China Ethnic Tour

Welcome to China! After arrival, your tour guide holding your name sign will wait for you at the airport. Then, you will be transferred to the hotel downtown, and the guide will help you check in. Then, you can enjoy time freely or recharge your batteries after a long flight.

Your 13-day China ethnic tour will start from Beijing, the capital city of China, which is a world-renowned ancient city and a modern international city. Endowed with a temperate climate, it enjoys lovely weather in spring and autumn. Most foreigners start their tours in China from Beijing. As an inbound city, it has a well-developed transportation network so that people can head to any place from here by plane or the high-speed railway. Besides, this city has complete infrastructures that can provide you a sweet service. Now, let’s start our journey in Beijing! Are you ready?

Free time suggestion 1: You could go to Wangfujing Street this evening. Stretching 1,818 meters, it is a commercial street that is known to the world. Tongshenghe, a shoe shop set up in 1902, is known for custom-made leather shoes. There is a story about Tongshenghe’s shoes. A barber bought a pair of leather shoes here in the 1950s, and the shoes still wore well after 30 years. It offers a highlight of the quality of Tongshenghe’s shoes!

Free time suggestion 2: If you would like to experience the nightlife in Beijing, a good recommendation is the Sanlitun Bar Street, which opens from afternoon to midnight. There are over 80 bars here, such as Hidden House, JOLI WINE BAR, Catail, etc. Hidden House is a bar hidden in an arts & crafts store. Press the button on the wall and you will enter this mysterious bar, where the popular drinking is “girl’s secret” − a mixture of pinky vodka, white rum, and brown sugar. Actually, Hidden House is featured by serving cocktails for different guests – mixing cocktails according to their appetite through chatting. Then, recipes for your drinking will be written down so that you can order the same one next time. Young people from China and beyond would like to relax, drive, and make friends here.

Free time suggestion 3: Maybe you are looking forward to tasting delicious Beijing cuisine. Then, Qianmen Street is the best choice. China’s time-honored brand stores in this street enjoy a good reputation, reasonable price, and good service, which help this street be flourishing in the past hundreds of years. You can go to Quanjude (roast duck restaurant), Daoxiangcun (dim sum store), Duyichu (siu mai store), etc. Having a yummy roast duck feast with families and friends will live up to your expectation! Besides, you can taste Tanghulu (sugar-coated haws on a stick), Osmanthus Cake, and other well-known Beijing snacks.

After breakfast, we will go to Tian’anmen Square. People often regard this square as the heart of China. It covers an area of 440,000 square meters, equaling the size of the Vatican. In the center of the square, you will see the Monument to the People’s Heroes, 37.94 meters tall with a weight of 60.23 tons, which is to pay tribute to the heroes who made sacrifices during the war years. On the monument, there are eight Chinese characters, which means that the heroes of the people are immoral written by Chairman Mao Zedong. And on the backside of it, an inscription of 150 words written by Premiere Zhou Enlai extolls that heroes who devoted their lives to the country from the Opium War in 1420 to the founding of the PRC in 1949 are immoral. Apart from this, if you want to know the stories of the sculptures embedded around the monument when you visit here, then our knowledgeable guide will explain them to you in detail.

Through Tian’anmen Gate Tower in the north, you will enter the Forbidden City (closed each Monday), serving as the imperial palace of the 24 emperors in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties. Now, I’m going to share with you the story of the last emperor Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, whose life is miserable. In 1644, when Li Zicheng (the leader of the peasant uprising army in the late Ming Dynasty) conquered the Forbidden City, this emperor hanged himself in Jingshan Park after killing his empresses, concubines and children. It marks the end of the Ming dynasty. In addition, if you would like to know about emperor Puyi, the last emperor in the Qing Dynasty, your knowledgeable guide will be willing to tell you something interesting. I believe you will know something about China’s last two dynasties after visiting.

At noon, you will have lunch at a nearby restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties came to worship heaven. Going south along the axis, you could notice the Circular Mound Altar, the place for emperors to sacrifice to heaven. On its top tier, a round stone at the center is surrounded by nine circles of flagstones. It is called “Heavenly Center Stone”. If one stands on it and speak, the voice will be particularly resonant. In fact, the sound waves from this stone are reflected back by the wall around the Altar quickly, which heightens the original voice. Therefore, emperors used to stand on it to read blessing words while worshiping so that their voices could be heard in heaven. Do you hope to have this terrific experience? Just do it! It’s great to make a wish to heaven like the emperors at that time.

Then, your guide will accompany you to the Summer Palace, an imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty. It is world-famous for the wonderful combination of man-made buildings with natural mountains and lakes. In 1998, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage. Do you know where Empress Dowager Cixi once lived in the Summer Palace? It is the Hall of Joyful Longevity. Back against the Longevity Hill, the hall is much cooler in summer because the summer heat could be absorbed by the woods on the hill. Besides, water vapor from Kunming Lake in the south also makes it much cooler. Thus, Cixi spent her summer days at this resort each year after it was completed.

Option: If you are interested in Chinese Kung Fu, we recommend you to watch the Legend of Kung Fu show in Red Theatre. It starts from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm every day. And in the peak season, there is an added show at 5:15 pm. After watching, you will idolize Chun Yi who finally becomes a Kung Fu master after getting over a pile of difficulties. And if you know nothing about Chinese Kung Fu the time before, watching this show will also make you interested in it.

Free time suggestion: This evening, you could go to Houhai Lake, a popular summer resort in Beijing. It is satisfying to have a barbecue with Beijing flavor in “Kaorouji” (a BBQ restaurant), in which the mutton is roasted with pine branches. And you can go to “Kongyiji” to taste the authentic Zhejiang cuisine, including yellow rice or millet wine, beans flavored with aniseed, etc.

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

Good morning! Today we will drive northwest for around 1 hour to reach the Chang Tomb, 50 kilometers away from downtown. Built in 1409 in the Ming Dynasty, the Chang Tomb is the joint tomb of Emperor Zhu Di (also called emperor Yongle) and his wife, Empress Xu. It covers an area of 120,000 square meters. Can you guess how emperor Yongle throned? It was by means of rebellion! However, when emperor Yongle was on the throne, he took active measures to boost the economy and develop culture and education, which brought a prosperous society. The civil service system was improved, in which the cabinet could deal with state affairs according to the emperor’s instruction when the emperor was busy. And this civil service system retained an influence on Ming and Qing dynasties and even western countries. What’s more, Zheng He’s voyage to the western seas was proposed by Yongle, which enhanced cultural exchanges between China and beyond at that time. Now, are you interested in this emperor? Come here to know more about him through your guide’s explanation.

After lunch, we will head to the Mutianyu Great Wall, northeast to Chang Tomb. It will take us about 1 hour driving 39 kilometers to get there. With the best preservation, the Mutianyu Great Wall attracts millions of tourists all over the world every year. Different from other sections of the Great Wall in Beijing, there is a graffiti wall set up on Mutianyu Great Wall, where you can write down your thoughts while visiting and take pictures as a memento. You could go up the Mutianyu Great Wall by cable cars, which is the way chosen by most people. Also, you could go up by chairlifts and down by toboggan, and it is more exciting!

Option: If you are tired after a whole day’s visit, a foot massage is the best choice for you to ease off! Foot massage originated in China and values health protection. This traditional therapy with foot massage can regulate the function among the viscera and speed up the metabolism, thus improving people’s health. Enjoy a foot massage, and you will be energetic and make the most of your journey!

Chang Tomb

Mutianyu Great Wall

After checking out this morning, you will be transferred to the airport and take the estimated flight CA1471 12:30/15:35 to picturesque Guilin, another stop of your China Ethnic Tour from Beijing. Located in southern China, it enjoys a mild climate and has abundant rainfall each year. As an international tourist destination, Guilin is famous for its natural landscapes, cultural attractions and colorful ethnic characteristics. In Guilin, there are 28 ethnic minorities (Zhuang, Hui, Miao and others), and each of them celebrates their festivals till now. And these festivals include Yao’s Panwang Festival, Miao’s Lusheng Festival, etc, which attract tourists at home and abroad. After arrival, you will be driven northward for about 1 hour and 30 minutes (about 70 kilometers) to get to Longji Rice Terrace that you will visit tomorrow. Then, your local guide will go with you to the nearby hotel in Longsheng County and help you check in. Have a good rest here!

After having your breakfast, you will visit the Longji Rice Terrace on Longji Mountain in the southeast of Longsheng County. You will enter Ping’an Village surrounded by terraces and bamboo groves, where Zhuang nationality live in. There are wooden and bamboo houses, sweet and agreeable folk songs, attractive folk customs and mellow wine greeting you. This place attracts photographers from around the world, and you might see some with their equipment looking for a nice shot. In Ping’an Village, the most breathtaking landscape is “Seven Stars Accompany the Moon”, in which “Seven Stars” refers to 7 small hill-top terraces and “the Moon” refers to a large moon-shaped terrace, like a bright moon accompanied by seven twinkling stars. You could take beautiful pictures here! Besides, there are shops for costume rental and selling. Wearing a set of ethnic costumes and taking impressive photos with the Longji Rice Terrace will be satisfying!

After lunch, you will be transferred back to Guilin, and you can arrange your time left on your own.

Longji Rice Terrace

Ping'an Village

This morning, we will pick you up at your hotel and drive you for about 40 minutes to the southeast Mopanshan Pier, which is 35 kilometers away from Guilin downtown. From this pier, you will start your 4-hour Li River Cruise to Yangshuo, about 83 kilometers away from Guilin. During the Li River Cruise, you will have a sightseeing tour full of screaming moments for the stunning natural landscapes with lush mountains and green waters. Have you ever heard about the “Reflection of Yellow Cloth”? It’s one splendid view of Li River that is printed on the back of each 20 Yuan note. Try to find this breathtaking scenery while cruising on the Li River and take photos or short videos. If you share this moment online, maybe you will get a lot of “likes” or “thumbs-ups”!

After getting ashore, you will be in Yangshuo, a world-famous tourist town. We will accompany you to visit Yangshuo West Street, a pedestrian street stretching 800 meters. Being the oldest and most prosperous street here, it is one of the key attractions in Yangshuo with a history of over 1,400 years. While wandering along this street, you could taste the Beer Fish. It is a local specialty that fresh carp from the Li River is cooked in the Li River water and beer. The fish is tender and moist with a malt flavor. Also, there are small shops selling souvenirs on both sides of the street, and you can go into them and buy some gifts for your families and friends. Then, you will be transferred to the hotel. You can enjoy time by yourself.

Option: This evening, you could watch the Impression Sanjie Liu, a large-scale performance of real scene set on Li River. Performed by over 600 professional actors in colored nationality costumes of Zhuang, Yao and Miao, it shows the beautiful natural landscapes and traditional folk customs in Guilin. The performance lasts for 1 hour, and you’d better enter 10 minutes in advance. It will leave you an unforgettable memory!

Li River Cruise

Yangshuo West Street

After breakfast, you will be driven to the Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, and take the estimated flight SC4761 13:50/15:20 to Xiamen. Upon arrival, your guide from Xiamen will be waiting for you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Xiamen is a must-visit of your ethnic tour from Beijing this time. Located in the southeast of China, it enjoys a temperate and rainy climate. The world’s top-level Xiamen University here fosters professional talents in different fields. Besides, the successful host of the 33rd Golden Rooster Award Ceremony in 2020 has offered an opportunity for the upgrading of the film industry in Xiamen. Do you like Seafood? Seafood is a characteristic in this coastal city, such as lobster, abalone, shrimp, etc. Come to have a taste with partners accompanying you!  

Free Time Suggestion: It is a perfect recommendation to wander around Zhongshan Road, and it is an old commercial street with streams of people and various goods. While mentioning Xiamen, people will always think of Zhongshan Road just like Manhattan in New York, Ginza in Tokyo and Central in Hong Kong. There are around 300 shops, and you can buy anything you want here! And some signboards of these shops have different origins, such as “Xinhua Book Shop” inscribed by Mao Zedong, “Tianxian Hotel” by a master of Chinese calligraphy Luo Dan, and “Guang Hua Medicine Store” by Xiamen calligrapher Chen Meixiang. Here, you can go to Huang Zehe Peanut Soup Restaurant, and it’s famous for peanut soup, sesame balls and other local specialties with southern Fujian flavor. Come on and have a taste of these delicacies!

After breakfast, we will get to the western Nanjing Tulou, 138 kilometers away from Xiamen downtown. It will take us about 2 hours to get there by private car. Nanjing Tulou (Tulou means earthen building) is also named Fujian Tulou. Nanjing County is the hometown of Fujian Tulou. It is famed for its large numbers and various shapes of earthen buildings with a long history. There are more than 15,000 earthen buildings in total, which can be called “the kingdom of Tulou”. The building materials of Tulou are very peculiar, including clay, sticky rice, brown sugar, split bamboo and water. It is cooler in summer and warmer in winter and could resist strong wind and earthquakes. Today, you will visit the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, the most famous representative of Nanjing Tulou. Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster is sited at an altitude of 787.8 meters. It is the traditional settlement of the Hakka residents of the Huang family. Composed of one square Tulou in the center surrounded by four circular Tulou, Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster has been jokingly called “four dishes and one soup”. In 2018, a film named The Bugle from Gutian, a well-known revolutionary film, was shot here. Come here and feel the majesty of the typical Hakka building!

After visiting the Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster, you will go to Yuchang Building, 4.2 kilometers away from Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster. Built at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Yuchang Building has a history of more than 700 years. It is the oldest and largest round earthen building known at present and has the reputation of “the father of Fujian Tulou”. There are 5 floors with 54 rooms on each floor. This building is greatly featured by its inclined columns with a maximum angle of 15° that looks to be crumbling. However, people haven’t imagined that it is kept well after weathering and earthquakes in the past 700 years. You will enter the Yuchang Building to discover the secret that has kept this huge building standing still.

After lunch, you will go north to Taxia Village, 3.4 kilometers from the Yuchang Building. Taxia Village is a typical Hakka residence. It is also an indispensable living example to study Fujian Tulou. You will walk along the stream that runs through the whole village to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this village. Here, people often say that marriage is the most important thing throughout one’s life. I’d like to share with you the conventions about marriage in this village, in which four steps – blind dating, engagement, getting married, and bride’s returning to her mother’s home are involved. Firstly, arranged by a matchmaker, the man needs to come to the woman’s home with gifts and a red envelope. Secondly, if the two sides agree to have a relationship after the blind date, they will give gifts to each other, and the man will pay a bride price for engagement. Also, a respectful senior will be invited to choose a lucky day for the wedding. Next, the bridegroom’s home with colorful decorations is prepared for the coming wedding! On the day before the wedding day, the bridegroom is demanded to take items needed in the wedding to the woman’s family. The wedding begins when the bride boards the wedding sedan chair after makeup the next day. The bridegroom picks up the bride from her family and goes back to his own home together. Lastly, on a selected day, the mother of the bride will come to take her daughter home, and the bride needs to return before cooking on the next day. If you are eager to know other customs or delicacies of Taxia Village, your tour guide will be glad to tell you more!

Next, we will visit the Chengqi Building, about 10 kilometers away from Taxia Village. Built from 1635-1719, Chengqi Building is a 4-ring earthen building and it is the largest circular earthen building with the most rings, honored as “the king of circular building”. In its heyday, there were more than 800 people living in this building. At present, there are still more than 300 people living in it. It is said that in the process of construction, the weather was always nice without raining all the time. Since then, Chengqi Building has got another name − Tianzhu (Heaven-help) Building from local dwellers who thanked heaven for the sunny days. During your visit, you could ask any questions about this famous building, and your professional guide will explain them patiently.

After that, we will go back to Xiamen. You might be a little tired after a whole day’s visit, and you could take a hot bath to relax in the hotel and have a good rest.

Chengqi Building

Taxia Village

This morning, you will be picked up from the hotel to visit Huandao Road. Huandao Road is the road around Xiamen Island. With a total length of 43 kilometers, it is an arterial road of Ximen and also the classic route for an island sightseeing tour. In addition, it also serves as the main track of marathon in Xiamen and is known as the most beautiful marathon track in the world. Along the southern section of the Huandao Road, there is a stave sculpture with musical notations, which represents the famous music Waves of Gulangyu Island. With a length of 247.59 meters, it was listed as a Guinness World Record for being the world’s longest stave sculpture. Therefore, this sculpture has become a must-visit in Xiamen. If you shot videos of the beautiful views along Huandao Road and share them on your social media, I believe more friends will follow you and give you thumbs-ups!

Then, South Putuo Temple is your next stop today. At the foot of Wulao Peak in the southeast of Xiamen, the South Putuo Temple is next to the Xiamen University. It covers an area of 258,000 square meters. It is a temple dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva (an East Asian spiritual figure of mercy). It is similar to the Guanyin Hall on the Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang and is located to the south of Putuo Mountain, hence the name South Putuo Temple. In this temple, the Buddhist cuisine here attracts more and more Buddhist believers and travelers in recent years and it has become a treasure of this temple.

This afternoon, you will be accompanied to visit Gulangyu Island, which is 5 kilometers from Xiamen downtown. You need to take a ferry to get to the island, which takes about 20 minutes. In the southwest of Xiamen, Gulangyu Island is an island with a forest coverage rate of over 40%. Here, you could enjoy a wonderful time at Sunlight Rock, Piano Museum, Fish Bone Gallery, etc. Here, I would like to introduce the Piano Museum to you. Located in Shuzhuang Garden, the Piano Museum covers an area of 450 square meters. It displays over 40 clavichords collected by Hu Youyi, a patriotic overseas Chinese. The collection includes a priceless gilded piano, the earliest and largest upright piano in the world, and other precious pianos. You will learn a lot about the development of the piano. Another place you are recommended to visit is the Fish Bone Gallery. It is currently the first professional fish bone art museum in China and even in the world. Fish bone art is created by the famous fish bone artist Lin Hanbing. It is a brand-new marine culture art. There are a lot of paintings made of fish bones are on display. You will be amazed by the creative design of the artist as well as the wonderful paintings. What’s more, tasting local snacks is an indispensable part of your tour on Gulangyu Island. There are a variety of local specialties, such as pies filled with different stuffing, Kung Fu tea and oyster omelette. And Yeshi Mochi is also well-known. Having a bite of the sweet mochi, you will love this yummy food! Lastly, you could go to the Longtoulu Commercial Street. On both sides of this street, there are many craft stores and calligraphy and painting shops. Maybe you could buy something you like for collection. 

After finishing Gulangyu Island, you will take a ferry back to Xiamen downtown and be transferred to the hotel.

Huandao Road

Gulangyu Island

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up and escort you to the airport. After waving goodbye, you will take the estimated flight MF8567 11:00/12:50 to Shanghai, the last city of your ethnic tour from Beijing. Upon arrival, the local guide will wait for you at the arrival hall and then, transfer you to the hotel. And you could walk around this city on your own to spend the rest afternoon.

Shanghai is the city with the second-largest population of more than 24.87 million in China (The first one is Chong Qing, whose population has exceeded 30 million.). This modern mega-city is not only the center of China’s finance, trade and shopping but also a world-famous port city. There are amount of landmarks that include the Yu Garden, the Nanjing Road, the Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund and the Shanghai Tower, and each of them will leave you a brilliant impression. During your stay in this city, you could also taste Shanghai delicacies, for example, stir-fried shrimps, pan-fried buns, eight-treasure delicious duck, etc. Are you ready to explore charming Shanghai?

Option 1: If you want to know the history and culture of this city, Xintiandi serves as the best destination. Transformed from a traditional residential area with a group of old Shikumen buildings (traditional folk buildings with stone-framed doors), it has become a pedestrian street combining catering, business, entertainment and culture. The exterior of the Shikumen building complex in Xintiandi retains the old brick walls and roof tiles while the interior of each building is tailor-made according to the lifestyles and artistic tastes of modern urbanites in the 21st century. Strolling in Xintiandi, you will feel as if you went back to old Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, but when stepping into each building, you will feel it is very modern and fashionable.

Option 2: Going to the Tianzifang Market, you could also experience charming Shanghai. Tianzifang Market is also transformed from Shikumen buildings, known as “the second Xintiandi”. It is the birthplace of Shanghai’s fashion and art creative industry. In 1998, a famous Chinese painter, named Chen Yifei, moved his studio here. Since then, a great number of art galleries, studios, and handicraft workshops have been set up here. Entering Tianzifang Markt, you can walk in the labyrinth of small lanes and characteristic shops and art workshops are everywhere. Here, you can easily find unique souvenirs, such as shawls and scarves with Chinese features, accessories of different styles, and unique new-style Tang suits.

This morning, you will start your Shanghai tour by visiting the Yu Garden (closed on Mondays). Built in 1559 in the Ming Dynasty, it is a classical Chinese garden with a history of over 400 years. In 1999, the 440th anniversary of its completion, Jiang Zemin, the president during that time, wrote an inscription for the garden. Located in the center of this garden, there is a building called Huijing Tower. It is surrounded by water on three sides, with camphor trees, pomegranate trees, crape myrtles, red maple trees, and other trees planted around it. It is the best place to overlook the whole scenery of Yu Garden. In addition, walking around the garden, you will also see a Taihu Stone that is praised as “the waist of an elegant young lady”, the Huge Rockery and the Dragon Wall, which are must-see attractions that you cannot miss.

Next, we will go to Shanghai Old Street. Walking along the street, you will feel as if you traveled back to the country fair of 100 years ago. There is an old tea house named “Chunfeng Deyi Building”, in which the signature tea is Yuanbao tea with 2 green olives (qing gan lan in Chinese) in it. In Shanghai dialects, “qing gan lan” sounds similar to “qing guo lai” (meaning “inviting somebody here”), so it indicates inviting guests coming to have a cup of tea. And Ping Tan, a local performance of story-telling with ballad-singing, is performed in this tea house each weekend. Besides, there are many shops selling traditional Chinese goods. Chinese fans, silk fabrics and paper-cuttings are good souvenirs that you can buy for your friends.

After lunch, we will head to the Shanghai Tower. With a height of 632 meters, it is a landmark skyscraper in Shanghai. Shanghai Tower is China’s first and world’s second tallest building that integrates business, hotel, entertainment and sightseeing. The Top of Shanghai Observatory on the 118th floor has opened to the public since 2017. Taking the world’s fastest elevator, you will go up to this 546-meter-high observatory in 55 seconds and have a bird’s-eye view of this bustling city! The Shanghai Tower is a photogenic spot for social media, and a photo here will be amazing on your Twitter or other social media!

After that, you will go to Nanjing Road, one of the most prosperous roads in this city with more than 700 stores on both sides. It provides a variety of products from China and overseas to meet traveler s’ shopping needs, and nearly 1,700,000 tourists come here every day. And particularly on the weekend, people pack into this paradise of shopping like sardines. In addition to shopping, you could taste delicacies while wandering here, including a variety of cookies sold by Tai Kang Food Store and pastries cooked and served by Shen Dacheng Restaurant and so on.

To the east end of the Nanjing Road, we will get to the Bund. This place is also suitable for social media shots! With 52 classical retro buildings in different styles, the Bund is known as the “World Architecture Fair”. For example, the HSBC Building (today’s location of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank) built in 1921, No.12 on the Bund, is the largest building here. There are two bronze lions placed in front of its gate. The one roaring with its mouth open is called “Steven” which refers to the general manager of the HSBC Hong Kong Branch, and the other one meditating with mouth closed is named “Shi Di” which is the name of the general manager of the HSBC Shanghai Branch.

Option: Choosing a Huangpu River Night Cruise tonight will be a perfect experience for you to enjoy the glamour of the Huangpu River as well as Shanghai. In the evening, the buildings on both sides of the Huangpu River will be illuminated by dazzling colorful lights. The classical architecture on the Bund and the modern architecture at Lujiazui complement each other, and you will appreciate the different beauty on both sides of the Huangpu River. Look beyond, you can appreciate the solidified beauty of the buildings on the banks and feel the flowing beauty of the Huangpu River. Cruising on the Huangpu River, you will be amazed by Shanghai’s beauty everywhere.

Yu Garden

The Bund

Today, the first attraction for you is the Shanghai Museum (closed each Monday). It was completed and opened to the public in 1996, and its name was written by Shanghai’s first mayor − Chen Yi. Boasting around 1,000,000 treasured relics featured by bronze vessels, potteries and porcelains, calligraphy and painting works, it is known as a museum of Chinese ancient art. There are 11 exhibition halls in this museum, which respectively display China’s ancient bronze vessels, sculptures, potteries and porcelains, calligraphy and painting works, seals, jade wares, ancient coppers, pieces of furniture in Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as artworks from China’s minorities. In the exhibition hall for China’s ancient pottery and porcelain, there are about 500 porcelains on display, including painted potteries, tri-colored glazed potteries of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and underglaze porcelains produced in Jingdezhen (a town that is famous for making blue-and-white porcelains). In the exhibition hall for Chinese paintings, different styles of paintings from the Tang Dynasty to modern times are displayed. You will see landscape paintings, flower paintings, animal paintings, figure paintings, as well as story paintings.

After that, we will go to the Jade Buddha Temple that is named after the two jade Buddha statues enshrined in the temple. When mentioning a Buddhist temple, people always remember the Da Xiong Bao Dian (also the Grand Hall). Do you know what the name of this hall means? In Chinese Buddhism, “Da” means to be inclusive, “Xiong” means to deter evil people or evil spirits, “Bao” refers to the three elements of Buddhism that are Sakyamuni, Buddhist doctrine and monks, and “Dian” means a hall. It is the main hall of a Buddhist temple. There is also a Da Xiong Bao Dian in the Jade Buddha Temple. In this hall, 3 Buddha statues are sitting in the lotus positions with gentle eyes. The Buddha in the middle is Sakyamuni. Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru (Buddha of Medicine) are on both sides of Sakyamuni. The three Buddha statues are 4-meter tall in gold, which makes the hall a glittering and solemn place. It is a must-visit place in the temple no matter for visitors or for Buddhists. In addition, “jade” implies a perfect and precious marriage in Chinese. Therefore, many young people come here to pray for a good lover and a perfect marriage.

After lunch, we will head to the Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town, the last stop of your China tour from Beijing. It is located 49 kilometers away from the center of Shanghai. Taking a private car from Shanghai downtown, we will drive southwestward for about 50 minutes to get there. Crisscrossed by waterways, it enjoys a fabulous environment, which makes it a popular tourist destination for visitors both in China and abroad. Here, I want to share the story of Taian Bridge with you. Taian Bridge was built in 1584 during the Ming Dynasty. It is a single-arch stone bridge. Located in front of Yuanjin Temple, Taian Bridge is recognized as a symbol of contented people living in calm and peace. It’s often said that standing on this bridge for a while, people will have all their troubles taken off and live peacefully. 

Option: This evening, you could watch the ERA Acrobatics Show. It starts at 8:00 pm and lasts for 1.5 hours from Tuesday to Sunday each week, and there will be an added one at 2:00 pm on Saturday and bank holidays. Having an integration of acrobatics, dance, opera, music, and the world’s top-level multi-media technologies, the performance will absolutely amaze you! And ERA2 performed since July 31, 2021, tells a romantic love story that happened in Shanghai. A variety of colorful and vivid scenes with history, culture and modernism of this city are a reflection of the spirit and image of Shanghai! I believe you will love this city after watching the stunning show!

Jade Buddha Temple

Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport according to your flight. Today, your memorable ethnic tour from Beijing will come to an end, and I believe you have a wonderful trip in China this time. Thanks for choosing China Tour Star, and we hope to meet you again in China next time! Good-bye!

Author: Liu Na

Proofreader: Vivian Zhou