15 Days Best Selected Tour to Discover Eastern China

Day 1

Xiamen Arrival

Transport via: Flight on your own arrangement

Upon your arrival 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.

Day 2

Xiamen (B, L)

Sightseeing: Gulangyu Island, South Putuo Temple, Jimei

After breakfast visit the Gulangyu Island, the South Putuo Temple, and Jimei. Gulangyu Island, which is located just southwest of Xiamen City. Visitors can reach it by steamship from Xiamen City in about 5 minutes. Gulangyu Island is renowned for its delicate natural beauty, its ancient relics, and its varied architecture. The island is on China's list of National Scenic Spots and also ranks at the top of the list of the ten most-scenic areas in Fujian Province.

Continue visit South Putuo Temple, situated at the foot of Wulao Peak on the southern end of Xiamen it was first built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Later rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it is now an imposing multi-layered trapezoidal structure that overlooks the sea. The Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures houses a huge collection of Buddhist cultural relics, including a Burmese jade carving of the Buddha and many important Buddhist texts. The temple's Heavenly King Hall, the main prayer hall, the Hall of Great Compassion and the Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures are all graced with painted brackets and upturned eaves. Go shopping at Longtoulu shopping street in the afternoon.

Jimei, Located at the southeastern coast of Fujian Province, Jimei District is one of the six administrative districts of Xiamen City, the center of Golden Triangle of Fujian Province as well as home to more than sixty thousands oversea Chinese. It has an area of 275.79 square kilometers and is home to several rare national-level animals and plants such as Chinese white dolphins, amphioxi, limuluses and mangrove forest.

Day 3

Xiamen (B, L)

Transfer via: Private Vehicle on our arrangement

Sightseeing: Hakkas‘ residential building "Tulou"

World Heritages Sites included Today: Earth Buildings of Yongding/Fujian Tulou

Early depart in the morning from Xiamen. Be transferred to Nanjing and visit Hakkas' residential building "Tulou". Yongding County is located in the southwest part of Fujian Province. The place is famous all around the world for its beautiful landscape, unique Hakka culture, and magnificent Tulou houses. In the 2200-odd-square-kilometer land of Yongding, there are more than twenty thousand Tulou houses distributed, among which, almost five thousand are large scale ones with more than three layers. These Tulou houses depend on natural village as units and integrate the blue sky, the vast ground and beautiful natural scenery into a whole. The whole sight of this is magnificent and breath-taking.

In the afternoon, you will be driven back to Xiamen.

Day 4

Xiamen/Hangzhou (B, L)

Transport Via: Bullet Train on our arrangement

After breakfast, be transferred to take the bullet train to Hangzhou. Arrive in Hangzhou. Be met and transfered to hotel. Enjoy some leisure time of the rest day.

Day 5

Hangzhou (B, L)

Sightseeing: West Lake, Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng (also named Ling JiuFeng), Dragon Well Tea Plantation

Our local guide will meet you and escort you to 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.

Today you will also visit Lingyin Temple including the Feilai Feng. The Feilai Feng is situated in the east of Ling Yin Temple. Isolated from others, its stone quality is totally different from that of surrounding mountain groups. It is 167 meters high, on the peak there are many grotesque stones in the shapes of charming dragon, prostrate tiger, walking elephant and scared ape. The main hall of Lingyin Temple is about 34 meters (111 feet) tall - incredibly high for a one-storey building. In the center of the hall you'll find the 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".

We will go on visit the Dragon Well Tea Plantaion. Covering an area of 132 acres, the Dragon Well Tea Plantation in Dragon Well Village of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, faces the West Lake to the west and Qiantang River to the south. Dragon Well Village is a picturesque wonderland surrounded by mountains with a large area of tea trees. The superior geographical conditions here make exceptional advantages for the growth of tea trees.

Day 6

Hangzhou/Shanghai (B, L)

Transport Via: Bullet Train on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Nanjing Road, The Bund

Transferred to take a bullet train to Shanghai in the morning. Arriving in Shanghai, you will be met and transferred to your hotel by our local guide. Together, 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.

Day 7

Shanghai (B, L)

Sightseeing: Shanghai Museum, Oriental Pearl Tower, Yuyuan Garden

Today we will visit  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.

After lunch, we will take a relaxing walk to the lovely 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 will 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.

We will go on visit Shanghai Old Street, which is in the Old City Area of Shanghai. It also called as "little eastern gate" as it is in the place of one of the old city gate. Thought the gate is no longer in existence, as a key trading site for small wares and foreign trade, the Old Street has witnessed the development of the city both in economy and society.

We will visit the Shanghai Museum which is the biggest museum of China. It incorporates a collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese art & cultural relics and is especially famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy.

Day 8

Shanghai/Suzhou (B, L)

Transport Via: Bullet Train on our arrangement

Sightseeing: Panmen Scenery Area, Humble Administrators Garden, The Grand Canal, The No.1 Silk Factory.

Transferred to take bullet train to Suzhou in the morning. Be met and check in hotel. Then we will visit Lingering Garden. Occupying an area of 23,300 square meters (about 5.8 acres), the Lingering Garden is located outside Changmen Gate in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Originally a classical private garden, it is one of the four most famous gardens in China, possessing typical Qing style, it is well-known for the exquisite beauty of its magnificent halls, and the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the buildings.

Then we will head to  Panmen Scenery Area, which was built on the base of some historic sites by using the architectural structure of classical gardens. It is famous for its numerous historic relics and abundant human landscapes and has been listed as the National AAAA Tourist Area. Now, Panmen Scenery Area has become a tourist resort showing the unique historic and cultural features of Suzhou. The scenery area which is centered on Panmen City Gate consists of many scenic spots. Amongst them, Ruiguang Pagoda, Panmen City Gate and Wumen Bridge are praised as 'three fine sceneries'.

Afterwards, we will visit the Grand Canal. As well as the Great Wall, it ranks as the country's greatest engineering achievement and it is the longest man-made waterway in world. Cruising on the Canal, you will see the local peoples’ life.

As Suzhou is also famous for its silk production we will spend some time in the No.1 Silk Factory to see how silk is processed from the silk worm to the final woven cloth.

Day 9

Suzhou/Zhouzhuang/Qufu

Transport Via: High Speed Train on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Zhouzhuang 
 

After breakfast, we will drive to  Zhouzhuang, and spend the day there. It is one of the most famous water townships in China. Situated in Kunshan City, which is only 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Suzhou, it is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. Let us explore this town with a history of more than 2500 years and get to know about the architecture, lifestyle and inhabitants there.

Afterwards you will be transferred to Qufu by High Speed Train.

Day 10

Qufu

Sightseeing: Confucian Temples, Confucius Mansion and Confucian Family Graveyard

Cuisine Highlight: Qufu Family Banquet

Today we will learn the Confucian culture with the visit to Confucian Temples, Confucian Mansion and Confucian Family Graveyard. They are called Three Confucians, which are now one of the four extant great architectural complexes in China.

Among many preserved Confucian temples of different dynasties all over China, the Confucian Temple in Qufu is the largest and earliest one. It represents the culture and history of Confucianism. Confucian Mansion: It is also called Yanshenggong Mansion, a large house consisting of 463 halls, rooms, towers and houses, covering an area of 13.3 hectares-the largest landlord manor in China's history. The courtyard is divided into three family temples. The main building in the center was first used as a government office then changed to dwelling house later. Confucian family graveyard: It is the graveyard of the Confucian family and has a history of more than 2340 years. There are about ten thousand tombs inside the graveyard .Also many stone steles, lanes and pavilions can be found here.

Day 11

Qufu/Taian

Transport Via: Private car on our arrangement
Sightseeing: Dai Temple. Mountain Tai

After breakfast, we will drive to Mount Tai Tourist Attraction. Take Car & Vehicle to the Top of the Mountain. Mountain Tai, Covering an area of 426 square kilometers with the highest peak 1,545 meters above sea level; the majestic Mt. Tai is one of the China's national parks and the first of the Five Sacred Mountain in China.

Have a visit to the Dai Temple. First built in Han Dynasty, it is the largest and most completed ancient building complex of Mount Tai. Emperors of the past dynasties held celebrations in the temple to worship heaven and earth, and sacrificed to the God of the mountain. Besides, it was also the first stop for the pilgrims on their way to the Tai Mountain.

Day 12

Taian/Beijing (B, L)

Transport Via: High Speed Train on our arrangement

Sightseeing : Summer Palace, Beijing Hutongs

Transferred to take the high speed train to Beijing. Be met with the local guide and check in hotel. Then we wil visit the famous Summer Palace and Beijing Hutongs.

We will experience a unique Hutong tour by taking a rickshaw this morning. 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.

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.

Day 13

Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City

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.

Day 14

Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Sacred Way,  Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium) and the National Swimming Centre(The Water Cube)

After experiencing the royal lifestyle, today we will be transferred to the surrounding countryside of Beijing and visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, this less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a pleasant drive 90km NE of Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains.

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 ancesters.

On the way back to the hotel, you will be driven to visit the main 2008 Beijing Olympic venues, take an exterior visit of both the Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium) and the National Swimming Centre(The Water Cube), feeling free to take some photos of the stadiums.

Day 15

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.