China: Central Kingdoms - 18 Days
Walk along the Great Wall of China, sail along the Grand Canal, visit grottoes, tombs and cruise the Yangtze River on this trip from Beijing to the busy port of Shanghai. The Great Wall walk comes first then explore Beijing and the imperial Forbidden City plus the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square. We travel overnight by train to Zhengzhou to visit the Iron Pagoda and Dragon Pavilion. At Luoyang, we wander through the Longmen Grottoes and the city streets. Visit the Song Tombs, Buddhist caves and grottoes before hitting Xi'an. Here we visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, the Great Mosque and the colourful muslim quarter. Go further back in time with a visit to the amazing ranks of the Terracotta Army. From Xi'an we fly to Chongqing and cruise down the Yangtze River for three days, which includes a visit to the spectacular 3 Gorges and there's time out along the way for exploring a Ghost City. We finish our trip in Shanghai and visit the fabulous Jade Buddha in its temple, the Yu Gardens and the fascinating Shanghai Museum.
Days 1, 2
Travel to China
Day 3
Arrive in Beijing. Evening tour.
Day 4
Beijing. We begin our tour visiting one of the world’s most famous landmarks – The Great Wall of China. We include a full day guided tour along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 kilometres (4,163 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
For centuries, the wall served succeeding dynasties as an efficient military defence. However, it was only when a dynasty had weakened from within that invaders from the north were able to advance and conquer. Both the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty, 1271-1368) and the Manchurians (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911) were able take power because of weakness of the government and poverty of the people but never due to any possibility of weakness of the Wall.
In the evening you can get a taste of local culture with an optional visit to the Beijing Opera with traditional Chinese theatre with singing, dancing, mime and acting.
Day 5
Beijing City Tour, Overnight Train To Zhengzhou. Today we have an all day Beijing city tour with our local guide. First stop is the infamous Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is a huge open space surrounded on all sides by imposing official buildings. Apart from being a popular gathering place for tourists and kite flyers, it is still often used for any big celebration and for the government leaders to address the people.
From Tiananmen Square we go into the dramatic Forbidden City - so called because only the emperors, their families, Imperial eunuchs and other servants were allowed in there. The Forbidden city is a vast complex of halls, temples and housing which make up the former residence of the ancient emperors. Also known as the Imperial Palace, the complex is said to contain 9,999 rooms. The complex is divided into a northern and southern part. The southern area is where the emperor would hold ceremonies and entertain guests. The northern half was kept completely private residence accessible only to the select circles of the emperor. As you walk around the Forbidden City you can really lose yourself as the outside world of Beijing is barely visible from most parts. You can really experience a little of the feel of being a Chinese Emperor.
Our tour finishes with a trip to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is located in the north west corner of Beijing right next to Beijing University. Constructed as a place of rest and recreation for the emperor of old, it is now open as a public park and is one of the most impressive places to visit in Beijing. The focus of the Summer Palace is a huge lake with a long walkway circling it. To the one end is built a series of towers, halls and temples climbing the hillside. From the buildings towards the top of the hill you can see the entire lake and its surroundings. The park is accented by many small architectural features such as the beautiful 17 arch bridge, which leads to a small island, and the pagoda on the hill of the far shore. After the tour we have some time for dinner, and then we are transferred to the train station for our overnight train to Zhengzhou.
For your comfort, the overnight train accommodation we provide is in soft sleeper cabins, so you will arrive at your destination well rested and refreshed.
Days 6, 7
AZhengzhou / Kaifeng to Luoyang. We arrive early into Zhengzhou, where our transfer vehicle will pick us up and take us for breakfast before we begin exploring this area.
In Zhengzhou we take time to visit the Provincial Museum, considered to be one of the best museums in China. We then continue by vehicle to the city of Kaifeng. Situated in the middle of Henan Province, Kaifeng is a famous city with a history of over 3000 years. As one of the six ancient capital cities of China, Kaifeng was once the capital of seven dynasties.
Kaifeng is home to some fascinating attractions, and we include an afternoon tour which includes the Iron Pagoda and the Dragon Pavilion. The Iron pagoda was first built in 982 (during the Song Dynasty). It is a Buddhist pagoda where the finger bone of a dignitary is kept. Made of an entire timber frame, it was kept in Kaibao Temple when it was originally built. Later in 1049, the surface of the pagoda was covered with iron-coloured glazed tiles and so it acquired the name Iron Pagoda. The thirteen-story pagoda rises to about sixty metres with an entire timber frame interior. On the brick basement are exquisite carved patterns of animals, Buddhist motifs and flora. It has stood for over 900 years and remains intact.
The Dragon Pavilion is a palatial hall built on a thirteen-meter-high marble terrace. Two dragons playing with a pearl are carved on a plaque on the pavilion, hence the name, Dragon Pavilion. It became an important place for local and official ceremonies and festivities.
After a night in Kaifeng, we continue our journey with a full day guided tour, including the Song Tombs and Shaolin Temple. The Song tombs take great pride as a key historical and cultural relic of national value. Buried here are 7 of the total 9 emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty, together with the father of the first emperor, 21 empresses and nearly 300 princes, princesses, major generals and ministers. It forms a great tomb area and a very impressive sight.
The Shaolin Temple was founded in AD 496 during the Northern Wei dynasty, and was built in honour of an Indian monk called Bodhidharma (known to the Chinese as Da Mo), founder of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism or more popularly known as Chinese Chan (or Zen) Buddhism. This temple is therefore regarded as the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. The temple is made up of magnificent halls and an amazing display of statues. Lying to the west of the temple, the Pagoda Forest is a must see for each visitor. The forest features 243 stupas of different architectural styles. All are built in either stone or brick. The exquisite stone and brick carvings are of great value in the study of Chinese carving.
Day 8
Luoyang. Luoyang is one of the seven ancient capital cities in China's history, with a long history spanning 13 different dynasties. Today we offer you a break from scheduled tours, and give you some time to explore this city on your own. There are many sights to see in Luoyang.
We recommend a visit to the Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum. The museum is located on Mang Hill (where an ancient city, Mang Village was located) in the northern suburb of the Luoyang city. Many imperial burial tombs were built in the city, especially near the Mang Hill. Tombs excavated here proved to be the imperial burial sites of Eastern Han emperors and the emperors of the Western Jin and Northern Wei dynasties. In 1984, the government built a museum at this site. Covering 8.6 hectares, the museum has two parts. The western part houses the exhibition halls in which excavated artifacts and relics are displayed. The eastern part is the tomb site of the Northern Wei emperors.
Day 9
Luoyang / Longmen Grottoes / Overnight Train to Xi’an. After breakfast we begin a full day guided tour including the Longmen Grottoes and the White Horse Temple.
The world-famous Longmen Grottoes are located 12km south of Luoyang. Here two mountains, namely, East Hill (Mt. Xiangshan) and West Hill (Mt. Longmen), confront each other with the Yi River traversing northward between them, just like a pair of Chinese gate towers. Spanning a length of over 1,000 meters on the hillsides along the Yi River, the Longmen Grottoes are reputed as one of the greatest stone sculpture treasure houses in China. They have now been listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The Longmen Grottoes were first sculptured and chiselled around 493AD when the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty was moved from Datong to Luoyang. The entire construction of Longmen Grottoes lasted more than four hundred years through the Northern Dynasties, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and up to Song Dynasty. Today, there are still 2345 caves and niches, 100,000 Buddhist images ranging in size from 2 cm to 17.14 meters, more than 2800 inscribed tablets, and 43 Buddhist pagodas remaining in both East Hill and West Hill.
The Longmen Grottoes has some exquisite caves displaying magnificent temples and statues with a vivid and delicate appearance. Although often referred to as a perfect art representation of Buddhist culture, the Longmen Grottoes at the same time reflect political, economic, and cultural states in ancient China. It gives us historical data for the researching of ancient religion, arts, architecture, calligraphy, music, dress, and medicine. Therefore, it has been considered to be a large scale stone-carved art museum. After our visit to the Longmen Grottoes, we continue our tour to the White Horse Temple. The White Horse Temple was established by the Han Dynasty in 68 AD when Buddhism started to spread, this temple is believe to be the first Buddhist temple built by the government in China. White Horse Temple was regarded as the "originating court" and the "cradle of Chinese Buddhism" by the Buddhist disciples. Today's White Horse Temple is a rectangular courtyard facing south. The gate of the White Horse Temple was built in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and it is three arches side by side. Covering a total area of 40, 000 square meters, the temple mainly consists of Tianwang Hall, Great Buddha Hall, Daxiong Hall, Jieyin Hall, Qingliang Terrace and Pilu Pavilion, which are all distributing along the north-south central axis.
After dinner, we are transferred to the train station for the overnight train to Xi’an.
Day 10
Xi’an. We arrive early into Xi’an train station, where we will meet our transfer to the hotel for breakfast and check-in. We then offer you a free morning to begin exploring your surroundings in Xi’an .
Xi'an was called Chang'an during the Han Dynasty. The connotation of "Chang'an" is "a place of permanent peace". It was not until the prosperous Tang Dynasty that Chang'an became famous both at home and abroad as the largest and busiest international metropolis of that age in the world. Xi'an obtained its present name in 1369. From the 11 century B.C. onwards, Xi'an or its vicinity was established as the capital city by 11 dynasties successively, including the Western Zhou, the Qin, the Han, the Sui and the Tang. The city's capital status lasted for 1,608 years. As regards the number of dynasties and span of time, Xi'an served as an ancient capital beyond compare.
With so much history, Xi'an possesses a number of fascinating attractions. In the afternoon we take a guided tour of Xi’an, which includes visits to the Wild Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi Provincial Museum.
The Wild Goose Pagoda is situated in the Da Ci'en Temple, four kilometres away from the centre of the city. It is one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, and possibly the most beautiful building left in
Xi’an today. In AD 652, the Big Goose Pagoda was built to store the sutras and the figurines of Buddha. It is a sturdy and simple brick tower structure with a height of 64 metres, and occupies a base 25 metres by 25 metres square. The walls and doors are carved with vivid and exquisite figures of Buddha, reflecting the depth in the paintings of the Tang Dynasty.
Day 11
Xi’an. We continue our tour of Xi’an with a morning guided tour of Terracotta Warriors Museum and Bell Tower.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are one of the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. In 1974, a group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well. This discovery caught the attention of archaeologists immediately. They came to Xi’an in droves to study and to extend the digs.
Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigour. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. In 1987, the Terracotta Warriors museum was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site.
The Bell Tower was originally built in Yingxiang Temple in 1384. Then in 1582, it was moved to its present pivotal position, in the very heart of the city at the junction of four main streets extending to the east, south, west and north, for rebuilding and restorations. With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant. The whole building, 36 meters high overall, is a triple-eaved, two-storey structure, built with a mixture of bricks and wood. Under the eaves, there is a beautifully decorated, coloured " dougong " (archway). It's the only characteristic of Chinese wooden architecture depicted here. In the afternoon we offer you more free time to explore this amazing city.
Day 12
Xi’an to Chongqing. In the morning we have some free time before our transfer to the airport for the flight to Chongqing. Chongqing is the starting point for our Yangtze River Cruise, in which we explore the wonderful scenery of the Three Gorges. Upon arrival in Chongqing, we will be able to pre-board our cruise boat which will be our home for this amazing journey.
Days 13, 14
Yangtze River Cruise. Today, our 2-day boat journey begins. The boat will be a basic Chinese-style boat with twin-share cabins and en-suite facilities. After breakfast and a briefing, including information on the 3 gorges dam project, we set off along the mighty Yangtze River.
Our second day on the cruise includes our journey through the magnificent 3 gorges area. The Three Gorges - Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge are known as the highlight of the Yangtze cruise. The area is characterised by the breathtaking scenery through these gorges. We spend the morning cruising through this area, and we continue exploring in the afternoon when we take a guided tour through the Shennong Lesser Gorges area. For this we use a smaller boat to manoeuvre through the crystal clear waters and deep gorges. We conclude this wonderful day of sightseeing with dinner on our cruise boat.
From the treeless Mount Tanggula Upper Qinghai Yangtze River winds 3,900 miles through the country from west to east. The journey from Chongqing to Yichang includes the "Three Gorges" and is characterized by its picturesque natural scenery.
Day 15
End to Cruise / Three Gorges Dam Project / Yichang / Overnight Train to Shanghai. Our boat journey ends after breakfast, and once back on dry land, we take a guided tour of the Three Gorges Dam Project. The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River has been a dream for generations and will be one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by mankind. This great dam, the largest of its kind in the world, will provide China with tremendous power generation and flood control services.
The remainder of our day is spent in Yichang prior to our overnight train journey to Shanghai.
Day 16
Shanghai. Shanghai is a bustling metropolis located at the mouth of the Yangtze River. With a population of more than 13 million, Shanghai takes its place among the world's biggest, most booming urban areas.
We arrive into Shanghai on the train in the early afternoon. We are transferred from the station to the hotel for check-in, and then we include a guided tour in the afternoon.
Shanghai is endowed with rich tourist attractions related to its long and complicated history. Many buildings, constructed in various foreign styles, are well preserved in the Bund area, and western tourists will feel a sense of familiarity when strolling around the long street, which resembles those in European cities. This blending of eastern and western styles has given the Bund area a reputation as a "World's Fair of Architecture." Many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s have also survived in the Old City section of Shanghai.
A visit to the Old City is easily combined with a stop at Yuyuan Garden, a well-restored Suzhou-style garden created during the Ming Dynasty. The Yuyuan Garden is claimed to be the most magnificent rockery of the Ming dynasty, and is a place of peace and comfort in the heart of bustling Shanghai.
On our last night of the tour we can indulge in the local delicacies. Shanghai is a paradise for the gourmet traveller. Here, visitors can enjoy a taste of all the different kinds of food in the world. Shanghainese cuisine, however, is a special hybrid. There are several famous old restaurants in Shanghai that are not to be missed.
Days 17, 18
Travel Home
ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT
Hotel
8 Nights
Sleeper Train
3 Nights
Cruise Boat
3 Nights
Private Minibus
Boat
Train
On Foot
Private Vehicle
Plane
HIGHLIGHTS
OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS MARKED *
China
Great Wall at Mutianyu, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Xi'an City Tour, Terracotta Warriors, Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, Kaifeng City Tour, Yangtze River Cruise, Ghost City Fengdu, Shanghai, Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Gardens
Information given is given in good fath by the company, and is based on the latest information available at the date of publication. The company reserves the right to change any of the facilities or vehicles described in the itinerary without becoming liable for compensation or refund.
