11 Days China Classic Tour

Beijing, China's capital and a well-known tourist city of the world, offers sights and cultural relics found no where on earth. The city has its own individuality, that's the flavor of Beijing. The quadrangle, small alley, tricycle, boiled mutton, roasted duck, Peking Opera, arts and crafts you can see, hear and feel them all only when you come to the city yourself. After a good rest in a comfortable hotel TCT recommended, you are ready for the incoming exciting tour with full energy.

Day 02 Beijing(B/L)
Depart from hotel in the morning to visit Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square and Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. Peking Opera is available for your optional night entertainment.

As the biggest public square in the world, Tian’anmen Square conquers you with its grandeur at the first sight. You are quite glad to begin your first-day tour here. Then you are leaded to Forbidden City. It is the imperial palace for 24 emperors during Ming and Qing Dynasties and the biggest ancient architecture complex in the world. You walk in the museum to see with your eyes, to touch with your hands and fell with your hearts. Thanks to this wonderful visiting, you know how the richest feudal country was and how the top rulers and their concubines lived. After enjoyed a nice Chinese lunch , you continue your trip to Temple of Heaven. Different from the red and golden in the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heave is based on a color of blue, which stands the color of sky. You feel the perfect harmony between the architecture and nature and a circle and peace spirit of Chinese people. You even could imagine the vivid pictures of a great sacrifice to the Heaven for good harvest through the description of local guide.

At night, it is lucky that you'll have an opportunity to enjoy the opera of nation- Peking Opera. Skillful performers convey their exact feelings to you through various facial making-ups and featured musical instruments. The Chinese culture is completely revealed.

Day 03 Beijing (B/L)
In the morning drive 75km to visit the Great Wall (Badaling Section) first and Ming Tombs (Changling Tomb), the once lavish burial chambers of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Peking Roasted Duck is available for your optional dinner.

The Great Wall (Badaling Section) is located in the suburb 75km northwest of Beijing. The highway from Beijing to the Great Wall is smooth and comfortable. The Great Wall is the symbol of China and the wisdom of Chinese people. It is very unbelievable that Chinese succeeded in building such a great architecture with simple tools in ancient time. The construction of the Great Wall began in the 5th century BC. The wall has a total length of 6,700km, traveling up and down over numerous mountains and valleys. Starting in the east at Shanhaiguan Pass, it crosses Hedi Province, Beijing, Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, and ending up in Jiayuguan at Gansu Province. It is said the Great Wall is the only man-made project which is visible from the moon. Badaling Section is one of the best preserved and most accessible parts with the essence of the whole Great Wall.

The Ming Tombs are located in the northern suburbs of Beijing, consisting of 13 tombs of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty after the capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Now there are only two tombs, Changling and Dingling, open to the visitors. The Lingsi Palace in Changling Tomb's second yard as really deserves a visit. This is unique as it is the only huge palace made of camphor wood. The ceiling is colorfully painted and supported by sixteen solid camphor posts. The floor is decorated with gold bricks.

Today's dinner should be a highlight of your tour if you desire to taste the most famous Peking Roasted Duck. From the whole roasted duck to the soup of duck tones, you'll enjoy a banquet of every part of duck. Moreover, the chef shows his skill of cutting the skin of duck on live. Not only your taste is fulfilled but also your eyes are entertained.

Day 04 Beijng-Zhengzhou (B/L)
In the morning, visit Summer Palace, ancient emperor's garden. Then take an afternoon flight to Zhengzhou. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a short rest. Visit Yellow River Museum in the afternoon.

Today you head to the 'most beautiful garden in China'- Summer Palace. All you could think is 'another garden that looks the exact same.' Luckily you are wrong. Originally known as the 'Garden of Clear Ripples', the Summer Palace is a magnificent imperial garden located 12 km north of Beijing City. This is the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer retreat for Emperors and the chosen few! The site includes more than 100 ancient style pavilions, mansions, towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water lake. What is most enjoyable about the Summer Palace is simply a gorgeous place to relax, escape the smoke and crowds of the city and spend an afternoon walking. It is said one could just as easily spend one week out here as one afternoon. You get the rare chance in Beijing, to lose the crowds and clear away the cobwebs from your minds.

As a capital of 5 dynasties, Zhengzhou was an important city as early as 3,500 years ago. The long history and brilliant civilization have made Zhengzhou rich in humanistic scenery, where there are 137 key protective units at national or provincial level. Many places of interest with their unique charms are dawning interests and attentions of tourists from all over the world, such as Yellow River Scenic Spot.

As a mother river of Chinese people, Yellow River is the cradle of the ancient Chinese history and culture. The so-called Yellow River Civilization also originated from this area. Yellow River Museum is set for show the formation and historical changes of Yellow River and the evolution process of Chinese civilization along the river.

Day 05 Zhengzhou-Kaifeng-Zhengzhou (B/L)
Drive to Kaifeng to have a city tour of Iron Pagoda, Grand Xiangguo Monastery, Millennium City Theme Park and Dragon Hall. Return to Zhengzhou in the late afternoon.

All the spots you'll take in Kaifeng today will display a vivid picture of ancient Tang and Song Dynasties.

Built in 1049 AD in the Northern Song Dynasty, Iron Pagoda is the earliest and tallest ancient glazed pagoda in China.

Constructed based upon the famous long scroll 'Qingming Festival up the Bian River', Song Dynasty Theme Park is a window through which you can get a glimpse of the prosperity and the lifestyle of the Song Dynasty.

Located in the center of Kaifeng city, Grand Xiangguo Monastery is one of most famous Buddhist temples. For thousands of years, many legends, stories and myths derives from this great monastery, making it famous both home and aboard. It reached its peak period during Tang and Song Dynasties, in particulate the North Song Dynasty. Thanks to the support of center feudal government, it became the biggest monastery throughout the whole nation. Covering over 500 hectares, there were more than 1,000 monks living and learning in during that time. Inside architectures and buildings also shows the highest level of this kind of monastery in China.

Once the imperial palace of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), Dragon Hall was rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty as the touring palace for the emperors. Surrounded by beautiful lakes and facing the imperial avenue ruins, Dragon Hall is the best place to get a panoramic view of the ancient capital of Kaifeng.

Day 06 Zhengzhou-Dengfeng- Luoyang (B/L)
Drive to Luoyang in the morning via Dengfeng, where it is the origination of Chinese Kungfu. You will visit the Shaolin Temple and Pagoda Forest in Dengfeng. The car will arrive in Luoyang in the late afternoon. Water Feast from the Tang Dynasty is available for your optional dinner.

First built in 495 AD, Shaolin Temple is famous for Chinese Kungfu or Martial Arts and the Zen Buddhism wide-spread in East Asia. Shaolin Temple is one of China's most famous ancient temples. Shaolin Temple once had many monks on its premises. Those monks of the lower level mostly came from the secular society and some of them knew some martial arts before entering the temple. Those who knew martial arts taught and helped each other to improve their skills. They also absorbed the experience of their predecessors and gradually developed their martial arts into the unique Shaolin school. You can enjoy a Chinese Kungfu show (about 40 minutes) before you approach on the mountain. Pagoda Forest in Shaolin Temple was a concentration of tomb pagodas for eminent monks, abbots and ranking monks at the temple. A rough count shows more than two hundred fifty tomb pagodas of various sizes, making it the biggest pagoda forest in China.

A trip of Luoyang would be incomplete without a taste of Water Feast from Tang Dynasty. There are two reasons it got its name. One is for its top soup flavor among all dishes and the other is for the incessant dishes which has a similarity with the flowing water. Innovated by common people, Water Feast was favored by the only Empress in Tang Dynasty and became a kind of royal cuisine. Water Feast is distinguished for being ‘spicy and sour.' Their uniquely flavor is created by a mixture of spices and condiments. Even Chinese former Premier Mr. Zhou Enlai and Canadian former Premier Mr. Pierre Elliott Trudeau had highly appraised the Water Feast when they visited Luoyang in 1972.

Day 07 Luoyang- Xi'an (B/L)
In the morning, you will visit Longmen Grottoes -the amazing display of art and craftsmanship and be transferred to railway station for a train to Xi'an. Arrive in Xi'an and be transferred to hotel to have a rest.

Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang Suited 12km south of Luoyang, Longmen Grottoes is one of three main treasure houses of stone inscription art in China. Longmen Grottoes is a complex of some 2,100 caves with more than 100,000 statues and 3,600 inscriptions carved on stone tablets. In Chinese, Longmen means ‘Dragon Gate’. In this amazing display of art and craftsmanship, you’ll find Buddha that range in size from tall (17.14m) to small (2cm) and everything in between. Strolling along the rock path built on the cliff, you will see Guyang Cave, Binyang Cave and Cave of Ten Thousand Buddha, each with its own legend.

Xi 'an is a city with time-honored history. It is the city can bring you back in time to ancient Chinese civilization. During its 3,100 years development, 13 dynasties have occupied the region. Besides, the city was the start point of the famous Silk Road. You'll find Xi 'an a large city with a much more relaxed atmosphere than that of Beijing. There are lots of cars but without the traffic pace of Shanghai. One of the important reason for no subway in the city is that there is large part of the wealth of ancient treasures buried here.

Day 08 Xi'an (B/L)
Ample time will be provided for the visits of those famous spots including the Qin Terror-cotta Army Museum, one of the world's most important archaeological finds with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum. Either Jiaozi Banquet or Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner is available for your optional meal.

Being a capital of 13 dynasties, Xi’an has so much to offer. Today’s attractions are the best of the best. From your hotel, your local guide directs you to the site where local farmers drilling a series of wells in search of water found excavations of Qin Terror-cotta Army Museum by accident in 1974. It has been regarded as the '8th Wonder of the World.' It was created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb that's to protect him in his afterlife in the mind of ancient Chinese. Three excavation pits have been opened to the public with a fourth underway. During his visit to China, US former President Clinton came to visit the dig. The fine troops, horses and carriages in battle formation are ancient art treasure and complete illustration of the history of Qin Dynasty.

Then set forth to Banpo Neolithic Village Museum located east Xi'an. It is one of the most important sites of the Neolithic culture that existed 6,000-7,000 years ago. Archeologists have uncovered a residential area, a pottery workshop and a cemetery in an area that covers some 50,000 square meters of ancient ruins.

This evening you could choose Jiaozi Banquet which covers over 10 kinds of Jiaozi in China as your dinner. The shapes of Jiaozi various from one to another, such as rabbit, duck, shrimp, peanuts and so on. Or you can enjoy Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner that was made for emperors only in ancient China. You'll enjoy the sumptuous dinner while watching a fabulous dancing and singing performance of Tang Dynasty. This is not only a performance of Chinese traditional dancing and singing but also a recurrence of Chinese ancient society and culture.

Day 09 Xi'an-Shanghai (B/L)
In the morning, you will visit the Shaanxi History Museum and Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved walls in China. Then be transferred to airport for your flight to Shanghai in the afternoon.

In the ancient city like Xi'an, the museum should be an indispensable part of your visit. Shaanxi History Museum is a showcase of the civilization from Emperor Qin Shihuang to the present day. The museum is housed in a striking Tang Dynasty-style pavilion and features an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics. You continue the trip to the nearby Ancient City Wall. It is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Then Bell Tower was used to strike the time. It was first built for the Yingxiang Temple and moved to its present site in 1582.

Day 10 Shanghai (B/L)
Depart from hotel in the morning to have a whole-day trip of Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden, the Old Street, Oriental TV Tower and the Bund, Shanghai's famed waterfront promenade. Traditional Dim-sum Banquet and Acrobatics are available for your optional lunch and night entertainment.

Today you'll find a Buddhism shrine - Jade Buddha Temple, located in a crowd of Shanghai City. It was first built in 1882 in Jiangwan on the southern outskirts of Shanghai. In order to make it convenient for the adherents to visit , it was bodily moved to Shanghai City at the present sire in 1918. It is named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha. It receives thousands of visitors and worshipers everyday while keeps its sanctity and charming. Carved from a whole piece of white jade, the sitting jade Buddha statue is translucent with a solemn expression, displaying the excellent skill and extraordinary art of Chinese people. Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19 th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of 'garden in the garden, whole in the part.' Coming back from the nature, the shopping trip will begin in Nanjing Road which is starts at the Bund and runs westward, with People's Square in the middle. Renown for its bustling and modernization, Nanjing Road earns its reputation as the 'First Commercial Road in China', which is the good shopping heaven for your trip as the same as the Fifth Avenue in New York and Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris. Some of the traditional food and handicrafts of Shanghai can be found here. Then we comes to the Bund, the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River. The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city. Standing at Pudong New Area at the east side of Huangpu River, Oriental TV Tower was completed on October 1, 1994. The tower has a height of 468 meters. With multi-functions of sightseeing, catering, shopping, amusement and accommodations, this tower has become the symbol of the city and a popular tourist attraction in Shanghai.

Shanghai offers colorful recreations with rich contents and creative form. Your night may be filled with an interactive old form of art known as the Acrobatics. Those professional performers have been trained of as early as age six or seven so that they can play so well and excellent. It definitely will be an unforgettable night in your memory.

Day 11 Departure, Shanghai(B)
Your China tour is over all too soon as you transfer to the airport and board the homebound International flight, bidding a fond farewell to this ancient land.