China Buddhism Tour

Day 1 Beijing

Depart on your flight bound for Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. Upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel.

Day 2 Beijing (B)

Full-day tour will begin at the magnificent Forbidden City, home to emperors for over 500-years, you will get the chance to stroll through Tiananmen Square, which is the largest square in the world. In the afternoon, you will admire the beauty of the Temple of Heaven where the emperor beseeched Heaven to provide good harvests.

Day 3 Beijing (B)

A full-day tour will take in the grandeur of the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Great Wall, built more than 2000 years ago to protect China from northern invaders. On the way back to Beijing stop and visit the sacred Ming Tombs, where 13 emperors of Ming Dynasty were buried.

Day 4 Beijing (B)

In the morning you will visit the Summer Palace, one of the China's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design, integrating the natural landscape of hills and open water with man-made features into a harmonious and aesthetically exceptional. Then you will continue to visit the Yong He Gong Lama Temple, a renowned Lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism.

Day 5 Beijing / Datong (B)

In this morning, you will admire the beauty of Summer Palace, built as a royal garden for Qing Dynasty Emperors. Then transferred to the railway station and take the high-speed train to Datong, arrival and check into the hotel.

Day 6 Datong / Mountain Wutai (B)

Today you will visit the Yungang Grottoes. Reputed as one of the three most famous Buddhist grottoes in China, it is a treasure trove of Buddhist carvings unrivaled in the world with a variety of more than 51,000 statues. Then enjoy a visit to the Huayan Monastery which is considered to be one of the two biggest Buddhist halls existent in China. Built by nomadic Khitan people around 1200 years, it showcases unique artistic and architectural style. Travel to Mountain Wutai by coach. Arrival and check in your hotel.

Day 7 Mountain Wutai / Taiyuan / Luoyang (B)

Continue the trip to Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province. Arrival and visit the Jinci Memorial Temple, Jinci Temple is regarded as the worthiest sight in Taiyuan of Shanxi Province with its three treasures - Nanlao Spring, Zhou Cypress and Saint Mother Hall. In the afternoon, take the high-speed train to Luoyang.

Day 8 Luoyang (B)

You will visit the Longmen Caves that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and representing the highest level of Buddhist art. Then drive to the birthplace of Chinese Kungfu at Shaolin Temple, which is also considered as the cradle of the Chan Zen Sect of Buddhism in China. The temple is located at the Mountain Songshan. The Middle Sacred Mountain (4, 959 feet above sea level) is famous for the 72 temples on the 72 slopes.

Day 9 Luoyang / Xian (B)

Morning trip to the famous White Horse Temple, in AD 67, two Indian monks came to Luoyang, Emperor Ming Di ordered the construction of the temple and asked them to translate Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. The temple turned out to be the first Buddhist temple in China formally built. After lunch, take the high-speed train to the ancient capital city of Xian. Arrival and check into the hotel.

Day 10 Xian (B)

In the morning, visit the Terracotta Army and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was discovered. The Terracotta Warriors are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. There are more than 8,000 life-size Terra-cotta soldiers and horses excavated from this area which all displayed in the practical battle formation in 3 pits respectively. Then visit the Da Cien Temple and have a close look of the pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks. The adjacent Da Cien Temple is the city's best-preserved Buddhist temple complex, established in Tang Dynasty by Emperor Tang Gaozong in memory of his mother.

Day 11 Xian / Lhasa (B)

Today you will fly to the holy city of Lhasa. Tibet is home to hundreds of Buddhist monasteries and temples, most of which are Tibet's architectural masterpieces, more mysterious than those in other parts of China. Arrival and check in the hotel to relax to acclimatize yourself with the high altitude.

Day 12 Lhasa (B)

In this morning, you will Visit Jokhang Temple that was built on the first residential site of Wencheng Princess of Tang Dynasty. Then continue your trip the famous Barkhor Square. Attending a typical Tibetan dancing and singing performance with a lavish buffet-style welcome dinner.

Day 13 Lhasa (B)

Whole day visit Potala Palace. Situated at the downtown of Lhasa, it is the most magnificent building in the city. The construction was started by King Songtsan Gambo of Tubo Dynasty in the 640s. The palace covers an area of 41 hectares, and its 13-story main building is 115.703 meters high with a total area of 120,000 square meters, which consists of 1,000 rooms of living quarters of the Dalai Lamas, ceremonial halls, funerary pagoda halls and the servants' bedrooms.

Day 14 Lhasa (B)

Tour the Sera and Drepung Monastery. Drepung Monastery, the largest and richest monastery in Tibet, was founded in 1416 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa under the patronage of a noble family and later enlarged by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Drepung, which means rice heap in Tibetan, lies 8 kilometres west of Mt. Gambo Utse. The monastery covers a floor space of more than 200 thousand square meters. At its peak, it had a registration of more than 10,000 thousand monks. Many high and learned lamas had studied here.

Day 15 Lhasa / Shanghai (B)

Fly to Shanghai today. Meet and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will take a leisure walk along the world-famous waterfront - The Bund. It was once part of the foreign concessions and out-of-bounds to locals. Then explore the magnificent Nanjing Road.

Day 16 Shanghai (B)

Start the city tour to Jade Buddha Temple, one of Shanghai's few Buddhist temples, attracting lots of local and overseas Chinese tourists every year. Continue the tour to Yu Garden, the best preserved ancient Chinese garden. There are many small-commodities like handicrafts and clothes, and you can explore the sale market around all by yourself and enjoy the fun of shopping. Then travel to the Bund, appreciating the splendid Bund western buildings and the Lujiazui skylines on the other side of the Huangpu River. At the end of the tour, spend some time on the No. 1 shopping street in the country-East Nanjing Road.

Day 17 Shanghai (B)

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight and depart.