China Relaxing Tour from Beijing

Welcome to choose this itinerary, and it’s one of our best China tours from Beijing! Today, you will arrive in Beijing, the first stop of your relaxing China tour. Covering over 16,000 square kilometers, it has a population of more than 21 million. As the capital city of China, it’s the hub of China’s politics, culture, and technology. It is also the heart of international exchanges. Besides, it’s a significant ancient city that emperors of 5 dynasties—Liao (907-1125), Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912)—selected it as the capital. There are numerous historical and cultural relics, including the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, etc. Serving as a popular tourist city, Beijing attracts a lot of travelers all year round. After arrival, the guide with your name sign will meet you at the airport. Then you will be transferred to the hotel and check in with the help of your tour guide. You can have a good rest in the hotel or walk around to explore the charming Beijing by yourself for the rest of this day.

After breakfast, we will visit Tian’anmen Square, the first attraction of your Beijing tour. Covering 440,000 square meters, it has a length of 880 meters and a width of 500 meters. In its center erects the Monument of the People’s Heroes made of granites and white marbles. There are 10 white marble reliefs inset around the monument, and each of them is relevant to an event during the Chinese revolutionary history since the Opium War in 1840. Here, I’d like to describe the one about the May Fourth Movement to you. It shows the scene that students with great passion gathered in Tian’anmen Square for a patriotic demonstration. Mounting the platform, a male student was delivering an address to the crowd. Female students were handing out leaflets to passers-by. With the indignant young speaker and the crowd, this scene shows the students’ struggles for the independence of the Chinese nation.

Going north, you can enter the Forbidden City (closed on Mondays) through Tian’anmen Gate Tower in north of Tian’anmen Square. It covers an area of 720,000 square meters, and it’s recognized as the largest royal palace complex in the world, equating to 3 times the size of the Kremlin in Russia. In the Forbidden City, you will notice that there are no trees in other parts of the Forbidden City except for the Imperial Garden. Do you know why? Firstly, buildings here were constructed with precious logs. If trees were planted here, the trees could attract lightning strikes easily on thunderstorm days. Thus, the buildings were also easy to catch fire. Also, trees will provide a hiding place for assassins, thus making threats to the emperors’ safety. Besides, do you know how the sundial in the Forbidden City does the timekeeping? Your excellent guide will explain any question that you want to know in detail. 

After lunch, we will head to the royal garden of the Qing Dynasty—the Summer Palace. It was built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong for his mother’s 60th birthday and rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi for her retirement. It is world-famous for its harmonious architectural techniques that integrate artificial buildings with natural landscapes. The main attractions in the Summer Palace include the Hall of Benevolence & Longevity, the Hall of Jade Ripples, the Long Corridor, Marble Boat, Bronze Ox, and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Among them, the Long Corridor is the one that you cannot miss. Extending along the Kunming Lake for 728 meters, it starts from the Hall of Joyful Longevity in the east and ends at Shizhang Pavilion in the west. More than 17,000 colored paintings were drawn in the Long Corridor. There is a painting that describes a legendary love story of a poor mortal cowherd and a fairy, a daughter of the heavenly Jade Emperor, which is the origin of the Chinese Valentine’s Day (the 7th day of the 7th lunar month). The beautiful fairy fell in love with the cowherd, which displeased the Jade Emperor. So they were separated by the Jade Emperor. But their love endured, and they were permitted to meet once on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month every year. Since then, this day has become the Chinese Valentine’s Day when lovers will have a date and show their love to each other. 

Option: Are you interested in Chinese Kung Fu? Have you heard about Bruce Lee, one of the most famous martial artists and Kung Fu movie stars? It is a good idea for you to watch the Legend of Kung Fu Show in the Red Theater. It always starts at 19:30 and ends at 21:00. If you come to Beijing during the peak season, there will be an additional one at 17:15. After watching the show, I believe you will be moved by the story of Chun Yi, the dramatis personae in the show, who was sent to Shaolin Temple at an early age and became a Kung Fu master after painstaking practice year after year. 

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

After enjoying your breakfast in the hotel, we will visit the Temple of Heaven this morning. Covering 2.73 million square meters, it’s four times as big as the Forbidden City. It used to be the place for emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship heaven with the wishes of a prosperous country and a fruitful harvest. In the temple, the main buildings include the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Danbi Bridge, Imperial Vault of Heaven, and Circular Mound Altar. In front of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, there are the Triple Echo Stones. If you say something standing on the first stone, one echo will be heard. If you do that again standing on the second stone, two echoes will be heard and three echoes will be heard on the third stone. What an amazing phenomenon! Besides, you will see elders doing Tai Chi here in the morning. Tai Chi is a popular form of exercise for people to strengthen their bodies. If you are interested in it, you could learn Tai Chi with the locals and they are so warmhearted to teach you. Maybe you will love this traditional Chinese way of exercising. When you go back home, you can also teach your family members and keep practicing it together.

Next, we will explore the Old Beijing Hutong. It is not only the traditional living place for Beijingers but also the place where folk customs of old Beijing are kept. We recommend you to visit here by rickshaw, which is a conventional way for sightseeing that most visitors choose. While passing through the Hutongs, you will feel as if you boarded a time-travel machine and went back to the old Beijing centuries ago. After that, you will visit a local family, where you will have a deep insight into a quadrangle dwelling that a local family lives in. The host may share the legendary story of their family with you if you are interested. And you could have a homemade lunch with the family and enjoy the local food with Beijing flavor. You can guess what you will have for lunch! Dumplings or Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste)?

After a yummy lunch, we will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall this afternoon. After pick-up, you will be driven northward to the Mutianyu Great Wall, 73 kilometers away from the city center. It will take you about 75 minutes to get there. The Mutianyu Great Wall is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall and it provides the most completed sightseeing facilities, which include cable car, chairlift, toboggan and helicopter. The classic way for people up to the Mutianyu Great Wall is by cable car. With an enclosed room, it is chosen by most elders. And you could choose to visit it by chairlift. In this way, you could feel a sense of excitement in the open air. If you expect a more interesting and exciting experience, we recommend you to take a chairlift up and take the toboggan down. Also, you could pay an extra bill for a helicopter visit of the Mutianyu Great Wall, and I believe it will leave you an unforgettable memory! 

Option: If you still have the energy at night, the Silk Street Market that opens late is a must-visit place for you to go shopping. It has become a landmark attraction of China tours from Beijing for tourists from both China and beyond. Here, you could buy Chinese silk fabrics, porcelains, tea, and handicrafts for your loved ones.

Temple of Heaven

Mutianyu Great Wall

After checking out in the morning, you will be transferred to the airport and head to Kunming by taking the estimated flight CA4172 11:55/15:45. Kunming, the provincial capital of the Yunnan Province, is the second city on your China relaxing tour from Beijing. Enjoying a spring-like climate all year round without hot days in summer and cold days in winter, it is known for the “spring city”. It is a multiracial city with 26 ethnic groups living here from generation to generation. Each ethnic group has its own important ethnic festival—the Torch Festival of the Yi nationality, the Water-Sprinkling Festival of the Dai nationality, the Knifeladder-Climbing Festival of the Lisu nationality, etc. As one of China’s top ten tourist cities, it boasts the Stone Forest, Dianchi Lake, Green Lake Park, and other famous landscapes.

After arrival, your Kunming tour guide will greet you at Kunming Changshui International Airport. Then, you will be driven southwestward to the city downtown, 26 kilometers away. After a 30-minute drive, you will get to the downtown hotel and your guide will help you check in. You could recharge your batteries today and be ready for your Kunming tour the following day.

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, you will get on a private car to the Kunming Spring City Golf & Lake Resort. It is located in the east of Kunming, 56 kilometers far away from the city center. We will drive about an hour to get there. In the resort, there are comfortable hotel rooms and vacation villas designed by professional and experienced designers, which will satisfy different visitors’ demands. Covering more than 5 million square meters, it comprises 2 championship-level golf courses (a Mountain Course and a Lake Course) that meet international standards. Today, you will play golf at the Mountain Course for 3-4 hours. Just enjoy your time here!

At noon, you need to pay for your lunch at the resort. This afternoon, we will drive for about 46 minutes (about 48 kilometers) to the Stone Forest, southeast of the Kunming Spring City Golf & Lake Resort. Do you know how the stone forest came into existence? About 300 million years ago, this area was a vast ocean with a limestone seabed. Through millions of years’ geographical evolution, the ocean became land and the limestone seabed turned into various types of karst landforms and landscapes because of wind and rain erosion. Thus, the Stone Forest was formed. I would like to introduce the Stone Screen to you. Three overlapped stones look like a large screen that blocks the views of visitors and makes the beautiful scenery behind it unseen. It is like the screen wall in the Chinese classic gardens, behind which the most beautiful views are hidden at first. Once rounding the screen wall, people will be amazed by the unexpected views behind it.

After visiting, you will be transferred to the hotel and have a nice rest. 

Kunming Spring City Golf&Lake Resort

Stone Forest

After breakfast, you will be driven to Yuanyang County, south of the Stone Forest with a distance of 253 kilometers. It will take you about 3 hours and 30 minutes to get there. Yuanyang County is most famous for the Yuanyang Rice Terrace, which covers over 11 million square meters. It looks like a beautiful landscape painting “painted” by people of the Hani nationality in the past thousands of years. The Yuanyang Rice Terrace has 3 major areas, namely Bada Rice Terrace, Laohuzui Rice Terrace, and Duoyishu Rice Terrace. The rice terrace fields are all reclaimed around the hillsides and they look like huge waterfalls pouring from the top of the mountains. Taking a visit here, you will be stunned by this spectacular scenery! 

After arriving at Yuanyang, we will go to the hotel and check in first. Then, the Bada Rice Terrace is waiting for us to visit. It climbs from small hills at an altitude of 800 meters to high mountains at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. The rice terrace with more than 3,700 steps seems like a ladder from the sky, glittering like jewelry in the sunlight, which will fascinate you extremely! It is the perfect place for people to record the breathtaking sunset scenery with a camera! If you share the beautiful pictures on your Facebook, it will gain a lot of “likes” and new followers! 

After that, you will be transferred to the hotel and have a good rest.

Yuanyang Rice Terrace

Bada Rice Terrace

After breakfast, we will drive northward to Kunming. After driving for about 2 hours, we will stop at the Jianshui Ancient Town in the south of Kunming. It is about 80 kilometers away from Yuanyang and 170 kilometers away from Kunming. Thanks to the complete protection, it is reputed as the “museum of ancient buildings” and the “museum of folk houses” with more than 50 ancient folk dwellings preserved in the town. Entering the ancient town, the guide will accompany you to visit the Confucius Temple and the Zhu Family Garden. The Confucius Temple was built in 1285 in the Yuan Dynasty with a history of over 700 years. The most attractive building in the Confucius Temple is the Dacheng Hall, where the statue of Confucius is enshrined. There are 8 plaques inscribed by Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Yongzheng, and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty to praise the achievement of Confucius in this hall. They are the evidences of the greatness of Confucius. Next, we will walk around to the Zhu Family Garden. It is a typical family garden featured by characteristics of southern China, which deserves a visit. The buildings here are elegant and exquisite with carved beams. You can walk around the whole garden to see them.

Then, we will continue driving northward for around 2.5 hours and get to Kunming. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel and have a good rest there.

Jianshui Ancient Town

Confucian Temple

After a nice breakfast, our experienced driver will drive you to the airport, and then you will take the estimated flight CZ6700 11:25/13:25 to Sanya. Today, you will say goodbye to the “spring city” and say hello to the beautiful coastal city—Sanya, which is a must-visit of your relaxing tour from Beijing during the 13 days. It is known as the “Oriental Hawaii” for its tropical seaside scenery. With a pleasing coastal climate, this city has quite long summer days all year round. You will have a short stay here for 3 days. The white sandy beach, satisfying sunbathing, and fresh coconut milk will give you a wonderful traveling memory! Are you ready to explore the beautiful Sanya? Let’s go!

We will visit the Nanshan Temple this morning, a Buddhist temple on the southern foot of Nanshan Mountain in Sanya. It is a temple with an integration of Buddhist culture with sightseeing. With 270,000 square meters, it is the largest temple in southern China. Here, I’d like to introduce the Great Buddha’s Hall (also known as the “Golden Hall”) to you. The statues of Sakyamuni in the middle, Amitabha on the right, and Medicine Buddha on the left are enshrined in this grand hall together with the sculptures of 18 Arhats. You could walk into this hall and pay a tribute to the Buddhas with a wish of health, a good score, or family happiness. 

Then, we will go to Tianya Haijiao, 17 kilometers east of Nanshan Temple. It will take us about half an hour to get there. The main attractions here include Zhiyu Lake, Tianya Haijiao Star Sculpture, Sun & Moon Stones, etc. There are beautiful lotuses and flamingos at the Zhiyu Lake, together with coconut trees, willows and other trees planted around it. Would you like to know something about the Star & Moon Stones? Two stones cross over in the sea, and they are inscribed with the Chinese characters of “sun” and “moon” respectively. The two stones seem like a heart shape, so it is also called the “love stone”. Tianya Haijiao is a photogenic spot for social media, so you could take pretty photos here. And if you share them on Twitter, I believe there will be a lot of “likes” and new followers! 

After lunch, you will go back to the hotel and enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the hotel on your own. There are a lot of facilities in the hotel. If you are interested in swimming, you could enjoy swimming in the swimming pool. If you are a fitness fanatic, you could work out in the gym. And if you come with your lover, friends or family members, it is a good idea for you to watch a movie together. 

Nanshan Temple

Tianya Haijiao

Good morning! You could arrange your time freely today. Walking along the beach and admiring the seaside views will give you a relaxing time. Also, you could go shopping in the local markets to buy some gifts with Sanya features for your family members and friends. Here, I’d like to introduce the local food and drinks for you particularly. In this “summer city”, cold drinks are always welcomed by citizens. Sam Bo Luong is a must-taste for you! It is a cold dessert soup mixed with coconut milk, sweet beans, raisins, and a variety of fruits, which will make you refresh after tasting! In addition, I would like to introduce the very nice local cuisines that you cannot miss! Wenchang chicken, Hainan rice noodles, and sticky rice in coconut will greatly surprise you with yummy taste! And seafood here cooked through various cooking methods will greatly make you satisfied! In a word, there is deliciousness around every corner in Sanya. Come and explore the tasty specialty here!

After having breakfast in the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport. Then, you will take the estimated flight FM9538 11:15/14:00 to modern Shanghai. Enjoying a shanghai tour from Beijing is the last arrangement of your itinerary. Shanghai is an old city housing the Longhua Temple with a history of 1700 years as well as the unique Shikumen buildings, the characteristic local residential buildings with a history of hundreds of years. Shanghai is also a modern city with lots of fashionable skyscrapers. People here are working at a faster pace. Shanghai is a popular tourist destination with a mature transportation system, including 2 international airports, many high-speed rails, highways, and waterways. After arrival, the local guide will transfer you to the hotel and help you check in. You could take a good rest after the long flight or wander around in this charming city. You will enjoy a stay here for 2 days, and I wish you a pleasant tour in shanghai!

The Yu Garden (closed each Monday) is our first stop this morning. It is a classic garden built in the Ming Dynasty, having a history of over 400 years. You could visit Sansui Hall, Huge Rockery, Dragon Wall, and other landscapes in this garden. Here, I’d like to describe the Exquisite Jade Rock to you. Actually, it is not jade but a Taihu stone corroded by flowing water. You can see there are many holes in the stone. It is said that the Exquisite Jade Rock was a tribute to Emperor Huizong who was the 8th emperor in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). However, it was lost on the way to Lin’an, the capital city of the Song Dynasty. After several years, the Exquisite Jade Rock became a plaything of an official with the surname Chu. And then, it was given as a dowry to Pan Yunliang, the younger brother of Pan Yunduan who built the Yu Garden, as Pan Yunliang got married to the daughter of the Chu family at that time. After that, the Exquisite Jade Rock was placed in the garden and has been standing here for more than 400 years. 

Next, we will go to Shanghai Old Street. It is a traditional commercial street that combines sightseeing, shopping and entertainment. It is always crowded with tourists all year round. Wandering here, you could taste authentic local food, including small steamed buns, soup dumplings, and sweet green rice balls, which are Shanghai specialties. And they are so delicious that you will have your new favorite food after tasting them.

After lunch, we will visit Shanghai Tower. With a height of 632 meters, it is China’s tallest and the world’s second-tallest building. The famous sculpture—“Shanghai Lady” that is made and donated by the renowned Chinese artist Chen Yifei is displayed on the 1st floor of the Shanghai Tower. This elegant and graceful lady was sculptured based on the images of Shanghai women in the 1930-1940s. The lady is in cheongsam with a birdcage and a sandalwood fan, which always arouses local people’s nostalgia of the old Shanghai. Also, the twisting posture of the “Shanghai lady” is in harmony with the spiral appearance of the Shanghai Tower. Besides, you can also experience the thrilling speed of the world’s fastest elevator in the world. By taking it, you will go up to the Top of Shanghai Observatory and have a bird’s-eye view of the charming Shanghai. 

Lastly, we will visit Nanjing Road. Extending for 5.5 kilometers, it starts at the Bund by the Huangpu River in the east and ends at the Yan’an West Road in the west. There are a lot of China’s time-honored stores selling jewelries, Chinese paintings, Chinese medicines, and Shanghai-style snacks. You can buy some for your friends and families in your sweet hometown. 

Through the Nanjing East Road, we will walk to the Bund at the east end, which is one of Shanghai’s landmarks. There are 52 buildings with different styles, including Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque, etc. The HSBC Building, No.12 on the Bund, is a masterpiece of Western Classicism Architecture in China. The one next to the HSBC building is the Customs House (No.13 on the Bund), and people always call them the “sister buildings”. The latter one always attracts people first with the sounding of its bell. Besides, you can walk around the Bund to appreciate these buildings and take some amazing pictures. 

Shanghai Old Street

Shanghai Tower

Your wonderful China relaxing tour from Beijing will end here. The guide will transfer you to the airport according to your flight. I believe you will have a wonderful time during the 13 days in China. We sincerely wish you a pleasant homebound journey and hope to meet you again on your next China tour. 

Author: Liu Na 

Proofreader: Vivian Zhou