12 Day China Cultural Tour with Li River

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing



Our guide will pick you up at Beijing airport and transfer you to the hotel. Your 12 Day China Cultural Tour With Li River begins.

 

Beijing is the cultural and political capital of the People's Republic of China. This ancient city has remained a constant throughout the many incarnations of the Chinese nation, a history stretching back over 5000 years. The history of modern Beijing, however, began in the 13th century, when Genghis Khan built his fortress city Khanbaliq amongst the ashes of Yanjing, the Liao Dynasty capital that he burned to the ground in 1215. Beijing remained the centre of power throughout the reigns of the succeeding Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, most of which last 800 years. After the Nationalist Government in Nanjing was usurped by the Communists Party in 1949, Mao Zedong made his capital in Beijing; famously announcing the birth of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949. Beijing's lengthy and diverse history can be seen on the streets of Beijing, in the variety of monuments and palaces built by emperors and governments over the centuries. Beijing is one of the world's most iconic cities; full of must-see sights for all first-time visitors to the Middle Kingdom.

Day 2 Beijing



Today you will discover the Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and Temple of Heaven.

Tiananmen Square: Tiananmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace), is located in the center of Beijing. It was first built in 1417 and named Chengtianmen( the Gate of Heavenly Succession). At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was seriously damaged by war. When it was rebuilt under the Qing in 1651, it was renamed Tiananmen, and served as the main entrance to the Imperial City, the administrative and residential quarters for court officials and retainers. The southern sections of the Imperial City wall still stand on both sides of the Gate. The tower at the top of the gate is nine-room wide and five room deep. According to the Book of Changes, the two numbers nine and five, when combined, symbolize the supreme status of a sovereign. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tiananmen was the place where state ceremonies took place.

Forbidden City: Forbidden City also known as Palace Museum was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the ancient time, the emperor claimed to be the son of the heaven and therefore their supreme power was conferred upon them from the heaven. Their residence on the earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where the God lived in the Heaven. Such divine place was certain forbidden for the ordinary people and it is why the Forbidden City is so called. The museum is a real treasures house of Chinese cultural and historical relics, recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world. The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of the traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. In 1961 the Palace Museum was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and in 1987, it was nominated as the world cultural heritage by the UNESCO.

Temple of Heaven: The Temple of Heaven is a large park and temple complex situated in more or less the south central area of Beijing. Its center piece is a large tower built, it is said, entirely of wood and not using a single nail. It is said that the main features of the park are its trees and inhabitants. The park is filled with more than a thousand species of tree, some of which are hundreds of years old, despite their relatively small size. One thing you could notice here is that most of the architecture here. The park also attracts local residents by the thousand each day, who come to practice singing, martial arts, Peking opera, chess, dancing, calligraphy. Of course, this can be said of many parks in Beijing, but the Temple of Heaven attracts more than its fair share.

Day 3 Beijing



Today you will explore Mutianyu Great Wall and Ming Tombs.

Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huairou County 70 kilometers northeast of Beijing. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Gateway in the east. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. Mutianyu is part of the Jundu Mountain and is surrounded by woodland and streams and the forest is over 70 percent. The Mutianyu Great Wall has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall.

Ming Tombs: The Ming Tombs, located in Changping District, about 50 kilometers from the northwest of Beijing, are surrounded by mountains on three sides. The imperial cemetery covers an area of 120 square kilometers and there are 13 Ming Dynasty emperors buried there (along with 23 empresses and a number of concubines, princes and princesses), thus it is also called The 13 Mausoleums. These tombs are the best preserved Chinese imperial tombs and have been nominated by UNESCO as world cultural heritage.

Day 4 Beijing



Today you will discover Summer Palace, Beijing Zoo and take a Hutong tour.

Summer Palace: UNESCO has this to say of the Summer Palace: a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. The Summer Palace, in the Haidian District, northwest of central Beijing, is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in modern China. It is hardly surprising that, during the hot Beijing summers, the Imperial Family preferred the beautiful gardens and airy pavilions of the Summer Palace to the walled-in Forbidden City. Dowager Empress Cixi took up permanent residence here for a time, giving rise to some wonderful tales of extravagance and excess.

Beijing Zoo: During the Qing Dynasty, Beijing Zoo was called Wan Sheng Garden, which literally means the Garden of 10,000 animals. In 1912, under the Republic of China, this royal garden became an experimental station for farming and animal husbandry. Six years later, after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as the city zoo of Beijing, Beijing Zoo was officially opened to visitors. Now it is the largest zoo in China, where inhabits more species of animals than any other zoo in China.

Beijing Hutong: The Beijing Hutong (old lane) areas have a very special and important position in the rich history and culture of Beijing. The alleys give a wonderful glimpse into the world of yesterday in Beijing. While visiting the Beijing Hutong, you can appreciate the dramatic changes that the rest of Beijing has undergone. You can see evidence of the history of Beijing, experience the old way of life and experience traditional Beijing culture. Longer Beijing tours usually include a visit to a hutong area.

Day 5 Beijing - - Xian



Today you will take a flight to Xian, in the afternoon,  you will visit Great Mosque and Xian’s City Wall.



Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province in China, is just like a living history book that records great changes of the Chinese nation. Called Changan in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area. It is the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. Being known as the hometown of the magnificent entombed Terracotta Warriors, many amazing historic wonders in Xian also attracted thousands of travelers to this ancient yet dynamic city.

Grand Mosque: During the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) large number of Moslems traveled the world famous Silk Road to Chang’an (former Xian) bringing Islam to China. With the support of Tang Emperor Xuanzong (685-762, reigned 712-756), they established the Great Mosque in 742. It is well-preserved example of cultural merging, having been renovated several times and preserved by the Chinese Government. The Mosque exhibits the signification of overseas architecture. From the carvings and furniture inside to the eaved pagoda for the minaret, Chinese influence is apparent. However, Arabic and West Asian styles prevail in the Great Hall of the Mosque, which was built mainly in the 14th century. Inscriptions are in Arabic, but the characters are sometimes arranged like Chinese styles. The library includes many books in the Arabic style, which were actually written in China. It is the largest of the four mosques still in operation in the city of Xian. Encompassing approximately 4,000 square meters, it is still an active Moslem temple.

Ancient City Wall: The first landmark visitors will encounter in Xian is the ancient city wall, which stretches round the old city. The northern side runs parallel to the railway. Xian was originally a walled city, and even today the wall is considered a landmark dividing the city into the inner part and the outer part. The city wall is massive - tall, long and thick. The South Gate and North Gate are the two main entrances to the inner city. The city itself is neatly arranged along the city wall.

Day 6 Xian



Today you will explore the Qin Terracotta Army Museum and Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

Qin Terracotta Army Museum: Viewing Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s terracotta army guarding his burial site and protecting his entry to the afterlife from the earthen side of a continuing archeological project is certainly one of the most memorable parts of any trip to China. Every figure differs from those around in facial features and expression, clothing, hairstyle, and gestures. The horsemen, the longbow bearers, the archers and the senior officers and generals were positioned in strict accordance with the ancient directives on the Art of War. The site was made a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda: The temple complex in which the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located is filled with beautiful gardens and stunning architecture. Although destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, the current buildings were built in the style of the Tang Dynasty, the period in which the pagoda was built. The temple complex was constructed along an axis, with matching buildings on either side. The beautiful architecture is constructed of grey brick with glazed roofs. The many gardens hidden amongst the temple’s many courtyards are very lovely and a wonderful place for visitors to take a break and soak in the beauty that surrounds them. The temple complex is filled with ancient artifacts. The Forest of Stupas located hidden on one side of the temple complex is where prominent monks are buried. The stupas, or gravestones, are exquisite and have been placed in the temple grounds over the centuries.

Day 7 Xian - - Guilin



Today you will visit Shaanxi Historical Museum and Forest of Stone Steles Museum. Then take a flight to Guilin in the afternoon.

Shaanxi Provincial Museum: The museum occupies an area of 65,000 square meters (16 acres). It is a grand complex of buildings imitating the architecture style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). A primary pavilion stands in the center, and secondary pavilions of varying heights are distributed orderly around it. With black, white and grey as the predominant colors, the buildings have a solemn and rustic charm. The museum is furnished with central air-conditioning and multi-functional lighting system to ensure the protection of the culture relics. It is a comprehensive museum with more than 370,000 exhibits of different times and kinds. The two-storied primary pavilion is divided into the following three main exhibition halls: Basic Exhibition Hall, Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall.

Forest of Stone Steles Museum: Once the site of the Temple of Confucius during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), the Forest of Stone Steles Museum is situated on Sanxue Street, near the south gate of Xian City Wall. It was initially established in AD 1087 when some precious stone steles were moved here for safe keeping, including the ’Classic on Filial Piety’ written by Emperor Xuanzong in AD 745 and ’the Kaicheng Stone Steles’ carved in AD 837. With an area of 31,000 square meters, the Forest of Stone Steles used to be the principal museum for Shaanxi Province since 1944. Then because of the large number of stone steles, it was officially named as the Forest of Stone Steles Museum in 1992. With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

Guilin, famed as "the most beautiful scenery under heaven", is one destination should not be missed in your China tour itinerary. "No place in China is more evocative of the beauty of your country than Guilin" said by former U.S. President Bill Clinton after his visit to this city in 1998. Famous for its green mountains, exquisite waters, weird caves and beautiful rocks, Guilin’s beauty will leave you memories that last for the rest of your life.

Day 8 Guilin - - Yangshuo



This morning we will take a cruise from Guilin down the Li River to Yangshou, a beautiful and quite town. It will be most relax morning in this trip because you don’t have to do any walking, you just need to stand on the deck of the cruise and enjoy the beautiful scenery of mountains, river and life of local people. It takes 3 hours to get yangshuo and we will have lunch on the cruise. (Tips: Since lunch on the Li River cruise may not meet your expectation, we suggest that you have a big breakfast at the hotel today.) Then you will be transferred to the hotel. Dinner is leaved on your own. Yangshuo is a fantasy in people’s mind. There is no car and no industries. You still could see very traditional life of local people. There are many western-style restaurants and cafes; you will find the one you like.

Day 9 Yangshuo - - Guilin



Today, you will have the morning free to explore this small tranquil town. You can choose to have muddy cave tour or mountain climbing or hire a bicycle enjoying the breathtaking scenery around the town or wonder along the West Street or having a pot of tea in a sidewalk cafe.

Our guide will pick you up at the hotel at noon and drive you back to Guilin to visit the Reed Flute Cave and the Elephant Trunk Hill.

Reed Flute Cave: The Reed Flute Cave is absolutely a must-see attraction. It is situated in the highway of the Guangming Hill, in the northwestern suburbs of the city. The cave got its name from a kind of flutes growing outside which can be made into melodious flutes. The cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites, rocks in all strange shapes. The cave is about 240 meters long and a trip last about one hour. Along the u-shaped route, visitors can see those oddly shaped rocks, stone pillars and your guide will give you interesting story about them. Illuminated by the colored lights, the cave looks like a dazzling palace that is why the cave is otherwise known as the Art Palace of the Nature.

Elephant Trunk Hill: Elephant Trunk Hill, also known as Elephant Hill is located at the confluence of Li River and Peach Blossom River in the southwest of Guilin city. It looks like a huge elephant stretching its trunk drinking water hence the name. Elephant Trunk Hill has been the symbol of the karst landscape in the area.

Day 10 Guilin - - Shanghai



This morning we will visit the Fubo Hill to have a bird-eye view of the city and be transferred to board a flight to Shanghai. We will be met and transferred you to the hotel.

Fubo Hill is on the west bank of the Li River. Partially submerged in the river and partially above ground; it is 213 meters above sea level and 62 meters above ground. Measuring 120 meters long and 60 meters wide, it covers an area of 0.7ha. It was named for General Fubo of the Tang Dynasty who built Mayuan Temple on the hill. Because of its location and height, Fubo Hill can tame the waves, stopping the surging waters which then form whirlpools. Attractions include Pearl-Returning Cave, One-Thousand-Buddhas Cave, Sword Testing Stone, Listening-to-the-Waves Pavilion and One-Thousand-Persons Pot and Big Iron Clock.

Day 11 Shanghai



Today you will discover the Bund, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple. Shanghai Acrobatics is recommended for your night show, which is exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.

The Bund: The Bund is the long corridor of Shanghai. For more than 100 years, it has been the symbol of Shanghai. Shanghai people are proud of the Bund. It shows the culture of Shanghai and the creation of modern civilization to people. The architecture along the Bund is unanimously honored as a "World Architectural Fair", including all kinds of tall buildings like the Gothic style, the Baroque style, the Roman style, the classical style, the Renaissance style and the combination of Chinese and Western style. Generally speaking, the beauty of a city should contain three elements architectures, sculptures, and evanescence. Of the three elements, sculptures are also called the eyes of a city. It is an important part for a city’s beauty.

Yuyuan Garden: It is a renowned traditional landscape garden in Jiangnan. It is also a historical site and tourist attraction famous at home and abroad. It was built by a man named Pan during the Ming Dynasty. It was changed and rebuilt for hundreds of years by different descendents of the original builder. The garden is a virtual maze of caves, gardens, rockeries, paths, bridges, and buildings. Even though many people have had a hand in rebuilding the garden over the centuries, it is seamlessly blended. Every corner you turn has a new surprise, and a total different view.

Jade Buddha Temple: The two precious jade Buddhist statues are not only rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade gives the Buddhas the beauty of sanctity and make them more vivid. The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by the agate and the emerald, portraying the Buddha at the moment of his meditation and enlightenment. The Recumbent Buddha is 96 centimeters long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg, this shape is called the ’lucky repose’. In the temple there is also another Recumbent Buddha which is four meters long and was brought from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989.

Shanghai Acrobatics: Acrobatics is an interactive art form. Whether you are old or young, educated or illiterate, you can appreciate it as long as you can see. There is no language barrier and cultural border. When you watch a Chinese acrobatics, you are strongly impacted both mentally and physically. It is truly and unforgettable experience. It is no doubt that Shanghai is the best place to enjoy a perfect Chinese acrobatic show. The Acrobatics at Shanghai are not to be missed. They are held each night and last for about 2 hours. An acrobatic show has become one of the most popular evening entertainments for tourists in Shanghai. You can enjoy gravity-defying contortionism, juggling, unicycling, chair-stacking, and plate-spinning acts at the following stages.

Day 12 Depart from shanghai



In the last day, after you enjoy the breakfast in Shanghai, you will be transferred to the airport. Your amazing12 Day China Cultural Tour with Li River is finished.

 

You must be fascinated about China. We are sure that you enjoy its splendid of culture and unique scenery and you can be our best ambassadors to share that experience with your friends and neighbors. We sincerely hope to see you revisit China again with your friends. Also we hope you are satisfied with our information and service.

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