China Escorted Tour from Beijing to Hong Kong

Today, you will arrive in Beijing. Our responsible tour guide will pick you up at the airport and then escort you to the carefully selected hotel to rest.

After breakfast, we will drive to Tian’anmen Square, which is 880 meters long and 500 meters wide. This square is located in the center of Beijing and covers an area of 440,000 square meters, which can accommodate 1 million people for a large scale of gathering. The square is paved with light-colored granite strips. In the middle of the square majestically stands the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. The Great Hall of the People stands on the west side of the square and the National Museum of China stands on the east side. These magnificent buildings together constitute Tian’anmen Square, which is the must-visit place in Beijing. You can take photos here and share them on your Facebook, which is sure to win many likes for you.

Then we will head to the Forbidden City (closed on Mondays), located in the central axis of Beijing. It is the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). Besides, the Forbidden City is the largest and best-preserved imperial palace of ancient wooden structure in the world. It covers an area of about 720,000 square meters and a construction area of about 150,000 square meters. And there are more than 70 palaces and more than 9,000 rooms. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony are the most popular halls in the Forbidden City.

After lunch, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, located in the south of the Forbidden City. Temple of Heaven covers an area of about 2.73 million square meters. It was built in the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. It was a place for emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties to worship the heaven and pray for a good harvest. Temple of Heaven was listed as a world cultural heritage in 1988. There are many exquisite architectures expressing the human’s respect to Chinese gods. For example, there is a “road” called Shenlu(god’s road). It is located at the central location of the sacrificial site. And it only allowed the sacred gods to pass in the past. Even Chinese supreme emperor could not walk on it. Now, it has become a popular attraction and every visitor is allowed to walk on it to experience this “god’s road”.

Then we will go to the Summer Palace, located in the northwest of the Temple of Heaven. Covering an area of about 2.9 square kilometers, it is mainly composed of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace is also known as the “Royal Garden Museum” and it is the best-preserved royal garden. There are pavilions, corridors, temples, and bridges here. If you are interested in history or ancient architecture, this place is definitely worth a visit. Besides, Summer Palace was listed in the world heritage list in 1998. After visiting the Summer Palace, we will go back to the hotel.

Forbidden City

Temple of Heaven

After breakfast, you will be escorted to visit Hutong. Hutong refers to the alleys distributed among the Siheyuan(traditional courtyard residences). Beijing Hutongs originated in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It is said that there were more than 6,000 Hutongs in Beijing at its heyday. Most Hutongs extend from east to west, and the width is generally no more than nine meters. Most of the buildings on both sides of the Hutong are quadrangles, called Siheyuan. Siheyuan is a traditional building in China. It refers to a courtyard with houses built on four directions, enclosing the courtyard in the middle. We will take the three-wheel rickshaw to visit Hutong. Besides, we will have a family visit here. If you are interested, you may have a chance to learn how to make dumplings.

Then we will head to Mutianyu Great Wall. Mutianyu Great Wall is located in the north of Beijing. It will take about 1.5 hour(70KM) to get there by car. There are many mountains and trees in the scenic area, and its vegetation coverage rate is over 90%. With a total length of 5,400 meters, Mutianyu Great Wall is the longest section of all the Great Walls. We will arrange to take the cable car to get to the top of Mutianyu Great Wall. Taking the cable car not only saves time and energy, but also offers another angle for you to enjoy the scenery around the Great Wall.

Hutong

Mutianyu Great Wall

After breakfast, you will take the estimated flight CZ8887 12:00/14:10 to Shanghai. Our thoughtful guide will pick you up at the airport and take you back to the hotel. Shanghai is the economic, financial, scientific and technological center. The city covers an area of 6,340.5 square kilometers, and by November 2020, the permanent resident population was 24.87 million. Shanghai has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. More importantly, Shanghai has many popular attractions, which will let you find an entirely new world.

Today, we will first visit the Jade Buddha Temple, covering an area of about 7733.33 square meters. Jade Buddha Temple is located in the northwest of Shanghai. It is named after the Jade Buddhas, which are worshiped in the temple. Although it is located in a prosperous urban area, it is quiet inside. It is seen as a pure land. On the central axis, there is the Hall of Heavenly King, the Main Shrine Hall and the Jade Buddha Chamber. It is said that during the construction period of the concession in 1882, a stone tablet was excavated, which was engraved with many mysterious patterns. Not soon after that, a plague broke out and many people died. At that time, the Master Huigen happened to pass by Shanghai with five jade Buddha statues brought back from India. When he saw this situation, he said that the stone tablet was very ominous. So Master Huigen did a Buddhist ritual and buried the stone tablet underground again. He left a Jade Buddha to suppress this stone tablet and also suggested to build a temple on this site. Later, a temple was built here and was named “Jade Buddha Temple”. It is said that the stone tablet is still buried under the temple.

Then we will visit Yu Garden (closed each Monday). It has a history of over 400 years and covers more than 20,000 square meters. At first, Yu Garden was a private garden in the Ming Dynasty. Now it has become a popular attraction. Besides, it is the main place to organize various activities. The flower exhibition in Yu Garden dates back to more than 200 years ago. In this flower exhibition, you will admire various flowers, like chrysanthemums, orchids, plum blossoms, and so. All the flowers are provided by individuals. People will vote for these flowers and the person, whose flower with the most votes will be the winner. If you are lucky, you can take part in this exhibition and vote for your favorite flower.

Lunch will be arranged in a local restaurant, then we will go to the Shanghai Tower. Shanghai Center Tower is a skyscraper, with an area of 433,954 square meters. It has a total height of 632 meters, with 127 stories above the ground. The tower can be divided into retail zone, office zone, hotel zone, sightseeing zone, etc. We will arrange to take the fastest elevator to get to the sightseeing platform, which is located on the 118th floor. That is to say, you will go up to a height of 546 meters in just 1 minute. You will have a panoramic view of Shanghai on this sightseeing platform.

The next place we are going to is the Bund, which is located along the bank of Huangpu River. It has a total length of 1.5 kilometers. The Huangpu River is the main river of Shanghai. It is said that in ancient times, when the Bund was still a natural beach. Boats on the river needed to be pulled to move by boat trackers standing on both sides of the river. For hundreds of years, the boat trackers’ footprints had been left on the beach and a trail also appeared gradually. People called it “tracker’s trail”, which is the earliest form of the Bund. Standing here, you can see the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai Tower and other landmark buildings.

The last attraction for today is Nanjing Road. Nanjing Road is the first commercial street established after the opening up of Shanghai. It has always been known as the first commercial street in China. It has a total length of 5.5km and is divided into East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. There are many shops on Nanjing Road and you can choose souvenirs here for your relatives and friends. After visiting the Nanjing Road, your guide and driver will escort you to the hotel.

Yu Garden

Nanjing Road

This morning, we will drive west for about 2 hours to Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It has a total area of 8,657.32 square kilometers and a permanent population of 12.75 million. Its plain accounts for 54.8% of the total area. Suzhou has a subtropical monsoon marine climate, which is good for growing rice, wheat, oilseed rape and so on.

The first attraction we will visit in Suzhou is Tiger Hill, located in the northwestern Suzhou. The hill is 34.3 meters high with many towering ancient trees. Although the Tiger Hill scenic area is not very big, there are many popular attractions. Among them, the thousand-year-old Huqiu Pagoda (Huqiu refers to the Tiger Hill) is the most popular. It stands on the top of the hill and is 48 meters high. It is a seven-story brick pagoda, built in the Five Dynasties (907-960). Because the base of this pagoda is on a slope, the pagoda is slightly tilted to the northeast. But it still stands for thousands of years. Therefore, Huqiu Pagoda is known as China’s “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. Taking pictures with this tilted pagoda will show people an illusion that it as if was post-produced.

The next place we will visit is Shantang Street. It has a total length of about 3,600 meters and it is next to the Shantang River. You will see many river courses and bridges here. When you walk on this street, you will find that almost all the buildings are two-storied ancient buildings with gray tiles and white walls. In addition to explore the Shantang Street on foot, you can also take a boat to admire the charm of this centuries-old street.

In the afternoon, you will be escorted to visit the Master of Nets Garden. Located in the southeast of Shantang Street, it is a representative garden of Suzhou classical landscape garden. It was built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It covers an area of about 5,000 square meters. All the pavilions in the Master of Nets Garden are next to the water. The garden is a typical private garden integrating house and garden. There are stone drums on both sides of the gate of the garden. Each stone drum is carved with a vivid lion playing a ball. In ancient times, the carved stone lion is the symbol of dignitary.  

Then you will be escorted to the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a typical classical garden with a history of more than 400 years. Humble Administrator’s Garden is one of the four famous gardens in China. It is the largest classical garden in Suzhou, covering an area of about 52,000 square meters. It is famous for its exquisite pavilions, lush trees, and beautiful flowers. There is a place in the garden called Tingyuxuan (Tingyu refers to listening to the sound of rain; Xuan refers to a small room with windows), which is connected with the surrounding buildings with curved corridors. In front of this building is a pond, in which lotus are planted. Besides, there are plantain trees and emerald bamboos beside the pond. When raindrops fall on different plants, people can hear different sounds of rain. For such an experience, this building is called Tingyuxuan.

Shantang Street

Master of Nets Garden

After breakfast, we will drive southwards for two hours and forty minutes to Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province. Upon arrival, we will have lunch in a local restaurant and then head to West Lake. West Lake is the main freshwater lake in China, and there are mountains on three sides of it. Speaking of the origin of West Lake, there are many interesting legends. It is said that a long time ago, Immortal Yulong and Immortal Jinfeng found a precious pearl on an island-shaped site near the Milky Way. When the pearl shines, the trees nearby will be evergreen and the flowers will bloom immediately. However, later, the Queen Mother(the top female leader in heaven) found the pearl, and sent divine troops to take it away from them. But Yulong and Jinfeng refused to give. So a fight for this pearl started. During the fight, the pearl dropped from the heaven to the earth and became a lake miraculously. That is the “West Lake”. In order to protect the pearl, Yulong and Jinfeng came to the earth, becoming Yulong Mountain and Fenghuang Mountain, guarding the West Lake forever.

Then you will go to Lingyin Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple in China, facing Feilai Peak. It was built in the first year of the Xianhe Reign(326-334) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), covering an area of about 87,000 square meters. It is said that Monk Hui Li thought that Feilai Peak was the place where immortals hide, so he built a temple facing it and named it “Lingyin Temple”(‘Ling’ refers to ‘immortals’ and ‘Yin’ refers to ‘hide’ in Chinese). The building of this temple is to worship these immortals nearby. If you are interested in the Buddhist culture, it is a wonderful place for you to visit. After visiting, we will drive northeast for about three hours to Shanghai.

West Lake

Lingyin Temple

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to take the estimated flight MU507 321 11:30/14:05 to Hong Kong. Your guide will pick you up to start your Hong Kong escorted tour. Hong Kong is located in southern China, with a total land area of 1,106.66 square kilometers and a sea area of 1,648.69 square kilometers. It has a total population of 7.47 million and is the third-largest financial center in the world.

This morning, we will visit Victoria Peak, which is a popular attraction in Hong Kong, integrating sightseeing, shopping and catering. We will take the Peak Tram to the top of the mountain, and you can overlook the scenery of Victoria Port along the way. On the top of the mountain stands the Peak Tower, designed by the famous British architect Terry Farrel. It is in the shape of a bowl. It is seen as a must-see place on Victoria Peak. There are many famous restaurants, stores, cafes, etc. on the Victoria Peak. For example, you will see the popular cafe - Pacific Coffee. The coffee offered here is considered the best coffee in Hong Kong and has won the awards of “Hong Kong Magazine Readers Choice” and “Coffee Shop of the Decade”. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery while tasting delicious coffee here.

Then we will head to Stanley Market, located at the southeast of Victoria Peak. Stanley market is a famous tourist market in Hong Kong. Strolling around the market, you will find various products, such as Chinese handicrafts, Chinese oil paintings, antiques, tourism supplies, and so on. Furthermore, the majority of these products are affordable. Generally, bargaining is allowed for most products. You might as well choose some gifts for your relatives and friends.

The last attraction for today is Repulse Bay. Repulse Bay is in the shape of a crescent, known as the Oriental Hawaii and the First Bay in the World. It is famous for its fine sand, wide beach bed, gentle beach slope, warm water. When you walk barefoot on the beach, you will feel a warm current flowing from your feet to your whole body. In addition to the charming natural scenery, the Repulse Bay is also well-known for its buildings. You will see many villas and mansions located here. The Repulse Bay area is the most luxury residential area in Hong Kong. Many celebrities purchased their properties here, such as Jackie Chan, Li Ka-shing, Jet Li, etc. Besides, the Repulse Bay is highly favored by the camera crews. For example, the Repulse Bay Hotel mentioned in Eileen Chang’s “Love in a Fallen City” (one of the most popular short stories of Eileen Chang, exploring love, marriage, and human nature) has appeared in many popular movies and TV dramas.  

Peak Tower

Repulse Bay

After having breakfast, we will drive to Lantau Island. Lantau Island is located in the southwest of Hong Kong. It is the largest island in Hong Kong, with an area of 147 square kilometers, nearly twice the area of Hong Kong Island. Lantau Peak, the main peak of the Lantau Island, is 935 meters above sea level and is the second-highest peak in Hong Kong. We will take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to the Lantau Island.

The first we will visit is the Big Buddha. Big Buddha is the highest outdoor seated Buddha made of bronze in the world, with a total height of 34 meters. It is located on the Muyu Peak, at an altitude of 482 meters. When you overlook the Buddha statue from the cable car, you will find that it keeps a smile on his face, which symbolizes stability, prosperity, security and peace.

After visiting the Big Buddha, we will go to visit the Po Lin Monastery, which was built in 1924. Inside the monastery, there are various halls deserving your visit, such as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Main Shrine Hall, the Hall of Guanyin(goddess of mercy) and so on. Inside these halls, there are exquisitely carved statues. Besides, the vegetarian food here is very popular among visitors. If you are interested in, you might as well try it.

The last stop is Tai O Fishing Village, which covers an area of 109,200 square meters. When you visit here, you will see a special kind of house, which was built on over-the-water stilts. It is the traditional Hong Kong building, with a history of over 50 years. In addition to this special building, there is a famous attraction called Bainianhaohe (means a love relationship lasting a hundred years). It is composed of a banyan tree outside and a plane tree inside. It is a popular attraction, especially favored by couples. It is said couples who have come here can have a happy marriage for a hundred years.

Po Lin Monastery

Tai O Fishing Village

Today, your Chinese escorted tours will come to an end. You will be escorted to the airport to take a flight back home.

Author: Xuelei Zhang

Proofreader: Yan Liu