12 Days Legend of Kungfu & Panda Tour from Beijing

Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China and the cultural center of China. Coming here is your best choice.

You will see your tour guides holding your name sign and waiting for you at the airport arrival hall. You just find them and confirm your information, and then you will be sent to your hotel in the center of Beijing and have a nice rest.

Option: If you want to go outside to have a nice look at Beijing at night, there are some choices. You can visit Wangfujing Street, opening for all day, which used to have many traditional vendors and shops in ancient China but now has become a famous and busy business street. Walking along the street, you will see many kinds of architecture, shops and superstores, modern and traditional restaurants, and delicious snacks. You can buy whatever you want and eat whatever you like, especially the well-known Peking Roast Duck. Wish you enjoy yourself in this street.

After breakfast, you will visit Tian’anmen Square and your tour will start here.

Tian’anmen Square is the most respected square in China because it witnessed the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It can accommodate 1 million people with an area of 440,000 square meters, almost 5 times larger than the Red Square of Moscow. With this special significance, the square will impress you with its solemn activities including the founding ceremony, military parade, flag-raising ceremony, etc. If you are interested in feeling Chinese people’s passion, you are recommended to watch the flag-raising ceremony. At that time, a large number of people will gather in front of the flag pole and sing the national anthem excitedly as the flag begins to raise. It must make you excited and astonished.

Having visited Tian’anmen Square, you will be led to the Forbidden City (closed on Monday). The mysterious place once was the imperial palace in ancient China. It had witnessed 24 emperors’ lives for 600 years and is known as the largest ancient palace complex, including more than 70 palaces. Now, it has become a museum in which more than 1.8 million cultural relics are preserved. There are also some interesting stories in the Forbidden City, for example, the bronze lion in front of the Palace pf Heavenly Purity. It is said that this bronze lion looks listless with its ears down, which was intended to tell the concubines in the Imperial Palace at that time that, “be careful; do not do what they should not do and do not ask what they should not ask; they would otherwise get beheaded.”

Time is allotted for you to enjoy lunch.

After lunch, we will go to Summer Place, the largest royal garden in China. It is one of the 5A scenic spots of China. If you are interested in architecture, the summer palace will not disappoint you. The palace integrates many different styles in different regions in China, including the style of Quadrangle dwellings in the north of China, Hangzhou West Lake, Tibetan Lama Temple, etc. When you are walking in the palace, elegant pavilions, imposing mountains, beautiful lakes, and other magnificent sights will catch your eye. If you are fond of color painting, it is better for you to take a walk along the Long Corridor, also known as a gallery, to appreciate the imposing and bright paintings on each beam in the corridor, of which most are water and mountain landscapes, flowers and birds, and the stories from the Four Great Classical Novels of China. These paintings contain different stories and Chinese culture. Wish you enjoy yourself!

Option: Red Theatre is also a great place to go. The stage play of Legend of Kung Fu Show usually starts at 7:30 pm, every 1.5 hours. But the start time will be at 5:15 p.m. at peak season. The opera tells a story about a little boy who had been sent to an ancient temple since he was a child to learn Buddhism and Wushu (Kung Fu), Chinese material art. After overcoming many challenges and trials, he finally became a great master. It tells us difficulty can temper our willpower and overcoming challenges and growing up is the theme of our lives.

Tian’anmen Square

Forbidden City

Today, we will visit the Ding Tomb in the morning, the only excavated mausoleum of an emperor in China. Situated in the northwest of Beijing with 180,000 square meters, it takes us at least 1 hour to drive there. The thirteenth emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty and his two empresses were buried in this tomb. It took six years to finish this project from 1584. By now, it has existed for 431 years. Now it has been well-preserved since it was excavated.

When you arrive there, you will be astonished by its magnificent structure, attracted by its natural beauty. You have to go through a building with a red wall and three arched doors before entering the underground palace. Rows of tall and dense threes are standing on both sides of the road, and you can breathe the fresh air. The underground palace is opening for you, in which many cultural relics are stored, including emperor and empress’s clothing, treasures, wooden figurines, armor, gold, silver, jade, and porcelain, as well as many silk products. If you are interested in the Chinese emperor and want to explore the mystery palace, the Ding Tomb will satisfy you.

Having visited the tomb, you will have lunch nearby.

After lunch, our guide will lead you to Mutianyu Great Wall, the longest section of the Great Wall in China with 5,400 meters long. Located in the northeast of Ding Tomb and 41 kilometers from the Ding Tomb, it will take us about 1 hour to drive there from the Ding Tomb.

There are three plans to climb the Great Wall: climb up and down through cable car, which is better for the elderly; climb up by cable car and down by chairlift, which is without a canopy and is suitable for the nimble person; climb up by chairlift and down by toboggan, which is more interesting than other two plans. You can choose any one of the three plans according to your actual need and condition.

Having visited the Mutianyu Great Wall, you will be transferred to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, we will pass by the Olympic Village, also called the Athlete’s Village, providing accommodates for the Olympic athletes. You can see Bird’s Nest and Water Cube from a distance and take photos of them.

Ding Tomb

Mutianyu Great Wall

Now, let us see where we will go on the fourth day. In the morning, we will go to visit the Temple of Heaven. It is located in the south of Beijing, covering an area of 2.73 million square meters, almost four times larger than the Forbidden City. With the title of “World Cultural Heritage”, it deserves your visit. The Temple of Heaven is the symbol of the emperor’s power and the embodiment of ancient Chinese cosmology. If you are interested in ritual architecture, the Temple of Heaven will be the best choice because it is the highest representative of it and also the epitome of the combination of architectural technique and art.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the main construction of the Temple of Heaven. Emperors prayed for a good harvest here. In ancient times, the general circular layout and blue tiles symbolize the holy heaven. However, now, it has become a place for people to entertain. Local people usually play pokers in the corridor. You can play Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese sport, which is contributed to firming us up, together with local people, and learn square dance from them.

Leaving the Temple of Heaven, we will visit the Old Beijing Hutong, a kind of small street stretching from its entrance to the residence community. The white wall and gray tiles in the Hutong give you a sense of walking in the ancient street, which reminds of you the life scene in the past. You can ride the rickshaw to visit Hutong, and if you are lucky, one of the rickshaw pullers may introduce the anecdotes of the city in English. Then your guide will lead you into a Hutong household to look at the old Beijing courtyard and listen to their story. Some of them are the descendants of the imperial kitchen; others are the descendants of the palace guards. You must be astonished by their origins which may leave you an unforgettable memory.

The nice thing here is that we will have lunch with a family in the Hutong. You will eat Beijing’s authentic Jiaozi, a kind of Chinese dumpling. If you are interested in how to make Jiaozi, you can join the family. They will be pleased to teach you.

After lunch, we will take the estimated train G663 15:45/19:39 to Luoyang, one of the eight ancient capitals of China. After arrival, the guide in Luoyang will transfer you to a reserved hotel. Wish you have a nice rest.

Temple of Heaven

Old Beijing Hutong

It’s a new day! After breakfast, we will drive to Dengfeng to visit Shaolin Temple. Located in the northwest of Dengfeng’s downtown area, it is 13 kilometers away from the urban district and it will take us 20 minutes to drive there. Shaolin Temple is the world’s famous Buddhism temple and is a national 5A scenic spot. It is one of the birthplaces of Chinese Kung Fu.

You will be first introduced to Pagoda Forest, which is in the west of Shaolin Temple at a distance of hundreds of meters. It is the cemetery built for the eminent monks of this temple since the Tang Dynasty and also the biggest pagoda forest in China. There are 232 pagodas with various shapes, such as square, rectangle, hexagon, octagon, circle, etc. 

If you are interested in Chinese Kung Fu, you can follow the guide to watch Kung Fu Show. The monks show their high spirits with strong movements and energetic shouts. You must feel astonished.

Time is allowed for you to enjoy lunch.

After lunch, you will visit the Wushu School. You will have 1 hour to learn some Chinese boxing, including Liuhe Boxing, Shaolin Luohan Boxing, Shaolin Xiaohong Boxing. The Shaolin Xiaohong Boxing, known as “the mother of eighteen boxings”, is the basic boxing skill of Shaolin Boxing, and is a compulsory routine for beginners to learn Shaolin Boxing. If you have other requirements, we can help you customize Wushu courses. After your class, you can also have a view about how the students are receiving training to be stronger in the school.

Next, having visited the Kung Fu Show, you will be transferred to the hotel in Luoyang.

Shaolin Temple

Pagoda Forest

Today, after breakfast, you will first visit the Luoyang Museum (closed on Monday), the country-level museum. If you want to learn about a city’s development, the local museum will be the best place to go. More than 400,000 cultural relics are preserved in the museum, including bronze, jade, tricolor, Buddhist statues, stone carvings, pottery, and porcelain. Seeing these relics will be just as if you experience the time that they belong to. The museum usually holds regular exhibitions of collections. If you are keen on them, the museum and the exhibitions will feed you.

After visiting the Luoyang Museum, you will go to the Longmen Grottoes, which is ranked number one in all grottoes in China. It is located in the south of Luoyang Museum. Driving there from Luoyang Museum at a distance of 10 kilometers will take you 23 minutes.

The Longmen Grottoes is known as the world cultural heritage and the national 5A scenic spot. Two mountains are standing in the opposite direction, with the Yihe River flowing between the two mountains. The natural scenery of it will make you forget to return. There are dense trees of different kinds standing on the two mountains and the birds flying and singing happily, just as they were welcoming you. Apart from the natural beauty, the cultural charm will also shock you. The statue of Vairocana Buddha is smiling at you with a peaceful posture. It is the biggest one of all the statues in Longmen Grottoes. Looking at the Buddha will make you calm down and praise the wisdom of humans.

Now it is time for lunch. After lunch, you will take the estimated train G853 15:23/16:59 to Xi’an. The guide in Xi’an will deliver you to the local hotel in the city. Wish you have a good rest and wait for the next surprise.

Option: If you are still energetic after one day’s visit, the Grand Tang Mall is waiting for you. The colorful lights are shining for a whole night; the smell of delicious food such as grilled squid and octopus balls luring your nose. Many activities such as singing performances and dance drama will make you wave your body happily. You will feel a unique Tang culture fixed with modern fashion. Wish you enjoy yourself.

Luoyang Museum

Longmen Grottoes

After breakfast, you will visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, known as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Located in the east of central Xi’an, it will take about 45 minutes to drive there at a distance of 43 kilometers.

The terracotta warriors and horses were a kind of tomb sculptures and entombed with the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221BC-207BC). They are the epitome of the mighty army of the Qin, a powerful dynasty in ancient China. More than 8,000 Terracotta warriors and horses are distributed in four large pits. They have unique characteristics in face expression, ear, and body posture. The pink face, hands, and feet of the warriors and black eyebrows, hair bun, and beard make them look very vivid. You will be shocked by its magnificent momentum. 

You will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the well-known ancient tower in China.

The pagoda has seven stories and is 60 meters high and it has a long history of more than 1,300 years.. The most thrilling thing is that the pagoda is slightly oblique but never collapses. It is said that the Xuan Zang, one of the four Buddhist translators, built this pagoda for preserving the scriptures brought from ancient India. Magically, although it has witnessed more than 70 earthquakes and there are cracks on the pagoda, it is still standing firmly. What a mysterious thing!

After your visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, our next stop is the City Wall. Xi’an City Wall is the most complete and the largest ancient city wall in China with a length of 13.74 kilometers. There is always a lantern show during the Spring Festival to celebrate the new year. At the time, many people gather here to entertain. Normally visitors can ride single-person or double-person bicycles on the City Wall. There is also a fascinating lighting show at night. If you come here in Summer, you can watch these absorbing activities while eating ice cream. Wish you have great fun!

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

City Wall

Today, you will first visit Shaanxi History Museum (Closed on Monday). It is located in the northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and was established in 1983. There are more than 1.7 million collections in the museum, including elegant bronzes, distinctive pottery figurines, exquisite gold and silver wares, and unique murals. In front of the museum stands a stone lion in a walking posture, which is known as “the First Lion in the East”. The background of the lion is the roaring Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River and the long murals of the Loess Plateau, the biggest plateau in the world. If you are interested in their origin and the story behind them, you can follow the guide who will tell you the history of these relics. If you want to take photos, you can ask your guide for help.

After lunch, you will take the estimated train G1709 14:22/18:05 to Chengdu. After your arrival, the guide in Chengdu will transfer you to the reserved hotel. Wish you have a nice rest.

Option: When you arrive in Chengdu, you can enjoy Chengdu Hotpot for dinner. There are many kinds of ingredients available for you, including beef, pork, mutton, shrimp, fish, and fresh vegetables such as potato, cucumber, cabbage, tomato, needle mushroom, etc. Take a kind of soup you like, light or spicy, and put the ingredients into the soup, and eat it until they are cooked. Wish you enjoy the delicious feast.

Shaanxi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum

Today, the guide will lead you to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the morning. There are some cute and friendly pandas living in the base. We can see them in the morning when they are having breakfast. The base will hold activities to celebrate the birth of new panda babies. And the panda will be given meaningful names, such as Chun Sheng, which means the panda was born in the Spring. And pandas would come out on important days to celebrate, such as the birthday of the country. When curling up, they are like a ball. They are just like a person when eating bamboo, and the lazy posture makes you laugh. If you like them, you can take photos with them, and they are not aggressive. You must love these lovely pandas. Wish you have a great time!

After lunch, you will go to the Wenshu Monastery, a Buddhist holy site. There are five main buildings in which different Buddha statues are worshiped by people. Interestingly, there is a couplet on the door of the second one, which is difficult to understand in Chinese for foreigners. However, the meaning is that we just try what we want to do; even if we do not get success, there is nothing we would regret, and do not worry too much. Many people would always come here to worship Bodhisattvas and pray for the safety and health of their families. The Wenshu Monastery will give you a feel of peace and calm.

The morning trip is over, and you will have enough time to enjoy lunch.

After lunch, you will visit People’s Park, the historic landscape park. It is built in 1911 with an area of 112,639 square meters; it is one of the national 4A scenic spots. If you are interested in fishing, you can go to Goldfish Island. When you are tired, there is a tea house for you to have a good rest. You can view natural sights from Goldfish Island, taste tea, and enjoy the cool. There is also a bonsai garden, in which many kinds of plants are displayed. The trees, grass, and flowers represent a quiet and secluded atmosphere. Just enjoy yourself!

Having visited People’s Park, you will go to Jinli Street. It is the famous pedestrian mall in Chengdu with a length of 350 meters. The buildings here feature the style of the Sichuan ancient town in ancient China. Here you can have Sichuan tea and Sichuan cuisine; you can drink Sichuan wine and watch Sichuan Opera. You can not only buy local specialties and handicrafts but also taste all kinds of Sichuan snacks in this street. For example, the soft and sweet egg cake is a popular snack on the street. There are also bar streets in the area. The lotus mansion bar on the road is a popular place for tourists. Wish you have a great time!

Option: If you are interested in Chinese Opera, you can go to Shufeng Yayun Sichuan Opera House to watch Sichuan Opera Show. The traditional Shadow Play can be a highlight. The Sichuan Opera Show, such as mask-changing, will start at 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. every night. Every performance will last 1 hour.

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Wenshu Monastery

Today, after breakfast, you will take the estimated flight MU5406 09:40/12:35 to go to Shanghai in the morning. Our guide will pick you up at the airport and then transfer you to the hotel in the urban district. In the afternoon, it will be the free time for you.

Option: Xintiandi is also a great place to go. Xintiandi is an urban tourist attraction with an integration of Chinese and West cultures. There are luxury restaurants and bars, famous brand clothing stores, and fashionable shopping centers in Xintiandi. In addition to those, there are also many new Asian brands, attracting many fashionistas at home and abroad. Starbucks Coffee can be a good place for you to rest for a while. There are many kinds of coffee available to you. The LeTAO, a dessert shop, offers all sorts of cakes and pastries. In Xintiandi, apart from going shopping, you can also meet like-minded friends around the world. You will have a pleasant journey here.

Today, you will first go to Yu Garden (Closed on Monday). Located in the northeast of the Shanghai Yu Garden Tourist Business District, it is a famous site of historic interest and scenic beauty. In 1982, it was approved by the State Council as a national cultural relics protection unit. The chic private courtyard has more than 40 rooms. The rockery, trees, flowers, and grass are well-placed. It can be said that it is a garden full of natural scenery, which is in contrast with beautiful buildings. Walking in this garden, the singing birds, dense trees, and flowing water will give you a feel of comfort, and you may indulge in pleasures without stop.

After Yu Garden, you will visit Shanghai Old Street. It is an important east-west passageway for sightseeing in the Yuyuan commercial and tourist area. Shanghai old street, also known as Xiaodongmen, brings together the earliest banks, gold shops, silver houses, tea houses, and theatres in Shanghai, a good place for experiencing old Shanghai. You can also eat some delicious snacks, such as spareribs cake, duck noodle soup, pork chop, hot pot, roast duck, steak, fried chicken, and Western food. The guide will introduce these different snacks. Just enjoy the delicious food!

You can have lunch in this Shanghai Old Street. After lunch, the guide will lead you to the Shanghai Tower, the highest building in Shanghai. Located in Lujiazui Trade Center in Shanghai, the building is 632 meters high, with 119 floors on the ground, making the tower the best viewing platform. The building is divided into five functional areas, including public business and entertainment, office, enterprise hall, boutique hotel, and top functional experience space. Among them, “The Top of the World” is the area for tourists to experience these functions, including Chinese urban culture display and viewing platform, entertainment, VIP mini bar, catering, sightseeing, etc. From the viewing platform, you can overlook the whole spectacular Huangpu River scenery in Shanghai. And you can watch the landscape lights and light shows outside the building at night.

The next spot is Nanjing Road, one of the ten commercial centers in Shanghai. It can be a paradise for shoppers at home and abroad. Shanghai Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street has become a highlight of Shanghai. On the south side of the main street of the pedestrian street, it is a sightseeing lane with a width of 7 meters. From 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day, the tour bus runs on Nanjing Road between Tibet Road and Henan Road. There is a square named Century Plaza, about 8,800 square meters in the middle of the pedestrian street; in the center of the square, there is a “golden flat” for performance and exhibition. There is also modern lighting and a musical fountain in the east.

After visited Nanjing Toad, you will go to the Bund. Located on the Bank of Huangpu River in Huangpu District, it is one of the most symbolic scenic spots in Shanghai. It is 1.5 kilometers long from south to north and with the broad Zhongshan East Road line dozens of buildings of different foreign styles. It is close to the Huangpu River, the mother river of Shanghai, and giant ships shuttle on the surface. There is a distinctive building, the Bund No. 1, which is composed of 6 high-rise residential buildings and exclusive star clubs. There is a red bar, cigar bar, coffee shop, western restaurant, gym, yoga room, aerobics room, spa and film center, and so on in the community. Apart from these excellent facilities for sport and recreation, the natural scenery is also a feast for the eyes. Wish you have a great time!

Shanghai Old Street

The Bund

Now, your 12-day extraordinary journey is about to end. After having breakfast, your private guide will pick you up from the hotel and escort you to the airport according to your flight schedule. Looking forward to your next China tour!

Author: Wang Liping