Sunshine China Honeymoon Tour with Sanya

Today, you will arrive in Shanghai, China. Our professional guide will wait for you at the Shanghai airport and then transfer you to the hotel to get over the jet lag. Shanghai is a city combined with modern elements and traditional Chinese culture. Here you will see modern skyscrapers and antique Chinese garden; have the opportunity to hear traditional Shanghai opera and classic symphonic music; experience the tea culture in Shanghai’s old streets and the bar culture on Hengshan Road, etc. Follow the guide to start your China honeymoon tour in Shanghai.

Today, your China honeymoon tour will start officially from Shanghai. After breakfast, we will head to the Yu Garden (closed on Mondays). It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and it originally was a private garden. Up to now, it has a history of over 400 years. There are many pavilions as well as ancient architecture in Yu Garden and the five dragon walls impressed me the most. Among the five dragon walls, the most distinctive one is the wall of dragon flying among clouds to the west of Dianchun Hall. The dragon keeps its head up over the wall and its body is winding with numerous dark grey tiles as the dragon scales, which looks vivid and spectacular. In ancient times, the dragon is a symbol of the emperor and only in the imperial palace, can be shaped the five-clawed dragon. So to avoid violating the regulations, the dragons on the walls of Yu Garden are three-clawed. If you are interested, you can have a careful look at them.

Later, we will head to the Jade Buddha Temple. It is named after the jade Buddhas that are mainly enshrined in the temple. This temple is located in the Putuo District, the bustling downtown area, so it is known as a pure land in the busy Shanghai. On the central axis of the temple are the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Great Buddha’s Hall and the Jade Buddha Building (Abbot’s Office). On the left and right are the Hall of the Reclining Buddha, the Hall of Avalokitesvara Buddhisatva and the Hall of the Copper Buddha, etc. In these halls, you will see various Buddha Statues. Among which, the beautifully decorated seated Buddha statue and reclining Buddha statue from Burma are the statues you cannot miss.

Leaving the Jade Buddha Temple, we will go to a local restaurant for lunch. Then go to the Shanghai Tower. It is located in the heart of the financial and trade district. Known as the “Top of Shanghai”, it has a total height of 632 meters with 127 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. It is the first tallest building in China and the second tallest building in the world among the completed buildings. You can take the world’s fastest elevator inside to reach the Sightseeing Hall on the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower, and it only takes 55 seconds. From this Sightseeing Hall, you can get a 360-degree view of the entire Shanghai. When you stroll on this floor, you will see a mailbox which is the highest mailbox in the world. You can buy several postcards stamped with the photos of Shanghai, which are taken from the Sightseeing Hall. Send them to your friends and family through this mailbox, sharing your romantic honeymoon tour with them.

After that, we will go the Nanjing Road. It is a pedestrian street with four major functions: shopping, tourism, business and culture and its length is more than 5.5 kilometers. It is famous for its classic architecture, such as the Peace Hotel, Jialing Building, Meilun Building, etc, which will show you a visual feast. In addition to that, the road surface is also attractive with a unique design. The whole road is paved with colorful bricks and stones with a 4.2-meter-wide “golden belt” as the mainline. The material for the golden belt is granite imported from Italy. Besides. There are 37 rainwater manholes distributed on the golden belt and they are engraved with different patterns of Shanghai buildings in different periods.

Walking east along the Nanjing Road, you will get to the Bund. It is located on the west bank of the Huangpu River in the Huangpu District and has a length of 1.5 kilometers. There are 52 classical buildings of different styles, showing the coexistence of buildings from all over the world, such as the classic Asia Building, the British classic Shanghai General Assembly Building, etc. You can walk along the Bund with your wife/husband to admire these magnificent buildings, enjoy the scenery of the Huangpu River. If you still have enough energy, you can walk to the Waibaidu Bridge and take some pictures there. It will create a cherished memory for your honeymoon tour.

Option:

In addition to walking along the bank of the Huangpu River to admire the beauty of the Bund, you are also suggested to have a cruise on the Huangpu River to feel the charm of Shanghai. It is highly recommended to take the Huangpu River Cruise at night At that time, the high-rising buildings on the both banks show you their charm in colorful lights, which has a big difference from that at daytime.

Yu Garden

Shanghai Tower

Today, we will drive southwest for about 2.5 hours(180KM) to Hangzhou. After arrival, we will go to visit the West Lake first. The outline of West Lake is nearly oval and the bottom of the lake is relatively flat. Its average depth is 2.27 meters. The whole scenic area covers a total area of 49 square kilometers and has more than 100 attractions. Among these attractions, the Ten Views of West Lake are especially famous among tourists, such as Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, Viewing Fish at Flower Pond, etc. Among them, the Viewing Fish at Flower Pond is the most worthy attraction in my opinion. There are curved bridges built on the water, where you can see the thousands of red fish with golden scales come and go in groups. In addition to admiring the fish, you may encounter the peacocks strolling on the grass, among which the white peacocks spreading their tails are especially beautiful; the weeping willows on both sides of the long road look like gentle maiden that are greeting to you; you may also see the blooming peonies in the garden if you come in the right season. Furthermore, there are not crowded persons here, so you can spend a quiet and romantic treasured time with your wife/husband.

Later, we will have lunch in a local restaurant. Then go to the Lingyin Temple. It is located at the foot of Lingyin Mountain on the west side of West Lake, with a history of over 1,700 years. The environment inside the temple is quiet and many treasured cultural relics of different dynasties are restored in the temple. Among them, the two sutra pagodas in front of the Great Buddha’s Hall are the oldest and most valuable cultural relics in Lingyin Temple. They were built in 930 AD, belonging to the period of the Northern Song Dynasty(960-1127). From the appearance of the pagodas, we can know that each pagoda is eight-sided and has nine stories. The body of the pagoda is carved with statues of Bodhisattvas and Buddhist scriptures. The upper end is shaped like a flame with smooth lines, which makes the whole pagoda more vivid.

Leaving the Lingyin Temple, we will head to the Six Harmonies Pagoda. This pagoda is adjacent to the Qiantang River Bridge with a height of nearly 60 meters. Looking from the outside, it seems that the pagoda has 13 floors, however there are only seven floors inside the pagoda, which is a very unique construction structure. In addition, there are many small windows on each floor of the pagoda and one iron bell is hung on each pagoda eave, with a total of 104 iron bells. When the river breeze blows the iron bells, you will hear a melodious sound. About the Six Harmonies Pagoda, there is a famous legendary story. It is said that a grumpy dragon king was living in the Qiantang River. The dragon king often overturned fishing boats and flooded farmland for no reason, making it impossible for the people nearby to live normally. Seeing this scene, the Jade Emperor (the ruler of the immortals in the heavenly palace) sent an immortal general called Liuhe(‘Liuhe’ is the Chinese pronunciation of ‘six harmonies’) to subdue the dragon. After three days and three nights of battle, the dragon surrendered and promised not to do the evil things. After fulfilling the task, Liuhe returned to the Heavenly Palace. Later, to commemorate this event, a pagoda was built here and named after Liuhe.

After visiting all the arranged attractions in Hangzhou, we will drive back to Shanghai.

West Lake

Lingyin Temple

After breakfast, we will go to visit the Tianzifang Market. It is a unique area gathering various fashionable and creative stores in Shanghai and many artists choose this place for their studios. In addition to its stylish studios and environment, Tianzifang Market shows people more of the intimate, warm and noisy side of Shanghai. Walking in Tianzifang Market and meandering through the maze of alleyways, some specialty stores, restaurants, teahouses, and art workshops will jump into your sight occasionally. You can find almost everything here. If you stop and look up, you might see the tiger-shaped skylights and the finely arranged red tiles on the roofs, some cracks and green moss on the walls, all of which will show you the history of Tianzifang Market.

In the afternoon, you will take the estimated flight Y87501 15:30/18:45 to Sanya. Your Sanya guide will wait for you at the airport and then transfer you to the hotel. Sanya is a romantic city and many newlyweds choose this place for their honeymoon tour. In Sanya, you will enjoy the warm sunshine away from the cold winter and the leisure time away from the bustles of big cities. Have a good rest tonight and you will start a bran-new experience in Sanya tomorrow.

Tianzifang Market

Tianzifang Market

After breakfast, you will begin your honeymoon tour in Sanya. Remember to wear sun-proof clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen cream, as the sunlight in Sanya will be a little strong. The first attraction we will visit is the Luhuitou Scenic Area. It is located in the southern part of Sanya city, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides and has exquisite scenery. For example, you can climb up to the 275-meter-high mountain in the Luhuitou Scenic Area to admire the wonderful sunrise. But remember to get up early in the morning if you want to see the sunrise. In addition to the sunrise scenery, you can also have a good view of Sanya’s urban sights and coastal scenery on the top of this mountain, such as the attractive Phoenix Island. This is a man-made island and it is praised as the “East Dubai” for the five high-end residential buildings built on the island. As when you see these five buildings from afar, you will find they have a similar structure to the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.  

Leaving the Luhuitou Scenic area, we will go to the Dadonghai Scenic Area. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the whole bay is in the shape of a beautiful crescent moon. In the scenic area, you will see many coconut trees neatly planted along the beach. To the season when coconuts are ripe, you may smell a light aroma of coconut. You can have leisure and romantic time with your wife/husband here.

Later, we will go to the First Market. It includes the marketplace along Xinmin Street and its surrounding commercial streets. This market is famous for its fresh seafood and fruits. There are many seafood processing stalls insides and you can buy almost any fresh seafood you want here. So when you come to Sanya and want to taste the delicious seafood, the First Market is a must-visit place. If you want to taste the seafood here, our guide can help you to buy the freshest seafood and then find a restaurant nearby to cook according to your taste. In addition to the seafood, you can also see a variety of fruits and Hainan special snacks, such as Hainan noodles, glutinous rice cake, coconut rice and a variety of freshly squeezed juice, etc. Among those, the freshly squeezed papaya juice and coconut juice are highly recommended for you.

Option: In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, the water sports and beach activities here are also very famous, such as surfing, snorkeling, beach volleyball, etc. These sports are equipped with developed facilities and the professional instructors will teach you and protect you. If you are interested in these activities, just tell your guide and he/she will arrange it for you.

Luhuitou Scenic Area

Dadonghai Scenic Area

After breakfast, we will head to the Wuzhizhou Island. It is located in Haitang Bay,  the north of Sanya City and boasts the attractive tropical scenery. Wuzhizhou Island has become more and more popular among newlyweds when they envision a beautiful, romantic and meaningful honeymoon. With its high visibility and colorful underwater world, it has been the perfect diving paradise in China. Besides, there are also many water activities such as motor boating, boating on a banana-shaped boat and water parachuting for your choice. If you are interested, you can experience these interesting activities with your wife/husband. Another feature of this island is that you will see many romantic attractions, such as the Love Bridge, the Sea Viewing Corridor and the “HAPPY LOVE” sign, etc. Among those, the Love Bridge is especially popular among couples. A famous Chinese movie “Personal Tailor” has been shot here for its fabulous scenery. At the beginning of the bridge, there is a pair of couple’s statues and a chair for taking photos. At the end of the bridge, there is a Guanlang Pavilion. You can sit on the chair to take some wonderful photos; walk hand in hand with your wife/husband along the bridge to feel the sea breeze blowing to your face; or sit at the pavilion to admire the charming island scenes. I am sure that you will create a treasured memory for your honeymoon tour in Sanya.

Wuzhizhou Island

Wuzhizhou Island

Today, you will take the estimated Flight MF8394 12:25/16:15 to Beijing. The Beijing guide will wait for you at the airport and then transfer you to the romantic hotel. Beijing is the place that Chinese 24 emperors had lived and you will have a chance to visit the emperor and his wives’ living rooms, the gardens the royal children had played in and the place for holding royal sacrificial activities, etc. So follow the guide’s steps to start a special honeymoon experience.

After breakfast, we will head to the Tian’anmen Square. It is located in the center of Beijing. As the largest city square in the world, it can accommodate one million people for grand national events. Besides, you will see many famous attractions here, such as the Tian’anmen Gatetower, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, and the National Museum of China. Among them, there are seven paralleled exquisite Chinese white jade bridges on the Jinshui River in front of the Tian’anmen Square. In ancient times, the passage of these seven bridges had strict regulations. The middle one also the most prominent one decorated with carved dragon head pillars, only allowed the emperor to pass. The further out in line the bridge is, the lower the rank of the officials allowed to cross will be.

Next, we will go to visit the Forbidden City (closed on Mondays). It is the largest royal palace complex in the world. It is 961 meters long from north to south and 753 meters wide from east to west, besides, it is surrounded by 10-meter-high walls on all sides. There are more than 9,000 rooms in the palace. It is said that before the construction of the Forbidden City, it took 13 years to prepare the building materials, such as the precious woods, huge stones, etc. When you walk to the back of the Hall of Preserving Harmony. You will see a huge perfect Danbi stairway stone carving, which is carved out of a complete piece of stone. It is said that at that time, in order to mine and transport this huge stone, more than 10,000 civilian workers and more than a thousand mules were used for this project. It took 28 days to transport this big stone to the ancient Beijing. When you see this stone carving, you will be shocked at its exquisite workmanship.

Later, we will have lunch in a local restaurant. Then go to the Temple of Heaven. It is a royal altar for the emperors in Ming and Qing dynasties (1636-1912) to offer sacrifices to the heaven, pray for rain and a good harvest. When you come here, in addition to admiring the exquisite architecture, you will also marvel at the wisdom of the ancients for the ingenious designs such as the Echo Wall and the Three Sound Stones, etc. Among those, the Echo Wall is 3.72 meters high, 0.9 meters thick, 61.5 meters in diameter and 193.2 meters in circumference. When two people stand separately in one or two hundred meters and one person says something, the sound waves will be transmitted to the other person’s ear. No matter how small the voice is, you can hear its echo clearly. You can try to say something sweet to your wife/husband to see if he/she can hear the echo. It will be a very meaningful and interesting thing for this honeymoon tour.

Leaving the Temple of Heaven, we will go to the Summer Palace. It is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. It mainly consists of the Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, besides, it boasts a landscape scenery similar to West Lake scenery in Hangzhou (a southern city in China). It is said that, the emperor Qianlong was filial, so he ordered to build a garden for his mother to celebrate her birthday. Because his mother love the scenery of West Lake, he ordered to design and build the Summer Palace according to the scenery of West Lake, so that his mother can admire the beautiful attractions similar to West Lake without walking a long way. When you come here, you can choose to take the Dragon Boat to have leisure and romantic time with your wife/husband. On the boat, you can admire the attractive natural sight and unique architecture on the Longevity Hill, creating a treasured memory for your honeymoon tour in this royal garden.

Summer Palace

Forbidden City

After breakfast, we will drive north for about 2 hours(70KM) to the Mutianyu Great Wall. This Great Wall is built on the mountains with precipitous terrain. You can choose to take the chairlift or cable car to the top of the Great Wall. Looking from a distance, the Great Wall seems like a giant dragon lying among the mountains. Mutianyu Great Wall is famous for its different sceneries in different seasons. In spring, you will be welcomed by thousands of peach blossoms; in summer, the mountains are full of green with streams running through; in autumn, the whole mountains will be dyed into red and yellow; in winter, the mountains are covered with snow. You can imagine how beautiful the great wall will be when it is surrounded by such a splendid landscape. In addition to the magnificent scenery, the Mutianyu Great Wall is not as crowded as other Great Walls. This is why many couples who come to China for their honeymoon will definitely choose Mutianyu Great Wall as their destination. The best place to take photos at Mutianyu Great Wall is the 14th Beacon tower. Take some photos and post them to your Facebook to share these special honeymoon moments with your friends and families. I am sure you will receive a lot of thump-ups.

Getting down from the Mutianyu Great Wall, we will drive back to downtown Beijing to explore the romantic Beijing traditional alleys - Hutongs. We will arrange a rickshaw for you and your wife/husband to experience the Hutongs culture. By taking the rickshaw, you may have a basic understanding of the architecture in Hutongs. And also, you may see some Beijing residents gather together, playing chess, chatting or just sitting on a chair to relax, etc. Besides, our guide can also take you to visit a local family to have a close contact with the Beijingers. Maybe, the host of the family had worked in the Forbidden City and you may hear some interesting stories about the emperors or the royal concubines.

Option: Learning the Chinese Paper-cutting Art

If you are interested in Chinese paper-cutting art, our guide can also arrange a paper-cutting lesson for you. You can learn to cut out the Chinese character 囍 which means “Double Happiness”. It is the symbol of traditional Chinese weddings and carries the meaning of sweet marriage life.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Hutongs

Today, you will say goodbye to China. And you need to arrange your flight in advance for going home. The 10-day China honeymoon tour ends today, but the beautiful memory will last forever. China Tour Star looks forward to your next China tour.

Author: Yan Liu

Proofreader: Betsy He