10 Days Budget China Nature Exploration

Welcome to Beijing! Upon arrival, you will easily find your local tour guide holding your name sign and waiting for you at the arrival hall. Then you will be transferred to the hotel. And you can have a good rest for the coming journey. As one of the four major municipalities directly under the Central Government in China, Beijing is the political, cultural, international exchange, and technological innovation center of China. It has a total area of 16,410.54 square kilometers and a permanent population of 21,189,095. In addition, Beijing is also an international metropolis with a long history. For example, there are many historical attractions, such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace. During this journey, we will provide you with cheap but high-quality services. Like other tours in Beijing, we will take you to visit various attractions in Beijing, but at the same time, this is also a money-saving tour that will make you feel worthwhile.

After breakfast, we will take you to Tian’anmen Square, the first stop of your journey in Beijing. Located in the center of this city, it covers about 440,000 square meters and can even hold grand gatherings of about 1 million people. It is 880 meters long and 500 meters wide. When you stand in this square, you will find a flagpole with the national flag of the People’s Republic of China. The total height of this flagpole is 32.6 meters. But you will find that the national flag does not rise to the top, but only rises to 28.3 meters. That is because 28 years and three months have passed between the founding of the Communist Party of China and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, which is very memorable. 

Then we will tour the Forbidden City (closed on Mondays). As the imperial palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) Dynasties in China, the Forbidden City is in the center of the central axis of Beijing. It has an area of about 720,000 square meters and a construction area of about 150,000 square meters, with more than 70 palaces and more than 9,000 rooms. Among all the palaces here, I recommend you to tour the Hall of Union. This hall has a square shape, with yellow glazed tiles on the four corners. And this hall is also called “the palace of women”, which is related to a story. According to historical records, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this hall was also the place where the empress received greetings of concubines and other noble ladies during some important festivals. On the three major festivals, respectively New Year’s Day, Winter Solstice, and Millennium, the empresses would come to the Hall of Union to celebrate. So, this place witnessed the lives of women in the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and their power struggle.

Next, we will take you to Jingshan Park. As the imperial park of Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jingshan Park has a total area of 23 hectares, among which the lawn covers an area of 1,100 square meters. The Jingshan Mountain in the center of the park was made of soil and was once the commanding height of the city. In addition, Jingshan Park gathers together 569 varieties of peony at home and abroad, with a total of more than 20,000 plants. So, coming here to smell the scent of flowers will make you feel very comfortable.

In the afternoon, we will first take you to the Temple of Heaven. Located in southern Beijing, the Temple of Heaven was built in the 18th year of Yongle period in the Ming Dynasty (1420) and now covers about 2.73 million square meters. It is also the place for emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to make offerings to heaven and pray for an abundance of grains. The Temple of Heaven is divided into two parts, the inner altar and the outer altar, which are both on the same north-south axis, separated by a wall. When you tour here, we recommend you to visit the Echo Wall, an interesting attraction. The walls here are very smooth, which is a good for transmission of sound. What is the most interesting is that two people who are separated by forty to fifty meters can hear each other’s voices when they stand along and speak to the wall here. When you come here, you can also have a try in person.

Then you will tour the Summer Palace, a royal garden in the Qing Dynasty. The whole garden covers about 3.009 square kilometers, and the area of water surface accounts for about three-quarters of the whole garden. This place is also the best-preserved royal garden, known as the “Museum of Royal Garden”. When you tour here, you can visit the Hall of Joyful Longevity. It is the main building in the residential and living area of the Summer Palace and is the best place to live and entertain in this palace. There are also famous flowers such as magnolia, begonia, and peony in the courtyard, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery here.

Jingshan Park

Forbidden City

After breakfast, we will take you to tour Hutong near Shichahai. As a product of the long history of Beijing, Hutong began to take shape in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Now it has a history of about 700 years. Moreover, we will arrange for you to take a rickshaw, a kind of transportation pulled by a person. When you sit on a rickshaw to have a tour, you can feel the living atmosphere of the local people lived in the hutongs, and also feel the charm of this old Beijing-style transportation. In addition, we will also take you to visit one of the families in Hutongs. Through such a visit, you can get a good understanding of what the homes of the most authentic Beijing residents are like, which will help you to understand the old Beijing culture.

Then we will go to Mutianyu Great Wall. It is about 70 kilometers north of the city center, and it will take you about one and a half hours to drive there. You can have a rest on the way. As the longest section of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall is 5,400 meters long and is one of the famous top sixteen attractions in Beijing. The most predominant feature of the Mutianyu Great Wall is that its vegetation coverage has reached 96%, which is incomparable to other sections of the Great Wall. In addition, you will take the cable car up and down the Great Wall.

After visiting Mutianyu Great Wall, we will transfer you to the airport. And you will take the estimated flight CZ3288 19:40/22:40 to Guilin. Upon arrival, your local tour guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. Since you have come to Guilin, you might want to know something about this city. Guilin has an area of 27,800 square kilometers and a permanent population of 4.93 million. And Chinese people often say that “Guilin’s landscape is the best in the world”. So, Guilin has a very charming natural scenery that will make you fall in love with this city.

Hutong

Mutianyu Great Wall

After breakfast, we will transfer you to the Mopanshan Wharf. It is about 35 kilometers southeast of Guilin city, and it will take us around 50 minutes to drive there. Upon arrival, we will take the Li River Cruise. The landscape that people often say “Guilin’s landscape is the best in the world” is related to the scenery of the Li River. So you can imagine how great it will be when you sit on a cruise and enjoy the fascinating natural scenery along the river. In addition, you will have lunch on the cruise. On the three-star cruise ship, you will have a Chinese-style boxed lunch, and on the four-star cruise ship, a Chinese buffet is provided. Generally, we will arrange for you to take a three-star cruise. If you want to take a four-star cruise, you need to contact us in advance. And the terminal of this cruise trip is in Yangshuo.

When we finish this cruise tour, we will take you to Yangshuo West Street. Located in the center of Yangshuo Ancient Town, Yangshuo West Street is about 8 meters wide and nearly 800 meters long. Moreover, it is also the oldest and most prosperous street in Yangshuo, as well as one of the important tourist attractions in Yangshuo, with a history of more than 1,400 years. What you don’t know is that this street is also called “Foreigner Street”. The reason is that this is the place where most foreigners gather, and even the waiters here can speak English. So, when you come to this street, you may feel very familiar. After visiting Yangshuo West Street, we will escort you to the hotel. And you can have a good rest.

Li River Cruise

Yangshuo West Street

After breakfast, we will drive you to the airport. It is about 20 kilometers west of the center of Guilin, and it will take you around 30 minutes to get there. When you arrive at the airport, you will take the estimated flight MU8565 13:35/16:05 to Shanghai. Upon arrival, the local tour guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. So, your money-saving tour in Shanghai will start. Since you have come to Shanghai, an international metropolis with a long history, let me give you a brief introduction to this city. As the economic, trade center of China, Shanghai has a total area of 6,340.5 square kilometers and a permanent population of 24,870,900. And there are many famous attractions in Shanghai, such as the Bund, Yu Garden, and Oriental Pearl Tower, which we will all visit. So, although the cost of this trip is relatively low, we will provide the same quality of service and journey as other travel agencies while helping you save money. 

After breakfast, we will drive you to Suzhou. It is about 105 kilometers west of Shanghai, and it will take you around one and a half hours to get there. As one of the important central cities in the Yangtze River Delta, Suzhou has a total area of 857.32 square kilometers and a permanent population of 12,748,262. In addition, Suzhou is also a famous city with a long history, known as the “paradise on earth”. For example, there are classical gardens of Suzhou, the representative of Chinese private gardens.

After arriving at Suzhou, we will take you to Lingering Garden, a classical garden of Suzhou. As a large-scale classical private garden in China, the Lingering Garden covers about 23,300 square meters. It is known for its exquisite architectural art, and this place is magnificent and gorgeous. In addition, the garden consists of four parts. The east part has several buildings, the middle is a landscape garden, the west is a large rockery, and the north is best place to enjoy the rural scenery. Moreover, there is also an interesting story about the origin of the garden’s name. Legend has it that the garden’s owner once found a stone tablet with a large inscription on it, which is “Lingering in the world”. The owner thought that this garden had survived many wars and was still there. The word “Lingering” in its name must worked. He thought this word was very auspicious. He hoped that this garden would remain in his own hands forever, so the garden was renamed the “Lingering Garden”.

In the afternoon, we will go to Shantang Street. It is named after the Shantang River and has a total length of about 3,600 meters. And the ancient street built along the river was called Shantang Street. Nowadays, there are various ancient buildings along the street. Most of the ancient buildings were built in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. In addition, when you come here, you can also taste some delicious snacks, such as Osmanthus cake, crabapple cake, and meat dumplings. Among them, we recommend you to taste Osmanthus cake. It is a traditional snack with Chinese characteristics made with glutinous rice flour, sugar, and sweet-scented osmanthus. Its taste is sweet and delicate, which will give you a good aftertaste. So, why don’t you come here and have a try?

Then we will take you to Tiger Hill. Located in the northwest corner of the ancient city of Suzhou, Tiger Hill has a long history of more than 2,500 years. The scenic area has an area of 475.9 hectares and a protected area of 19 hectares, becoming an important attraction in Suzhou. When you come here, the first attraction that you should visit is Tiger Hill Pagoda. But except for that, we will also recommend you to tour Sword Pond. The best angle to tour this attraction is to overlook from above. Then you will find that this pool is like a sword placed on a flat surface, which will give you a surprise.

Next, you will tour Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory. Established in 1926, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory is a time-honored company famous for its silk. When you come here, you will learn about this company and how silk is produced by visiting the factory history museum, silk culture exhibition hall, and silk production exhibition. And Chinese silk has been famous all over the world since ancient times. Its smooth, comfortable texture has made it deeply loved by people from all over the world. So, now it is a precious opportunity for you to see the production process in person. We believe that you will not want to miss it.

Lingering Garden

Tiger Hill

After breakfast, we will drive you to Hangzhou. It is about 170 kilometers southwest of Suzhou, and it will take you around two and a half hours to get there. So, you can have a rest on the way. Upon arrival, you will start your journey in Hangzhou, with cheap but with high-quality services. In addition, while saving your budget, we will also arrange the best trip for you to enjoy the beauty of Hangzhou. So, you will enjoy a perfect journey at a good price. Then, let me give you a brief introduction to Hangzhou. As one of the central cities in the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou has a total area of 16,850 square kilometers and a permanent population of about 12 million. Nowadays, this city has become one of the important international e-commerce centers since the reform and opening up. Except for that, Hangzhou is also a historic city with beautiful scenery. So, it is also known as “paradise on earth”. We believe that the landscape here will not let you down.

After lunch, we will take you to Meijiawu Tea Plantation. Located in the west of Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Area, Meijiawu Tea Plantation is an ancient village with a history of more than 600 years. It has more than 1.5 square kilometers of tea gardens. And there are also more than 500 country residential buildings. This village is famous for its West Lake Longjing tea, one of the most famous tea varieties in China. This kind of Chinese tea has green color, strong fragrance, good taste, and beautiful shape. Meijiawu Tea Plantation has also received visits by heads of state and government from the United States, Vietnam, Romania, Cambodia, and other countries, as well as friendly people from all over the world. So, this kind of Chinese tea is very popular, and we believe you will like Longjing Tea.

Meijiawu Tea Plantation

Meijiawu Tea Plantation

After breakfast, we will take you to visit West Lake. Located in the west part of Hangzhou City, the West Lake Scenic Area has a total area of 49 square kilometers and a lake area of 6.38 square kilometers. On the whole, the West Lake has an oval shape, with a flat bottom. The average depth of the lake is 2.27 meters, with the deepest part about 5 meters and the shallowest part less than 1 meter. When you stand by the lake, you will enjoy the beauty of West Lake. In addition, we will also arrange for you to take a boat on the West Lake so that you can feel the charm of West Lake more closely. Imagine how great it will be when you sit on a boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery, with the breeze blowing.

Then we will tour Lingyin Temple. The Lingyin Temple we see today was restored and rebuilt based on reconstruction in the late Qing Dynasty, covering about 87,000 square meters. On the whole, there are three halls on the central axis: The Hall of Heavenly Kings, The Grand Hall, and The Pharmacist Hall. In addition, there is another interesting thing about this temple, that is, the main door of Lingyin Temple is never opened. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong (the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty) once came here when the temple was closed, and the monk did not believe it was Emperor Qianlong, so he did not open the main door. Then Qianlong issued the imperial decree, saying that since the main door will not open when he comes, no one will ever open the main door afterward. Although this is just a legend, the main door of Lingyin Temple never opened. 

In the afternoon, we will take you to Leifeng Pagoda. When it comes to this pagoda, it has many titles, such as one of the “Ten Views of West Lake”, one of the nine famous pagodas in China, and the first colored bronze pagoda in China. It has a total height of 71.679 meters, a total area of 3,133 square meters, and a total construction area of 6,089 square meters. In addition, Leifeng Pagoda has five floors. And there is a golden dome made with exquisite gilding art on its fifth floor. There is a huge lotus flower in the center, which symbolizes holiness and expresses the desire for universal peace. So, when you come here, you can have a look in person.

Next, we will tour Six Harmonies Pagoda. It covers about 890 square meters and is 59.89 meters high. The inner tower is a masonry structure divided into seven floors, and the external wooden structure pavilion-style colonnade has eight sides and thirteen floors. Each level of the colonnade has doors on both sides. And the tower is connected by a spiral staircase. The third level is carved with flowers, birds, beasts, fairies, and other patterns. And if you look from outside, you will find 104 iron bells hung on each eaves corner outside the tower. In addition, Emperor Qianlong once wrote inscriptions on each floor of this pagoda. 

After the visit, we will drive you back to Shanghai. It is about 177 kilometers northeast of Hangzhou, and it will take you around 2 hours and 20 minutes to get there.

West Lake

Six Harmonies Pagoda

After breakfast, we will go to Jade Buddha Temple, a famous ancient Chinese Buddhist temple. The temple got its name because it enshrines two jade Buddha statues. Although it is located in a bustling urban area, it has become a representative of quietness, which makes it a bit out of the atmosphere with this metropolis. The Jade Buddha Temple was well designed, covering an area of about 7,733 square meters and a construction area of 8856 square meters, with more than 200 halls and rooms. In addition, many foreign guests will visit here after they come to Shanghai, including some government officials and famous people from all walks of life, such as the wife of former US President Reagan, the wife of the Brazilian President, the British Princess Margaret, and so on.

Then we will take you to Yu Garden (closed each Monday). Built in the Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden was once a private garden with a history of more than 400 years. And it was designed by Zhang Nanyang, a famous garden builder in the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of more than 46,000 square meters. In addition, there are many attractions in this garden, such as Sansui Hall and Huge Rockery. Among them, we recommend you to visit Nine-dragon Pond. There are four dragon-shaped stone sculptures between the stone gaps of this pool, and these four stone sculptures form four shadows in the water, and the meandering pool water also looks like a dragon, so there are nine “dragons”. And that is why this pond got its name.

Next, we will tour Shanghai Old Street. This attraction is located in Huangpu District, Shanghai. And it was once an important place for Shanghai’s foreign trade, which make that it has witnessed the economic and social development of this city. The street is 825 meters long and the buildings in it are all in the old Shanghai style, with black tiles, red pillars, and cornices. And when you come here, you will also see many Shanghai local residents living here, making this place unique in this prosperous metropolis.

In the afternoon, we will go to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, a famous landmark in Shanghai. You may have heard that many tourist groups will visit Shanghai Tower, which will cost more. But we arrange for you to tour the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in order to save your budget while enjoying the same scenery as the Shanghai Tower. So, it will be worthy to join us. Founded on October 1, 1994, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only one of the landmark buildings in Shanghai, but also the sixth tallest tower in Asia and the ninth tallest in the world. It has a total height of 468 meters and a total construction area of 100,000 square meters. When you come here, the sightseeing floor is a place you must visit. From here, you can see the whole scenery of Shanghai. Think how great it will be to stand on such a tall building and look down below.

Then we will take you to The Bund. Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, this place was once a British concession and the origin of morden Shanghai. The Bund is 1.5 kilometers long, and there are 52 classical revival buildings with different styles along the way, called the Bund World Architecture Exhibition Group. When you come here, you can visit the Shanghai Association, known as “Oriental London”. It is designed with reference to the Empire State Building of Japan and has the characteristics of British classicism.

Next, we will tour Nanjing Road. It is 5.5 kilometers long and is the No.1 commercial street established in Shanghai. When you come here, you will see many shops on both sides of the street, which makes this place very prosperous. In addition, we recommend you to tour Shanghai International Hotel. It is one of the oldest hotels in Shanghai, known as “the tallest building in the Far East” in the 1930s. What is special about this building is that it was invested and built by the Chinese, which greatly increased the self-confidence of the Chinese in that era. Then we will transfer you to your hotel, and you can have a good rest.

Yu Garden

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

After breakfast, the local tour guide will transfer you to the airport according to the time schedule. And your journey in China will come to an end. We wish you a safe journey and look forward to our next meeting.

Editor: Zhang Yufan

Proofreader: Summer Hou