Quintessential China 17 Days

Arrive in Beijing. Your guide will greet you at the airport and you will be transferred to the hotel.
Note: Some flights may depart the night before.

After breakfast, visit Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing. The square is named after the Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its north, which provides entry to the famed Forbidden City. The square contains the Monument to the People’s Heroes, Great Hall of the People, National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao Zedong. Later, you can join the optional Forbidden City Tour (at your own expense) to explore and discover the mystery of “forbidden” imperial city of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a true architectural masterpiece, and is home to the fascinating National Palace Museum. Then, you may taste the famous traditional local delicacy, Peking Roast Duck for lunch (at your own expense). Cap off your night with a large-scale stage production, the Golden Mask Dynasty Show (at your own expense).

Optional activities:

• Forbidden City Tour ($85 per person): Explore the ancient and imposing heart of China’s imperial past.
• Peking Duck Lunch ($50 per person): Dine on Peking Duck.
• The Golden Mask Dynasty ($75 per person): Be amazed by the colour, music, and action of this large-scale stage production (evening).

Today’s highlight is an excursion to the majestic Great Wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. You’ll have a chance to climb a portion of this 6,000km marvel, at Juyong Pass. Then visit one of the largest jade exhibitions in Asia, and see skilled artisans work at a cloisonné factory. Energise yourself with an Authentic Old Peking Style Lunch (at your own expense). In the afternoon, you can join the optional Summer Palace, Beijing Olympic Park & Hutong Life Tour (at your own expense), to tour the largest preserved ancient garden, shoot photos in front of the stunning stadiums and visit a local family in Hutong (ancient alleyways) to see the real life of Beijing people.

Optional activities:

• Authentic Old Peking Style Lunch ($25 per person): Enjoy the authentic old Peking style dishes including Spring Rolls, Jing Jiang Rou Si (Sautéed Shredded Pork in Sweet Bean Sauce), etc.
• Summer Palace, Beijing Olympic Park & Hutong Life Tour ($115 per person): Summer Palace is the largest preserved imperial garden in China, and is recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO declaring “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design”. Then, stroll in the Beijing Olympic Park, where you can see and take good photos in front of the famous and stunning Bird’s Nest and Water Cube stadiums. Later, tour the Beijing’s ancient Hutong neighbourhoods, and visit a local family where you will learn about tai chi, Chinese calligraphy, and cricket fighting.

Note:

• Due to government policy, the capacity is limited for Hutong Life Tour. Alternative activity is to visit the Bell Tower and see the beautiful view of Hutong. Your tour guide will advise which one is available and suitable based on the day’s schedule. Bell Tower requires climbing stairs.

Today, visit the Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO recognised World Heritage Site. It is imperial complex of religious buildings. The complex is an architectural masterpiece, and was built between 1406 and 1460 AD. The temple was used by China’s emperors for ceremonies honouring the god of harvests. This is followed by a visit to a Chinese herbal medicine institute, and learn about this ancient medical tradition. You may want to taste a dumpling lunch in the Dumpling Garden (at your own expense) before taking a high-speed train to Jinan. Upon Arrival, you will visit the Black Tiger Spring, a culturally significant artesian karst spring. The name of the spring is said to be derived from the shape and colour of the rock, which resembled a black tiger, and the sound of the water gushing past the rock being reminiscent of the roar of a tiger. Then, enjoy some free time strolling around the cultural, bustling Kuanhouli Old Quarter. In the evening, you will be transferred to your hotel in Tai’an.

Optional activities:

• Dumpling Lunch in Dumpling Garden ($25 per person): Taste different flavours and styles of dumplings from different parts of China in the Dumpling Garden.

Free day at your own leisure, or you may join the optional program(s) below( at your own expense):

Optional activities:

• Jiangjun Mountain Tour & Shadow Puppets Show ($160 per person): Today you will visit the Jiangjun Mountain located at the foot of Mount Tai. You will experience the charms of “Natural Oxygen Bar”. Later, you will watch the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage – Shadow Puppetry. The Shadow Puppetry is an ancient traditional folk art that can date back to 600 years ago. While watching this traditional skill, you can also walk into the background, learn about the structure of the shadows, experience the manipulation skills of shadow play, complete different movements, and participate in the shadow play.
  • Note: Due to time limitations, the Shadow Puppetry optional program might be moved to Day 07
• Mount Tai • Feng Shan Ceremony Show ($80 per person): The Stage was built on the foothills of Mount Tai, where the magnificent natural landscape of Mount Tai has made this spectacular stage. The performance is divided into seven chapters, through the 5,000 years of history of China, performed by 500 actors and 5,000 sets of costumes, telling the historical stories of the rise and fall of the Chinese nation. It truly reproduces the political, social and cultural characteristics and emperors of the ancient Five Dynasties.

Enjoy the morning free at leisure. In the afternoon, you will take a high-speed train to Zhengzhou. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to check in to your hotel.

Note: Due to time limit on Day 06, you may watch the Shadow Puppetry optional program this morning.

Free day at your own leisure, or you may join the below optional program (at your own expense):

Optional activity:

• Shaolin Temple Day Tour* ($160 per person, lunch included): Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shaolin Temple. You will visit the World Cultural Heritage Site and World Geo-park – Mt. Songshan. Known as the Central Sacred Mountain, Mt. Songshan was the cultural center in Chinese history. Then, visit the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Chinese Kung Fu – Shaolin Temple and the Pagoda Forest with over 200 ancient pagodas of different times. Later, watch an exhilarating Kung Fu show.

After breakfast, visit Henan Museum, which exhibits a collection of more than 130,000 pieces of cultural relics through the ages. Then transfer to take a high-speed train to Xi’an. Upon arrival, visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda North Square where you can see the full view of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Later, step back in time at Datang Everbright City, a pedestrian street reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty and enjoy your time at leisure.

Xi’an was the first Chinese city to open its doors to the world, during the Tang dynasty, and the capital for eleven dynasties over a period of more than 2,000 years. After breakfast, visit the Ancient City Walls of Xi’an which can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty and measure 13.7 kilometers in circumference, 12 meters in height, and 15 – 18 meters in thickness at their base. You can also cycle on the walls by renting a bicycle (at your own expense). Then visit the site of the Terracotta Warriors & Horses. In 1974 a peasant digging a well came upon what now stands as one of the main tourist attractions in China and one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. An army of thousands of life-sized warriors and their horses in battle formation, which were buried for 2,000 years, stand guard over the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The figures were buried with artifacts and weapons of the day and every figure differs in facial features and expressions. Followed by a visit to the Terracotta factory. At night, you can enjoy an optional musical show – The Tang Dynasty Show with dumpling banquet dinner (at your own expense).

Optional activities:

• Bicycle Rental on the Ancient Walls ($20 per person): Explore the ancient City Walls by riding a bicycle.
• The Tang Dynasty Show & Dumpling Banquet Dinner ($75 per person): cap off your night by enjoying a delicious dumpling dinner and a large-scale musical production.

Enjoy some free time at leisure in the morning or immerse yourself in Chinese culture on a fascinating optional Morning Tai Chi Experience + Shadow Puppet Show + Fu Cha Tea Tasting Tour (at your own expense). Later, you will visit Xi’an Museum, a modern museum complex featuring local heritage displays, gardens with pools and a historic pagoda, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Afterwards, go on a tour to one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China, Daxingshan Temple, which was originally built in 265-289. Then, visit the ancient cultural street of Shuyuanmen. The Chinese word ‘Shuyuan‘ means college. This area was named after Guanzhong Shuyuan, which was one of the four most famous colleges in Ming & Qing Dynasties. In the evening, you can join an optional Authentic Xi’an Street Food Tour w/ Tuk Tuk Experience (at your own expense) and enjoy some authentic local delicacies.

Optional Activities:

• Morning Tai Chi Experience + Shadow Puppet Show + Fu Cha Tea Tasting Tour ($50 per person): In the morning, you will join the locals and learn Tai Chi. Then, you will watch the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage show – Shadow Puppetry an ancient traditional folk art that dates back to 600 years ago. Later, you will taste one of the most famous traditional black teas in China – Fu Cha.
• Authentic Xi’an Street Food Tour w/ Tuk Tuk Experience ($80 per person): Set out with an expert guide and your Tuk Tuk (auto rickshaw) driver to find the best dishes in Xi’an. In this tour you can sample the authentic delicacies of Xi’an and explore hidden streets and quaint alleyways within Xi’an’s ancient city walls by visiting favourite local eateries and street food stands located in the historical and cultural districts.

Enjoy the morning free at leisure (time permitting) until you transfer to take a high-speed train to Suzhou. Suzhou has long been known as the ‘Venice of the East’, for its exquisite canals, bridges, pagodas, and beautiful gardens, and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast, tour the exquisite Lingering Garden, a classic private garden with 500 years of history. Next, visit the largest silk factory in the country, and discover how silk is manufactured from mulberry-munching silkworms. You may also take an optional cruise along the Grand Canal (at your own expense) and view life along this section of the longest and oldest canal in the world. Take a brief break and enjoy a traditional Jiangnan Dim Sum meal (at your own expense). Later in the afternoon, continue to Wuxi. Upon arrival, take a stroll along Nanchang Street, the most bustling pedestrian street in Wuxi, composed of both ancient and modern architectures before transferring back to your hotel.

Optional Activity:

• Grand Canal Cruise ($45 per person): Cruise on China’s Grand Canal, at 1,776km long and reaching all the way to Beijing, this massive engineering feat was unparalleled in the ancient world.
• Jiangnan Dim Sum Meal ($25 per person): Enjoy some traditional Jiangnan dim sum such as Wonton, Pan-fried Buns.

This morning, tour beautiful Li Lake (Lihu), which is the most scenic corner of Wuxi’s huge Lake Tai (Taihu), followed by a visit to a freshwater pearl exhibition and store. Continue on to Hangzhou, described by Marco Polo as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”. Upon arrival, You may take an optional cruise on the serene West Lake (at your own expense), which the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, and is noted for its scenic beauty, which blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. Savour your day with the famous delicacy Hangzhou Dongpo Pork dinner (at your own expense), and cap off your night by attending the Impression West Lake Show (at your own expense), a large-scale open-air performance bringing the story of West Lake alive before your eyes.

Optional Activity:

• West Lake Cruise ($55 per person): An optional cruise on the serene West Lake.
• Impression West Lake Show ($95 per person): a classic created by Zhang Yimou, acclaimed film and theatre director, and architect of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Games Opening Ceremony.

Experience tea-tasting at the Dragon Well Tea Plantation, which produces some of the the best ‘Longjing’ Green Tea in China. After lunch travel by coach to Shanghai. Upon arrival, visit The Bund, located on the Huangpu River and lined by historical architecture of European design, it is the best place to capture the Western influences of the colonial era. Then, visit the City God Temple Bazaar, which is composed of stores selling traditional Chinese arts and crafts, medicine, and souvenirs. Tonight you can watch a thrilling Chinese Acrobatic Show (at your own expense).

Optional Activity:

• Chinese Acrobatic Show ($85 per person): A thrilling Chinese acrobatic show, featuring Chinese dance, drama, music, and other performing arts and modern technology.

Free day at your own leisure, or you may join the below optional program(s) (at your own expense), to know more about the city:

Optional Activity:

• Half Day Shanghai City Tour w/ Maglev Train experience ($85 per person): Visit the affluent Xintiandi area which holds the historical and cultural legacies of the city. Xintiandi was the site of the first congress of the Communist Party of China, and is now the most expensive place to live in the country. Then explore the free market underground the Shanghai Sci-Tech Museum where you can find lots of goods such as traditional Chinese outfits, shoes and fashion accessories. Next, experience the world’s fastest commercially operating train, running between the city and Shanghai airport with a top speed of 431km/h.
• Cruise on Huangpu River + Shanghai Xiaolongbao Meal ($75 per person): Taste the Shanghai local delicacy, Xiaolongbao, and cruise along the Huangpu River, you will get a glimpse of the history and spectacular view of cosmopolitan Shanghai.

Enjoy the morning free at leisure (time permitting) until your transfer to airport for your flight(s) home via connecting cities.

Arrive home today.