Pandas & Golden Cities

You will be met at Beijing airport today and then taken to check in at your hotel. To refresh from jet lag, you may have a good rest at the hotel, or make your own plans for the rest of the day, with advice available from your guide.

Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong

After breakfast at the hotel, all members on the tour will attend a short orientation session for mixing and mingling. Our first stop today will be the Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world for massive national-level rallies, including the National Flag Raising Ceremony, which is held at the same time the sun rises all year round. We will stroll past the square, until we reach the grand entrance to our next stop, the Forbidden City.

Constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD), the Forbidden City survived more than 600 years intact to become one of the grandest imperial palace complex in the history of humanity. Also known as the Palace Museum, it has become a repository of numerous treasured cultural relics. You will also have a special visit to the Treasure Gallery, a dazzling chance for you to gain insights into Chinese imperial luxury life from a micro level. We will tour around and head to the northeastern corner of the compound. Here, you will visit three palaces on an axis exhibiting national treasures, and get to marvel at the 5,000-pearl-inlaid coronet worn by empresses, as well as the potted plants made of gemstone or jade.

At noon, you will dine on an a la carte welcome lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a highly-praised restaurant in classical Chinese style. There will be a select range of food for you to choose, including Peking Roast Duck of course, which involves quite a process and is loved for being especially crispy outside and soft inside.

After that, you will approach the Temple of Heaven, the former sacrificial altar for Ming and Qing emperors to pray for good harvests. You will witness how the architecture majestically illustrates Chinese religious belief in the philosophy of “Heaven is round and Earth square”, with round roofs and square walls built to manifest the harmony between Heaven and Earth.

After a day’s trip, there will be a special treat for you. We will take you to Liyuan Theatre, the first tea-house theatre dating back to 1990 and now a prestigious venue in Beijing to stage the performance of Peking Opera, a quintessential symbol of Chinese culture. Placed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Peking Opera should be your must-experience while in China. Here, you will watch performances that introduce the art in a comprehensive manner, including the acclaimed exciting “fight scene” choreographed from acrobatics. Ever wonder about those colorful faces? We will arrive earlier to see the artists put on their stage makeup and attire.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte welcome lunch

Today we will head for the Great Wall of China! Our destination this morning will be the Mutianyu Great Wall, the most beautiful and intact section of the entire ancient Wall, famous mostly for its unparalleled magnificence set against lush greens.

★ Privileges of Our Guests:

► We will book tickets online for you to spare you a long waiting queue.
► To keep your strength for a great hike along the wall, we will arrange for you a round-trip cable car, or a chairlift up and toboggan down, depending on whether you’re a thrill lover.
► You will have enough time to explore the wonder on your own, and your adventures will be celebrated with a bottle of red wine!

Then on the way back, you will have a short stay to take pictures before the National Stadium, widely-known as Bird’s Nest, the place holding the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 2008. The beauty of its ingenious steel structure is definitely worth your while.

Then it will be our last highlight for today – a tour through Hutongs, or alleyways lined with old courtyard houses in Beijing. The contrast of simple local lifestyle here against that in the Forbidden City would be inspiring. To get you some insights into traditional ways of life of old Beijing, a rickshaw will take you on a Hutong tour. You will go around these 700-year-old backstreets of Beijing, until you stop to visit a local family and get to know their life.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today is the last day of your journey in Beijing. Last but not the least, Panda Hall, Beijing Zoo and the Summer Palace would be the finale to perfect your trip.

The Panda Hall in Beijing Zoo is a small paradise for those adorable bamboo-filled pot bellies – you know what we are referring to! In this man-made wild habitat, take this chance to say your first “Hi” to pandas! Out from the Panda Hall, we will head over to the Summer Palace, the summer retreat for imperial families during Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911 AD) and now one of the grandest classical gardens in the world. Find your refuge here from the bustling metropolis, and gild your capital trip with an imperial pleasure.

Enjoy local food for lunch. Take a look back at Beijing, and you will leave for Xi'an, the capital of thirteen dynasties in ancient China, where you will continue your visit to other sites of significance. Upon arrival, you will be warmly welcomed and escorted to your hotel.

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

You just cannot miss the Terracotta Army while in Xi’an, which is dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. This is the site of the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Founder of the Qin Empire (211 – 206 BC) – the first empire ever existed in the imperial history of China. Although the underground palace where Emperor Qin’s remains lay is still a mystery, archeologists have unearthed around it more than 8,000 clay warriors and horses, as well as bronze chariots and weapons, which turned out to be the funeral objects of the emperor. Standing before these detailed life-size figures, you’ll be amazed by the delicate craftsmanship of Qin people.

★ Privilege of Our Guests:

► Home Visit of the First Man Who Discovered Terracotta Army
It was spring in 1974, when Mr. Yang Zhifa was digging a well with his fellow villagers and unearthed a pottery human body, life-size and “armored”. He only thought of it as an idol of the God of Land at first sight, and it’s when his more literate wife asserted it was a historical relic that he realized he’d made some unusual discovery, which proved to be a member of the epic terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang later through researches by archeologists.

This afternoon, we will pay a unique visit to the home of Mr. Yang, the very man who dug out the first terracotta warrior. Take this precious chance to learn more details of the anecdote directly from his families, or, if lucky enough, with Mr. Yang himself! You can also have an intimate look at the replica of the first statue he made it to reappear, the hoe used to dig, and the cart carrying it to the present world.

► A Fun DIY Mini Terracotta Warrior Experience
Normally it would take about one month for a Qin artisan to make a terracotta warrior, but today you get to make a mini version within just 40 minutes! In a local workshop - a converted cave dwelling typical of northern Shaanxi residence in the past, an artisan will teach you how to make a 10-cm (about 4-in.) terracotta warrior step by step with the help of a small mold. Have fun! Carve your logo on your cute masterpiece, and bring it home as the best souvenir of your China tour.

Proceed to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Constructed for preserving Buddhist sutras and statues brought from India, it is one of the major witnesses to how Buddhism was introduced and integrated to Chinese culture during Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD). Stroll this place until evening, when you will dine on a local special dumpling dinner, followed by an inspiring Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Travel Tip: Since the theater is usually closed in Jan, Feb, Mar and Dec, we have to skip the show and dumpling dinner for tours arranged during the periods.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Dumpling dinner

The tour today begins from the City Wall Park, a popular venue where local life happens. Here, you will have a little workout to strengthen both your body and mind. A master of Tai Chi – a thousand-year-old kind of Chinese martial arts combing meditation – will teach you some moves to energize you. Then go on a visit to the City Wall, a landmark of Xi’an originally built to protect the city. Having survived over 600 years, the defense system will tell you the history it witnessed, with its walls, rampart towers, suspension bridges and city moats.

For lunch, you will eat some local food at the Muslim Quarter, a lively snack street since ancient times and now a hot attraction for both locals and tourists from all over the world. This place is arranged for you to have a taste of authentic Xi’an flavors, like Liang Pi (cool skin noodle), Rou Jia Mo (Chinese hamburger), and Yangrou Paomo (crumbled flatbread in mutton stew).

Then you will head to the Great Mosque, the only mosque with a classical Chinese garden architecture in the world, built during mid-seventh century when Islam was introduced to China by Arabic merchants and travelers. A gem hidden deep in the quarter, it has a unique tranquility, something you would regret missing.

Next, you will be driven to one of the four biggest museums in China - Shaanxi History Museum. You get to appreciate treasured exhibits unearthed from Shaanxi province, the place that witnessed the rise and fall of thirteen dynasties in China’s history. If the Shaanxi History Museum is not available, alternatively, the famous Forest of Stone Steles Museum will be arranged instead. Let’s call it a day now. We will drive you back after exiting the museum.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Local flavor lunch

If you leave a city for its neighbor in China, no vehicle could be more convenient than high speed trains! A morning train will take you from Xi'an to Chengdu in about 4 hours. Our tour guide in Chengdu will pick you up from the station and help you check in at your hotel.

Have a rest or go explore your surroundings. We recommend you spend some time to hang around at Taikoo Li, a classy commercial zone featuring a blend of modernity and classical Chinese charm, and Chunxi Road, the liveliest, most diverse business district of this city. Both are landmarks of Chengdu. You can reach the two sites by Metro Line 2 from the metro station just outside your hotel, and they are just 1 station away.

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

In the hometown of pandas, nothing would be a better start for our journey than a visit to its Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the largest facility for breeding and researching giant pandas in the world. Get your fill of those cuddly pandas! Since they are most playful in the morning, it will be the best time for us to watch those adorable creatures eat, play or climb, for your heart to be melted.

After that, we will take you to explore the Wide and Narrow Alleys. A historical relic in Chengdu famous for its artistic and cultural ambience, it is just the right place for you to taste Sichuan flavors loved in China.

In the afternoon, you will pay a visit to the Jinsha Site Museum, the place for ancient sun-worshipping Shu Kingdom to conduct sacrificial rituals, dating back to some 3,000 years ago. This is where archeologists unearthed the astounding discovery of Gold Foil of Sun and Immortal Bird, which relates the ancient history of kingdom’s cult belief in the Sun God. Its image has been used widely for many purposes, such as being the logo of China Cultural Heritage. You might want to explore the ancient Shu culture for yourself!

► Mysterious Ancient Shu Civilization Featuring Special Bronze Culture
Jinsha Site is an important part of the ancient Shu civilization, which is the unique local indigenous culture in southwestern China different from the mainstream Chinese Central Plain culture. Around 38 km (23.6 mi) from the Jinsha Site is the famous Sanxingdui Site whose culture flourished 3,000-5,000 years ago, considered the center and the origin of the ancient Shu civilization. Jinsha’s culture is widely believed to be the succession of Sanxingdui’s.

Some discoveries from the Sanxingdui site have surprised the world. First, Sanxingdui people may have mastered welding technology more than 4,000 years ago. The researchers have found the amazing fact by detecting the unearthed tortoise-back mesh bronze. In the 1990s, Japanese scientists tried to make an exact replica of the Bronze Heavenly Tree of Sanxingdui, but they failed. Copper cools so quickly and it would be solidified before reaching the grain. In Sanxingdui bronzes, scientists found phosphorus, which can speed up the flow of copper. However, phosphorus was discovered by the Germans in the 17th century, so we don’t know how Sanxingdui people extracted it. In addition, a round bronze with shaft was found very similar to the pattern on ancient Egyptian frescoes. Like a steering wheel in the car, it was presumably a symbol of the sun.

Enough of profound history, now we will head to Renmin Park to stroll amid beautiful landscape and experience real life. You will learn about China’s Blind Date culture at the “matchmaking corner”. You can read flyers of personal profiles of unmarried young men or women hang up in rows, by their parents to seek proper life partners for their daughters or sons. Or, chat with locals over Gai Wan tea, a local tea served in a cup with a lid and a saucer, or give some gratuities to a traditional ear-cleaning expert and have your ears artistically and enjoyably cleaned.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today you will be escorted to the airport for your last scheduled destination: Shanghai. Our Shanghai guide will wait for you at airport and accompany you to your hotel for check-in. Have a good time the rest of the day! You can while away on the pedestrian street – the Nanjing Road, a world-famous lively zone in Shanghai – just outside the hotel, or take a taxi to visit Tianzifang, former residential area of old Shanghai, to stroll the alleys lined with various stalls, art studios, and boutiques.

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

We will start this day with a visit to Shanghai Museum, another China’s biggest museum apart from the Forbidden City and Shaanxi History Museum. If the museum in Beijing is the grandest stage for imperial antiquities and the Shaanxi one makes a display of its profound history through local discoveries, Shanghai Museum would be a guardian of the most precious historical works of art collected from all over China. You will surely get an overview of China’s history from a larger perspective here.

Then proceed to the Yu Garden, a typical classical Chinese garden and tranquil oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the metropolis of Shanghai. While the Summer Palace might’ve impressed you with its elegant majesty, Yu Garden delivers southern China’s aesthetics of implicit beauty to the core, with its meticulously-designed layout that merges plants, rockery, water, bridges, and pavilions into an organic whole. If you are hunting for small gifts or souvenirs for families or friends, the nearby lively Yuyuan Bazaar would satisfy your need.

You will have an a la carte farewell lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a fancy restaurant.

Another highlight of today’s tour is to view the Bund along the Mother River of Shanghai - Huangpu River, as well as the modern spectacle on the other side. The Bund is an acclaimed stretch of waterfront along the river. 52 buildings varying from Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic architectures are standing there to tell the city’s modern history. The place symbolizes Shanghai for a reason, with its spectacular mix of various elements both historical and contemporary. A must-visit for sure. Then, you will have a one-hour cruise tour on the river, to be welcomed by charming vistas on both sides. Afterwards, the guide will take you to visit Tianzifang art and cultural block, which is also in the Former French Concession. At last, our guide will wish you bon voyage at the hotel lobby.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte farewell lunch

Today's transfer from hotel to airport is not included in the package as the departure time of group members varies. For your homeward flight, you can take Metro Line 2 from the metro station in proximity to your hotel to Shanghai Pudong International Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Or you can take a taxi, which costs around CNY200 and CNY100 per cab respectively. Have a nice journey home!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast