19 Days Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Hong Kong

Upon your arrival, our local tour guide will be waiting for you and then send you to the hotel. Welcome to the Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient. Hong Kong is the third-largest financial center in the World. It ranks the third among the first-tier cities around the world, right after New York and London. In this land of a total area of 1106.66 square kilometers, there is about 7.48 million permanent population. Hong Kong is mainly made up of three areas: the Hong Kong island, the Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. Between the Hong Kong island and the Kowloon Peninsula, there is the most prosperous area of Hong Kong, the Victoria Harbor. The Victoria Harbor is a natural deep-water port and one of the three major natural ports in the world, which serves as the strong economic driver of Hong Kong.

In the morning, we will visit several famous attractions. For the first stop, we will take the Peak Tram (a kind of mountain-climbing electric car) to climb up to Victoria Peak. The tram will be going up slowly and steadily to make sure you can catch the beautiful landscapes of the mountain. It is said that you cannot leave Hong Kong without visiting Victoria Peak. It is the best way to experience the panoramic views of the whole of Hong Kong. You can see the splendid Victoria Harbor and all the high buildings and the skyscrapers standing on both sides.

The next stop is the Aberdeen Fishing Village, a quiet and relaxing place. You will take a kind of local boat, sampan to go around the village. You can come here to enjoy the sea views, taking a walk by the seaside, enjoying the sea wind softly blowing. It’s a really good place to have a rest. Once you get hungry, you can go to the Aberdeen Fish Market to enjoy all kinds of seafood. Every day, lots of fresh marine products are transported here. You can get anything you like, such as shrimp, fish, scallops, crab, etc. Once you have ordered food, they will process it for you right away. Sonner you can get your fresh and tender seafood to eat.

The Stanley Market is really popular among foreign tourists. Here are lots of bars, some of which are of western style, and plenty of small, elegant special stores. A lot of them will like to come here to enjoy some beverages with families and friends, buying some special handicrafts as souvenirs or gifts.

This is the end of our half day small trip. Our local tour guide will send you back to the hotel. You are free to arrange your time.

Peak Tram

Aberdeen Fishing Village

In the morning, we will be driving southwest for about an hour with a distance of 51kilometers to arrive at the station of Lantau Island. You will take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to enjoy the scenery. There are two kinds of cable cars, the Standard Cabin and the Crystal Cabin. The difference between the two is that the bottom of the Crystal Cabin is made of glass. Therefore, you can enjoy the landscapes from all the directions, even the direction under your feet. We would generally arrange the Standard Cabin for you. If you want to order the Crystal Cabin, please contact us and we would immediately arrange it for you.  

After reaching the mountain top, you will visit the Big Buddha. It is the largest open-air bronze-sitting Buddha statue in the world today. Built in the 1990s, it is a solemn and magnificent giant Buddha that took about twelve years to complete. The Buddha statue weighs about 250 tons and it is 23 meters tall. It is worthy of the name of pure land, right here you will only feel that everything is calm and all the troubles and worries in the world seem to no longer exist.

The Po Lin Monastery is located in the opposite position of the Big Buddha. It has been called as the Buddhist World in the South. It was firstly built in 1906. The main buildings in the temple extend along the central axis and go up along the terrain. The core building of the Daxiong Great Hall contains a large number of exquisite stone carvings. It is made after the architectural style of the palaces in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties (1636-1912), such as the Forbidden City. The buildings here give people a sense of grandeur and solemnity.

The Ngong Ping Village is filled with buildings with Chinese cultural characteristics, providing leisure, dining and shopping experience in many places. It is very lively all year round, and the products here are good and cheap. You can see the famous selfie spot called, walking with the Buddha, from which you can see the Big Buddha. You can also make a wish and tie it to the wishing tree.

Big Buddha

Po Lin Monastery

Today, you will take the estimated flight HX236 12:45/14:25 from Hong Kong to arrive in Shanghai. Our local tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport. Welcome to Shanghai. Shanghai has been called the Magic city of China. In this land of a total area of 6340.5 square kilometers, there live around 24 million people. And it has always been attracting young people coming here to make a living. Shanghai is also the city whose economic aggregate and the city scale rank the first in China. No one would be able to resist the charm and beauty of such a metropolis. Just come and enjoy the magic charm of the perfect integration of modernization and tradition in Shanghai.

The Jade Buddha Temple is situated in the downtown areas of Shanghai. However, despite the hustle and bustle in the cities, it still remains as a peaceful and quiet land. Therefore, it is called “a pure land” in bustling cities. The Jade Buddha Temple is well-known for consecrating jade Buddhas in temple. Also, it’s the reason why it got its name. Three Buddhas are being worshipped inside the temple, two reclined jade Buddhas and one sitting Buddha. The Buddha statues have long been attracting people from afar to have a look at them in person, as they will calm you and offer you mental rest and comfort. Just come and appreciate the beauty of the jade Buddha statues.

The Yu Garden (closed each Monday) is the most popular classical garden for the local people and tourists. It is also the most representative work of ancient classic gardens in China. It is really worth visiting, as it is a precious chance to experience the classic and elegant beauty of a traditional Chinese garden. As you walk into the garden, you might be amazed by the layout and delicate design of everything. Although it is a relatively small garden, it is filled with attractions, such as halls, towers, ponds, bridges, etc. In a word, every and each corner in the garden work together and finally a harmonious combination is formed. Just come and you can have a feast for your eyes in this traditional Chinese garden.

Do you want to travel back in time and experience the most authentic style of old Shanghai? Then just come to the Shanghai Old Street, a very quiet local street. There are many well-reserved old dwellings of local people. Many of them are of about 100 years history. There are also lots of snacks there. It is said that these snacks are of the most authentic flavors. Even the local people would like to visit here very often. Plus the price is very cheap as well.

If you want to get a panoramic view of Shanghai city, then you wouldn’t want to miss the Shanghai Tower. As the tallest building in China with a height of over 600 meters, it is truly of splendid beauty. Taking the fast elevator, you can reach the top floor within several seconds. You can have dinner at the restaurant of the top floor while overlooking the views of the high buildings and skyscrapers.  

The Bund is really popular tourist attraction. It has attracted lots of people from home and abroad to have a visit in person. If you come there at night, you might be stunned by the light shows. The buildings are all covered by colorful lights. The light of the spotlights constantly waving around. It is said that the night views of the Bund is the greatest in China.

If you want to have some casual shopping and leisure time after all day’s traveling, then just come to the Nanjing Road, a well-known pedestrian shopping street. The Nanjing Road is about 1.5 kilometers long. It is really popular among the local people. There are many specialty stores with a long history waiting for you to explore, from snacks, food to traditional handicrafts.

This is the end of today’s trip, you will be sent to the hotel to have a good rest.

Jade Buddha Temple

The Bund

You will take your departure from Shanghai and take the estimated flight MU8442 07:20/09:25 to arrive in Yichang. Our local tour guide will be waiting for you there and send you to the Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal or Yichang-East Train Station for Shuttle to Maoping. You will get on the cruise and start your Yangtze River cruise trip from there.

In the morning, we will provide you with a free Tai Chi experience. There will be people doing Tai Chi and you can follow on your free choice. It is a kind of health-beneficial exercise with slow motion. Therefore, it is not very difficult for people to imitate their movements.

There will also be additional activities of shore excursions for you to experience. To experience this kind of additional activities, extra fees are needed. After boarding, you can pay fees and then get the experience when you are intended to take part in these additional activities.

The first additional shore excursion is about the Tribe of The Three Gorges. It is said that the Xiling Gorge enjoys the most beautiful scenery among the Three Gorges. Then the Tribe of The Three Gorges enjoys the most gorgeous scenery in the Xiling Gorge. The Tujia ethnic minority live beside the river for generations. If you follow the stream to explore somewhere in the deep inside, you might be able to see a waterfall and a traditional building of the ethnic minorities, which was built on the stilts. If you want to experience the local manners and feelings of Tujia people, just come to the Tribe of The Three Gorges.

The other famous attraction is the Hometown of Qu Yuan, a very tranquil and appealing old residence of the great man. The Memorial Temple was built right on the mountain facing towards the river. The landscape here is generally splendid. Qu Yuan lived in the Warring States Period of Chu State (?-223BC). He is the great ideologist, politician and a patriotic poet, whose poems have inspiring influence on Chinese people or even people of the world. It is said that out of foolishness and incompetence, the Chu emperor didn’t listen to Qu Yuan’s advice to deal with the diplomatic matters with Qin state(770-221BC) and finally lost their territory. After hearing this miserable news, Qu Yuan wouldn’t live his homeland but chose to throw himself into the Miluo River. Later on, people built this place to commemorate this great man Qu Yuan.  

There are also additional Shore Excursion like Board sightseeing-ferry sailing through TGP Ship's elevator. You will be able to enjoy the views even better. If you get hungry, a buffet is provided on board to suit your appetite.

In the afternoon, we will be having a Shore Excursion to visit the well-known Three Gorges Dam Site. It is the largest scale power generation project based on water conservancy in the whole world. If you ever come here, you might be stunned by the breath-taking scenery of it. It is about 3335 meters long and 185 meters high. With its function, people have the rapidly-rushing Yangtze River under control. It has also led to splendid artificial scenery. Except from the beautiful mountains and rivers, the Three Gorges Dam can be called the essential part of our Yangtze River Cruise Tour.

In the evening, we will be holding a Captain’s Welcome Reception on the cruise to show our warm welcome to you all. The buffet for dinner will also be served.

Xiling Gorge

Three Gorges Dam Site

You can join the morning exercises of Tai Chi every morning on the cruise. In the morning, you will take small boats to visit the tourist attraction of Shengnong Stream. The traditional Chinese culture of boat tracker is originated from here. The sight of groups of men dragging boats is clearly visible. Just come here and sit on a small boat. You can go sightseeing around the great mountains and lucid rivers leisurely. This is definitely a good trip for mental rest.

For lunch, a buffet will be ready to be served on the cruise.

In the afternoon, we will be passing two famous gorges. The Wu Gorge is at the first big turn of the Yangtze River. There is a big and splendid sightseeing stand, from which you will be able to have a panoramic view of this natural wonder. The Wu gorge is long and deep. It is well- known for its magnificent scene of peaks in different shapes. There are 12 peaks here in total. The most famous one is called the “Peak of The Goddess”. Legend has it that there used to be a goddess coming to the earth. She was worried about the security of people who wanted to cross this gorge. Therefore, she always stood on the peak to care for people in trouble. Day after day, she finally became a stone statue standing on the cliff. This is the legend of the Peak of The Goddess.

The Qutang Gorge is called the first gorge among the three gorges of the Yangtze River. It is mostly famous for its magnificent views. With a length of about 8 kilometers, the scenery is really breath-taking. The mountains are like being cut off in the middle by human force. The rivers are surging through the cliffs. On our cruise on Yangtze River, the three gorges are the essential part. You can’t miss this landscape.

If you would like to pay extra fees, there is a chance to visit the White Emperor City. The White Emperor City is located in an isolated island in the river. In ancient times, due to its unique geographical features, it used to be hub of vital importance attracting lots of people to fight for it. Lots of poems are left by famous poets for this place. Therefore, the White Emperor City has also been called as the City of Poem.

Shengnong Stream

White Emperor City

Today you can also join the Tai Chi exercises in the morning. In the morning, we won’t arrange any activities for you. You can enjoy your free time to carry out any activities you want. For lunch, we will provide you with buffet to enjoy.

In the afternoon, you will visit the holy land of Fengdu "Jade Emperor". It is built aside the mountains, overlooking the rivers. It takes the image of the Jade Emperor (the Chinese Supreme Deity of Taoism) as its building model. The architecture in the attraction has presented the sacredness of Taoism. The traditional Chinese culture of deity or immortals has been perfectly depicted. Once upon there, you can feel the majestic atmosphere.

If you would like to pay extra fees, you can have a visit to the Fengdu “Ghost City”, a very famous and attractive local attraction. It is a good opportunity to experience the traditional Chinese culture of the afterworld. In Chinese culture, we have legends and stories describing places like the gate of hell, the Place of hell, the bottom of the hell, etc. In local folklores, people believe that one will finally rest in this land of Fengdu after death. People also believe that good people will go to the paradise while the evil ones will go to the hell for sufferings. This is a kind reminder for people to do more good things instead of evil things.

At night, the Captain’s Farewell Banquet will be held on the cruise.

Fengdu "Jade Emperor"

Fengdu “Ghost City”

In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport and then take the estimated flight EU1997 12:45/14:25 to head towards Guilin. Welcome to Guilin. Have you ever heard of traditional Chinese saying of “The mountains and rivers of Guilin rank the first in the whole world”? This is a remark left by poets about several hundred years ago. Guilin has already become a tourist spot from two hundred years ago. If you ever feel tired of the fast-speed life among high buildings and skyscrapers, you can come here to relieve your burden and have a good mental rest. If you come to the cruise tour on Yangtze River, you can’t go without seeing the beautiful landscapes from Guilin.  

In the morning, we will be driving southeast for 46 minutes with a distance of about 35 kilometers to arrive at the Mopanshan Wharf. Then you will be taking the Li River Cruise to arrive at our next destination, Yangshuo city. There are two kinds of cruise, a three-star cruise with Chinese box lunch and four-star cruise with a buffet of Chinese dishes. Generally, we would arrange the three-star cruise for you. If you would like to order seats from the four-star cruise, please contact us earlier.

In the afternoon, we will have a nice visit to the Yangshuo West Street, a famous pedestrian shopping street. You can admire the traditional and classical buildings and authentic local customs of local people. You can also have a taste of the local delicacies and snacks. There will also be lots of bars and coffee shops, in which you can sit down with your families or friends, ordering a certain beverage and listening to the beautiful melody of local songs.

After your visit, you will be transferred to the arranged hotel in Guilin. 

Yangshuo West Street

Li River

In the morning, you will take the estimated flight CA4324 11:50/13:35 to arrive in Chengdu. Welcome to Chengdu, one of the megacities in China. As a famous tourist city, Chengdu is rich in various kinds of tourist resources, cultural and historical relics and diverse local delicacies. We will visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to have a close look of the adorable Chinese treasure. Come to the People’s Park, you can experience the authentic lifestyle and local customs of Chengdu people. You can come to the Wuhou Temple to experience the traditional Chinese culture in Three Kingdoms period (220-280BC). Come to this city to experience the slow-speed lifestyle.

Free Time Suggestion:

If you don’t know where to visit during your free time, here is a small suggestion for you. You can visit this attraction called Kuan Zhai Alley. As a must-to-visit attraction in Chengdu, this place is full of people all year long. It mainly contains two vintage commercial streets. Walking in the alley, you might be feeling like travelling back in time because of the architectural style. There are two alleys, a wide alley and a narrow one. The two alleys are parallel with some stores and shops in the middle. You can have a look at the architecture style and some traditional handicrafts. If you get hungry, there are so many local delicacies here waiting for you to explore.

In the morning, you will be going to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to see the precious national treasure of China, pandas. Everyone will be able to find this creature as really adorable and can’t resist its charm. Just come and have a closer contact with pandas and look at them climbing up and down, eating bamboo. Don’t forget to catch the cutest moments of pandas for a good picture. From the research base, you can also buy some special handicrafts about pandas as souvenirs.

In the afternoon, you will firstly go to the People’s Park, a very popular local park. Lots of local citizens, both the elderly and the younger generation, would like to come here for leisure time. The environment is really great, filled with plants and flowers. There are also some special activities, such as ear-picking and ear-washing. You can have a try of it and you might be amazed by the skilled techniques of the master. There are also lots of teahouses, among which the Heming Tea House is the most famous one. Every day, it is full of customers ordering their favorite type of tea with some snacks and having a seat casually with their families and friends. It is the tea house with the most authentic old Chengdu culture and style. Just come and enjoy the Chengdu version of afternoon tea.  

The Wuhou Temple is a good place for you to understand the history of the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) and especially suitable for people who like the culture of the Three Kingdoms. It is the only joint burial temple of an emperor and a minister in Chinese history. Liu Bei, the founding emperor of Shu Han (221-263) during the Three Kingdoms Period, and Zhuge Liang, a good minister of Shu Han, were buried here. Liu Bei was generous and benevolent, and very kind to talented people. He would kindly give them opportunities to show off their talents. Zhuge Liang showed his outstanding ability in helping emperor to govern the country, law enforcement and the military strategies. People greatly appreciate Zhuge Liang’s spirit of devoting himself to the country. Even after more than 1,800 years later, Zhuge Liang’s temple is still full of incense and visitors. Beside temples of commemorating Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, there are also some stelaes with classic stories of the Three Kingdoms Times written on them, which can help you know better of the history.

The Jinli Street is only one wall away from the Wuhou Temple. Legend has it that Jinli was once one of the oldest and most commercial streets in the history of Western Shu (406-413). The Jinli antique street was opened in 2004, which has accumulated the essence of Chengdu market life, including teahouses, inns, restaurants, opera stages, snacks, handicrafts and local specialties. Tourists can enjoy the original and most authentic Sichuan style in this short 350-meter-long street.

Wuhou Temple

Jinli Street

Today, you will be leaving Chengdu and head towards Xi’an. You will take the estimated flight 3U8769 11:50/13:35 to arrive at the destination. In history, Xi’an used to be the capital city of about thirteen dynasties. It is truly worthy of the name of a famous historical and cultural city of China. There are so many cultural relics and landmark buildings there, such as the Bell Tower, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Walking among the landmark buildings of Xi’an, you might have an illusion of travelling back into the glorious age of Tang Dynasty (618-907) for a moment. Just welcome to Xi’an to experience the thickness of history.

In the morning, we will drive northeast for about 40 kilometers in 45minutes to arrive at our next stop. If you come to Xi’an, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a must-to-visit attraction. Unearthed about 40 years ago, it is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world. There are about 8000 terra cotta warriors neatly arrayed in battle formation. Every single one of them was delicately handmade according to the warriors’ image about 2000 years ago. Each of them is so carefully-designed that you can clearly see their hair or soles. They were created to protect the Mausoleum of the first emperor in Qin Dynasty. From the great remains, we can have a glimpse of the majestic appearance of the Qin Dynasty’s warriors.  

In the afternoon, our next stop is the Xi’an Beilin Museum. It is the earliest-established museum in Shannxi province. It has enjoyed a history of about 900 years by far. It is mainly a museum of the collection and display of steles and stone carvings, with existing collection of more than 11,000 pieces. What is great about this museum is that there will never exist a museum in Chinese history like Xi’ an Beilin Museum, in which great calligraphic works of almost every great calligraphists in thousands’ years of Chinese history are accumulated there. It is a precious place to appreciate the representative calligraphic works and the elegant and diverse beauty of Chinese characters. The well-preserved calligraphic works symbolize the inheritance of Chinese culture from generation to generation.

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the statue of the greatest monk stand closely, commemorating the legendary history of the monk, Xuanzang. In Tang Dynasty, the greatest monk went through a long journey with lots of hardships to India. He brought back lots of scriptures and Buddha statues to the capital city. Then he decided to build this pagoda to collect and worship all the precious scriptures and statues he had brought back.

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Xi’an Beilin Museum

In the morning, you will take the estimated high-speed train G350 10:22/14:46 to arrive in Beijing. Welcome to Beijing, the capital city and also the one with the most cultural and historical heritage in China. It covers an area of around 16,410 square kilometers with a permanent population of about 21.89 million people. It is also the political, cultural, international exchange and technological innovation center of China. For the part of tourist attractions, it has accumulated the most abundant historic and cultural relics in the world waiting for you to explore, such as the Forbidden City (one of the world’s five palaces), the Ming Tombs (the Mausoleum complex with the greatest scale in China), the Great Wall (the longest defense works in the World) and so on. For the food part, the local delicacies, such as Beijing Duck, sauteed noodles with minced meat are really worthy to have a try.

Free Time Suggestion:

If you don’t have other plans during your free time in Beijing, here is a suggestion of a good place to visit, the Wangfujing Street, the most popular pedestrian street in the local area. Every night, the street is full of people coming here shopping and enjoying the night views. Every corner is filled with a kind of lively and harmonious atmosphere. There are many special stores in which you will know about the history, experience the old Beijing’s atmosphere. Here is also the new fashion landmark which contains various kinds of international and Chinese brands. If you get hungry, don’t worry. There are not only local flavors but also the most famous flavors across the country, such as Canton Cuisine and Taiwan flavor, and even some internationally famous dessert shop.

The Tian’ anmen Square is about 880 meters long and 500 meters wide, with a total area of 440,000 square kilometers. It is the world’s largest city square, with a capacity of containing one million people during grand gatherings and events. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government made a series of acts of expansion and renovation to it. That’s why we are able to see such a spectacular people’s square today. Here you can see the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, the Memorial Monument to the national heroes, the Arrow Tower (the city tower used for defense in ancient times, it can be used to shoot arrows outwardly), the ancient city gate and so on. Tian’ anmen Square has witnessed China’s long march towards prosperity and many major historical events. It is undoubtedly a place of great significance in the minds of the Chinese people. Every Chinese people wanted to go to Tian’ anmen Square to attend a flag-raising ceremony in person. The flag in the square only rises to 28.3 meters high exactly. Do you know why? It turns out the Chinese Communist Party was founded in July 1921, while the new China was founded in October 1949, just 28 years and 3 months apart. Therefore, the height of the rising national flag is meant to commemorate this arduous history.

The Forbidden City (closed each Monday) is one of the largest and most completely preserved wooden-structure ancient buildings in the world. It is the largest palace complex in the world, and a symbol of the wealth and rights of the Chinese emperors. It was a royal palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, built in 1406 and completed in 1420. It can be called the miracle of wooden architecture. In the Palace Museum, there are so many treasures collected, including a long famous painting, thousands of miles of mountains and rivers. It was created more than 900 years ago by a talented painter, Wang Ximeng, at the age of 18. The painting is in long form to depict the scenery, including pavilions, villages, long bridges, boats, birds, and so on. All the scenes are lifelike and in fine depiction. Its color is also very clear and elegant. And the artistic conception is very magnificent.

In the afternoon, we will firstly take the Rickshaw (a kind of three-wheeled riding tool) to have a nice and casual sightseeing of Hutong. Hutong is the most representative building of the old Beijing style. You will also have a chance to enter into one local residence to have a closer contact with the authentic Beijing style.  

The Summer Palace, located in the western suburbs of Beijing, was built by Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) to show filial piety to his mother. Accumulating so many distinctive and beautiful buildings in the park, it is known as the Royal Garden Museum. All those who come to the Summer Palace will not miss this attraction, a big cow statue made of bronze. The bronze cow’s head turns northwest, lying quietly beside the riverbank of the Kunming Lake in the park. Do you know the story behind the construction of this bronze cow? There is a popular folk story in China, the story of Niu lang (Cowherd) and Zhi nv (Weaver Girl). The Weaver Girl is a fairy in heaven. During her descendance to the earth, she met a man, the Cowherd. They fell in love with each other and raised a son together. One day this message was finally known by the Queen Mother of the West, who immediately sent the heavenly soldiers to capture the Weaver Girl back to heaven. The Cowherd misses the Weaver Girl for day and night. Later, touched by the Cowherd’s true heart, the Queen Mother allowed them to meet once for a year. In the Summer Palace, the bronze cow symbolizes the Cowherd, and there is also a Pavilion of Weaver Girl in the distance, symbolizing the Weaver Girl. The Kunming Lake represents the Milky Way in Heaven. The bronze cow’s head turns exactly in the direction of the Weaver Girl pavilion, waiting patiently and missing the Weaver Girl.

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

In the morning, we will be driving towards northwest for an hour with a total distance of 50 kilometers. Our destination is the Ming Tombs, the greatest imperial Mausoleum complex in China. There are a totally 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty buried here. The construction of it started in 1409 and ended in 1645. Over 200 years’ of continual hard work finally resulted in such a great scale of mausoleum complex.

The Ming Tomb is divided into two parts: the Sacred Road and the Mausoleums. The Sacred Road leads to all the mausoleums in Ming Tombs, with a total length of about 7.3 kilometers. There are a series of buildings along the road, which altogether form a spectacular view. Shixiangsheng is the general name of stone statues of figures and beasts placed in front of the imperial mausoleums. Stone statues in the Ming Tombs stand on both sides of the Sacred Road, with a total of 24 stone beasts and 12 stone figures. These stone statues were given the responsibility to protect the tombs, and they are also the symbol of imperial power. This practice of building Shixiangsheng in imperial tombs began in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and was followed by the later emperors. These stone statues are carved from complete giant stones. They are tall and vividly shaped, which is a rare giant stone carving group in China. You can feel the solemn atmosphere when you are here.

The Ding Tomb is the tomb of the thirteenth Ming emperor. The emperor reigned for 48 years, which is the longest in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Ding Tomb is the only emperor’s mausoleum that was openly excavated, which had attracted the public’s attention in 1955. Nearly 3,000 pieces of rare treasures were unearthed from the underground palace, mostly of which are the daily necessities and sacrificial supplies of the emperor and the empress.

In the afternoon, we will be visiting the Badaling Great Wall. It spends us about 40 minutes to drive northwest for a distance of 37 kilometers to arrive. The Badaling Great Wall is the most popular section among all the other sections, as the majority of the tourists would choose this section to visit. The Badaling Great Wall is divided into two parts, the south part and the north part. The roads in the south part are steeper than the north part. Yet it enables you to experience more magnificent views and the essential parts of the Great Wall. The north part will also offer you great experience of taking stunning pictures of the landscapes and great selfies with families and friends. There are three ways to climb the Great Wall, you can choose to do it on foot, by the cables cars or the chairlifts.

Sacred Road

Ding Tomb

This is the end of our 19 days’ China tour, our local tour guide will send you to the airport according to your boarding time

Author: Yang Yawen