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Day 01 Arrive at Beijing ( Meals: -/-/- )
Arrive at Beijing, the capital of China. To be met at the airport then transferred to your hotel.Arrive at Beijing, the capital of China. To be met at the airport then transferred to your hotel.
Day 02 Beijing ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Tiananmen Square / Forbidden City / Temple of Heaven
Depart from your hotel in the morning to have city tours to visit Tiananmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people. Have a free walk there, imagining the great historic events of the 20th century that took place there. You will also see legendary landmarks including the Great Hall of the People and the towering 125 foot granite obelisk, Monument to the People's Heroes, honoring those who died in revolution.
Walking across the Golden River Bridge, enter the Forbidden City, the inner sanctum and palace where for centuries Chinese emperors ruled their world. It has a 9000-room maze of courtyards, palaces, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors used to live. The Forbidden City was indeed a forbidden place, where commoners were kept out for nearly 500 years. Tour the palace and imagine the mystery, intrigue and incredible power that reigned here.
After having lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Temple of Heaven. Built in the 15th century, it was a sacred site for ancient Beijing, where the emperor and his 1000 member entourage would retreat twice a year for religious rituals. Surrounded by enormous grounds designed in accordance with fengshui, the Temple complex consists of the Celebrated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail. It is considered the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.
Day 03 Beijing ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Badaling Great Wall / Ming Tombs / Spirit Way
Depart from your hotel after breakfast. Spending about 1.5 hours to be transferred outside the city to the surrounding countryside to visit the Badaling Great Wall, one of the most remarkable feats of mankind, built over 2,000 years ago. You will be able to climb and walk one of the best preserved sections of the ancient wall, admiring the splendid mountains scenery.
After having lunch at a local restaurant, visit the fabled Ming Tombs, the resting places of thirteen emperors and their splendid treasures. Passing down the Spirit Way, a road lined with statues of dignitaries, as well as huge elephants, lions, camels and horses, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Visit one of the spectacular tombs-Dingling-featuring an underground palace.
Day 04 Beijing Xi'an ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Beijing- Hutong
In the morning visit Hutong. Hutong are a kind of narrow alley or lane that are typical of old Beijing. Most of them are found around the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong area living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people. Tricycles hold two people and are pedaled by an experienced bicyclist. Stops are made to visit a local family and see first-hand how the people of Beijing live. After lunch, take an afternoon flight to Xi'an, to be met at the airport & transferred to your hotel.
Free at leisure in the evening.
Day 05 Xi'an ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Full day private tours to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses / Bell Tower /Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Today will be your highlights in Xi'an. Depart from your hotel after breakfast. To be transferred outside city to visit the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the20th century. It has been regarded as THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD! Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of 8,000 life-sized Terra-cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death. They were discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well. For history lovers, the sight is truly breathtaking.
After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Bell Tower,which is the most well-preserved and best-known one among many ancient cities of China. The Bell Tower was originally built in the Yingxi'ang Temple in 1384, at the intersection of West Street and Guangji Street. 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 later restorations. With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant.
After coming back to the city, have another tour to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated in the south of Xi'an, as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist Da-Ci-En Temple, the pagoda is one of the most distinctive and outstanding landmarks of Xi'an.
Day 06 Xi'an Shanghai ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Shaanxi Provincial Museum / Old City Wall
Have city tours to visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, which is the largest comprehensive museum in the province. It is also the fist national level grand museum equipped with modern facilities. It exhibits primarily historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties. Walking through the exhibits in the museum is like walking through the 3,000 years of China history.
After having lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Old City Wall. It is the most complete surviving city wall survived in China as well as one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
On the way to Xi'an airport, visit Hanyang Tomb. It is the Jing Emperor's tomb in the Han Dynasty which was opened in 2001 and is famous for its rich collections of different kinds of tombs.
Take the afternoon flight to Shanghai. To be met at the airport & transferred to your hotel.
Free at leisure in the evening.
Day 07 Shanghai ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Full day private tours to The Bund /Yu Garden / Jade Buddha Temple
After breakfast, visit the Bund. Have a stroll along the waterfront to experience the smells, sights and sounds of the old "Wall Street" in Shanghai. Banks, trading houses, residences, hotels and clubs all had a view of bustling Huangpu River traffic as they shared in the city's rising and falling fortunes. Then walking along the famous shopping street-Nanjing Road. It is said that shopping in Shanghai is the most varied and rewarding in China.
After having lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Yu Garden. This delightfully restored labyrinth of tiny specialty shops, tea and snack houses centered around a Ming - dynasty mandarin Suzhou-style garden is a fascinating spot to people-watch over a pot of tea, to shop for unique souvenirs and to get a feel for Old Shanghai. It is well worth a meander through the Yu Garden, which has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways.
Follow with the Jade Buddha Temple. Built in 1911, it is the most famous and one of the most active Buddhist temples in Shanghai. Named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha, one is 1000kg, 1.9 meter-high figure carved from Burmese jade brought to China in 1882, and a smaller reclining Buddha, the temple receives thousands of visitors and worshipers daily. Although Chinese New Year and the Buddha's birthday are the most popular times to visit the temple for the faithful, it is possible to witness ceremonies at other times.
Be transferred back to your hotel.
Day 08 Shanghai ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Full day private tours to The Shanghai Museum / Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower
Depart from your hotel to visit the Shanghai Museum. As a museum of ancient Chinese art, the Shanghai Museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.
After having lunch at a nice local restaurant, visit the Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower. At 468 meters high (1,536 feet), the tower is the third tallest TV and radio tower in the world as well as the tallest structure in Asia. It is the best place to have a bird's-eye view of Shanghai. With its unique and amazing design, it has become the new landmark of Shanghai and a big magnet for tourists. The viewing area is half-way up and offers a splendid, unparalleled view of the Bund and the emerging new modern Shanghai. The view of Shanghai from this height fills you with wonder at the beauty that surrounds you.
Be transferred back to your hotel.
Day 09 Shanghai-Suzhou- Shanghai via train ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Suzhou- Grand Canal Cruise / Humble Administrator's Garden / Lingering Garden
Depart from your hotel after breakfast. Take morning train (about 1.5 hours) to Suzhou. Then cruise on the Grand Canal. It ranks alongside the Great Wall of China as the country's greatest engineering achievement and it is the longest man-made waterway in the world.
After having lunch at a nice local restaurant, visit the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden. Located in northeast Suzhou, the Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest classical garden in Suzhou and one of the four most famous classical gardens in China. It was originally built in 1513 A.D by Wang Xi'anchen, an imperial censor who had just been demoted and sent back to his hometown. The garden consists of three parts with different types of buildings around streams and ponds. The Lingering Garden, one of the four most famous classical garden in China, was first built in 1522. The garden is separated into the middle, eastern, northern and western parts, connecting with beautiful corridors 700 meters long. The whole garden features artificial mountains, unique limestone, beautiful pavilions and a number of attractive buildings.
Take the evening train back to Shanghai. Be met at the railway station & transferred to your hotel.
Day 10 Shanghai - Hangzhou via train ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing: Hangzhou - West Lake/ Lingyin Temple/ The Pagoda of Six Harmonies
Depart from your hotel after breakfast. Take morning train to Hangzhou (about 2 hours).
Then visit West Lake. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in China. For centuries, West Lake has been well known both for its picturesque landscape and for its cultural heritage illustrating past dynasties. The landscape area of West Lake includes the surrounding hills and nearby historical sites as well as the lake itself. The lake area covers around 60 square kilometers consisting of 5.68 square kilometers of water area.
After having lunch at a nice local restaurant, visit the Lingyin Temple. It is one of the biggest and most famous ancient Buddhist temples in China and was first built by an Indian monk named Huili in 326 A.D. The temple was named Lingyin Temple (Temple of Inspired Seclusion) because its environment is very beautiful and serene and suitable for "gods resting in seclusion."
Follow with The Pagoda of Six Harmonies. It is located on the northern bank of the Qiantang River, south of Hangzhou and was first built in 970 A.D but destroyed in war. What we see today is a brick and wood structure rebuilt in 1153 A.D. At 59.89 meters high, the pagoda is the best place to have a bird's-eyes view of the scenery around the Qiantang River.
Next visit the Tea Plantation Farm, and be transferred to your hotel.
Day 11 Hangzhou - Wuzhen - Shanghai via private car or coach ( Meals: B/L/- )
Sightseeing in Wuzhen.
Depart from your hotel after breakfast. Be transferred to Wuzhen. It is a small town with 1200 years of history. Its black-tiled, tung oil-painted timber-framework houses, contrast sharply with its white walls and gray flagging, bringing to mind a Chinese ink and wash painting. Be transferred back to Shanghai in the afternoon.
Free at leisure in the evening.
Day 12 Depart Shanghai for next city ( Meals: B/-/- )
Free at leisure until transferred to the airport for next city.
End of Service!
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