China High-Speed Train Tour to the Magical City-Shanghai

Our guide will wait for you at the airport according to your flight schedule. Upon your arrival, you will be met by our local friendly guide at the arrival hall of Shanghai Airport and escorted to your hotel by a private comfortable vehicle. You are free for the rest of the day. If you want to explore the nearby areas, please feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel according to the appointed time. First, you will be transferred to visit Yu Garden(closed each Monday). Yu Garden was a private garden in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Pan Yunduan, a government officer at that time, built the garden on the vegetable field on the west side of his residence in 1559 of the Ming Dynasty for his parents to enjoy a happy and tranquil time during their old age. Yu means pleasing and safety in Chinese, which represented his best wishes for his parents. After more than twenty years, the construction of Yu Garden was finally completed. The garden is unique in its design. It perfectly combines decorative halls, elaborate pavilions, glittering pools, pagodas, archways, and impressive rockeries. There are more than forty ancient buildings such as Sui Hall, Deyue Tower, Tingtao Pavilion, Hanbi Tower, and Jingguan Hall. These are all the highlights that you should not miss when you stroll around the Yu Garden.

Then you will visit Yu Garden Old Street, which is located next to Yu Garden. It has a great number of small streets and lanes where you can find many restaurants, tea houses, and shops. It is a good place to taste some local snacks and buy some souvenirs for your friends and family. You can buy some traditional Chinese commodities on the street, such as Chinese lanterns, silk, handicrafts, folding fans. Lunch will be in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Bund. The Bund starts from Yan'an East Road in the south and ends at Waibaidu Bridge in the north. There are 52 classical revival buildings of different styles. Known as the Bund International Architecture Exhibition Group, it has become a financial center in the old Shanghai period and has always been regarded as Shanghai's landmark architecture.

At last, you will be transferred to see the Shanghai Tower. The Shanghai Tower is a spiral building with a total height of 632 meters, ranking as China’s tallest building. It has the tallest and fastest lifts travelling at 40mph, and it only takes 55 seconds to reach the 119th floor observation deck.

Then you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Shanghai Tower

The Bund

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at the hotel. You will be transferred to the train station and take an estimated train G7319 09:38-11:03 to Hangzhou. Just take a short 30-minute journey by train from fashionable Shanghai, you will arrive in Hangzhou. We can say Hangzhou is incredibly easy to access. Hangzhou is one of the most important tourist cities in China. With its stunning natural scenery and rich cultural heritage, it attracts many visitors every year. The fabulous scenery in Hangzhou has been praised by many poets and artists since ancient times. Just as the famous traveler Marco Polo said: “Hangzhou is the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”. It has plenty of beautiful scenic spots, such as West Lake, Lingyin Temple, and Six Harmonies Pagoda. Upon your arrival at Hangzhou train station, you will be met by your friendly local guide. Then you will be transferred to your hotel by a private comfortable vehicle to have a short rest. Lunch is not included, but your guide will be happy to give you some suggestions.

In the afternoon, you will visit the West Lake and have an opportunity to enjoy the West Lake Cruise. West Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of about 6.39 square kilometers It is located in the south west of Hangzhou city. With its beautiful lakes, mountains and causeways, it has become the world-famous tourist attraction and is known as the "paradise on earth" in the world. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2011. Taking a 45-minute boat ride is the best way to enjoy the tranquil lake views as well as the ancient pagodas, arched bridges, tree-lined walkways, and beautiful causeways. At last, you will be transferred back to your hotel to have a good rest.

West Lake

West Lake

In the morning, our guide will pick you up from your hotel. Then, you will visit the Lingyin Temple. Located in the north west of Hangzhou city, Lingyin Temple is not far from West Lake. It was built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326) by monk Huili after his return from India. It covers an area of about 87,000 square meters and is one of the largest Buddhist temples in China. The main halls of Lingyin Temple includes Hall of Heavenly Kings, Grand Hall of Great Sage, Hall of Medicine Buddha, Dharma Hall & Sutra Library and Huayan Hall. These are all the travelling essences you should not miss when you visit Lingyin Temple.

Then you will visit Feilai Peak. Feilai Peak is located in front of Lingyin Temple, also known as Lingjiao Peak, with a height of 168 meters. There are more than 340 Buddhist cave statues carved in the five dynasties, making it a rare treasure of ancient cave art in southern China. The statues appear in a variety of poses ranging from standing, to sitting. Lunch will be in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Six Harmonies Pagoda is a representative ancient pavilion-style tower in China, located on Yuelun Mountain. It is one of the three renowned pagodas in Hangzhou, together with Baochu Pagoda and Leifeng Pagoda. Six Harmonies Pagoda is located facing Qiantang River. Qiantang River Tide is regarded as the great wonder of the world, and this scene is even more magnificent around Mid-Autumn Festival. Thus, Six Harmonies Pagoda has been considered the best place to view the spectacular since the Southern Song Dynasty (420 -589 AD).

Then you will be transferred to the train station and take an estimated train G7192 17:01-18:27 to Suzhou. Your Hangzhou tour will end here. Welcome to Suzhou! Suzhou is located in southern Jiangsu Province in the center of the Yangtze Delta. Built in 514 BC, Suzhou is an ancient city with over 2,500 years of history and numerous attrations. Upon your arrival at Suzhou train station, you will be warmly greeted by the friendly local guide. Then you will be transferred to your hotel in Suzhou downtown to have a good rest.

Lingyin Temple

Feilai Peak

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel according to the appointed time, then you will visit the Tiger Hill. Tiger Hill has a history of more than 2,500 years, and it has become a symbol of ancient Suzhou. Tiger Hill covers an area about 3.5 acres (14,100 square meters) and only 118 feet (36 meters) in height. There a number of historical sites on the Tiger Hill, such as Tiger Hill Pagoda, Sword Testing Stone and Sword Pool. Tiger Hill has made a perfect combination of human resources and natural landscapes. 

Visiting the Tiger Hill, you will see the Hanhan Spring. It was also called Haiyong Spring and has a history of more than 1,400 years. According to a legend, there was a monk of the Liang Dynasty (502-557) named Han Han, whose responsibility was to carry water for the temple. He suffered from eye disease since childhood, but he had a good hearing. One day he passed by the Tiger Hill when he was carrying water. He stepped on the moss and fell. He knew the moss only grow in the wet place. So, he thought that there may be a spring under the earth. He decided to dug the earth to find the spring. A passing villager saw his behavior, laughing at his foolishness, and said, "If you can find a spring, I will become a big frog to guard here.” Just after saying this, a clear spring sprang up from the ground and sprayed into the face of monk Han Han. He immediately felt a burst of coolness, and his eyes saw the light again.

Next, you will be transferred to visit the Lingering Garden. You could appreciate the unique and exquisite architectural art at the Lingering Garden. In 1961, the garden was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as one of the first national key cultural relics protection units. The whole garden is divided into four parts- the central part, the eastern part, the western part and the northern part. You can enjoy four different sceneries in the Lingering Garden. The water in the central part is the essence of the whole garden. The eastern part is outstanding with its winding courtyard and corridor. The northern part features idyllic scenes with bonsais, flowers and trees. The western part is the most beautiful spot in Lingering Garden with natural charm. Lunch will be in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Master of Nets Garden. The Master of Nets Garden is a typical Mansion Garden in Suzhou, and its beauty lies in the delicacy architecture. This garden is one of the smallest in Suzhou.

At last, you will be transferred to visit Shantang Street. Shantang Street is a famous historic and cultural street in Suzhou, with a length of 360 meters. It used to be the most developed blocks of commerce and culture during the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. The buildings along the street are exquisite and beautiful. There are many shops on the street, which show the prosperity of Shantang Street.

Tiger Hill

Shantang Street

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 Nanjing. Then 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 your hotel. You will first visit the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (closed each Monday). The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the tomb of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, a pioneer of the great democratic revolution in modern China, covering an area of more than 80,000 square meters. The construction inside the Mr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum was started in 1926 and completed in 1929. The whole scenic area represents a large bell as seen from the air, symbolizing the noble spirit and heroic efforts of Mr. Sun Yat-sen's devotion to the Chinese people, fight of oppression and wining the independence of the country. It was announced as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 1961. 

Then you will visit the Ming Tomb. Located at the southern foot of the Purple-Golden Mountain,Ming Tomb is the tomb of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and his Empress with a history of more than 600 years. The construction of the tomb began in 1381 and finished in 1405, and it took 25 years to construct and a huge expenditure of human resources involving 100,000 laborers. The overall layout of the Ming Tomb is divided into two parts: the first part is the Sacred Way, and the second part is the main buildings of the mausoleum, including the Main Gate, Treasure City, Minglou Building and Chongqiu Hill. As the head of the Ming Emperor's Mausoleums in China, it represents the great achievement of architecture and stone carvings in the early Ming Dynasty. 

After lunch, you will be transferred to see the Linggu Temple, which was described as 'the best Buddhist temple in the world' and is known as one of the three major Buddhist temples of the Ming Dynasty. Located to the east of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Linggu Temple was built in the Liang Dynasty (502-557).  The name of the temple has been changed several times in history. And Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor in the Ming Dynasty, gave it the current name of ‘Linggu Temple’. Visiting the Linggu Temple, you could have the chance to climb the Linggu Pagoda. The 8-storey pagoda is not tall but when climbing to the top, you will get a panoramic view of the Purple-Golden Mountain.

Linggu Temple

Sun Yat sen Mausoleum

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Then you will be transferred to see the Nanjing Presidential Palace. The Nanjing Presidential Palace, located at 292 Changjiang Road, is the largest modern historical museum of China. It has witnessed many defining moments in ancient and modern China. The Nanjing Presidential Palace complex covers an area of about 50,000 square meters. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport and fly back to your sweet home.

Nanjing Presidential Palace

Nanjing Presidential Palace

Editor: Tina Jia

Proofreader: Lexie Jia