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Day
1
Shanghai Arrival
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
Upon your arrival in Shanghai, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Then you will have leisure time to explore the near streets, or relax and get over the jet lag.
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Day
2
Shanghai (B, L)
Sightseeing: The Bund, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Oriental Pearl TV Tower
We will start today's activities with a visit to the Bund to take a walk along the waterfront and experience the smells, sights and sounds of the old "Wall Street" in Shanghai. Actually, some people say that the Bund is like "an exhibition of buildings". Finally we will walk along the famous pedestrian street-Nanjing Road, known as "China's No.1 Shopping Street".
Then we will take a stroll through the lovely Yuyuan Garden, one of the best Suzhou-style gardens in southern China, which has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools and flora, all connected by corridors and passageways. Afterwards, you will get an insight into Shanghai's local life on the Yuyuan Market – taste a pot of tea, shop for unique souvenirs and get a feeling for Old Shanghai.
Follow us to the Jade Buddha Temple. It is famous for its two rare statues of Buddha carved out of a single piece of white jade. One is a 1,000kg, 1.9 meter-high figure carved from Burmese jade brought to China in 1882, and the other is a sleeping Buddha; The temple receives thousands of visitors and worshipers every day. If you're lucky, you can watch the monks serving a ceremony in a side room.
After lunch you will visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the highest TV Tower in Asia and the world's third highest, creating a picture of 'twin dragons playing with pearls'. Like the Statue of Liberty in New York, Sydney Opera House and Eiffel Tower in Paris it has become Shanghai's symbolic architecture. The evening will be free for your own activities
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Day
3
Shanghaito Suzhou (B, L)
Transfer via: soft seat train arranged by us
Sightseeing: Shanghai Museum, Humble Administrator's Garden, Tiger Hill
In the morning we'll depart from your hotel and begin today's activities with a visit of the Shanghai Museum. As the biggest museum of ancient Chinese art in China, with a collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese art & cultural relics, Shanghai Museum is especially famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, ancient Sculpture, ancient Jade, coins, Ming and Qing furniture and seals. Actually Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.
Then you will be escorted to the railway station to take the express train to Suzhou. Suzhou is praised as the "Oriental Venice" and called "paradise on earth" along with Hangzhou.
Upon your arrival in Suzhou, our guide will meet you and escort you to a local restaurant to have lunch. In the afternoon you will visit Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest classical garden in Suzhou and one of the four most famous ones in China. Originally built in 1513 AD, it consists of three parts with different types of buildings around streams and ponds.
Then we will move on to Tiger Hill (Huqiu). Tiger Hill is the most famous sight in Suzhou city, enjoying the reputation of "The first scenic spot in Wu area" by its imposing beauty; This includes Leisure Spring, Testing Sword Rock, Third Spring, Broken-Pillar-Hall and Mountain Villa Wrapped in Emerald Green etc. With only 36 meters of height and an area of 20hectares, you might think it is an artificial hill, but its history can be traced back to 2500 years ago. The Tiger Hill Pagoda in the park is the landmark of Suzhou city.
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Day
4
Suzhou to Hangzhou (B, L)
Transfer via: PM train (soft seat)-arranged by us
Sightseeing: Rickshaw Tour, Lingering Garden, Silk Factory
Today we will start off with a special Rickshaw Tour. Being driven through the old streets and Hutongs of Suzhou, you will see local people's life.
The arrangement will be made to visit the No1 Silk Factory in Suzhou, as this city is also famous for its silk production. In the factory you can see how silk is made from the silk worm to the final woven cloth.
Finally we visit the Lingering Garden, one of the four most famous gardens in China. The garden is celebrated for its artistic way of handling the spaces between various architectural forms and garden courts. With pavilions, terraces, grotesque rocks, clear streams and rare vegetations, the corridors are able to separate the garden into several courtyards with distinct styles. The scenery of gardens within a garden is really attractive and makes tourists linger in this renowned Jiangnan Garden.
After lunch, you will be transferred to the railway station and take the train to Hangzhou. An old Chinese saying goes, "There is heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below." Centuries ago, Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most enchanting city in the world.
Upon your arrival in Hangzhou, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. For the rest of the day you can discover the city on your own.
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Day
5
Hangzhou (B, L)
Sightseeing: West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Peak Flying from Afar, Pagoda of Six Harmonies, Dragon Well Tea Plantation
Today you will experience the beautiful West Lake. We will take a cruise boat across the lake to see the 3 pagodas in the lake. The West Lake is the most famous tourist spot of Hangzhou. Graceful mountains surround it on three sides. It has a charming scenery and many cultural relics and historic sites.
Then we will visit Lingyin Temple (Soul's Retreat Temple) including the Peak Flying from Afar. Close to the West Lake, the main hall in Lingyin Temple is about 34 meters (111 feet) tall - incredibly high for a one-storey building. In the center of the hall there is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which was carved from 24 pieces of camphor wood. The temple was named Lingyin Temple for its extremely beautiful environment which is serene and suitable for “Soul’s Retreat”.
After having lunch at local restaurant, we will drive to the Six Harmonies Pagoda, highly erected by the Qiantang River and in the south of the West Lake. It is a perfect symbol of brick-and-wood structure built in the ancient China and was built in 970 AD in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) to press down the evil of the river tidal bore in Qiantang River.
Dragon Well Tea is well known worldwide, so you will be guided to the Dragon Well Tea Plantation to discover the history of Chinese tea and the tea ceremony. The water of dragon well is sweet and good taste. The green tea here enjoys very high reputation since Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D) for its four special features: green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste and smooth even appearance. Finally you will be transferred back to your hotel.
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Day
6
Hangzhou to Yellow Mountain (B)
Transfer via: Express Bus-arranged by us
In the morning you will have some leisure time until you will be met by your guide and transferred to the express bus station to take the bus to Huangshan.
Huangshan City is a region with a long history and splendid cultures. Among all notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan, located in the south of Anhui province, is probably the most famous one. Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mt. Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China. Mt. Huangshan boasts not only because of its magnificence but also its abundant resources and great variety of zoological species, for which it has been listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. After your arrival in Huangshan, you will be met and transferred to the hotel, to enjoy some leisure time for the rest of the day.
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Day
7
Yellow Mountain (B, L, D)
Sightseeing: Mt. Huangshan
In the morning, you will be transferred to the foot of Mt. Huangshan, take cable car to the top of it and make a tour to North Sea Scenic Area and other peaks. You will stay this night on top of the mountain.
Mt. Huangshan, known as "the loveliest mountain in China", is famous for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of clouds. Its landscape features “four wonders” of imposing peaks, spectacular rocks, odd-shaped pines, and a sea of clouds. Mount Huangshan boasts 72 peaks, more than 1,000 meters above sea level, with three main peaks rising majestically. The famous Welcoming Guests (Yingke) Pine (1,500 years old) and See-Guest-Off Pine have become a symbol of being faithful, unyielding and hospitable.
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Day
8
Yellow Mountain to Shanghai (B, L)
Transfer via: Flight arranged by us
Sightseeing: Shexian Paifang, Ancient Street, Ink Stone Factory
This morning, you will be free for your own leisure activities, and then take a cable car down from the Mt. Huangshan. Afterwards we will visit Shexian for the unique Paifang architecture. Paifang is an archway usually made of fine wood or stone, as memorial and decoration. Shexian county is famous as the "the Town of Paifang" and has thousands of arches scattered around it. It is the best place to explore the social culture of China's feudal society.
Our next stop will be the Ancient Street. Located in the center of Huangshan, the Ancient Street was built 700 years ago in the Song dynasty. Its total length is about 1.5 km and the sides of the street are laid with slab stones. There are hundreds of old but well preserved shops, evoking a bygone era with buildings which are simple and elegant. Today, it is a commercial walking street.
After lunch, we will spent some time in the Ink Stone Factory. Ink Stone is the most important part of the "Four Treasures of the Study". Because of its solid texture, ink stone can be handed down from ancient times. The Ink Stone Factory in Hangshan is one of the most famous ink stone factories in China, where you can see the whole working process.
Finally, you will be transferred to the airport and take your flight to Shanghai. When you arrive in Shanghai, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
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Day
9
Shanghai Departure (B)
Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement
The rest of the day is your own, until our guide escorts you to the airport for your next destination.