China Adventure Tour with Avatar Mountain from Hong Kong

Welcome to Hong Kong! Our professional tour guide will be waiting for you when you get off the plane. You will find your name sign when you reach the airport arrival hall. After picking you up, he or she will take you to the hotel to have a good rest.

Hong Kong is located in South China. It sits across from Macau, and consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and other 262 islands, covering 1106.66 square meters of land and 1648.69 square meters of sea area. After World War II, Hong Kong’s economy and society developed rapidly. It has not only ranked among the “Four Asian Economic Tigers”, but also become one of the world’s richest regions, having one of the largest economies and being one of the regions with the highest living standard in the world.

Hong Kong is a highly prosperous free port and an international metropolis, and is known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, “paradise of cuisine”, and “shopper’s paradise”. The city is a hub where Chinese culture and Western culture come together and integrates. There is a word created by TIME magazine called “Nylonkong”, which means New York, London and Hong Kong, referring to the network that facilitates the global economy. What’s more, Hong Kong is the third-largest financial center in the world, an important international financial, trading, and shipping center, as well as an international center for science and technology innovation. Being one of the freest economies and most competitive cities, it ranks as the third world’s first-tier city by GaWC (Globalization and World Cities Research Network).

After breakfast, your half-day tour in Hong Kong begins. The first place you will visit is Victoria Peak, a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Its Peak Tower is in the shape of a bowl, and was the masterpiece of the famous British architect Terry Farrel. It is a good choice to come here for sightseeing, entertainment, and shopping. There are a few observation decks or platforms on the peak and you can enjoy the landscape of Hong Kong Island. You will take the Peak Tram to arrive at the peak. The peak tram has been in operation since 1888. It is the first motorized public transport in Hong Kong and the first funicular railway in Asia.

After that, you will travel to Aberdeen Fishing Village, which is located on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. As early as over 200 years ago, it was a haven for pirates, as well as a fishing village. Today, the village still carries the characteristics of traditional fishing villages as there are still hundreds of fishermen living here. You will visit the ancient village by a sampan, a small boat, and you can take wonderful photos during the sampan ride.

The last attraction today is Stanley Market. Stanley is a beautiful seaside town in the south of Hong Kong, China. It was once a British military stronghold and the administrative center of Hong Kong Island and the location of Hong Kong’s heavily guarded prison. Stanley Market, an air-conditioned semi open-air market, is the major part of this town. Stalls and shops selling all kinds of goods are laid out end to end. Strong wind from air conditioning makes the whole street quite cool. All sorts of items are sold here, including traditional Chinese crafts, antiques, paintings and calligraphy works, clothing, and fabrics, so you can buy some souvenirs here. You will have some free time here, and then we will take you back to your hotel.

Optional Activity:

1. You can go to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in Kowloon to visit the Avenue of Stars and take the famous Star Ferry.

2. Temple Street is a good place to relax and go shopping. Being the most famous night market in Hong Kong, Temple Street stays open from 14:00 to the next morning. Every night, the street is full of various goods that are sold at affordable prices.

Victoria Peak

Aberdeen Fishing Village

After breakfast, you will take the public ferry to Lamma Island and then have a walking tour there. Lamma Island is the third largest island in Hong Kong, following Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island. In the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties, it was a place for foreign ships to stay that went there for business. Cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) Dynasties were unearthed here. Chow Yun-fat, a famous movie star, was born on Lamma Island.

Yung Shue Wan is an important dock on the island, and there is an attractive street in Yung Shue Wan, Yung Shue Wan Main Street. Besides the locals, there are many foreigners living in the street. There are restaurants, guest houses, and craft shops on both sides of the street, and some wine shops provide affordable wine. Seafood feasts, Western-style bread and coffee, and Hong Kong-style dim sum are all available here.

Next, we will visit Tin Hau Temple. According to legend, Tin Hau (also known as A-Ma) is the patron saint of fishermen. Tin Hau Temple is therefore a common temple in the fishing villages of Hong Kong. The Tin Hau Temple on Lamma Island has a long history, with buildings dating back to 1870 or earlier. When you visit the Tin Hau Temple here, don't forget to take a look at the ancient whale bones displayed inside.

Lamma Winds is a place worth visiting too. It is the first commercial power station in Hong Kong that generates electricity with wind power. It cost 15 million Hong Kong dollars. It was officially opened on February 23, 2006. It is said that it can provide 250 households with electricity for one year.

The last two sites you will visit in Lamma Island are Hung Shing Yeh Beach and Herbo Land. Hung Shing Yeh Beach is the most famous beach on Lamma Island. It used to be one of the cleanest beaches in Hong Kong and many visitors came from faraway places to swim here. But it was claimed that the water was polluted and swimming here has been no longer permitted since 2010.

Herbo Land is the first organic herb garden in Hong Kong built in 2003. A variety of herbs are planted here. There is also a herb café that offers more than 40 kinds of flower tea. The café also sells different dried herbs and herb tea, herb potted plants, and organic vegetables.

Your trip today ends here and you will take a public ferry to go back to the city and then you will have a good rest in the hotel.

Tin Hau Temple

Hung Shing Yeh Beach

We will send you to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, and then you will take the estimated high-speed train G408 12:05/15:25 to Guilin. Our guide will pick you up in Guilin and take you to your hotel. Then you can spend the rest of the day on whatever you like.

After breakfast, we will visit the Elephant Trunk Hill. Elephant Trunk Hill is located at the confluence of the Peach Blossoming River and the Li River in Guilin. The hill is named so because it resembles the shape of a giant elephant standing by the river and drinking from the Li River with its trunk. It is considered the symbol of the Guilin landscape. Water-Moon Cave is a famous attraction in Elephant Trunk Hill, which is a hole between the elephant’s trunk and legs. The cave is over the river and looks like the moon is floating on the water. Then you will drive 110 kilometers northward to Longji Rice Terrace. It will take about 2.5 hours.

After lunch, you will enjoy the landscape of Longji Rice Terrace. Longji Rice Terrace is located in Longsheng county. It has a history of at least 2,300 years, making it the earliest of rice terrace in the world. Its development began in the Tang Dynasty (816 - 907), and became as large as it is today in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Optional activity: At night, you can take a boat on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes in Guilin and enjoy the nightscape.

Elephant Trunk Hill

Longji Rice Terrace

In the morning, your guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby and take you to the Mopanshan Port, where you will board the Li River Cruise and head for Yangshuo. The port is about 35 kilometers southeast from the city center of Guilin, and it will take about 50 minutes to drive there. The Li River is 164 kilometers long. The river bed is full of pebbles and with a small amount of sand, and the water is usually crystal clear. On both sides of the river, you can enjoy the karst landform. Lunch will be provided on the cruise ship. 

In the afternoon, when you finish the cruise tour, you will pay a visit to Yangshuo West Street. It is a pedestrian street located in the center of Yangshuo County with a history of more than 1,400 years. The street witnessed the earliest contact and fusion of Chinese and Western cultures in Yangshuo. It is a place with a large number of foreigners. Sometimes the number of foreigners here even outnumber the local Chinese. And there are more than 20 foreign shops in the street, so Yangshuo West Street is known as “Foreigner Street”. It is also called a “global village” because almost all people here can speak foreign languages. More than 1.5 million tourists come here for a visit every year.

After your visit at Yangshuo West Street, your trip today comes to an end and we will take you to your hotel in Yangshuo to have a good rest.

Li River

Yangshuo West Street

Today you will first go back to Guilin city. It is about 75 KM northwest from Yangshuo and it takes around 1.5 hours to drive there. Then we will send you to the airport to take the estimated flight CA1472 16:30/18:25-MU2431 20:25/21:55 to Zhangjiajie. Our guide will pick you up upon your arrival in Zhangjiajie.

Zhangjiajie, located in Hunan Province, is one of the most important tourist cities in China. In September 1982, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park became the first of its kind in China. The complex and diverse terrain of Zhangjiajie make its landscape unique. The mountainous area accounts for 76% of the total area, among which the peak forest landform of quartz sandstone is rare in the world. Besides, Zhangjiajie has a large ethnic minority population. According to the fifth national census, there were 33 ethnic minorities in Zhangjiajie, mainly Tujia, Bai, and Miao people.

Today you will go to Wulingyuan Scenic Area and take the famous Bailong Elevator. Wulingyuan Scenic Area is in the northeastern part of Hunan Province. The limestone karst landform in the northern part of the scenic area, after millions of years of erosion and dissolution, has formed numerous karst caves, waterfall holes, and groups of springs. The scenic area is known as a natural labyrinth, a geological museum, a kingdom of forests, and a paradise for wild animals. In 1992, it was included in the World Heritage Site List.

Yuanjiajie, as the key site in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, is the only special conservation area among all the world’s natural heritage sites in China. With an average altitude of about 1000 meters, it is surrounded by cliffs. Due to its special terrain, Yuanjiajie is neither very cold in winter nor extremely hot in summer, and has an average yearly temperature of about 16.8 degrees centigrade. The famous Southern Sky Column stands here. It is a stone peak rushing into the sky from an unfathomable valley, looking like a mountain guard. The famous movie Avatar was filmed here.

Bailong Elevator is a sightseeing elevator in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, with a height of 335 meters. In 2005, Bailong Elevator was awarded one of the “Top Ten International Artificial Landscape Projects” by IAID (Interior Architecture and Industrial Design) in the International Architectural Decoration Summit. It broke the Guinness World Records and became the highest outdoor elevator. It can rise from the bottom to the top in 66 seconds. Since its opening in 2002, Bailong Elevator has carried nearly 35 million tourists.

In the afternoon, you will visit Tianzi Mountain, one of the attractions in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. It was named so because of Xiang Dakun, the leader of the Tujia ethnic group. He once led the local farmers in an uprising and called himself “Tianzi”, meaning the Son of Heaven. And he named the mountain that they live in “Tianzi Mountain”. This name lasted till today.

Golden Whip Stream is another site worth visiting. It is 6.5 km long, flows from west to east, and has never dried up. The stream was named so because it is next to the Golden Whip Rock. The rock is as high as 380 meters and is in the shape of a whip. In the sunshine, it looks gold when it reflects the sunlight, therefore people call it Golden Whip Rock and the stream around it Golden Whip Stream.

Zhangjiajie Ten-mile Gallery is located at the foot of Tianzi Mountain. It is a long valley of about 5.8 kilometers. With the karst peaks on its two sides, it boasts beautiful scenery. Nature has created sandstone peaks in various images of humans, birds, and animals. You will be amazed by the power of nature.

Tianzi Mountain

Zhangjiajie Ten-mile Gallery

In the morning, you will go to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and experience the Glass Bridge. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is located in Cili County, Zhangjiajie City. The canyon is full of waterfalls and is covered with abundant greenery, contributing to the fresh air and pleasant temperature here. There is a quiet stream in the middle of the canyon, along which is a wooden walkway for tourists.

There is a story about this stream in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon that has been passed down from generation to generation by the Tujia people. Once upon a time, the youngest daughter of the Dragon King (the god of rain in Chinese mythology) sneaked out of the palace to play and came to the canyon by chance. Attracted by the fragrant flowers, beautiful bees and butterflies, and the clear running water here, she decided not to go back home. Since then, she began to practice Taoism, and finally became immortal. And she blessed the local people with her power for generations. To commemorate the girl, people named the stream in the canyon “the Dragon Girl River”.

The Glass Bridge is an important attraction in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. With a length of 536 meters and a width of 6 meters, it is a large suspension bridge, famous for being the longest glass bridge in the world. You will walk on the bridge and have a bird’s-eye view of the canyon.

In the afternoon, you will travel to Baofeng Lake Scenic Area. Baofeng Lake is a World Natural Heritage, with a depth of 72 meters and a length of 2.5 kilometers. The flat lake is surrounded by mountains. You will have a boat tour on the lake.

Then you will take the estimated flight MU2432 22:45/00:15+1 to Xi’an.

Located in Shaanxi province, Xi’an used to be the capital city of 13 dynasties in Chinese history. This old city is one of the four ancient capitals in the world.

Glass Bridge

Baofeng Lake Scenic Area

After breakfast, we will visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. It is located about 40 kilometers east of the city center and it takes about 1 hour to drive there. Terra cotta warriors and horses are a category of ancient tomb sculptures. In ancient times, slaves were the private property of slave owners. After the death of the owners, the slaves were to be buried alive as burial objects of the slave owner. The practice of “burying the living” was officially abolished in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC). Instead, they replaced it with terra cotta warriors and horses. The first emperor in China, Qin Shihuang, hoped to be the emperor even after his death, so he established a giant mausoleum for himself and placed many warriors and horses made of terra cotta to serve him forever.

In the afternoon, you will go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Great Mosque, and Muslim Street. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the earliest and largest existing brick pagoda of the Tang Dynasty (816 - 907), integrating the architectural styles of ancient Indian Buddhist temples. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also called “Ci’en Temple Pagoda” by locals. In 652, it was built to preserve the Buddhist classics brought back to Chang’an (the ancient name of Xi’an) from India by the eminent monk Xuan Zang. At first, it had five floors, and then adjusted to nine floors. And the number of floors and the height of the pagoda were changed several times. Finally, the pagoda was fixed to what it looks like today, with a total height of 64.517 meters.

The Great Mosque, the famous mosque of Islam in China, was first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After many times of expansion, it has today’s scale. Its buildings integrate the traditional Chinese style outside and the Islamic style inside.

Xi’an Muslim Street is a famous street for various snacks in Xi’an, showing the integration of cultures of Muslim and other ethnic groups. Buildings on the street show both traditional Chinese architectural styles and Muslim styles. Shops on the street sell ethnic costumes, handicrafts, and many kinds of food. Marinated Meat in Baked Bun (or Roujiamo/Rougamo/Chinese Hamburger), a typical local food, combines marinated meat and a baked bun. The meat juice enters the bun and makes it more delicious. Another type of food you may want to have a taste is Paomo (or Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup), a specialty of Shaanxi cuisine.

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Today you will take the estimated high-speed train G350 10:22/14:46 to Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, as well as one of the national megacities. It is China’s political center and one of the cultural centers. As an ancient capital with a history of more than three thousand years, it has different titles in different dynasties, with about more than 20 other names in different times in history. Our guide will pick you up at the railway station upon your arrival and send you to the hotel to have a rest.

Optional Activity:

In the evening, you can go to the Red Theatre and watch the performance, the Legend of Kungfu. The show is on from 19:30 to 20:50.

In the morning, you will go to Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park. Tian’anmen Square is located in the center of Beijing. It is 880 meters long from north to south and 500 meters wide from east to west. It covers an area of 440,000 square meters and can accommodate 1 million people for grand gatherings. Monument to the People’s Heroes and National Museum of China are located here. In 1949, the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China was held here. The national flag is raised on the square every day and many people get up very early and wait in long lines to watch the flag-raising ceremony.

Walking across the Tian’anmen Square, you will enter the Forbidden City (closed each Monday). It is the imperial palace for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China. Located in the center of Beijing’s central axis, it covers an area of about 720,000 square meters with a building area of about 150,000 square meters, including more than nine thousand rooms. The Forbidden City is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden buildings in the world, and was included in the World Cultural Heritage in 1987.

Jingshan Park is a tourist attraction near the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was established in 1928, with an area of 230,000 square kilometers, among which 1,100 square meters of the land is used for grass and flowers. There’s a place in Jingshan Park-Wanchun Pavilion that you can take some nice pictures of the Forbidden City you just visited.

After lunch, you will go to the Summer Palace, an imperial garden during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) in China. It is also the best-preserved imperial palace and imperial garden in China. It is known as the “Imperial Garden Museum”. It enjoys a history of about 270 years. There are more than three thousand man-made ancient buildings, including pavilions, bridges, towers, and corridors. Among them, the 728-meter Long Corridor, the longest of its kind in China, is a must-see spot in Summer Palace. The Long Corridor is also a colorful gallery with more than 14,000 paintings of vivid colors on the square beams. The content of the paintings are mostly landscapes, flowers, and birds, as well as the plots of the four classical Chinese masterpieces.

Optional Activity:

Peking Roast Duck is one of the most popular food in Beijing, and you can choose to have it for dinner.

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

After breakfast, you will pay a visit to the Ming Tombs. It is about 50 KM northwest of the city center, and it takes about 1 hour to get there. It is the largest existing imperial tomb complex in China and the world, with the largest number of emperors’ tombs. A total number of 13 emperors and 23 empresses in the Ming Dynasty were buried here. The Sacred Way, the first attraction in the tomb complex, with a length of more than 7 kilometers, is a way leading to the Chang Tomb, the tomb of Emperor Yongle and his empress. The Chang Tomb is the largest as well as the earliest one among the 13 tombs.

In the afternoon, you will go to Mutianyu Great Wall, which is 45 KM away from the Ming Tombs. It takes about 70 minutes on the road. This section of the Great Wall is famous because it is one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall. Its scenery is breath-taking, and it is easier and safer to climb. You may choose to climb up and down by cable car or cable chair, or go up by cable chair and go down by toboggan. (Note: you should be under 60 years old to take the toboggan.) Then you will go back to the city center. On the way back, you will see the Birds’ Nest and Water Cube. You will have a photo stop at these two main venues of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Optional Activity:

After your trip to Mutianyu, you may have a foot massage to get rid of tiredness.

Sacred Way

Mutianyu Great Wall

Your China tour ends here. We will send you to the airport according to your flight schedule. Wish you a good trip.

Author：Liu Huihui

Proofreader: Li Yiwen