aged Chinese who reminise by dancing and singing the old songs from their youth the days of the cultural revolution. Memories mixed with great food.
( B, L )
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DAY 6: Thursday - Xian, China
- The Terracotta Warriors and Horses (2 hours): Discovered accidentally in 1974, this incredible army of over 7000 soldiers, archers, horses and chariots in full battle array has guarded Emperor Qins tomb since 210BC. Each figure is unique, and the painstaking repair and excavation continues in 3 pits which are protected inside huge hangars. 1.5 hours from Xian, there is also an excellent museum and film about the history of the vaults. Photos (no flash) are allowed. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Xian Imperial Fine Arts center: Xian Imperial Fine Arts mainly manufactures jade carvings and lacquer ware. Tourists can learn how the fine Chinese jade carved and the function of jade.
- A Wa Shan Zhai Restaurant(Qinling Branch): A Wa Shan Zhai Restaurant was established in 2004, mainly specializes in Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. It provides delicacy by using the material from Shanxi, obtaining a nationwide reputation from customers. It would be a nice choice to dine while traveling the nearby Terra cotta Warriors and Horses.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda (1 hour): A major Buddhist site, the simple, elegant brick Pagoda stands in the grounds of the attractive Da Cien Temple. The Pagoda was built in the 7th century to house the Buddhist materials that Xuanzang (Tripitaka) brought back from his epic journey to India. The Temple complex has several large halls with some great Buddhist statues and murals.
( B, L )
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DAY 7: Friday - Xian to Chongqing to Yangtze, China
- Shaanxi History Museum (1.5 hours): The history of Shaanxi is said to be the history of China, and this museum is quite simply one of the nations best. Four major galleries in large, Tang-style buildings house a vast and impressive collection, beautifully displayed. Most of the item labels are in English, although some other information on the exhibitions is not, but your guide can help here. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Xian City Wall with Bicycle (1.5 hours): The walls, ramparts, gates and watchtowers form one of the oldest and most complete city defenses still around. Built in the 13th century on the foundations of the original Tang Forbidden City surrounding the city centre, it is a major landmark, and the best preserved, as well as the oldest and largest of the city defense systems in China. We operate this with bicycle. If the weather is not good for biking on the city wall, we will substitute a visit to the Bell Tower. Your guide will be very glad to take you the Bell Tower after you have been to look at the city wall.
- Qianzhou Restaurant (Xiao Yanta Branch): Qianzhou Restaurant is well-known for its local flavors and ingredients originating from Qian County. The style, Qianzhou Four Treasures is considered to be famous nationally. The specialties are of ancient origin from the Tang Dynasty and leave customers with great culinary memories.
( B, L )
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DAY 8: Saturday - Yangtze, China
- Shibaozhai, literally means Stone Treasure Fortress, Located in Zhong County, it was first built in Qing Dynasty in 1750. Shibaozhai is one historic site that will look much different in 2009. The wooden architecture stands on the riverside. It is built by catch upon a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs with a height of 56 meters and 12 stories. And every floor of the wooden structure contains interesting artifacts. Each of the 12 floors of Shibaozhai is dedicated to a famous general of the Three Kingdoms period (220-265AD), a local scholar or a renowned Chinese poet.
( B, L, D )
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DAY 9: Sunday - Yangtze, China
- Taichi exercise, Passes through the 1st gorgeQutang Gorge, Passes through the 2cd gorge-Wu Gorge, Shore excursion to Shennong Stream(1:30pm-5:30pm), You have the option of visiting White Emperor City(RMB260 per person), Crews Performance, Sails through the 5-steps Ship locks.
- Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, crystal clear water runs southwards through deep gorges. The stream races past large and small karst caves, flocks of swallows, sheer cliffs, deep gorges, waterfalls, three-colored springs, rapids, the ancient plank path, a suspended coffin in the cliff, groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations.
( B, L, D )
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DAY 10: Monday - Yangtze to Yichang to Shanghai, China
- Shore excursion to The Three Gorges Dam Site. Arrive in Yichang at 1:00pm. Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project ever undertaken by man and it has been a dream for several generations of Chinese people. The construction of the dam formally began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction has been completed in 2009. It will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom.The tourists can get access to the top of the dam and enjoy different kinds of photo opportunities.
( B, L )
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DAY 11: Tuesday - Shanghai, China
- Tianhou Silk Factory: Tianhou Silk Factory is a multi-function shopping mall containing silk traders, restaurants and health care. It showcases Chinese silk products of all types including silk bedding and silk clothing. This is a popular place for looking for special, quality souvenirs.
- Yuyuan Garden (1 hour): Yuyuan Garden is located in the center of Shanghai old quarters. It was a private garden built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, with typical Chinese classic architecture and style. The complex covers an area of 2 hectares, with rockeries, pavilions, ponds and corridors. Yuyuan Garden is surrounding by a busy market place, where visitors can find everything from popular local snacks, handicrafts, antiques and souvenirs to some famous time-honored restaurants.
- Oriental Pearl TV Tower (1.3 hours): One of the tallest TV towers in the world, known for its distinctive spheres, or "pearls", it stands across the river from the Bund, among the exciting architecture of the east bank. The Shanghai History Museum is Located on the first floor of the Oriental TV Tower. There you can see the four major exhibition units reflecting Shanghais history, modern and recent revolutionary history respectively.
- The Bund (40 minutes): This 1.5-kilometer-long embankment runs along the western bank of Huangpu River. On its west side it is the "architecture gallery" with 52 well-preserved old European style buildings. Once the major trading and commercial center of old Shanghai, the Bund has now taken on new vitality, with futuristic developments, chic restaurants, top end shops and bars offer plenty to see and do-and by night its magic
- Seagull Palace: Seagull Palace is located along the Huangpu River. The main building is in the shape of a huge seagull, and is one of the signature buildings in Shanghai. It serves Shanghai-Style food and is decorated in a western style.
- Shanghai Museum((Audio Guide included)) (1.5 hours): The biggest, and many think the best museum in China. The galleries in this outstanding building display stunning collections of bronzes, sculptures, ceramics and porcelain, paintings, calligraphy, seals, jade, coins, furniture, ethnic artefacts from minority groups, temporary travelling exhibitions from places like the Guggenheim, and so much more ... give yourself time.
( B, L )
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DAY 12: Wednesday - Departure
- Today after breakfast, check out your hotel, transfer from hotel to airport.
( B, L )
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