China Nature Exploration Tour

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China! Your amazing China 11-day tour will start here. You will arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport or Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is about 30 kilometers (1 hour) and 50 kilometers (1.5 hours) respectively away from central Beijing. Our guide will hold your name tag and wait for your arrival, and transfer you to the reserved hotel. Then you will check in at the hotel and have a nice rest. 

Sitting in north China, Beijing covers an area of more than 16,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the area of 21 New York City. As one of the time-honored ancient cities, Beijing welcomes about 140 million Chinese tourists and 4.4 million international visitors every year.

In the morning, we will drive you to visit Tian’anmen Square in central Beijing. It covers an area of 440,000 square kilometers and can accommodate 1,000,000 people for grand gatherings. When you arrive, walking along the axis from north to south, you will visit some well-known sites, including the flagpole, Monument to the People’s Heroes, Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, and Zhengyangmen Gate. Chairman Mao once solemnly announced to the whole world at Tian’anmen Square that the People’s Republic of China had been founded. 

Then continue going north and you will come to the Forbidden City (closed each Monday), the imperial palace for the 24 emperors during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) Dynasties. The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, covers an area of 720,000 square meters, which is equivalent to the area of 100 football fields. Legend has it that there is a piece of “fake glaze tile” which is used to decorate Nine-Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City. Why is it fake? When making glazed tiles, the raw material needed for the Nine-Dragon Wall, one of the craftsmen accidentally broke a piece of glazed tile. However, there was little time for them to make the glazed tile because they must complete the wall on time according to the emperor’s requirements. A craftsman named Ma Dechun contemplated and finally thought of a way to remedy it. Finally, a piece of fine nanmu carving is inlaid in the Nine-Dragon Wall to replace the broken glazed tile. In the end, the emperor was very satisfied and gave Ma Dechun a generous reward.

After enjoying your delicious lunch, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, which lies in the south of Beijing, covering an area of about 2.73 million square meters. Since it was built in the Ming Dynasty (1420), it has been rebuilt several times during the emperors Qianlong (1739-1796) and Guangxu (1875-1908) periods of the Qing Dynasty. In the past, it functioned as the place for the emperors to worship heaven and pray for a good harvest. Now, besides sightseeing attractions, it is also a place for people to do exercise. If you are lucky, you will meet some Tai Chi enthusiasts, and they will be willing to teach you some Tai Chi movements. And you will have lots of fun in it. 

Then, we will go to visit the Summer Palace, which is also known as the Royal Garden Museum. It is in the northwest of Beijing, about 30 kilometers away from the Temple of Heaven. Built under the order of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) to show filial respect for his mother, the palace was completed in 1764. It is especially famous for one of the spots, Long Corridor which offers you the same enjoyment of the garden view as emperors even on rainy or snowy days. 

Today’s journey ends here, then you will be transferred to the hotel. Hope you have a nice rest.

Optional Dinner:

With a history of about 1,500 years, Peking Roast Duck was a royal dish in the past. The chef will slice the duck beside your table, and maybe you feel confused about how to eat it. The waiter will provide you with instructions on how to eat it. The best way to eat the duck is to take a pancake in one hand, then with another hand holding chopsticks to pick up a slice of duck and coat it in the fermented flour sauce. Then, spread the sauce onto the pancake using the duck, and add some more slices of duck and some cucumber and green onion. Then roll the pancake tightly and eat it all together.

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

This morning, we will drive northwest for about 1 hour (55 kilometers) to go to the first destination, Chang Tomb of the Ming Tombs. Built the earliest among all Ming Tombs, it is the largest, most magnificent, and the best-preserved one. Chang Tomb is the joint burial mausoleum of Emperor Yongle and his empress. Ling’en Hall is the main building here. It is the place where the heir emperors offered sacrifices to Emperor Yongle. Ling’en is a double-eave structure with a hip roof and the ground is paved with golden bricks. Sixty huge pillars and all wooden structural components are made of golden nanmu (a kind of rare and hardwood), which makes Ling’en Hall precious and unique. The bronze statue of Emperor Yongle, resting on the throne carved with nine dragons, is extremely lifelike and vivid.

After lunch, we will go to the next destination, the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is located northeast of Chang Tomb. It will take 1 hour and 15 minutes (48 kilometers). The mountains in the scenic area are overlapping, with over 90% vegetation coverage rate. The Mutianyu Great Wall is 5,400 meters in length and is the longest part of the Great Wall. Here, you can experience the advanced cable car or chairlift for going up and down, or you can take the chairlift up and the toboggan down. Please be aware that toboggan is not available for tourists over 60. Former US President Bill Clinton and many other foreign leaders have ever visited the Mutianyu Great Wall.

Chang Tomb of the Ming Tombs

Mutianyu Great Wall

Beijing’s journey will come to an end, and you will go to another city, Xi’an. You will take the estimated train G87 13:00/18:19. After you arrive in Xi’an, the tour guide will wait for you at the station and take you to the reserved hotel. 

Xi’an, situated in the central-northwest of China, records the vast changes of the country just like a living history book. Once called Chang’an (meaning the eternal city), it is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese civilization in the Yellow River Basin. As the east starting point of the Silk Road and with the site of the famous Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses of the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shihuang, 221 BC - 207 BC), the city has won fame around the world. More than 3,000 years of history, including more than 1,100 years as the capital, has given the city many amazing historical and cultural relics. Visitors are sure to marvel at the city’s numerous historical sites and cultural heritages.

From now on, our trip to Xi’an officially starts.

Today is a full day, and it will be a feast for the eyes as well. In the morning, our guide will take you to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. It will take 45mintutes (43 kilometers) to arrive at the destination from the hotel. The museum is in the northeast of Xi’an. Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is one museum which is specialized in relic display. The main objects exhibited here are the terra-cotta figures of more than 2,000 years. These terra-cotta figures stand for the garrison force that guards Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum. It is almost impossible for you to imagine that a warrior was totally like a real man with a simulation of human skin color when they were first founded. And if you get close to observe a warrior, you will be surprised that even his eyebrows were well-carved. 

After lunch, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. As a symbol of the thriving religious development in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the well-preserved ancient buildings and holy places for storing Buddhist scriptures and sermons. It lies in the southern suburb of Xi’an City, about 4 kilometers from the downtown of the city. Apart from its charming Buddhist culture, you will be amazed by its marvelous architectural style. The seven-storey pagoda was built with layers of bricks without any cement, and employed the bracket-style in traditional Chinese architecture. The grand body of the pagoda with its solemn appearance, simple but in appealing style and aesthetic design, is indeed a good example of traditional Chinese architecture.

Then, we will visit the second destination the ancient City Wall. Located in the downtown area of Xi’an City, the ancient City Wall, the extremely well-preserved city wall, is a wonderful testimony to the engineering and construction skills of the ancient Chinese people. The ancient City Wall built in the 14th century, under the regime of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in the Ming Dynasty, is the landmark of Xi’an. It stretches around the old city and divides the city into the inner part and the outer part. The city wall is massive in that it stands 12 meters in height, 15-18 meters thick at the bottom, and 13.7 kilometers in length. Walking on the city wall, you will witness the surrounding traditional Chinese residential houses and buildings.  

Free time ideas: you can go to the Great Tang All Day Mall to enjoy the wonderful performance themed with Chinese traditional culture, and/or to eat some local snacks in Muslim Quarter.

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

City Wall

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to Xi’an and take an estimated flight MU2151 9:00/11:15 to Shanghai. Lunch is not included. 

When you arrive in Shanghai, you will visit the Yu Garden (closed each Monday). The garden was built in 1559 by an official of the Ming Dynasty to please his father. There are many attractions in the garden, such as the Yule Pavilion, the Hexu Hall, the Wanhua Chamber, the Exquisite Jade Rock and the Dongtianfudi Pavilion. When you visit the garden, you will be impressed by its large size, delicate carvings, and the artistic rockeries. This masterpiece of ancient Chinese landscape architecture has become a popular attraction for visitors from both home and abroad, and has been one of the major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level.

Then you will move on to Shanghai Tower. It stands in Pudong District, with Shanghai World Financial Center to the east and Jin Mao Tower to the north. The tower boasts 127 floors above the ground and 5 floors below the ground, ranking as China’s tallest building. The exterior of the building spirals upward like a snake, which twists about one degree per floor to offset the wind effect on higher altitudes. The building encompasses offices, hotel, entertainment equipment. You must be amazed by the charm of the tower.

Free time suggestions: You can go to Nanjing Road and the Bund in your free time. The Bund is on the west bank of Huangpu River, the mother river of Shanghai. Nanjing Road is next to the Bund. If you are still energetic, I strongly recommend you to visit these two places by yourself.

Yu Garden

Shanghai Tower

The journey in Shanghai ends today. We will drive you to the airport, and you will take the estimated flight CA1969 16:10/18:45 to go to Guilin. Our tour guide will meet you at Guilin International Airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Now, let us enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the Li River by the cruise. Situated in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is one of the most spectacular destinations in China. With about 80 kilometers, the Li River Cruise runs through the heart of Guangxi, connecting the beautiful downtown Guilin with the riverside town of Yangshuo. Astonishing, thrilling, sumptuous, and all that you can think of and even all these exclaims put together fail to draw the sheer magnificence of the Li River. Tens of thousands of karst mountains surround the Li River. The products of millions of years of water erosion and weathering, these karst hills are among the oldest and most beautiful natural wonders in China. We will enjoy our lunch on the ship while enjoying the natural scenery. 

In the afternoon, we will get off the ship at Yangshuo County and visit Yangshuo West Street. Located in the center of the ancient town of Yangshuo, it is a pedestrian street about 8 meters wide and 800 meters long. With a history of more than 1,400 years, it is the oldest as well as the most prosperous street in Yangshuo. There are many well-preserved ancient buildings, such as Ming Dynasty city walls, inscriptions, ancient temples, ancient pavilions, former residences of celebrities, and memorial halls. Once, the revolutionist Sun Yat-sen gave a speech here. And the famous artist Xu Beihong (a noted modern Chinese painter) also lived here. Leaders of more than 150 countries have left their footprints here. In addition, the local tastes will make your mouth water.

Today’s journey ends here, and we will drive southward back to Guilin in about 1.5 hours (66 kilometers).

Yangshuo West Street

Li River

Today, you will say goodbye to Guilin, then go to the Guilin railway station and take the estimated train G319 12:38/15:57 to Hong Kong. When you arrive, our tour guide will wait for you at the airport exit.

After breakfast, we will take you to Victoria Peak on the west of Hong Kong Island. The peak has an elevation of 554 meters and is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island. The hill is most famed for its beautiful scenery and temperate climate. There are various species of birds, butterflies, boars, and even a variety of snakes on the mountain. In the early days, the peak was a popular place for prominent officials to build residences. In 1868, Sir Richard MacDonnell, the 6th governor of Hong Kong built a summer residence on the peak. Today, it has become a major tourist attraction offering a panoramic view of the city. On the mountain, there is a shopping mall and you can purchase from trend-setting fashions to personalized souvenirs like authentic Chinese handicrafts.

To get to the peak, you will take the Peak Tram. As the earliest form of motorized public transportation, the tram has run for over 100 years. The tram, first opened in 1888, is one of the world’s oldest and most famous funicular railways. We are pretty sure that the amazing visual feast you get as your tram rides higher will make your trip an unforgettable experience. When you are sitting on the tram, as the tram passes the skyscrapers, you may observe the buildings tilting in front of your eyes.

Then you will visit the Aberdeen Fishing Village located southwest of Hong Kong Island. In this village, villagers live in their floating homes and fishing is a way of life for them. Besides the well-known residential Chinese junks and Sampan boats, Aberdeen is also famous for the restaurant floating on the water. Aberdeen was originally given the name “Heung Gong Tsai” which means “little fragrant harbor.” A fragrance from incense trees here transplanted from the New Territories could be smelled from the boats sitting in the Aberdeen harbor. You will get on the sampan to visit the village.

Following that, we will explore the old open-air street marketplace: Stanley Market. In Stanley Market, you can buy some souvenirs and crafts. Prices in this market are negotiable and this is a great place to polish your bargaining skills. If you need a break, get some snacks at one of the many local eateries in the market. You will find mouth-watering food everywhere in the market. 

Today’s journey ends here, and you can arrange your time freely in the afternoon.

Free Time Suggestion: 

You can go to the Temple Street Night Market to witness the bustling night scenes in Hong Kong.

Victoria Peak

Aberdeen Fishing Village

Your 11-day trip will come to an end and the guide will drive you to the airport according to the time of your flight. We hope you have a pleasant and relaxing journey and look forward to serving you again!

Editor: Yu Zhang

Proofreader: Summer Hou