Face-painting for the Peking Opera performance

Day 01Arrival in Beijing

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Beijing Airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Tips: If you are an antiquarian, Panjiayuan Folk Culture Market, also called Dirt Market is worth a visit in your free time. Located to the south of the Eastern Third Ring Road, it covers an area of 48,500 square meters. It is ranked as the largest secondhand goods market in China. The goods on offer range from archaized furniture, ancient calligraphy scrolls to porcelain, shadow figures, engravings and jade. People of different ethnic groups set up their business here. The best time to visit the market is from 06:00 to 16:00. In the early morning, the shopkeepers are in hope of a good fortune for the day, so they usually make the first deal at a lower price. In the afternoon, they are anxious to sell more goods before closing the stalls, so you can easily pick up a bargain. For collectors, it is a good way to seek pleasure whilst wandering around the market, even if one buys nothing.

Day 02Beijing

Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. A Beijing Duck Dinner will be served at a famous restaurant followed by a lively a Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.(B+L+D)

Descriptions:
Forbidden City-The back door of the Forbidden City is the Gate of Divine Prowess, Shenwu Men. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was named Xuanwu Gate. Xuanwu is one of the four divine animals in Chinese ancient legendary. The other three divine animals are blue dragon, white tiger and Rosefinch. These four animals are the gods in charge of four directions: the blue dragon is for the East; the White Tiger is for the West; the Rosefinch is for the South; and Xuanwu, a turtle, is for the North. Therefore, the palace gate due north is often named Xuanwu.

local market

Day 03Beijing

Visit the Great Wall in Badaling. You will be driven to a local popular restaurant for a lunch of typical Sichuan fare. A visit to the Sacred Way and the Ming Tombs follows in the afternoon. On the way back to Beijing, you will experience a drive by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium). You will see its appearance at a distance. (B+L, D is included for luxury series)

Differences
Luxury Series: we arrange an a la carte dinner at a famous Cantonese cuisine restaurant in the Wangfujing area.
Standard Series: Dinner is not provided, however, your local guide should be able to make some suggestions.
 
Descriptions:
Great Wall - Just as the Rome was not built in a day, the long Great Wall of China was not built up by one empire. During the 2,000-year contraction course, both of the architectural skills and the raw materials of the walls were developed year by year. Before the Ming Dynasty, the walls were mainly made up of earth, stone, timber and tile. In the remote dessert area, even reed and sallow mixed with sand was used. While the bricks were widely used in the Ming Dynasty, this light moveable material was adopted in large quantity then.

Elegant Mt. Huangshan

Day 04Beijing - Huangshan

Visit the Summer Palace and the lovely pandas in Beijing Zoo. Take a flight to Huangshan and transfer to a hotel in the city.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Summer Palace - The Summer Palace's charm lies in both its enchanting landscapes and distinctive architectural complexes. You may be familiar with the Siheyuan (quadrangle dwellings) in Beijing City, have you ever heard of Sanheyuan style dwellings? The Hall of Jade Ripples (Yulantang) in the Summer Palace can be such a typical dwelling. Constructed in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, it was used for the emperor dealing with state affairs. In the courtyard, the main hall stands in the middle and secondary rooms on two sides.

Day 05Huangshan

Transfer to the foot of Huangshan Mountain. As you begin to take the cable car to the mountain, you will find yourself among magnificent scenery. Enjoy the view of the Beginning-to-Believe Peak, the Peach Blossom Valley, the Lion Peak, the Flying-over Rock and the Bright Summit. Stay at the hotel on the mountain.(B+L)

Tips: Seeing the sunrise on the summit of Huangshan Mountain should be breathtaking and enjoyable. As a matter of fact, not everyone is lucky enough to see the sunrise there, because more than half of the year it is rainy on Mt. Huangshan. Hence, it is highly advised for you to keep and eye on the weather forecast, and seek out timings for sunrise of the scenic spot, the day before from the hotel. In the closet of your hotel room you can find two down coats provided by the hotel due to the   cold weather on the mountain, if you decide to venture outside in the early morning or in the evening. In addition, it is advisable to bring backpacks instead of heavy and big suitcases, as there are only winding paths and stairs at the top of mountain. You could have your luggage checked at Huangshan International Hotel, and take some necessities along with you for this trip. Finally, it is not advisable to take photos of the porters on the mountain unless you pay for them and get permission from them.

Day 06Huangshan

In the morning, continue the sightseeing tour to the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion and the Xihai Grand Canyon. After lunch, take the cable car again to arrive at the foot of the mountain and transfer back to Huangshan city. Visit Tunxi Old Street. Stay at the hotel in the city of Huangshan.(B+L)

Hongcun Village, Yixian

Day 07Huangshan - Hongcun Village - Shexian County - Huangshan - Shanghai

Drive to Yixian County. Visit the fantastic Hongcun Village and Nanping Village. Transfer to Shexian County. Visit the Tangyue Archways. Return to Huangshan. Take a flight to Shanghai and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: The flight between Huangshan and Shanghai is usually scheduled to take off in the late evening, so you are advised to make full preparation for it. We do not advise you to visit Mt. Huangshan during the National Holiday, as it is always overcrowded with both domestic and overseas tourists, which will impair your sightseeing. What's more, the room rate at that time will be higher.  

Descriptions: Hongcun Village - located 11 kilometers away from Yixian County, Hongcun is a peculiar ancient village, shaped like a buffalo. The mountain looks more verdant against the water, and water becomes livelier against the mountain. There are, in total, 158 residential houses here which can be traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, of which nearly 140 are still in good condition. The picturesque village with its tranquil setting combining nature and people living harmoniously, earns Hongcun Village the title of 'The Village in a Chinese Painting'.

Tunxi old street, Huangshan

Day 08Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. Then for the afternoon activities, please see the following different arrangements for the luxury and standard series. In the evening, a memorable a la carte dinner is served at Central Hotel, whose restaurant Wang Bao He, has a history of around 260 years and is the best place to enjoy Shanghaiese Cuisine. The dinner will be followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre. (B+L+D)

Differences
Luxury Series: after lunch we will transfer you to the Bund area, where you will take a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. The cruise will start at 14:00, reach the Wusongkou pier and then get back to the Bund at 17:00. Following this, it will leave you some free time to explore the Bund area on your own.
Standard Series: you will be taken to visit the Bund along the Huangpu River and the famous Nanjing Road, and then a local family visit is scheduled. 

Descriptions: Shanghai Museum - it boasts a large collection of over 120,000 pieces including jades, paintings, sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, ancient coins, calligraphy, furniture, seals, Chinese minorities and foreign arts. It has three special temporary exhibition halls and 11 galleries. Visitors can learn more about the civilized culture of ancient China here.
 
Huangpu River - Measuring about 71 miles long and 437 yards wide, Huangpu River is one of the earliest man-made rivers. Taking its rise in Dianshan Lake in Qingpu County, the river merges in the Yangtze at Wusongkou Estuary. Connecting the port area in Shanghai, though having no beautiful mountains on either bank, it features quite unique flavors added by the western historical buildings along its course.

Day 09Departure from Shanghai

The tour finishes and you will be transferred to Shanghai Airport for your departing flights.(B)