China Luxury Adventure Tour

Today, you will start the special China luxury tour from Beijing. We have fully prepared to provide you with all high-end services. The local guide will pick you up at the airport by luxury car and then take you to the high-end hotel that we have arranged for you. The hotel is in the city center, with convenient transportation, complete facilities, and high-end services, which can meet all your needs. As the capital city, Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. It is also filled with many higher education institutions and a variety of tourism resources. Hope you have an unforgettable journey!

This morning, you will visit Tian’anmen Square after breakfast. Covering an area of 440,000 square meters, Tian’anmen Square can accommodate one million people for a large rally in the center of Beijing. Here, you can see not only the Tian’anmen Gate Tower but also many famous buildings, including the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the National Museum, and so on. The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is the highest memorial hall in China. It is a collective memorial hall for the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries headed by Comrade Mao Zedong. The hall is located at the southern end of Tian’anmen Square, with a total construction area of 28,000 square meters. Through a large number of photos, documents, and objects, the memorial hall shows the great achievements of Mao Zedong in various periods of China’s revolution and construction. Now, it is also a national patriotism education base.

Then, going further north, you will see the Forbidden City (Closed on Mondays). The Forbidden City in Beijing is the imperial palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1636-1912), covering an area of 720,000 square meters. Twenty four emperors who ruled China used to live in the Forbidden City, and Emperor Kangxi, the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, has the longest reign from 1661 to 1722. Many anecdotes occurred during Kangxi’s reign. At the age of 40, Kangxi contracted malaria, which traditional Chinese medicine failed to cure. So he took the imported western medicine that was unexpectedly effective, and his disease was soon cured. After that, Kangxi became interested in western medicine and ordered people to refine western medicine, set up laboratories in the palace, trial, and produce new medicines. He even observed it personally. Moreover, he advocated vaccination to prevent smallpox, which saved thousands of people from the tragedy of death from smallpox.

During lunchtime, we have prepared Peking Roast Duck for you. Usually, ordinary tourists will eat simple Chinese food. But as a guest of the China luxury tour, we have a fancy roast duck meal for you. Peking roast duck is a well-known local specialty, which is cooked in a complicated and delicate way. As a result, it got a magical taste. In addition, we will also invite professional chefs to show you various ways of eating Peking Roast Duck. I am sure it will be an unforgettable lunch. 

Next, you can go to the Summer Palace, which is known as the royal garden during the Qing Dynasty. In the Summer Palace, you can see the picturesque Kunming Lake, the Long Corridor displaying thousands of years of history and culture, the Suzhou Street full of various shops, the Grand Theater that used to perform traditional operas, etc. Among them, Kunming Lake is about three-quarters of the total area of the Summer Palace, and it was the largest lake in the imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty. Kunming Lake is modeled after the West Lake in Hangzhou. You can see that there is a long bank in the lake called the West Bank, which runs from the northwest to the south. The West Bank and its branch banks divide the lake into three water areas of varying sizes, each with an island in the center. These three islands on the lake symbolize the three sacred mountains on the East China Sea in ancient Chinese legends-Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. Walking in the Summer Palace, you can immerse yourself into Chinese history and the pleasant natural scenery.

The Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

This morning, we will drive you 60 kilometers (about an hour and forty minutes) to the Ming Tombs in the north direction. Thirteen emperors in the Ming Dynasty were buried here. Therefore, it is called Ming Tombs. Ding Tomb is the tomb of Emperor Wanli, the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is the only tomb that has been excavated. The most noteworthy thing is the four phoenix crowns unearthed in Ding Tomb. They belong to the two empresses of Wanli. These four crested phoenix crowns are made in the same way. The crowns are made of lacquered bamboo and are all embedded with dragons, phoenixes, jewelry flowers, and other treasures as decorations. For example, one of the phoenix crowns weighs 2,165 grams. And the crown is decorated with three golden dragons and two emerald phoenixes. In the middle, the dragon and the two phoenixes hold the jewelry knot. The crown is inlaid with ninety-five pieces of ruby and sapphire, as well as 3,426 pearls. These phoenix crowns look far more exquisite than what I described.

After lunch, we will drive you for about an hour to Mutianyu Great Wall, which is 41 kilometers away from the Ming Tombs in the northeast. The Mutianyu Great Wall was built in 1368 AD and it is an essential part of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. There is an old Chinese saying that he who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man. Therefore, many foreign adventurers want to climb the Great Wall of China and feel the charm of the ancient Chinese building and civilization. Today, the Mutianyu Great Wall has designed new ways of sightseeing for Chinese and foreign tourists, bringing people different experiences. Take our journey, for example, we will arrange the cable car or chairlift to go up and down the Great Wall. Believe me, it will save you a lot of strength! Guests under the age of 60 can also choose to try the toboggan slide, which is a very interesting and exciting experience. Such changes make climbing the Great Wall different from the traditional activity before. Come and be a “true man” with China Tour Star.

Ming Tombs

Mutianyu Great Wall

This morning, we will provide breakfast for you and then take you to visit the Temple of Heaven. Covering an area of about 2.73 million square meters, the Temple of Heaven mainly consists of three parts: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the Circular Mound Altar, and the Imperial Vault of Heaven. The Circular Mound Altar is the main place for the emperor to worship heaven. There is a round stone in the center of the upper level of the Circular Mound Altar, which is an attractive place that visitors are most interested in. When you stand on the center stone and speak softly, you will hear a resonant sound. Why? It turns out that this is an acoustic phenomenon: because the altar surface is very smooth and clean, sound waves can be quickly reflected back after reaching the equidistant stone fence surrounding it. According to the test of acoustic experts, the time from pronunciation to the sound wave coming back to the center stone is only zero point seven seconds in total. The speaker will hear his own voice and echo overlap, so the sound is very loud.

In addition, we also prepare a surprise for you! Unlike other ordinary guests who just visit scenic spots, we will arrange Tai Chi Classes for guests participating in the Beijing luxury tour. We also invite English-speaking Tai Chi teachers to teach you how to do Tai Chi and give you a chance to experience Chinese culture in depth. Most of the tourists do not have the opportunity to learn Tai Chi with a professional teacher. I’m sure it must be an unforgettable memory for you! After that, we will take you to the airport and take the estimated flight CA4116 15:30/19:05 to another city - Chengdu. Don’t worry, your local guide will pick you up with your name sign. Then he will take you to the hotel for a good rest.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

This morning, you will go to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding which is at a distance of ten kilometers from the urban area. The base was established on the basis of saving, treatment, and breeding of giant pandas. The giant panda is fat like a bear, with black and white coats. So, do you know why pandas are black and white? According to legend, the pandas used to be white all over, but in order to mourn a shepherdess who rescued their companion from the leopard’s mouth, they wept so bitterly that the fur around their eyes turned black and the black armbands they wore also blackened part of their bodies. Therefore, the giant panda became black and white. The cute pandas have been known as China’s friendly ambassador since ancient times. As early as the Tang Dynasty of China (in 685), two giant pandas were presented to Japan to deepen the friendship between the two countries.

For lunch, we will specially prepare Chengdu Hot Pot for you! Hot pot is an original Chinese cuisine, and it is a kind of food suitable for all ages. As the pot itself has a heat preservation effect, the food is still steaming hot when eaten. Typical hot pot ingredients include various meats, seafood, vegetables, soy products, and so on, which are cooked in the pot and eaten with the dipping sauce. You can also make dipping sauce according to your preferences. Your Chengdu tour is not complete without tasting the local hot pot! So don’t miss it.

In the afternoon, you will first visit Jinli Street. With a total length of 550 meters, Jinli Street covers an area of more than 30,000 square meters and integrates tourism, shopping, leisure, and entertainment. The open-air tea houses in the street mainly deal in Sichuan specialty tea, as well as snacks and desserts. Many tourists will order a cup of tea here for a short break, or they may chat with locals and experience the unique leisure culture of Chengdu. Of course, if you are lucky, you can also have a chance to enjoy authentic Sichuan Opera and even classic Chinese Face-changing Performance in an open-air tea house. Tea houses here not only make people feel relaxed but also provide places for them to feel the unique charm of Sichuan folk customs.

Not far from Jinli Street is Wuhou Shrine Museum. Facing south, the entire Wuhou Shrine Museum covers an area of 37,000 square meters. It is a memorial place for the heroes of the Shu Han Dynasty (221-263) and a museum of the relics of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 ). Among all the buildings in Wuhou Shrine Museum, the Temple of Liu Bei is the tallest, and the statues here are also the most majestic. Liu Bei is the king of Shu Kingdom. You can see the three-meter-high statue of Liu Bei enshrined in the center of the hall, and the sculpture next to it is his grandson but not his son. Why? Legend has it that the incompetence of his son Liu Chan led to the destruction of Liu Bei’s statue many times. When Liu Chan surrendered to the State of Wei, Liu Bei’s grandson cried at Liu Bei’s grave, feeling ashamed to see his ancestors and finally commit suicide. People of future generations think his grandson is more awe-inspiring. So they put the statue of his grandson next to Liu Bei's statue to accompany him.

Next, you can go to the People’s Park. Built in 1911, the park covers an area of 112,639 square meters. It is a comprehensive park integrating culture, natural scenery, and entertainment. For example, the most lively place in People’s Park is Heming Tea House. Not just for having a cup of tea, but for experiencing the leisure life in Chengdu. In addition, every day at sunset, you can see many people carrying swords or fans, or dressing in Tai Chi suits stepping into the main venue of the People’s Square. It is the square dance that is popular all over the world today! In the pavilions, the old people are practicing calligraphy on the ground with giant homemade sponge brushes while the children’s bands are showing their talents, which all add excitement to the People’s Park.

In the evening, we will arrange a special activity for you. That’s right! You can go to the Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera House and enjoy traditional Sichuan Opera. Because you are the guest of this China luxury tour, we have specially reserved a class A seat for you and you will enter the house earlier than other audience. Here you can feel the charm of Sichuan opera in the best viewing position. Moreover, the Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera House also provides tea and other snacks for you. It’s worthy to look forward to!

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Wuhou Shrine Museum

This is the last morning in Chengdu, and we will take you to visit Kuan Zhai Alley after breakfast. Located in Qingyang District of Chengdu, Kuan Zhai Alley is a famous historical and cultural street in Sichuan Province, covering an area of 479 acres. In addition to those distinctive buildings and a variety of shops, you can also experience a kind of “enchanted” ear cleaning service. All you need to do is to lie on a recliner, close your eyes, and enjoy half an hour of ear cleaning service. A professional technician will first make you relaxed with some feather and gentle sound and then use a long ear scoop for deep cleaning. After the end, you will feel that the ear canal becomes clearer instantly. And it will also help you relieve the fatigue of the journey.

After that, we will send you to the airport and you can take the estimated flight TV9873 15:45/18:10 to another city-Lhasa. Upon arrival, the local guide will pick you up at the Lhasa Gongga Airport and then take you to the hotel.

Because Tibet is a plateau area, there are some travel precautions to keep in mind:

1. Visitors should pay attention to sun protection.
2. Do not walk or run quickly when you just arrival. Avoid the strenuous exercise.
3. Pay more attention to temperature different to prevent colds.
4. Drink water to stay hydrated but don’t drink alcohol.
5. Ensure adequate and comfortable sleep.
6. Preparing anti-hypoxia products in advance can effectively prevent altitude sickness.

Kuan Zhai Alley

kuan zhai i Alley

The first attraction you will visit is the famous Potala Palace. The Potala Palace is 3,700 meters above sea level and covers a total area of 360,000 square meters. Its main building is 117 meters high with 13 floors. As a magnificent building with the highest elevation in the world, the Potala Palace integrates castles, palaces, and monasteries. In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan (641AD), Emperor Taizong of the Tang allowed Princess Wencheng to marry Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo. And the Potala Palace was built for greeting Princess Wencheng. There’s no doubt that they made important contributions to the friendship between the Han and Tibetan nationalities. In addition, Princess Wencheng is a devout Buddhist. She brought Buddhist scriptures, and Buddha statues when she went to Tibet, and later she helped King Songtsan Gambo build several temples to promote traditional Buddhism in Tibet.

After lunch, you can go to Jokhang Temple, which is located in the center of the old city of Lhasa, covering an area of more than 25,100 square meters. The Jokhang Temple was built in the seventh century. According to legend, it was built to enshrine the statue of Sakyamuni (the founder of Buddhism) brought by Princess Wencheng. Many devout Buddhists come to make pilgrimages every day. Standing in front of the Jokhang Temple, you can see many pious believers of all ages repeatedly prostrating themselves before the statue of Sakyamuni in admiration and some even came from far away after several months of kowtow. It is the most respectful ritual to worship Buddha. With this piety in their hearts and such scene of worship, even people who are not Buddhists will feel the shock of their faith！

The next scenic spot you will visit is Barkhor Street. Built around the Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street is the most flourishing commercial street in Lhasa. The street is centered on Jokhang Temple, with a circumference of about 1,000 meters. Here you can eat various flavors of food, including Tibetan food, Cantonese food, Sichuan food, and so on. However, people say that if you haven’t drunk buttered tea, it means you have not been to the Tibet. Buttered tea is a specialty beverage of Tibet, and it is mostly eaten with roasted barley flour as a staple food. This kind of beverage is processed with ghee and strong tea, which has the functions of keeping out the cold, refreshing and rejuvenating the brain, promoting blood circulation and quenching thirst. Tibetans have rules for drinking buttered tea, which is continuously added while drinking, and you cannot drink it dry in one gulp. Therefore, the tea bowls of guests in Tibetan homes are always full.

Potala Palace

Jokhang Temple

This morning, you will visit two monasteries. The first one is Drepung Monastery. Built in 1416, Drepung Monastery is large in scale. It is known as one of the three major monasteries in Lhasa, together with Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery. On large Buddhist anniversaries and auspicious days of each month in the Tibetan calendar, corresponding rituals will be hold in Drepung Monastery. There are also some activities for the monks and Buddhism believers to celebrate together. Among which the Shoton Festival is the largest religious festival in Drepung Monastery. The Shoton Festival is usually on June 30th in the Tibetan calendar. Because the monks of Tibetan Buddhism practice in the monastery from April to June each year. They will not leave the monastery until the end of June. When they practice in the monastery, the locals will provide them with yogurt and milk. When the monks are allowed to leave the monastery, they hold an activity to celebrate. That is the Shoton Festival. Later, the content of the festival became richer, combining religious activities with cultural and entertainment activities. On the day of the festival, a huge Buddhist Thangka painting will be exhibited on the mountain beside the Drepung Monastery, and then Tibetan opera shows will be held.

The next one is Sera Monastery. Beginning in 1419, Sera Monastery was completed in 1434 after 15 years. In the heyday of Sera Monastery, there were more than 8,000 monks, which is slightly inferior to Drepung Monastery in scale. Since ancient times, Sera Monastery has been a place for living Buddhas and eminent monks to give lectures. The activity of debating scriptures here is very distinctive. Originating from ancient India, debating scriptures refers to a study course that debates the teachings of Buddhism, and it is also a discussion of Buddhist knowledge. The monks of Sera Monastery do debating scriptures every day. It is challenging! To increase the intensity of the debate, debtors often use various gestures: they either clap to urge the other person to answer questions as soon as possible or pull the Buddha beads to show that they use the power of the Buddha to win.

After lunch, we will take you to Norbulingka, the garden with the largest scale, the best scenery, and the most historical sites among the man-made gardens in Tibet. Founded in the 1840s, and after more than two hundred years of expansion, Norbulingka covers an area of 360,000 square meters now, which is a typical Tibetan-style garden. As one of the major centers of the Shoton Festival in Lhasa, famous Tibetan opera groups will flock to Norbulingka at that time. From the first day to the seventh day of the seventh month in the Tibetan calendar, Tibetan operas are performed here every day, and people can enjoy these performances from morning until 5 p.m. Almost all Lhasa people in the festival will wear bright traditional clothes and many of them will gather in Norbulingka to celebrate together, which is very lively.

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

This morning, we will drive you to the airport and help you take the estimated flight TV9881 9:25/15:30 to Shanghai. Your tour guide in Shanghai will wait for you at the airport in advance. After picking you up, the guide will take you to the hotel for a good rest.

This morning, you will visit Yu Garden (closed each Monday). Covering an area of more than 30 acres, Yu Garden was originally a private garden in the Ming Dynasty. And it hadn’t opened to the public until 1961. Its unique garden landscape has attracted many domestic and foreign tourists. The Huge Rockery is the oldest, most exquisite, and largest rockery of yellowstone extant in the south China. The rockery is about 12 meters high and is made of 2,000 tons of yellowstone from Wukang, Zhejiang province. Standing in the pavilion at the top of the rockery, you can overlook the whole garden.

Next, we will drive you to Jade Buddha Temple, about 7.7 kilometers away from Yu Garden. The Jade Buddha Temple is an imitation of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) temple, building with a rigorous layout, covering an area of about 11.6 acres. Although it is located in the bustling urban area of Shanghai, it is a quiet place , and it is hailed as a pure land in the city. According to China’s traditional customs, on the first and fifteenth day of each month in lunar calendar and the Spring Festival, people have the habit of burning incense to worship Buddha and pray for health and safety. So, at that time, there will be much more people in the temple. In addition, there are many Buddhist believers from thousands of miles away who come to burn incense and ring bells to express their worship in Jade Buddha Temple.

After lunch, you can go to Shanghai Tower to see how prosperous the Shanghai City is! As a super high-rise landmark skyscraper, Shanghai Tower is 632 meters high with the main body of 118 floors. It took more than seven years to complete. What is worth mentioning is that Shanghai Tower is equipped with the world’s fastest elevator. And its maximum speed exceeds 20.5m/s. We will arrange you to take the super-high-speed elevator to the sightseeing hall on the 118th floor, and you can reach the 546-meter altitude in just 55 seconds. The sightseeing hall covers an area of more than 1,000 square meters and is arranged in a triangular ring shape. It is wrapped with a large transparent glass wall so you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city!

Then, the local guide will drive you to Nanjing Road. Built in 1999, Nanjing Road has a total length of 1033 meters, a road width of 18-28 meters, covering a total land area of about 30,000 square meters. In the course of more than 100 years of development, Nanjing Road has also become a bustling pedestrian street and lots of shops have opened here. Here you can see some century-old brands. “Zhang Xiaoquan” Scissors is a traditional brand of handicraft industry, with a history of more than 300 years. It was once listed as the tribute during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1735-1795). Traditional civilian scissors are Zhang Xiaoquan’s original products. It has five different shapes with fine grinding and sharp cutting edges. It has won many awards in some international competitions.

When you come to Shanghai, the Bund is naturally an indispensable place to visit! With a length of 1.5 kilometers, The Bund is in the west of Huangpu River. There are 52 classical buildings on the Bund. Here, you can hear the bell ringing every hour that is from the clock tower of The Custom House. The clock tower is ten stories high and overlooks the entire Bund. There are four clock faces around, 72 electric lights with automatic switches, the whole body is bright at night, and the numbers can be clearly seen from a few miles away. The hands of the clock are made of red copper. The hour hand is 2.3 meters long and the minute hand is 3.17 meters long. What’s more, there are three pendulums in the clock tower, the largest one weighs 2 tons while the other two weigh about one ton. The building is modeled on the big clock of the Houses of Parliament in London, England.

In the evening, we will arrange the Huangpu River Cruise for you! It is a unique experience that we prepare for the guests of the Shanghai Luxury tour, different from ordinary guests who visit the Huangpu River during the day. At night, the view of the Huangpu River is more excellent. You can blow the sea breeze on the deck and see the scenery of the buildings on the Bund brightly lit. Looking ahead, you will see the noisy and bustling shore and the quiet and elegant river. Everywhere show you a sense of beauty! Nowadays, Huangpu River Cruise has become the most characteristic tour project in Shanghai.

the Bund

Nanjing road

This morning, we will drive you to Zhujiajiao Water Town for about one hour and ten minutes (fifty kilometers), which is in the southeastern of Shanghai City. Zhujiajiao Water Town is a town under the jurisdiction of Qingpu District, Shanghai. It is rich in natural resources. There is a bridge in the town named Fangsheng Bridge. “Fengsheng” means freeing captive animals in Chinese. It is said that once the Guanyin Bodhisattva passed by and saw a fisherman catch a golden fish. In fact, the fish was the little princess of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. The Bodhisattva turned into a mortal and let the fisherman release it. Later, the fisherman released the fish and got the enlightenment of Guanyin to become an arhat. So later generations built a bridge here and named it Fangsheng Bridge.

After lunch, we will drive you back to the downtown area, and you can visit Tianzifang Market, the last attraction of this China luxury tour. Tianzifang Market is a fashion landmark of creative industry. For lots of artists, it is also a creative work base. Unlike other streets, Tianzifang Market shows people more of the kind, warm and noisy side of Shanghai. Walking in Tianzifang, characteristic shops and art workshops will inadvertently jump into your sight. The most representative one is the snowflake flaky pastry, which is a crunchy dessert. The main ingredients are butter, peanuts, biscuits, marshmallows, dried cranberries, and almonds. The desserts here are all handmade, with authentic taste and reasonable price. You can also bring some to share with your friends and family! 

Zhujiajiao Water Town

Tianzifang

Today, your 12 days China Luxury Adventure Tour comes to an end. Your guide will accompany you to the airport and say goodbye to you. Then you can board your flight back home.

Author: Liu Jiaqi

Proofreader: Betsy He