China Immersion Photography Tour

After arrival, your guide will pick you up from the airport, and then you will be transferred to your hotel.

Option: A tailor-made tour should start from a tailor-made airport pick-up service. Do you want to customize your airport pick-up service? We have several different options including luxury cars, designed name signs, flowers, wheelchair, child seat in the car, and so on. If you want to skip the line of the hotel check-in, we can arrange a private check-in service for you. Just tell me your needs, and we will make them come true.

Beijing is a city with a history of more than 2,000 years. It used to be the capital of several dynasties in ancient times. Since 1949, Beijing has been selected as the capital of China. International transportation is very convenient in Beijing. There are two general airports, Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. The passenger throughput of Beijing Capital International Airport reached 110 million in 2018, ranking the first in Asia and second in the world. Beijing Daxing International Airport officially opened in 2019. Currently, more than 60 airlines have opened 119 domestic and international routes here. So no matter which country you are from, landing in Beijing is a good choice for your China trip. In terms of tourism, Beijing is rich in tourism resources, with more than 200 attractions open to the public, including the world-famous Forbidden City and the Great Wall. As for the weather, four seasons in Beijing are distinct. There will be snow in winter, and the temperature will be below freezing. If you come to Beijing in December, January and February, you need to bring a heavy coat.

This morning, we will take you to visit the world-famous Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City (It is closed each Monday).

Tian’anmen Square is the largest city center square in the world which can accommodate 1 million people. Tian’anmen Gate Tower is an important part of Tian’anmen Square and the main entrance to the Forbidden City. Tian’anmen Gate Tower is more than 30 meters high, and the entire building embodies the majesty and power of the imperial family. It is here where Chairman Mao Zedong announced the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Tian’anmen Square is located south of Tian’anmen Gate Tower. In the center of the square stands the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the solemn Chairman’s Memorial Hall. On the west side of the square, it is the Great Hall of the People. On the east side, it is the National Museum of China, and on the south side, there are two ancient gate towers with a history of several hundred years. The current Tian’anmen Square is an important place to hold major celebrations, grand rallies, and welcome guests in foreign affairs. This is also the venue of the Chinese National Day military parade.

The Forbidden City (closed each Monday) is the living and working place for ancient Chinese emperors and their families. It is the symbol of supreme power at that time. The Forbidden City is 600 years old now and it has turned to be a national museum. The permanent exhibition halls here include calligraphy and painting hall, ceramic hall, gold and silverware hall, jade hall, and so on. More than 1.8 million cultural relics are treasured here. You can not only see the delicate exhibits, but also the traditional Chinese architecture art here. Both the overall architectural layout and the decorations are the embodiment of traditional Chinese architectural style. Besides this, your guide will tell you some anecdotes about the emperors and their concubines. That will make this Forbidden City more lively.

After lunch, we will visit the Summer Palace. This is a royal garden and it is also one of the four great gardens in China. It is called the Summer Palace because it was the place where the emperor of the Qing Dynasty handled government affairs in the summer. The Summer Palace is mainly composed of Kunming Lake and Longevity Mountain. The total area is more than 290 hectares. Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha on Longevity Hill, the 728-meter long corridor on the shore of Kunming Lake, the seventeen-hole bridges, and stone boats on Kunming Lake are the most famous attractions there. The layout of the entire garden is reasonable and the architecture is exquisite. Besides, there are more than 40,000 cultural relics displayed in the hall of the garden, so the Summer Palace is also called "Museum Garden". 

 Forbidden City

Summer Palace

In the morning, we will drive for about 1 hour (45 KM) to visit the Ming Tombs. The Ming Tombs are the tombs of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty, and it is also the most complete and largest emperor tomb group discovered in China. This place was chosen by the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di. After he ascended the throne, he decided to choose the best grave place for himself and his descendants. After more than a year of survey, this place was finally selected. Zhu Di named the mountain Tianshou Mountain and built the first tomb, Chang Tomb here. Chang Tomb is located in the center of the mainline of Tianshou Mountain. The remaining tombs are located on both sides of the Chang Tomb. We will take you to visit the Chang Tomb today. Emperor Zhu Di and his wife were buried here. 

After lunch, we will take you to visit the famous Great Wall. We will advise you to wear comfortable shoes and take sunglasses. The Great Wall is the longest defensive project in the world. Chinese people always call it “Ten thousand miles Great Wall”. But in fact, it is much longer than 10,000 miles. The total length is 21196.18 km. Today, we will visit the Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall. You will take a cable car or cable chair up to the Great Wall. Standing on the Great Wall, you will see many beacon towers every hundred meters. In ancient times, soldiers stood on the beacon tower to monitor the enemies in the distance. If there is anything emergency, they will fire the flammable materials on the beacon tower and use the smoke to deliver the message to others. You will get enough time to enjoy the scenery on the Great Wall and take some photos here. After that, you can choose to take a cable car or the toboggan down. 

And on the way back to the city center, we will have a photo stop at the Birds Nest and Water Cube. Their official names are National Stadium and National Aquatics Center. They were used to be the Olympic stadiums in 2008. And they are known for their unique structure and architecture art. 

Chang Tomb

Great Wall

After breakfast, we will take you to visit the Temple of Heaven. It is the largest building group for heaven worship in the world, four times the size of the Forbidden City. Chinese emperors will pray all year good luck and good harvest here. Pines and cypresses are planted around the Temple of Heaven. The dark green color expresses reverence, remembrance, and prayer in ancient times. This is also the reason why pine and cypress are planted in altars, temples, and mausoleums in China. According to statistics, there are 4000 cypresses in the Temple of Heaven. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the most famous attraction in the Temple of Heaven. It was built in 1420. It is 33 meters high and 24.2 meters in diameter which looks magnificent. It was once one of the tallest buildings in Beijing.

After that, you will be transferred to the airport and then take an estimated flight CA4108 14:30/18:10 to Chengdu. Our guide will wait for you at the airport and then you will be transferred to your hotel.

Chengdu is located in southwestern China and is the capital of Sichuan Province. Chengdu is famous for its delicious food. It was once awarded the title of the City of Gastronomy in the World by UNESCO. The main characteristic of Chengdu's dishes is spicy, and the famous ones are Chengdu Hot Pot, Chengdu Mapo Tofu, and so on. In addition to food, Chengdu also has a profound cultural heritage. It is one of China's top ten ancient capitals. The world's first paper currency was invented in ancient Chengdu. The last but most important thing is the giant panda in Chengdu. Giant pandas are China's national treasure, while Chengdu is the main habitat of Chinese giant pandas. In the giant panda breeding research base, you can see pandas of all ages. Don't miss this chance to meet a panda. Besides, the climate in Chengdu is relatively humid and it is prone to rain. When you come to Chengdu, remember to bring rain gear with you.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven

In the morning, we will visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base. Giant pandas have lived on earth for at least 8 million years. It is endemic to China and it is the Chinese national treasure. They are charmingly naïve. Although there are only two colors of black and white all over their body, their cute appearance still attracts many fans. The chubby pandas are great athletes. They often climb to the trees to play. Besides the adult pandas, you will also see the baby pandas here. Maybe they are only a few months old. You will find that the fur on the baby panda is not black and white. It is actually dark grey and white. As the baby pandas grow up, their dark gray fur will gradually turn black. Prepare your camera and take some photos of this cute creature. Kind reminder: Please do not use flash when you take photos of pandas. Before you leave, you can buy some souvenirs here, such as panda dolls, panda refrigerator stickers, or T-shirts with panda photos.   

After lunch, we will visit the Wide and Narrow Alley. It is the street preserved from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The buildings on both sides of the street are antique-style courtyard buildings. The Wide Alley is the embodiment of life in old Chengdu. You can experience the traditional Chengdu folklore here. Narrow Alley is the embodiment of modern Chengdu. Most of the courtyards here are occupied by stylish bars and restaurants. In addition, there are coffee shops, art galleries, cultural theme shops, and so on. Young people like to spend the whole afternoon leisurely here.

Option: Chengdu Hot Pot. As we mentioned before, Chengdu Hot Pot is the most popular food in Chengdu. The way to eat hot pot is very simple. Put your favorite food in the boiling soup base. After it is cooked, dip it in the prepared sauce, and you are ready to eat. In this regard, Chengdu hot pot shows the inclusiveness of Chinese food. From vegetables such as cabbage and radish to beef and lamb, from seafood such as prawns and fish fillets to the Toufu. You can put any food you like in the hot pot. If your stomach is big enough, you can also put pancakes, noodles, and other foods into the hot pot. As for the soup base, there are many choices including spicy soup base, tomato soup base, mushroom soup base, and so on. The most popular soup base is the spicy one. It uses the beef tallow to fry dozens of ingredients such as chili and bean paste and boil it with beef bone soup at the end. The soup base is spicy, delicious, and nutritious. If you want to taste authentic Chengdu hot pot, we can arrange it for you for dinner.

Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base

Wide and Narrow Alley

After breakfast, we will take you to visit the Wuhou Temple and Jinli Street. Jinli Street is the oldest shopping street in Sichuan province. Some of the specialty products such as chopsticks, tea leaves, lanterns, silk quilts are sold in the store. In addition, there are also tea houses and theaters. In Chengdu, people like to spend time drinking tea and enjoy the Sichuan opera. This makes Chengdu a slow-paced and casual city. Wuhou Temple is more than 1700 years old. It was built to commemorate Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was a famous prime minister, a famous politician, and military strategist at that time. 

After that, we will take you to the airport and then you will take an estimated flight A67248 13:45/15:35 to Changsha. Our guide will pick you up from Changsha airport and then we will drive to Zhangjiajie. 

Zhangjiajie City is located in the northwest of Hunan Province. The stratum of Zhangjiajie City is complex and diverse, which has made the local landscape unique. There are mainly mountains, karsts, and plains. The mountain area accounts for 76% of the total city area. The most distinctive feature is the quartz sandstone peak forest landform, which is rare in the world. Zhangjiajie Scenic Area is composed of the first national forest park in China-Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Tianzishan Nature Reserve, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, and Yangjiajie. The scenic area covers an area of 264.6 square kilometers. The Zhangjiajie scenic spot is above 1,000 meters above sea level, so the temperature difference between day and night is large. We suggest you bring a heavy coat when visiting Zhangjiajie.

Wuhou Temple

Jinli Street

After breakfast, we will start your amazing tour in Zhangjiajie. We will take you to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. You may have no idea about Yuanjiajie. But you must have seen the movie Avatar. It is shot here. And the floating mountain that appeared in the movie is the Hallelujah Mountain here. This is like a fairyland. Standing in a cloud-filled place makes you feel as if you are standing in the air. Remember to record this beautiful moment with your camera. 

And then we will go to Tianzi Mountain. Tianzi Mountain Scenic Area has a total area of more than 5,400 hectares, and the highest point, Tianzi Peak, is 1262.5 meters above sea level. The peculiarly shaped peaks and the canyons on both sides make Tianzi Mountain known as the "king of the peak forest". There are many attractions worth visiting, such as the Immortal Bridge and Ten Miles Gallery. The Immortal Bridge is a naturally formed bridge. It straddles two cliffs. There are also natural stone steps on the east side of the bridge, from where you can walk up to the Immortal Bridge and overlook the vast abyss below. 

After that, we will go to the Ten Miles Gallery. People walk here just like walking in the gallery. That is how it got its name. It is also famous for the peaks in unusual shapes. Here you will see a stone peak with a height of around 100 meters. From a distance, it looks like a hunchbacked old man. The old man is carrying a bamboo basket. The trees on the mountain are like herbs in bamboo baskets. This peak is named “Old Man Gathers Herbs”. In addition, you will see a tall peak connected to a small peak. From a distance, it looks like a person reading with a book. At the end of Ten Miles Gallery, it is a monkey mountain. There are often monkeys here. They are either climbing and frolicking on the cliffs or looking for food in the trees.

Tianzi Mountain

Yuanjiajie Scenic Area

Say goodbye to Zhangjiajie and we will drive to Changsha train station. After arrival, you will take an estimated train G1530 14:34/17:57 to Guilin. Our guide will wait for you at the train station and then you will be transferred to your hotel. 

In the morning, we will take the Li River Cruise to Yangshuo. There is an old saying in China that says that Guilin owns the most beautiful scenery in the world. And Guilin attracts many tourists and photographers every year. If you have an RMB 20 yuan, you will find that the scenery on the back of that note is the scenery of the Li River. You can take the photo with the scenery and the paper money together as a memory.

Lunch will be on the cruise. And then you will You will disembark in Yangshuo. Yangshuo West Street is the most famous street here. It also the oldest and the most bustling street here. This is a place where Chinese classical culture and Western culture blend. There are many souvenir shops on the street. If you want to have a rest, you can also choose a restaurant and taste the local food here. Beer fish is the most popular dish in Yangshuo. If you are interested, you can have a taste. After that, we will drive back to Guilin.

Li River Cruise

Yangshuo West Street

After breakfast, we will take you to visit the Reed Flute Cave. It is 240 meters deep and has a travel distance of 500 meters. Tourists can take a boat for visiting. The stalactites, stone pillars, and stone flowers in the cave are vivid. Besides the natural beauty, you can also see 77 murals in the cave which are from different dynasties. So far, Reed Flute Cave has received 40 million tourists. Many of these are foreign dignitaries, such as former US President Nix, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, and Austrian Federal Parliament Speaker Haselbach. After visiting the Reed Flute Cave, Haselbach's wife wrote a message to the Reed Flute Cave and said that this is a fairy tale world. Thank you very much for this unforgettable experience.

After lunch, we will take an estimated flight 9C6136 14:50/17:10 to Shanghai. Our guide will pick you up from the airport and then you will be transferred to your hotel. You can have a good rest or walk around the city.

Shanghai is a very modern city without losing traditional Chinese characteristics. The old-fashioned western buildings on the Bund and the modern skyscrapers in Pudong District complement each other; the Jade Buddha Temple and Yu Garden show the history and culture to tourists. As one of the top 10 tourist cities in China, Shanghai is a place suitable for tourists all year round. In terms of weather, the winter in January and February is the coldest season in Shanghai. If you come to visit Shanghai at this time, you should wear heavy clothes to keep warm; June and July are the rainy seasons in Shanghai, and you should bring rain gear when you go out.

Reed Flute Cave

Reed Flute Cave

Today will be one day Shanghai tour. We will take you to visit the Yu Garden (closed each Monday). If you want to enjoy the beauty of Chinese architecture, you should not miss the Chinese garden. And Yu Garden is a symbol of the Chinese garden in the south. In addition to its exquisite decoration and architectural layout, the natural scenery of Yu Garden is also very charming. Here is a 400-year-old ginkgo tree. Every fall, the leaves all turn golden. This will attract many photography enthusiasts to come to take pictures. 

And then, we will take you to visit the Jade Buddha Temple. It is famous for the Buddha sculpture carved by jade. And there are more than 100 pieces of agate and jadeite inlayed on the sculpture. It makes the whole Buddha looks glittering and translucent. In addition to this jade Buddha, there are a stone Buddha statue, a bronze Buddha statue, and a wooden Guanyin statue.

After that, we will visit the Shanghai Tower. It is the tallest building in China. And it is also the best choice for photographers to take an overview photo of Shanghai city. Taking the high-speed elevator, you can reach the sightseeing hall on the 119th floor within 55 seconds. Standing there, you will get the best view of Shanghai.

And then you will visit Nanjing Road. This street is the most famous pedestrian street in Shanghai or even China. There are various shops on both sides of the street. Traditional Shanghai shops are selling local skincare products, silk, and Shanghai yogurt. There are also flagship stores of the world's top brands, which can meet your various shopping needs. In addition to shops, creative urban sculptures, as well as well-designed street lamps, flower beds, telephone booths, etc. can be seen everywhere. If you look down, you can see that many manhole covers are carved with different urban architectural patterns. If you are tired, you can take a dang dang car. It will take you to visit the whole streets.

Option: Huangpu River Cruise. Do you want to feel a different Shanghai? The Huangpu river cruise takes you to enjoy the night view of Shanghai. When night fell, the buildings on both sides of the Huangpu River lit up in turn. You will see the green roof of the Peace Hotel especially conspicuous. It is the first world-renowned hotel in China. In addition, you will see many buildings with British classical features, British Renaissance features, French classic features, and Baroque architecture. This is the famous National Buildings Expo. On the east side of the Huangpu River, the buildings are of a completely different style. Skyscrapers like Shanghai Center, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Oriental Pearl TV Tower are gathered here. Please let us know in advance if you plan to take this Huangpu River night cruise. 

Jade Buddha Temple

Nanjing Road

After breakfast, we will take you to the airport and then you will fly back to your sweet home. 

Our service will end here.

Editor: Besty He