China Essential tour from Shanghai

Welcome to Shanghai! Our guide will wait for you at the airport according to your flight schedule. Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to thehotel in Shanghaidowntown. The rest of today is to recover from the long flight or explore this vibrant and bustling metropolis on your own.

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the hotel according to the appointed time. First, you will visit Yu Garden. With a history of more than 400 years, Yu Garden was firstly a private garden and was built in 1559 by Pan Yunduan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The founder Pan Yunduan invited a well-known designer to build this garden for his parents to spend their remaining years.Zigzag Bridge and Mid-lake Pavilion should not be missed when you visit Yu Garden. With 18 meters long and 2 meters wide, Zigzag Bridge is totally composed of granites and jade stones. It is a perfect leisure site with a pond and fish, and pavilions on both sides. Mid-lake Pavilion is the oldest surviving tea-house in Shanghai, located in the middle of the lotus pond in the Yu Garden, connected to the Zigzag Bridge. The unique Zigzag Bridge, together with the Mid-lake Pavilion, both have been one of the icons of Shanghai. Then you will visit Old Street. Old Street is adjacent to the famous garden - Yu Garden. Originally built in 1907, Old Street features many antique buildings with national features. It is more than 100 meters long. The street is lined with a variety of shops, including jewelry shops, boutique shops, local food restaurants, local specialties shops, and so on. Then you will have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Bund. The Bund is Shanghai’s standout landmark, with its grandiose buildings lining the western bank of the Huangpu River. It’s a must-see tourist attraction for visitors, and the historic architecture houses plenty of unique restaurants, bars, shops and hotels. Stroll along the Bund, you will see the well-known attractive sight- the 52 classical revival buildings in different styles, which have the fame of ‘museum of international architecture’. Look across the Huangpu River, dense grandiose skyscrapers in Pudong New District will come into your sights, such as Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and World Financial Center. It is the best place to take some beautiful pictures. Next, you can visit Nanjing Road. Known as China's top shopping street, Nanjing Road is a must-visit attraction in Shanghai which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. According to statistics, there are more than 1,800,000 tourists come to Nanjing Road every day. Stroll around Nanjing Road, you can easily find some century-old food stories, where you could not only taste the most authentic Shanghai food, but also buy some for your friends and families as gifts. At last, you will be transferred to see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Located in Lujiazui, Pudong New District, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is one of Shanghai's iconic cultural sights with its tower height of 468 meters. The construction of the skyscraper started in July 1991 and was completed in May 1995. The Tower offers a variety of functions including sightseeing, catering, shopping, and exhibition. Then you will be transferred back to your hotel to have a good rest.

the Bund

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the hotel. First, you will visit the Jade Buddha Temple. Jade Buddha Temple was built in 1882, the 8th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty.There is a cultural relic room inside the temple, which contains precious relics from the Northern Wei, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the train station and take an estimated train G7583 14:40-15:40 to Hangzhou. Hangzhou is one of China's seven ancient capitals and has been designated a "Historic and Cultural City" by the government. Our friendly local guide will wait for you at the train station. After picking you up, you will be transferred to the hotel in Hangzhou. You are free to arrange your time for the rest of the day.

Jade Buddha Temple

Jade Buddha Temple

In the morning, you will visit West Lake and enjoy the West Lake Cruise. Located in the city center, the West Lake is one of the biggest scenic spots in Hangzhou. It is China's main ornamental freshwater lake and one of the first batches of national key scenic spots in China. West Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides. There are many attractions along West Lake. Taking a cruise on the West Lake is a great way to immerse yourself in the picturesque scenery. You will enjoy the view of Leifeng Pagoda, Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, and Broken Bridge on the cruise, and avoid more crowds on the bank.

Next you will visit the Lingyin Temple, which is located to the west of West Lake. Lingyin Temple was built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326 AD) and has a history of about 1,700 years. It is the oldest and most famous temple in Hangzhou. There are many halls in the Lingyin Temple, among which the Great Buddha’s Hall is the biggest. It is the place where the monks chant sutras in the morning and evening. In the middle of the hall, there is a 24.8-meter-high Sakyamuni statue sitting on a lotus base, which is solemn and vivid. It is one of China’s largest camphorwood sitting Buddhist statues.

Then you will visit Feilai Peak. Feilai Peak, also known as Lingjiu Peak, is 168 meters above sea level. Due to the long-term erosion by groundwater, many fantastic caves on Feilai Peak have been formed, such as the Longhong Cave, the Yuru Cave, the Shexu Cave and the Huyuan Cave. In Shexu Cave, if you walk into the cave at a proper time, you will see a beam of sunlight penetrating into the cave from the hole on the roof, which is known as a “thin strip of sky.”

Then you will visit the Leifeng Pagoda. Leifeng Pagoda, also known as Huangfei Pagoda, was first built in 977 AD by the King of Wuyue dynasty to celebrate the birth of his son, delivered of by one of his favorite concubines. The original Leifeng Pagoda collapsed in 1924 and it was rebuilt in 2002. Since then, it has become a famous tourist attraction in Hangzhou and attracts a large number of tourists every year. Leifeng Pagoda is popular among the local people and foreigners not only because of its beautiful scenery, but also the "Legend of the White Snake". In the Chinese folk tale "The Legend of the White Snake", a young scholar- Xu Xian falls in love with a beautiful woman named Bai Niangzi, who is a one-thousand years old white snake and has transformed into a human form. Monk Fahai don’t understand the true love between Xu Xian and Bainiangzi. His mission is to surrender the devils, and in a fight between Bainiangzi and Monk Fahai, Bai Niangzi was defeated and henceforth suppressed under the Leifeng Pagoda.

At last, you will be transferred to visit the Meijiawu Tea Village. Meijiawu is an ancient village with a history of over 600 years, and is one of the main production areas of Longjing tea. In the village, you can not only taste the Longjing tea, but also walk among the tea plantations and take beautiful photos. You can also buy some Longjing tea for your friends and families as a gift. At last, you will be transferred back to your hotel to have a good rest.

Feilai Peak

Lingyin Temple

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel according to the appointed time, then you will be transferred to visit the Nanxun Ancient Town. It is about 96 kilometers from Hangzhou and it takes about 1.5 hours to get there by car. Nanxun is a peaceful and tranquil water town with a history of more than 750 years. It is one of the six well-known ancient towns in south China, together with Tongli Ancient Town, Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, Xitang Ancient Town, Wuzhen Ancient Town and Luzhi Ancient Town. With a rich historical and cultural heritage, it has become a national 5A tourist area and was designated as one of "China's top ten charming towns", and "China's famous historical and cultural town". Upon your arrival in Nanxun Ancient Town, you will first visit the Little Lotus Garden. Also known as Liu Garden, Little Lotus Garden is the private garden owned by Liu Yong, the richest man in Nanxun in the Qing dynasty, and it covers an area of more than 17,000 square meters. Liu’s family began to plant flowers and willows around the pool and built pavilions and corridors in the garden in the eleventh year of the Guangxu period (1885), and the construction of the garden was finally completed in 1924. The lotus flowers in the pond blossom in the summer, which is the best time to visit the garden. Next, you will visit the Former Residence of Zhang Shiming. The former residence of Zhang Shiming is one of the rare mansions in south China that has maintained the historical appearance of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is a classic building complex combining Chinese and Western styles, known as the "first residential house in south China". After lunch, you will visit the Mansion of One Hundred Rooms. With a history of more than 400 years, the Mansion of Hundred Rooms is situated on both sides of the river in Nanxun Ancient Town with blue tiles and white walls. It starts from the Suspension Bridge in the east and ends at the Zhazhuang Bridge in the west, and is about 400 meters in length. At last, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Hangzhou downtown.

Former Residence of Zhang Shiming

Nanxun Ancient Town

After breakfast, our tour guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Then you will be transferred to the train station and take the estimated train: G7506 10:36-11:36 to Shanghai. Our friendly Shanghai local guide will wait for you at the train station. After picking you up, you will be transferred to your hotel and have a good rest. You are free to arrange your time for the rest of the day.

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the airport. Then you will fly back to your sweet home.

Editor: Tina Jia