Day 1
Arrive in Beijing
Be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Just relax and take a leisured stroll around the city. You can excurse and reveal this charming city by person.Your 13 Day Splendid China Tour of Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai begins.
Beijing has a long history. According to archeological findings 5,000 years ago, Peking Man lived in Zhoukoudian for a very long time. From the warring states period (473 - 221 BC), Beijing was the capital of Yan State and was called Ji. In the Liao Dynasty, it was called Nanjing. In 1153, it was changed to Zhongdu, becoming the capital of the Jin Dynasty. In 1283, Beijing, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, was called Beiping. From 1421, it was known as Jingshi. In 1911, during the Republic Era, the capital was called Beijing, then Nanjing became the capital of China briefly in 1928, and Beijng reverted to the name Beiping. From 1949, Beijing was set in its current position with its current name as national capital.
Day 2
Beijing
Today's full day tour includes the Forbidden City, the Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven. This evening, enjoy a Peking Duck dinner followed by an awe-inspiring Acrobatics Performance, which are both exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
Forbidden City: The Forbidden City also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, and the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. The palace, the most magnificent and splendid palace complex in China, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Building in 1987. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the construction of this group of buildings took fourteen years from 1406 to 1420. In the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was the imperial palace where twenty-four emperors ascended the throne and exercised their strong power to the nation.
Tiananmen Square: Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the main entrance to the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Built in 1417, it was first named the Cheng Tian men, meaning that emperors obeyed the order of Heaven in ruling the country. Destroyed by fire twice, it was rebuilt in 1651 during the Qing Dynasty and renamed Tiananmen. It is also honored as the "Gate of the Nation." As one of the largest city squares in the world, Tiananmen Square occupies an area of 440, 000 square meters--spacious enough to accommodate half a million people. Many annual and special celebrations and assemblies are held here. On October 1st, 1949, Chairman Mao Ze Dong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China on the Tiananmen Rostrum, thus opening a new chapter in the history of China. In the new period of reforms and opening, Tiananmen, with its long history and rich culture, attracts people from all over the world.
Temple of Heaven: At the Temple of Heaven Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) worshiped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. The northern part of the outer surrounding wall is semi-circular; the southern part is square; this forms a pattern symbolic of the ancient belief that Heaven was round and the earth square. The double surrounding wall separates the temple into the inner and outer temples with the main structures in the inner one, covering 273 hectares. Beijing Roast duck: Beijing Roast duck is thought to be one of the most delicious dishes all over the world; most visitors coming to Beijing will never forget to have a try. Eating Peking duck is seen to be one of the two things you are absolutely supposed to do while in Beijing.
Day 3
Beijing
Today you will visit the spectacular and less crowded Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, then visit Ming tombs.
Mutianyu Great Wall: 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 - 
- Chengdu
Today you will visit the Hutong. Then take the flight to Chengdu--Panda's home.
Hutong Tours: 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. The Beijing Hutong is made up of lanes or alleys formed by lines of pre-modern siheyuan, four-sided compounds with houses around a courtyard.
Chengdu, located in southwest China, is the capital of Sichuan province. More than four thousand years ago, the prehistorically Bronze Age culture of Jinsha established itself in this region. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is called Tianfuzhi guo in Chinese, which literally means "the country of heaven", or "the Land of Abundance". Chengdu was also the birthplace of the first widely used paper money in the world (Northern Song Dynasty, around A.D. 960). Chengdu was recently ranked as China’s 4th "Most Livable City" by the Chinese newspaper giant, China Daily.
Day 5
Chengdu
Today you will visit Wuhou Memorial Temple, Thatched Cottage of Du Fu, and the Old Street.
Wuhou Memorial Temple: The Marquis of Wu, Zhuge Liang (181-234) was the outstanding military strategist immortalized in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and in the saying wise as "the Marquis of Wu". Peaceful and attractive gardens surround several halls, including one dedicated to his memory and another to that of his emperor Liu Bei, some impressive statues, a small museum, a famous Tang Dynasty stele and the classic red wall leading to Liu Bei’s tomb. A delightful complex.
Thatched Cottage of Du Fu: The poet Du Fu lived in Chengdu for years. In the west suburbs of the city, he built for himself a thatched hut and wrote a lot of poems here. The poet’s thatched cottage is an important scenic and historic spot in Chengdu.
Panda Breeding and Research Centre: 10km north of Chengdu this beautifully laid-out 230 hectare park is home to giant pandas, the endearing red, or lesser panda, and other endangered species. Visit the nursery to see the highly successful breeding program, and the many enclosures among lakes, bamboo groves and shady walkways, to view the pandas at rest and play. There’s a wealth of information, a panda museum, and of course the engaging animals themselves.
Day 6
Chengdu
Today you will visit the Panda Research Center and Sanxingdui Museum.
Located just 10km (6miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center has been created and imitated the pandas’ natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding. The Center cares also for other rare and endangered wild animals. The Research Center covers an area of 560 mu (92 acres), 96% of which is verdure. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year. Verdant bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.
Sanxingdui Museum: Roused from a slumber over millennia, the Sanxingdui ruins were accidentally discovered in 1929 and the persistent efforts of archaeologists for the past century have brought to light thousands of cultural relics of high scientific and artistic value. These cultural relics are pleasing to both eye and mind, and have helped lift the mysterious veil from the highly developed ancient Shu civilization. Because of this, the Sanxingdui Ruins have been recognized by some specialists as the "site of an ancient culture, an ancient town and an ancient state". The exhibits focus on the "Ancient Town, Ancient State and Ancient Shu Civilization" and make up the main part of the Museum.
The total area of the six exhibition halls is more than 4,000 square meters, and the thousands of valuable cultural relics in display include: bronze ware, jade ware, stone ware, gold ware, earthen ware and bone ware, all unearthed from the Ruins, especially from the No. 1 and the No. 2 sacrifficial pits. The museum fully utilizes its entire space with the latest means of demonstration in a delicate and creative arrangement, which profoundly and subtly unfolds the implications of the relics. The museum is a multi-layered modern institution of a very high standard, which effectively integrates the collection and preservation of artifacts with academic research and social education.
Day 7
Chengdu - - Guilin
Be transferred to the airport for the flight to Guilin. Visit the Reed Flute Cave and the Elephant Trunk Hill.
The Reed Flute Cave near Guilin is the most spectacular caves in Asia. It’s a huge underground cave system with stunning rock formations, stalagmites and stalactites, illuminated with colored lights. The cave can hold comfortably 1000 people. Elephant Trunk hill was called the symbol of Guilin city, it’s located at the junction of Li river and Peach blossom River, because its features look like a huge elephant dig its trunk into the river, it’s about 55 meters high ,108 meters long ,100 meters wide and has an elevation of 200 meters above sea level. It’s made from the seabed limestone which at least 3.6 hundred million years ago.
Elephant Trunk hill are made up of Water Moon Cave, Elephant hill park, Elephant’s Eye rock, Puxian Pagoda and Yunfeng Temple. Especially the Water Moon Cave could catch your eyes firstly; it’s about 17 meters long, 12 meters high and 9.5 meters wide. The water moon cave and its reflection just like a double moon float on the water.
Day 8
Guilin - 
- Yangshuo
Depart from hotel in the morning and be transferred to the Pier for Li River Cruise (about 4 hours and the lunch will be served on board). Savor the fairy-tale scenery when sail down the meandering river to Yangshuo. Stroll on West Street. In the evening, some impressions shows will be offered which is exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
Li River: The Li River is the highlight and climax of any journey to Guilin. The 54 km waterway of the twisty Li River between Zhujiang Pier and Yangshuo cuts between thousands of picturesque peaks. Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original style, presenting the simple and primitive atmosphere of the ancient town. West Street is the most exciting one that locals call the ’Global Village’. There are not only many foreign tourists, but also quite a number of foreign residents managing cafs and restaurants. The exotic flavor, combined with the traditional culture, make the West Street world famous.
Yangshuo also attracts tourists with its delicious specialty foods, such as Beer Fish, Niang dishes and special snacks including rice noodles and various glutinous rice cakes. You can taste them in most streets of the county. The local specialties such as the Shatian Shaddocks, the kumquats and the Chinese chestnuts are worth tasting as well. If you want to buy some souvenirs, painted fans, embroidered balls, and painted shirts are all good choices. You can buy these articles both in the tourist spots and in the malls of the county.
Day 9
Yangshuo - 
- Longsheng
Depart from hotel in the morning and drive to Longsheng to visit Longji Rice Terrace and Pingan Zhuang Village. Stay overnight at Longsheng.
The 60 sqkm rice terraces southeast of Longsheng were first built in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and completed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by Zhuang people on land sloping down to the riverside from the highest elevation of 885m down to 380m.It is no exaggeration to say that where there is soil, there is a terrace. The terraces are found in the valley beside swiftly flowing rivers to the mountain tops with swirling clouds, or bordering verdant forest and cliff walls.
Even though the Longji Rice Terraces are large, they are made up of numerous patches no more than one mu (about 0.16 hectares). The outline is very smooth with gradients between 26 degrees and 35 degrees. The rice terraces form beautiful natural scenery that varies from season to season. In spring, the fields are irrigated and the terraces look like great chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. With the onset of summer, waves of green seem to flow down the mountainside. The theme for autumn is the harvest, when the mountainside takes on the golden color of ripened millet. Coming into winter, the mountains are covered with snow, just like dragons playing with water.
Ping’an Village is located in Longsheng County, Guangxi Province. First built during the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Ping’an has long been the key stockaded village for sightseeing in the Longji scenic area. This spot has become a highlight among tourists wishing to experience the culture and folk customs of the Zhuang ethnic group.
Day 10
Longsheng - - Guilin - - Shanghai
You will be transferred to the guilin liangjiang airport for the fight to Shanghai. Enjoy an afternoon touring, evening acrobatic performance is offered for your relaxation which is exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
In China, there is a saying that "Xian has witnessed 2,000 years of history; Beijing has witnessed 1,000 years of history while Shanghai bears witness to the last 100 years." For anyone who is interested in the history of modern China, Shanghai serves as an ideal starting point. Regarded as the ’Oriental Pearl’, the city has a unique and important place in modern China and its rich heritage is worthy of exploration.
Day 11
Shanghai
Today, visit Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Museum, and then walk along the Nanjing Road to the famous Bund area.
Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan’s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. Situated in the northwest near the intersection of Anyuan Lu and Jiangning Lu, the temple is an active one, attracting large numbers of visitors, both local and overseas Chinese tourists. It is one of Shanghai’s few Buddhist temples.
Jade Buddha Temple was built between 1911 and 1918, housing 70 resident monks. Its exterior is easily identifiable by its bright saffron walls. Inside, the centerpiece is a two-meter-high white jade sitting Buddha encrusted with jewels. It is said the statue weighs 1,000kg. The sitting Buddha was installed in the temple when it was brought by monks from Burma to Zhejiang Province in 1882. A smaller reclining Buddha lies on a redwood bed.
Shanghai Museum: The museum was founded in 1952 and was first open to the public in the former Shanghai Racecourse club house, now at 325 W. Nanjing Road. In 1959 the museum moved into the former Zhonghui Building at 16 S. Henan Road, which previously housed insurance companies and bank offices. In 1992, the Shanghai municipal government allocated a piece of land on People’s Square to the museum as its new site. Construction of the current building started in August 1993. It was inaugurated in October 12, 1996. It is 29.5 meters high with five floors, covering a total area of 39,200 m?. Designed by a local architect, the new museum building is designed in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding. It is said that the inspiration for the design was specifically provided by the Da Ke Ding, now on exhibit in the museum. The building has a round top and a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as "round sky, square earth".
The Bund area: The Bund is the best-known landmark in Shanghai. On this stretch of Zhongshan Road East lie the most important buildings left from colonial Shanghai including the Peace Hotel, the Bank of China, and Shanghai Gold Exchange. Externally these buildings have been well preserved and stand proud in their original grandeur. Internally they have been renovated to house some major financial institutions as well as Shanghai’s most expensive and luxurious hotels, restaurants and bars.
Day 12
Shanghai - - Suzhou - - Shanghai
Today you travel by bus to the nearby historical town of Suzhou, China's well-known "city of gardens", which tops all others in both the number and the artistry of gardens. You tour here will include a visit to the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Garden of the Master of Nets. You also visit the Hanshan Temple before returning to Shanghai with the balance of the day at leisure. Overnight in Shanghai.
Suzhou garden is the Nature in nutshell, which enables one to "feel the charm of mountains, forest and springs without going out of the noisy surroundings of the town". Its human interest also lies in that the architect, philosopher, poet, painter, and common folk can all find in it the idea, the flavor, the lines and the rhythm. The unfolding of the garden vistas is the verisimilitude of a landscape scroll. When enjoying tea, poem, flower arrangement or playing musical instrument in the garden, one gains the most natural inspiration. To those tourists desiring to understand China, Suzhou garden is the best museum.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden (or Zhuozheng Yuan) is one of four great Chinese gardens. At 51,950 m? it is the largest garden in Suzhou and generally considered the finest garden in southern China. In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden’s site was a scholar garden during the Tang Dynasty, and later a monastery garden for the Dahong Temple during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1513, during the Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Zhengde, an administrator named Wang Xianchen appropriated the temple and converted it into a private villa with gardens, which were constructed by digging lakes and piling the resultant earth into artificial islands. The garden was designed in collaboration with the renowned Ming artist Wen Zhengming, and was as large as today’s garden, with numerous trees and pavilions. The Wang family sold the garden several years later, and it has changed hands many times since.
The Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou is among the finest gardens in China. It is recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden demonstrates Chinese garden designers’ adept skills for synthesizing art, nature, and architecture to create unique metaphysical masterpieces. The initial garden was first constructed over 800 years ago and even though its physical form has changed drastically since, the name and spirit of the garden still remain intact. The Master of the Nets is particularly regarded among garden connoisseurs for its mastering the techniques of relative dimension, contrast, foil, sequence and depth, and borrowed scenery. While the garden’s primary uses have varied over time, its ability to inspire visitors intellectually and spiritual remains unchanged. Keen physical architecture combined with poetic and artistic inspirations makes the Master of the Nets garden a unique and incredible garden experience that has stood the test of time.
Being one of the most famous temples in Chinese history, Hanshan Temple often boasts about its bell rings. However, the best known bell described in Zhang Ji’s poem disappeared a long time ago. The bell in the tower now was modeled on the previous one in 1904. Every year on New Year’s Eve in China’s lunar calendar, the bell is tolled to pray for the happiness and safety of the coming New Year. This festival attracts thousands of tourists both at home and abroad.
Day 13
Depart from shanghai
In the past few days you have had a wonderful time in China. You must be fascinated about China. We are sure that you have enjoyed its splendid 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.
