China Escorted Tour Including Shanghai and Hong Kong

Once you touch down in Shanghai, your guide will take you straight to the hotel for a rest. Tomorrow, you will start to enjoy your best escorted tours to China.

This morning, you will visit the Jing’an Temple that was built in 247. It is one of the earliest temples in Shanghai. As the main building of the Jing’an Temple, the Main Shrine Hall is 26 meters high. You will see two magic stone chairs in this place. One is called Qingxin (Qingxin means clearing your heart in Chinese). The other is called Facai (Facai means being rich in Chinese). Besides, in the Main Shrine Hall, you will see a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha with a weight of 15 tonnes and a height of 8.8 meters. You will also see a statue of Bodhisattva, which is 6.2 meters high in the left room and another statue of Shakyamuni in a seated pose in the right room.

Then you will go to the Yu Garden (closed each Monday). It was built by Pan Yunduan, a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Yu Garden covers an area of more than 20,000 square meters. There are many decorative rocks in the Yu Garden. The most famous one in Yu Garden is called Exquisite Jade Rock. According to historical documents, an emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) planned to build an imperial garden. So he asked officials to transport some decorative rocks to his palace. The Exquisite Jade Rock was one of them. But before it was sent to the palace, the emperor had been taken as captive by the enemy. Shortly after, the then dynasty came to an end and no one knew where the Exquisite Jade Rock was. Luckily, Pan Yunduan found it many years later and put it in Yu Garden.

After lunch, we will take you to the Shanghai Tower, which is 632 meters high. It is the tallest building in China and the second tallest building in the world. The total construction space of Shanghai Tower is 578,000 square meters, including 410,000 square meters above the ground and 168,000 square meters underground. Shanghai Tower has the areas for sightseeing, hotel, entertainment, office, etc. The sightseeing area is on the 118th floor. The office area is from 8th floor to 81st floor and the hotel area is from 86th floor to 98th floor. You can take the fastest elevator in 1 minute to get to the 118th sightseeing area, where there is a 360-degree transparent sightseeing platform. You can have a panoramic view of Shanghai here.

Next, you will visit the Bund that is 1.5 kilometers long. From 1854 to 1941, dozens of foreign banks and Chinese banks were built there, which made the Bund become the financial center of Shanghai. For example, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank is located at this area. Formerly, the famous HSBC(Hong Kong and Shang Hai Banking Corporation) Building, built in 1923, had located at the same site. It has eight wall paintings made of mosaics, depicting the sceneries of Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Calcutta at the beginning of the 20th century. However, when the staff of HSBC moved out of this building in 1955, they covered these paintings with paint. Luckily, in 1997, people found these wall paintings when they repaired the building. Thanks to their work, people can admire these paintings now.

After visiting the Bund, you will take a walk on Nanjing Road. We will mainly visit the pedestrian section of this road. The pedestrian road is 1,033 meters long and 18-28 meters wide. And it covers an area of about 30,000 square meters. There are many public facilities, such as chairs, street lamps, phone booths, 34 flower beds, etc. Walking on Nanjing Road, you will also see many stores. M&M’S World Store is one that has the largest M&M wall in the world. The wall consists of 144 huge tubes of colorful chocolate candies. You will find hundreds of flavors of candies, even spicy candies, in this store. Almost everyone who tastes them wants to try one more time.

Jing'an Temple

The Bund

Today, after breakfast, we will drive west to Suzhou. It will take about 2 hours to get there. The distance between them is about 100 kilometers. After you arrive in Suzhou, you will visit Tiger Hill first. It covers an area of 0.19 square kilometers and is 34.3 meters above sea level. A famous stone called Sword Testing Stone with two parts is in Tiger Hill scenic area. It is said that in the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC), the king of the State of Wu asked a skilled swordsmith to cast a sword for him. When they finished, they went to Tiger Hill and gave the sword to the king. The king wanted to know how sharp the sword was, so he used the sword to slash at a huge stone. Almost in one second, the stone was divided into two parts. That’s why it is called Sword Testing Stone.

Next, you will go to Shantang Street that is next to Tiger Hill. Shantang Street has a total length of 3,600 meters. It is close to the Shantang River, from which it got its name. There are more than 20 ancient bridges with long history in this area. There are four bridges built before the Song Dynasty (960-1279), including Shantang Bridge, Caiyun Bridge, Wangshan Bridge, and Dong Bridge. Beside the Tonggui Bridge, there is an ancient house where a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty used to live. It is said that it was this official who funded the building of the Tonggui Bridge. After the building of this bridge, it became more convenient for him to see his friends who lived on the other side of the river.

After lunch, we will take you to visit the Lingering Garden, a Chinese classical garden in Suzhou. It was built in 1593 in the Ming Dynasty. And it covers an area of 23,300 square meters. In the Lingering Garden, there is a special painting called “Sunshine After Rain”. This painting was not drawn by a human being, but it was formed naturally on a block of marble. The marble is 15 millimeters thick. Looking at this marble carefully, you will find waterfalls cascading down the cliff from the hills behind.

Then you will visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden that was built at the beginning of the 16th century. It covers an area of about 52,000 square meters. As a classical garden in Suzhou, it was included in the World Heritage List in 1997. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is famous for its green plants. In the middle part of the garden, there are 23 attractions. And more than 80% of them are decorated with beautiful green plants. In the Yuanxiang Hall, for instance, you may smell the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers. In the Yiyu Pavilion, you will see green bamboos. In the Jiashi Pavilion, you will find loquat trees unique in Asia.

Tonight, you will stay in Suzhou and take a good rest. Suzhou has a history of about 2,500 years and it is the home to silk. In this city, archaeologists found some pieces of fabric that were made about 6,000 years ago. It shows that local people have realized how to cultivate silkworms and make silk weaving products thousands of years ago. You will see many silk shops in Suzhou. Don’t be hesitated to buy some if you like.

Shantang Street

Lingering Garden

This morning, after breakfast, we will drive southwest to Hangzhou. It will take about 3 hours(157 kilometers) to get there. After arrival, we will have lunch first. And then, go to visit West Lake. Its total area is about 49 square kilometers. This scenic area was included in the World Heritage List in 2011. There is a legend about West Lake. Long ago there was a dragon god and a phoenix god in the heaven. One day, they found a white jade shining on an island in the human world. So they came to this island to fetch this white jade. They put it into a magical stove-shaped container. Several days, this white jade became a magical pearl that could make trees evergreen and flowers blooming forever. Hearing about that, the Queen Mother of the West(the supreme goddess in Chinese mythology) also wanted to get that pearl. Therefore, she sent her subordinates to take this pearl. But the dragon god and the phoenix god didn’t want to give it to them. As a result, a fight was caused for this pearl. In order to protect this pearl, the dragon god take the pearl with him all the time during the fight. Suddenly, the pearl dropped to the human world during the fierce fight. And then it miraculously became a lake. This lake is the West Lake. To protect the pearl, the dragon god and the phoenix god also came to human world and became two mountains to guard the ‘pearl’ - West Lake.

After visiting West Lake, we will take you to the Lingyin Temple that was built in 326 with an area of about 87,000 square meters. In China, almost every temple has three gates, so does the Lingyin Temple. However, the middle gate of this temple has always been closed. There is a story about it. In the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), Emperor Qianlong wore plain clothes like an ordinary person to visit the Lingyin Temple. However, it was too late so the gate was closed. Qianlong told a monk of this temple that he was the emperor and wanted to enter the temple. However, the monk didn’t believe Qianlong’s words, so the monk didn’t open the gate. Qianlong had no way but left. He felt angry and ordered that no one should enter the Lingyin Temple through the middle gate from now on. That is why the middle gate of this temple has always been closed. After visiting this temple, we will drive northeast to Shanghai. The distance between them is about 182 kilometers. It will take about 3 hours to get there.

West Lake

Lingyin Temple

Today, please be ready to begin your escorted tours in Zhuhai! After breakfast, our guide will take you to the airport and you will take the estimated flight SC8416 11:35/14:20 to Zhuhai. The local guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to the hotel.

This morning, your guide will drive you to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and you will have fun there all day. It is so large and covers an area of about 1.32 million square meters. There are 8 theme parks in the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, and each of them has different activities. You will find different kinds of marine animals in the marine park, greet dolphins in Dolphin Bay, explore the snow world, play with your family in the amusement park, enjoy the walruses’ show in the Walrus Mountain, and go shopping on the Sea Street. If you are hungry, you can have lunch in the Park of Hengqin Sea. At the end of the day, we will send you back to your hotel.

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom

After breakfast, your guide will help you to check out. Then you will go to visit the New Yuanming Palace. It was built in 1997 with an area of 1.39 square kilometers. The previous Yuanming Palace(Old Summer Palace) in Beijing was burnt down in a fire in 1860. So people in Zhuhai built 18 attractions same to that in the previous Yuanming Palace. Although the Yuanming Palace was damaged, people can still see parts of this famous imperial garden by visiting the New Yuanming Palace, such as glorious palaces, delicate pavilions, large lakes, etc. You can imagine the daily life of the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty in this palace.

Then you will go to Xianglu Bay to see the Fisher Girl Statue. The statue is 8.7 meters high with a weight of 10 tonnes. It consists of 70 granite stones. And it was made by Pan He, a well-known Chinese sculptor. Now it has become the symbol of Zhuhai. The statue wears a pearl necklace and holds a pearl aloft. There is a legend about it. Many years ago, in this place, there was an evil fox, who killed many people, which made the people here anxious and fearful. Facing such a bad situation, a brave fisher girl decided to kill this fox. She had tried all kinds of ways to kill the fox, but did not get a success. After knowing that, Guanyin(a goddess of mercy in Chinese mythology) gave a magical pearl to this fisher girl, who was told, “fling this pearl to the fox and then the fox will be killed”. The next day, the fisher girl carrying the pearl with her went to the place where the fox lived. The instant she saw the fox, she raised the pearl over her head and flung it to the fox with all her might. Without time to react, the fox was killed by the pearl. Later, in order to commemorate the fisher girl’s heroic action, people built this Fisher Girl Statue.

Next, you will go to Lovers’ Road that is 37 kilometers long. You can take a walk on the Lovers’ Road and admire the charming sea scenery. If the weather is fine enough, you will see Macau that is located on the opposite bank. Just as its name implies, you may see some lovers and couples on this Lovers’ Road. Some of them are dating, and some of them are taking wedding photos. Local people believe that their love will last forever if they come here. If you are in love with somebody or you are married, it will be the most romantic place for you!

After lunch, your guide will take you to the Hengqin Port. Then you will take the cross-border bus to Macau. Your local guide will pick you up at the port of Macau and send you to the hotel.

Lovers‘ Road

Fisher Girl Statue

After breakfast, we will drive you to visit Senado Square. It is in the middle of the Peninsula of Macau and covers an area of 3,700 square meters. As one of the four squares in Macau, the Senado Square is the center of Macau. Some important activities and ceremonies are often held in this square. During the festival, Senado Square will be decorated with flowers and some shows will be held there. Besides, the Lotus Festival in Macau will be held in June each year. At that time, more than 6,000 potted lotus flowers will be placed in Senado Square. You may see them if you come here in June.

Then you will go to the Ruins of St. Paul’s. It used to be a church built in 1602. Later, the church was destroyed by fire in 1835 and only parts were left, that is the Ruins of St. Paul’s. There are 68 stone steps in front of the Ruins of St. Paul’s which is 23 meters in width and 25.5 meters in height. The Ruins of St. Paul’s is made of granite stones with a baroque style. You will see the four statues of saints on the Ruins of St. Paul’s, including St．Francis Borgia, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga. If you continue to raise your head to look at it, you will see the statues of Queen of Grace, and Jesus Christ.

Not far away from the Ruins of St. Paul’s, you will see the Monte Fortress. It started to be built in 1616 in the Ming Dynasty. In the beginning, it was built to protect the St. Paul Church from the pirates. Later, it became a military area with many cannons. The local government built a museum in 1998 to protect some historical remains. Standing here, you will see an old tower that used to be the site of the Society of Jesus. Besides, some huge cannons and an ancient bell are also placed in this place.

After lunch, you will visit the Macau Tower. It covers a total area of about 13,363 square meters, and it is 338 meters high. Arriving at the observation platform on the 58th floor of the Macau Tower, you can walk on a glass floor that is more than 200 meters high. You will have a 360-degree view of Macau. This is the best place accessible for you in the tower to have a view of Macau.

Then you will go to the Venetian Macau. It is a large luxury hotel in Macau. And there is a canal that goes through the third floor of Venetian Macau. Stores are on both banks of the canal. People can take a boat to enjoy the buildings on both sides of the canal. Close to the Venetian Macau, the Sands Cotai Central opened in 2004 and its floor area is about 111,000 square meters. Some famous hotels, such as Conrad Hotel, Holiday Inn, and Sheraton Hotel, are in the Sands Cotai Central. It has more than 5,000 hotel rooms, as well as theaters, conference rooms, luxury shops, etc. Besides, there are some restaurants in this place. You will be able to eat food that comes from all over the world.

Senado Square

Venetian Macau

After breakfast, it’s time for you to enjoy your best escorted tour in Hong Kong. It will take about one hour to take a ferry to get there. After you arrive at the port of Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, your local guide will drive you for about one hour to Lantau Island situated 35 kilometers southwest of the port of Tsim Sha Tsui. Then you will go to the Tung Chung Cable Car Station to take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to the top of the mountain. During this time, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountain and the South China Sea. The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car has two different types of cabins, Standard Cabin and Crystal Cabin. The floor of Crystal Cabin is transparent, and you will have a different view on the way. We will book a Standard Cabin for you. But if you want to experience the Crystal Cabin, please contact us and we will book it for you. When you arrive at the top of the mountain, you will first visit the Big Buddha. It is the highest seated bronze Buddha statue located on a mountain around the world. It is 26 meters high with a weight of 220 tonnes. The Buddha smiles kindly and his seat is in the form of the lotus flower. You will feel peace when you look at the Big Buddha. 

After visiting the Big Buddha, you will go to visit the Polin Monastery. There are about 60 monks in this monastery. They recite scriptures and do farm work every day. You can admire the Buddhist buildings and feel the Buddhist culture here. 

After lunch, you will visit the Ngong Ping Village. It is also close to the Big Buddha. It covers an area of 13,400 square meters. There are some restaurants and stores in this village. The most interesting thing in the Ngong Ping Village is the street performances. You may see the performances of Kungfu, Guangdong opera, and sideshows. After visiting the village, your guide will take you back to your hotel.

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

Polin Monastery

You will have a half-day tour today. The first destination is Victoria Peak. It received its name from Queen Victoria, the Queen of the United Kingdom. You will take a Peak Tram to the top of the peak. It is a good place for you to enjoy the beautiful scenery and taste delicious food. On the top, you will see the Peak Tower, where there is a sightseeing platform called 428 Sky Terrace. As its name suggests, it is 428 meters above sea level. Standing here, you will have a stunning view of Hong Kong scenery. 

Next, you will visit the Aberdeen Fishing Village. It is a famous village located in a harbor and it attracts many visitors everyday. There are old-fashioned sampans in this village. You can take a sampan to experience the lifestyle of local people. Aberdeen used to be the center of the incense trade. We can also know its important status from the name “Hong Kong”, which means “harbor of incense” in Chinese. Nowadays, Aberdeen is still a busy harbor. Besides, this village is the home to Tanka people. When you get there, you will see some people dressed in traditional clothes.   

After visiting the Aberdeen Fishing Village, we will take you to the Stanley Market. You will see many shops selling special goods, such as clothes, painting, souvenirs, handicrafts and so on. In this place, some activities are often held. For example, the Stanley Artsmart will be held monthly for artists to show their works. After visiting this market, we will escort you back to the hotel.

Aberdeen Fishing Village

Victoria Peak

Today, you will go to play in the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort that is located southwest of Hong Kong. It will take you about 28 minutes to get there and the distance is some 22 kilometers. The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort covers an area of 1.26 square kilometers and has 7 theme parks, which are Fantasyland, Grizzly Gulch, Main Street, U.S.A., Mystic Point, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, and Adventureland. The Main Street Vehicles is about an activity traveling back in time to the ancient Main Street, U.S.A. You can choose an antique car to travel around the main street. Besides, you can also go to the Fantasy Gardens in Fantasyland and see many Disney Characters there. You will have lunch in the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. At the end of the day, we will take you to your hotel.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Now, your China escorted tour will come to an end. Your guide will take you to the airport in Hong Kong according to your flight information. Welcome to China again!

Author: Xinli Zhang

Proofreader: Yan Liu