China Adventure Tour with Mount Hua

As your flight ends, you will feel the vitality of Beijing! Our amiable tour guide will pick you up at the airport, take you to the hotel, and help you check in. You can get some fresh air outside and appreciate the metropolis in advance if you like. Then take a good rest and expect a good journey tomorrow!

As the capital of China, Beijing is a charismatic city of more than 3,000 years old with an important place in Chinese history. It’s the capital city of the Ming (1368 -1644) and Qing (1636 - 1912) Dynasties. Boasting the largest number of the World Cultural Heritage Sites, the ancient city is also home to top universities of China like Peking University and Tsinghua University. Hence Beijing is a good outset of your China adventure tour.

After breakfast, the guide will take you to the first travel spot - Tian’anmen Square in downtown Beijing.

Covering 440,000 square meters, Tian’anmen Square is as large as the Vatican. With the capacity of almost one million people, the square serves as a critical venue of national celebrations, and grand rallies. In its center stands the Monument of the People’s Heroes and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. Opposite them is the Tian’anmen Rostrum, which was built in 1471. Historically, Tian’anmen Square bears testimony to the vicissitudes of China. It’s where Pu Yi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, abdicated his throne. And it’s also where Mao Zedong, the first Chinese chairman announced the founding of new China.

The next stop is the Forbidden City (closed on Monday) behind Tian’anmen Square. Built in 1406, it’s the world’s largest and best-preserved imperial palace. Surrounded by a 10-meter-high wall, the huge palace is divided into two parts, namely the outer palace and the inner palace. The former was where emperors dealt with administrative affairs while the latter was where the emperors' families lived. There were 24 emperors in total sat on the throne in the Forbidden City. Among them, Emperor Chongzhen (1611 - 1644) was the most pathetic one. As the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he was diligent in administrative affairs and lived a frugal life. Due to his suspicious personality, however, he failed to save the falling dynasty which is plagued by peasant revolts and foreign invasions. When Beijing city was broken through by the uprising army, he killed his empress and daughters before hanging himself on the mountain behind the palace. So, it’s a place full of both glory and disgrace of royalty.

After lunch, you are scheduled to go to Confucius Temple. With an area of 22,000 square meters, the temple is over three times larger than Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. As the name suggests, it’s a shrine to Confucius (the greatest philosopher in ancient China and founder of Confucianism). Featuring stone inscriptions by the ancient literati, it’s a mecca for intellectuals in feudal times when Confucianism was highly praised. It’s an ideal place to delve into the imperial examination system of feudal China.

Afterwards, let us take adventures to Hutong, a typical Beijing alley. You will take a rickshaw tour in Hutong and visit a hutong family. You will have a look at old houses and know about the daily life of ordinary people living in Hutong. Some of the residents there are said to be descendants of Qing Dynasty nobles. Maybe you can hear some interesting stories of imperial secrets during the visit. After that, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Forbidden City

Confucius Temple

Today, let us take a trip to Chang Tomb, 50 kilometers northwest away from downtown Beijing. After an about 1-hour drive, Chang Tomb will be in your sight. As the chief mausoleum of the Ming Tombs where 13 emperors in the Ming Dynasty were buried, Chang Tomb is comprised of Mausoleum Gate, Ling’en Gate (Gate of Eminent Favor), Ling’en Hall, and Minglou (Soul Tower). Ling’en Hall is the top priority of your visit. The decoration inside is marvelous. Among the 60 golden Phoebe nanmu pillars holding the roof of 2,300 square meters, the bulkiest one is 12.58 meters high, with a 1.124-meter diameter at the bottom. The hall acted as the venue for the memorial ceremony in honor of Emperor Yongle (1360 - 1424) and his empress. He was an influential emperor with discernment and benevolence. Under his reign, the Ming Dynasty became more powerful and prosperous. However, he was criticized for his usurping the throne from his nephew. Historically, his achievements outweighed the faults he committed.

After lunch, it’s time to take an adventure on the Great Wall. The section you’re going to visit is the Mutianyu Great Wall, 40 kilometers northeast away from Chang Tomb. After a 50-minute drive, you will see the magnificent Great Wall. As a military defensive project, the world-renowned Great Wall is over 21,000 kilometers in total, dating back to two thousand years ago. Its longest and most beautiful section is the Mutianyu Great Wall with a length of 5,400 meters. Standing on the Great Wall, you will be amazed by precipitous cliffs and steep slopes. It would be a thrilling trip. After that, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Chang Tomb

Mutianyu Great Wall

In the morning, you will be taken to Temple of Heaven. Located in southern Beijing, Temple of Heaven covers an area of 2,730,000 square meters, more than one hundred times larger than St Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican. Set up in 1420 in the Ming Dynasty, it was designed for emperors to worship the Heaven and pray for good harvests. You may be fascinated by the sophisticated structure of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The golden apex on the dome symbolizes the supremacy of imperial power (the golden color was exclusive to emperors in ancient China) while the blue dome signifies blue sky. Internal designs are more exquisite. 28 wooden pillars are forming three circles. The four pillars of the inner circle represent four seasons in a year; the twelve pillars of the mid-circle represent twelve months in a year; the twelve pillars of the outer circle represent twelve hours in a day (In ancient China, there were 12 hours in a day). In a word, the entire design of this serene place highlights the unity of heaven, earth, and man, demonstrating the awe and respect to Heaven. By the way, here you may see some elders practicing Tai Chi in the morning. You may join them if you want. By practicing Tai Chi, especially in Temple of Heaven, you can get inner peace and feel refreshed.

After lunch, you will be transferred to the train station and take the estimated train G57 14:00/18:24 to Xi’an, capital of northwest Shaanxi Province. Upon your arrival, the tour guide will take you to the hotel and help you check in. Later, you can have a good rest, expecting wonderful trips tomorrow.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

Today, your Xi’an tour begins! The first destination is Xi’an City Wall. Located in downtown Xi’an, it is the longest and best-preserved ancient wall in China. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the quaint wall played an important role in defending the Xi’an against invasion. With a length of 13.7 kilometers, the wall has four major gates. These red gates are studded with golden doornails. Because the gates are made of wood, they are easy to burn when attacked by fire arrows. These doornails could make it easier to put mud on the gates and keep the mud on the gates without falling so that the gates would not catch fire easily. You can rent a bike on the wall to explore more about the wall.

The next stop is Small Wild Goose Pagoda (closed each Tuesday) in Jianfu Temple in southern Xi’an City. With a long history of over 1,300 years, the thirteen-story pagoda, originally fifteen-story, is 43.4 meters high now. It was built to house Buddhist scriptures brought by Monk Yi Jing from ancient India. The ancient pagoda is a mystical structure. It’s said that the body of the pagoda was cracked three times by earthquakes in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and each time the cracks closed up miraculously afterwards. Here you can watch some intangible heritage performances like shadow play.

In the afternoon, you will be taken to Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, 46 kilometers away and one-hour drive northeast from Small Wild Goose Pagoda. Located at the north foot of the mountain, the museum was built on the original site of ruins of terra cotta warriors and horses. Hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, these life-size terra cotta warriors and horses were funeral objects of Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207BC). He was an influential figure in Chinese history, as he first achieved the unification of ancient China. Emperor Qinshihuang used almost 800,000 people to build a splendid underground palace as his mausoleum. You will be surprised by the vivid countenances of the terra cotta warriors.

Afterwards, let us take a 1.5-hour ride to Mount Hua, 89 kilometers away in the east. Tonight, you will have a good rest in the hotel under at the foot of the mountain. Please expect a wonderful excursion tomorrow.

Xi’an City Wall

Mount Hua

Today, you are supposed to take the Mount Hua hiking adventure and appreciate the most marvelous and precipitous mountain in China. Deemed as a holy land of Taoism, Mount Hua boasts over 20 Taoist temples. Besides temples, there are also 72 caves, and 5 major peaks. Each peak is blessed with many natural spots along with many legends as well as wonderful views. West Peak, for example, is also known as Lotus Peak due to the lotus-shaped stones there. There is a famous Lotus Cave on Lotus Peak. It’s famous as a testimony to a happy marriage. Legend has it that a princess married a hermit that lived on Mount Hua, and they used Lotus Cave as their wedding room. They lived a happy and long life in the Lotus Cave. So many couples come here to pray for a happy marriage. South Peak is the highest peak among others. Standing on it, you can feel so close to the sky that clouds could be reached with your hands. Among the thrilling tourist spots, Sparrow Hawk Flips Over on East Peak is a highlight. The path to the peak was chiseled on the precipitous cliff. At the most vertiginous section, people have to climb like a sparrow hawk flipping over the cliff. Therefore, the section of the path is called “Sparrow Hawk Flips Over”.

After the long journey, you will be transferred to the hotel in Xi’an. It takes about two hours to drive west, following a 129-kilometer long road.

In the morning, the guide will take you to get on the estimated train G326 08:55/15:06 to Shanghai. We will prepare you a lunch box containing yogurt, fruit, and sandwiches, etc.

Our guide will pick you up at the railway station to visit Xintiandi Area. Located in the center of Shanghai, Xintiandi Area is a visiting spot with the integration of Chinese and Western elements. Featuring the typical architecture of Shikumen in Shanghai, it’s an epitome of the old Shanghai city from the 1920s to the 1930s.

The next stop is Former French Concession. It was the top-grade residential area in old Shanghai with distinct Parisian architecture. It remained intact in the fierce war because of the high international status France enjoyed at that time. Many influential figures then lived in this place during the war. The guide will point out some famous houses and tell you their history. Among the quaint buildings over a hundred years old, the Orthodox Church of Our Lady Hall is unlike anything else. Completed in 1934, it is a typical ancient Russian church style with five domes on the roof. The church is the largest Orthodox Church building in southern China.

After the day-long exploration, you will be transferred to the hotel for rest.

Xintiandi Area

Former French Concession

After breakfast, let us continue to explore Shanghai. First, the guide will take you to Jade Buddha Temple. Located in the downtown area, Jade Buddha Temple is a serene place. Housing a large number of Buddhist scriptures, it has been over one hundred years old. Its name originates from the two jade Buddha statues in the temple. A monk called Hui Gen from Mount Putuo in southern Zhejiang Province went on a pilgrimage to India. When he finished the pilgrimage, on his way back home, he discovered that the fine jade from Burma was perfect for making Buddha statues. With the help of local overseas businessmen and the king of Burma, he got some jade that was made into five Buddha statues. When he stopped off in Shanghai on the way back to Mount Putuo, local Buddhists pleaded with him to leave the Buddha statues for them to worship. At last, he left two of them and brought three to Mount Putuo. The two Buddha statues are very popular, and many people come to worship them and pray for good health, prosperity, and many other good fortunes.

The next stop is Yu Garden (closed on Monday). Built in the Ming Dynasty, the garden is a renowned classical garden in southern China. With an area of 20,000 square meters, it boasts ancient trees, huge bonsais, and various flowers. Besides sophisticated brick carvings, stone carvings, clay sculptures, and wood carvings, there are also precious paintings, ceramics, and calligraphy works. Nine-dragon Pond is an eye-catching part of the garden. Four stone dragon heads are bulging on a row of heaped-up stones in the pond, and thus four reflections of the dragon heads appear in the water; meanwhile, the whole pond looks like the body of a dragon. The nine dragons in total add auspiciousness to the garden, as the number nine and dragons are all lucky tokens in ancient China. And the pond, therefore, is called “Nine-dragon Pond”.

After that, you will go to Shanghai Old Street. This destination will bring you back to the bustling market in Shanghai 100 years ago. Time-honored stores, tea houses, and taverns are strewn on the streets. Walking along the zigzag lanes, you will see the lifestyles of local citizens.

After lunch, it’s time to visit People’s Square. Dubbed as “Green Lung of the City”, it is a garden square with a greenery cover of 80,000 square meters. In its center stands Shanghai Museum (closed on Monday). Covering an area of 3,800 square meters, it is divided into six functional areas. Featuring bronze ware, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, the museum houses twelve thousand rare items and about twenty thousand books. It is a huge museum of ancient Chinese art.

Next, you will be taken to Shanghai Tower, a giant skyscraper. With an area of 433,954 square meters, it is 632 meters high, with 119 storeys. The speed of its express lift can reach 64 kilometers per hour. It can bring you to the 118th floor for sightseeing within 55 seconds from the ground. The 118th and 119th floors are sightseeing areas for visitors to enjoy. The sightseeing hall of Top of Shanghai on the 118th is a triangle-shaped area with a massive transparent glass curtain wall. You can have a 360-degree bird’s eye view of Shanghai.

At the end of the visit, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Jade Buddha Temple

Shanghai Museum

Today, the first stop is Zhujiajiao Water Town, 50 kilometers west away from Yu Garden. After a one-hour ride, the quaint town will be in your sight. With a history of over a thousand years, this ancient town is hailed as “Venice in Shanghai”. It is characterized by buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as numerous historical sites. Among them, Fangsheng Bridge is a must-see place. Known as the First Bridge in Shanghai, it is the longest and highest five-hole stone bridge in Shanghai, spanning over the Caogang River like a rainbow. It’s said that the bridge was built by a monk in the Ming Dynasty. You will get on a wooden boat and pass under the bridge, enjoying the picturesque scenery on both sides.

After lunch in the town, you will be transferred to the Bund in the downtown. It’s about 50 kilometers east away from Zhujiajiao Water Town. Almost one hour later, you will arrive at the arguably most popular traveling spot in Shanghai. Located on the bank of the Huangpu River, the Bund is 1.5 kilometers long. Famous for exotic building clusters, it boasts 52 buildings of Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque, and Chinese and Western combined styles. The most conspicuous structure is Shanghai customs house and the big bell on its top. Installed in 1927, the bell is the largest one in Asia and the third largest in the world after Big Ben on Elizabeth Tower and the bell on the Red Square. The bell tolls every other quarter.

Then the last destination is Nanjing Road, hailed as the “First Commercial Street in China”. With a length of 5.5 kilometers long, the road is divided into two parts, namely Nanjing East Road and Nanjing West Road. Nanjing East Road leading to the Bund is 150 years old. Many time-honored stores always attract tourists both at home and abroad. By contrast, as the top-end shopping street in Shanghai, Nanjing West Road is home to more than 750 international brands. At night, light shows will give you another wonderful experience.

After a day-long visit, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Zhujiajiao Water Town

Nanjing Road

Today, it’s time to say goodbye. After breakfast, our guide will take you to the airport. Hopefully, the 10-day China adventure tour will be one of the best memories in your life.

Author: Wu Hongmei

Proofreader: Lexie