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Day
1
Shanghai Arrival
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
Arriving in Shanghai, you will be greeted by our local guide and then transferred to your hotel by a private air-conditioned car. For the rest of the day you will enjoy some leisure time.
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Day
2
Shanghai (B, L)
Sightseeing: Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, Nanjing Road
Today we will start the day with a visit of Yuyuan Garden, a beautiful garden in the south of the Yangtze River. Wandering through it, you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features.
Then we head to the Jade Buddha Temple. The old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city. Both, the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. If you're lucky, you can watch the monks serving a ceremony in a side room.
After lunch, we will visit the Oriental Pearl Tower, the highest TV tower in Asia, which creates a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. The entire scene is a photographic jewel that excites the imagination and attracts thousands of visitors all year-round.
Afterwards, you will take a walk to the famous Nanjing Road and the Bund. They are among the most recognizable architectural symbols of Shanghai and therefore a must-see when visiting Shanghai.
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Day
3
Shanghai / Yichang (B)
Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, The Shanghai World Financial Center.
This morning, we will first visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, which is the first kind of exhibition center in China showcasing a city's development. It showcases the past, the present and the future of the development of the urban planning of Shanghai.
Then we will move to visit the Shanghai World Financial Center, it is a supertall skyscraper in Shanghai, China. It is a mixed-function office-based skyscraper combining offices, business, hotels, sightseeing and conferences. With 101 floors above ground level and soaring to a height of 492m, this project embodies Mori Building's original "Vertical Garden City" concept and incorporates the company's vast know-how and experience.
After lunch, you will be transferred to airport to take the flight to Yichang. Arriving in Yichang, be met and transferred to the dock by our local guide to pre-board the ship. Your cruise will start at about 22:00.
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Day
4
Yangtze Cruise (B, L, D)
Sightseeing: Three Gorges Dam
(09:00-11:30) Shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam Site.
(12:45) Passing through Xiling Gorge.
Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project undertaken by man. The construction of the dam formally began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction will be competed in 2009. It will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom. Tourists can get access to the top of the dam.
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Day
5
Yangtze Cruise (B, L, D)
Sightseeing: Shennong Stream
(08:00-12:00) Boat excursion to Shennong Stream.
(13:00-15:30) Wu Gorge
(17:30-18:00) Qutang Gorge
Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, crystal clear water runs southwards through deep gorges. The stream races past large and small karst caves, flocks of swallows, sheer cliffs, deep gorges, waterfalls, three-colored springs, rapids, the ancient plank path, a suspended coffin in the cliff, groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations.
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Day
6
Yangtze Cruise (B, L, D)
Sightseeing: Fengdu Ghost City
(8:30-10:30) Shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City.
Fengdu, with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, is constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river band. It is known as the "Ghost City" and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.
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Day
7
Chongqing / Xi'an (B, L)
Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Ciqikou Ancient Town, Goose Neck Park, Panda Room
(09:00) Disembark in Chongqing.
Arriving in Chongqing, you will be met at the dock by our local guide and visit Ciqikou Ancient Town. Dated back to the late Ming Dynasty, The buildings have been restored and well preserved. Along the streets, restaurants, souvenirs shops and local snacks are located. There are several tea houses that feature daily performances of traditional Chinese music.
You will have a walk around the Goose Neck Park. This park has a good view of the city and the roiling Yangtze River. A great mural of the Yangtze River shows the pre-dam water levels and elevation marks signifying the displacement of the local population, as well as the land area that has been and will be covered when the dam is completed.
Later you will visit Panda Room in Chongqing Zoo to meet the lovely pandas.
Then you will be transferred to airport for flight to Xi'an. After your arrival there, you will be met and transferred to hotel by our local guide.
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Day
8
Xi'an (B, L)
Sightseeing: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower
Today you will experience the highlights of Xi'an. After breakfast, you will depart you're your hotel. You will visit the amazing 2000-year-old Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of a vast army of Terra-cotta warriors in search of immortality. After his early death they were buried with him to protect his empire.
Another highlight today is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated in the south of Xi'an city, it is one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple. There, the well-known Buddhist Master Xuanzang (Monk Tripitaka) stored his collection of classic Buddhist artifacts brought from India in Tang Dynasty. Now it is the Landmark of Xi'an.
Then we will go on to visit the Bell Tower, which is the best-preserved and best-known one among many. The Bell Tower was built in 1384. In early mornings of ancient times it had the mission of ringing the bell and giving the correct time to the whole city, hence called "The Bell Tower". With magnificent carved beams and painted rafters, this classical building is truly elegant.
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Day
9
Xi'an to Beijing (B, L)
Transfer via: Flight on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Ancient City Wall, Shaanxi History Museum
In the morning we will visit the Ancient City Wall. You will experience a half-hour's hike along the Ancient City Wall. You will experience a half-hour's hike along the Ancient City Wall. It is the largest and best preserved present city wall in ancient China and is probably the best military battlement in the world. If you want to, you can rent a bicycle for a ride on top of the spectacular city wall. The wall was built in the Tang dynasty (618 -907) and enlarged in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
You will continue to visit the Shaanxi History Museum. It is a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang Dynasty style. The Museum possesses a treasure of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi, and it covers an area of 1,100 square meters for exhibition
Afterwards you will take the flight to Beijing. After you arrived in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to your hotel by our local guide.
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Day
10
Beijing (B, L)
Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace
This morning our tour will begin with a visit of the Temple of Heaven, which was completed in 1420, and expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. It was the place where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. With the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail, it has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing.
After lunch, we will go on our city tour 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.
From here we will walk across the Golden River Bridge to visit the Forbidden City and experience the ancient Emperor's daily life. For 5 centuries Chinese emperors carried out their administration here. With almost 10,000 rooms, it was the centre of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a massive complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was the largest palace in the world, and in the past it was indeed a forbidden place for commoners. Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's palace.
We will continue by visiting the Summer Palace. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called 'Yiheyuan' (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. Until nowadays, it is the best preserved and the largest imperial garden in China. You will regret it if you leave Beijing without having visited this grand imperial garden.
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Day
11
Beijing (B, L)
Sightseeing: Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Sacred Way, Hutong in rickshaw
After experiencing the royal lifestyle, today we will be transferred to the surrounding countryside of Beijing and visit the Badaling Great Wall, the pride of China and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Whereas Genghis Khan contemplated it as a military obstacle, Richard Nixon described it as one of humankind's greatest achievements. You will be able to climb and walk one of the best preserved sections of the 2,000 years old ancient wall, admiring the splendid mountain views. Bring a jacket and layer- although it is breezy, the climbing is tough. So be in a good shape!
In the afternoon we will visit the legendary Ming Tombs, which are situated at the foot of Heavenly Longevity Mountain, Changping, northwest of Beijing. Since there are 13 Ming emperors buried there, this place was called the 13 Ming Tombs. You will walk along the Sacred Way, a road guarded by stone statues on both sides, as the ancient emperors did to hold a memorial ceremony for their ancestors.
Continue, we will experience a unique Hutong tour by rickshaw. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane and are very typical for Beijing. Most of them can be found close to the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people.
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Day
12
Beijing Departure (B)
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
Today will be free for your own purposes, until our guide will escort you to the airport for your next destination.