16 Days China Cultural Legacy Tour

Day 01 Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, the capital of China. You are greeted by your guide at the airport and transferred to the four-star Holiday Inn Downtown Hotel.

Day 02 Beijing (B, L)

Morning tour starts with the Gugong, also called the Forbidden City, in scripted as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1987.Built between 1406-1420, it is the largest palace of the world imperial complex covering 74 hectares. It has 9999 halls and rooms in which emperors lived for over 500 hundred years in Ming and Qing dynasties. Walk leisure around Tian An Men Square to admire the grandeur of the largest public squares in the world. After lunch, you will visit the biggest and most important imperial Temple of China, Temple of Heaven, where emperors performed annual rituals of sacrifice to ensure prosperity for future generations. Then you will drive to the Summer Palace which was built 800 years ago. It is the second largest and best-preserved royal garden in China, with 294 hectares including the beautiful and serene Kunming Lake.

Day 03 Beijing (B, L)

Travel to the Badaling Great Wall, one of the eight ancient wonders of between 6000- 6500 km long built over several centuries to keep out the invading northern tribes. After a hike along a portion of the Wall, you visit the Ming Tombs (Changling), a secluded valley housing 14 imperial burial mounds. Then you will have an overview of Olympic Stadium, including Bird Nest and Water Cube. Then proceed to the Cloisonné factory to appreciate the marvelous Chinese traditional handicrafts.

Day 04 Beijing (B, L)

Morning ride in three-wheeled rickshaws through Beijing's Hutong, experiencing the lifestyle of the Beijing locals. Proceed to visit Lama Temple, the only Beijing city temple that survived the Cultural Revolution. It is the largest Lama Temple outside Tibet. It was built in 1694 and the architecture and ornamentation of the buildings show the influence of Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan styles. This afternoon visit 798 factory, it is a new rising, avant-garde and trendy space that hosts high-level cultural, artistic and commercial activities. In the evening board the overnight train to Datong, the second largest city in Shanxi province.

Day 05 Beijing / Xian (B, L)

Fly to Xian in the morning. You are greeted by your guide and transferred to the four-star Aurum International Hotel. Continue to visit the majestic Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Then visit Ancient City Wall. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Then you will spend some time at the famous Shuyuanmen Cultural Street.

Day 06 Xian (B, L)

A full day tour brings you to visit Terracotta Warriors. It is the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages. The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. Return to Xian and continue your tour with a visit to Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. The museum's permanent exhibition primarily displays Shaanxi's ancient history. The collection from the Han through the Tang (618 A.D.-907 A.D.) and Song (960 A.D.-1279 A.D.) dynasties shows the changes of art and craftsmanship.

Day 07 Xian/Chongqing (B, L)

Fly to Chongqing in the morning. Upon arrival, drive to Dazu Cave for a visit. The work of Dazu Rock Carvings began in the first year of Yonghui in the Tang Dynasty (650A.D.), and continued until the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are more than 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions dotted around Dazu. The carvings not only include the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva but also include that of monarchs, ministers, military officers, high and low-ranking officials, jailers, executioners, monks, rich and poor people, and folk art performers. The earliest grotto was carved in the early Tang Dynasty and most of them have a history over 1000 years. Then drive back to Chongqing and check into the four-star Holiday Inn North Chongqing Hotel.

Day 08 Chongqing / Chengdu (B, L)

In the morning, you will transfer to the railway station and take the bullet train to Chengdu. Upon arrival, you will meet and transfer to visit Panda Breeding and Research Centre. Pandas are native to this province, and the sanctuary is an unforgettable experience. Drive back to Chengdu and check into the four-star Jinyu Sunshine Hotel.

Day 09 Chengdu / Leshan / Chengdu / Lijiang (B, L)

Drive to Leshan to visit the Giant Buddha. The 1,203-year-old Buddha statue is 71 meters high and is the biggest Buddha statue in the world. The statue has been listed as one of the world natural and cultural heritages by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Drive back to Chengdu and fly to Lijiang in the evening. Upon arrival, meet and transfer to the four-star Grand Hotel.

Day 10 Lijiang (B, L)

Visit the Black Dragon Pool, and the Dongba Culture Exhibition Museum, which represents the Dongba Pictographic Characters and Naxi Minorities mysterious Culture, some of which still use the matriarchal social system up till today. Late afternoon, tour the Ancient Town of Dayan, a World Heritage Site in China recognized by the United Nations in 1999.

Day 11 Lijiang (B, L)
A whole day tour starts with a visit to Yufeng Si, a traditional Lamasery famous for its 1000-year-old Camellia Tree. Take cable car ascending Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to visit Yushanping grassland, and tour the Baisha Mural in Baisha Naxi minority village.

Day 12 Lijiang (B, L)
Full day tour takes you to northwest of Lijiang Old Town to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world.

Day 13 Lijiang / Shanghai (B)

Enjoy leisure time in the morning. Fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the four-star Shanghai Greenland Jiulong Hotel.

Day 14 Shanghai (B)

Shanghai visit starts with a tour of the premier attractions of the city where we can immerse ourselves in the culture and sophistication of this cosmopolitan. You can stroll along the lovely paths and pavilions of Yu Garden in Shanghai Old City and at the same time experience Shanghai recently gained modernity. This afternoon visit Shanghai Museum, mainly the exhibitions of painting, bronze, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, jade, Ming & Qing Dynasty furniture, coins, seals, and ethnic artwork. Continue visiting Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Centre to see what a city of the future is really going to look like. Enjoy your shopping in Nanjing Road, known as the No. 1 Shopping Paradise in China. In the evening enjoy leisure walk along the riverfront Bund and admire the night lights on both sides of the harbor.

Day 15 Shanghai / Suzhou / Shanghai (B, L)

In the morning drive to Suzhou and appreciate the elegant classical Suzhou garden with a tour to the Master of Nets Garden, Lingering Garden to understand the art of Chinese aesthetics through every rock, waterway, plant and flower. New Suzhou Museum, designed by world famous architect I.M.Pei was completed in October 2006, covering over 10,700 square meters. The new museum houses over 30000 cultural relics --- most notably for excavated artifacts, Ming and Qing Dynasty paintings and calligraphy, and ancient arts and crafts. Suzhou has been the silk trade center of China for centuries, one must visit the Silk Embroidery Research Institute and Silk factory to see how silk is produced and dyed. Drive back to Shanghai in the afternoon.

Day 16 Shanghai (B)

After breakfast Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.