Mr. Stephen Elphick

TCT group Code

TCT-JC-FIT-130731

Number of pax

6 ( Adults: 6 Children: 0 Infants: 0 )Remark: Child (2-11 yrs old) / Infant (under 2)

Destinations

Beijing-Xian-Guilin-Shanghai-Suzhou-Shanghai

Tour Type

Private

Duration

13 Days / 12 Nights

Arrival Date

Jul 31, 2013

Arrival Flight

TBA

Departure Date

Aug 12, 2013

Departure Flight

TBA

Accommodation

As stated in the itinerary

Language

English

Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 01

Wed

Jul31,2013

Arrival Beijing (No meal)

Hotel: Best Western Premier Royal Phoenix Beijing

Detail Program: Arrive in Beijing, your gateway city of China tour. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a good night's rest.

Description:

Beijing, China's capital and one of the great travel destinations of the World, offers sights and cultural relics found no where else on Earth. The city has a character all its own; there are quadrangles, small alleys, tricycle, boiled mutton, roasted duck, arts and crafts, Peking Opera, The Great Wall, the 2008 Olympics venue and a vibrancy that is the distinctive flavor of Beijing.

Day 02

Thu

Aug01,2013

Beijing (B,L)

Hotel: Best Western Premier Royal Phoenix Beijing

Detail Program: Today transfer to visit Tian'anmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven.

Description:

Tian'anmen Square -- Tian'anmen Square is the biggest city center square in the world, covering 44 hectares in the heart of Beijing. It is the place where history-changing events and ceremonies occurred. The north entrance gate is the magnificent Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'anmen), the symbol of the People's Republic China.

The Forbidden City -- Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and is one of the largest, and certainly the most completely restored, ancient architectural complex in the world. Walk in the footsteps of Emperors; come to the museum and see with your eyes, and feel with your hearts; you'll begin understand what life in this richest of feudal realms was like for the Imperial Rulers, their concubines and their slaves.

The Temple of Heaven -- The Temple of Heaven is decorated in blue, the color of the Heavens. The perfect harmony between the architectural environment and nature can be felt here; you might easily imagine the vivid spectacle of a great sacrifice to the Heavens for a good harvest. The magnificent Hall of Prayer of Good Harvest is one of the most important and impressive building in China.

Day 03

Fri

Aug02,2013

Beijing (B,L)

Hotel: Best Western Premier Royal Phoenix Beijing

Detail Program: Today you would drive to visit The Great Wall Mutianyu Section, The Ming Tomb-Changling Tomb.

Description:

The Great Wall Mutianyu Section -- Mutianyu Great Wall was first built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi, making it older than the Badaling section. It is connected with Jiankou in the west and Lianhuachi and Jinshanling in the east. In 1569, the Mutianyu Great Wall was rebuilt, mainly with granite and is one of the best-preserved sections with the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall, being 7-8 meters high and 4-5 meters wide with 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-meter-long section. It served as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

The Ming Tomb-Changling Tomb -- The Ming Tombs are located in the northern suburbs of Beijing. Altogether there are thirteen tombs of Ming Dynasty Emperors from the period after the capital was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. You'll visit the Changling Tomb, burial site of Emperor Yong Le, the biggest and first built at this historic site.

Day 04

Sat

Aug03,2013

Beijing--Xian (B,L)

Train No. G663 (1600/2152)

Hotel: Days Hotel & Suites Xin Xing

Detail Program: Today you would visit The Summer Palace, Hutong Tour by rickshaw. Transfer to the railway station and take high-speed train to Xian. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel.

Description:

Hutong Tour -- If exploring the Forbidden City has improved your understanding of the lifestyles of China 's ancient Imperial Court , then this half-day Hutong Tour will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City. The narrow streets of old Beijing are known as Hutongs. You'll take a pedicab tour along the Hutongs and see the 100-year-old houses, courtyards and a vanishing way of life in today's Beijing.

The Summer Palace -- Originally known as the "Garden of Clear Ripples", the Summer Palace is a magnificent imperial garden located 15 km north of Beijing City. This is the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer retreat for Emperors and the chosen few! The site includes more than 100 ancient style pavilions, mansions, towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water lake. What is most enjoyable about the Summer Palace, it is simply a gorgeous place to relax, escape the smoke and crowds of the city and spend an afternoon walking. It is said one could just as easily spend one week out here as one afternoon. Here is a rare chance in Beijing, to lose the crowds and 'clear away the cobwebs'.

Xi'an, steeped in history and still giving up secrets, is your gateway to ancient Chinese civilization. In its 3,100 recorded years of evolution, it has been home to 13 dynasties. Xi'an was also the end of civilization for those setting out on the famous Silk Road. Today's Xi'an is a vibrant, modern city, but surrounded by history, even underfoot! So there can be no underground railways due to the obligation to preserve the wealth of ancient treasure still awaiting discovery.

Day 05

Sun

Aug04,2013

Xian (B,L)

Hotel: Days Hotel & Suites Xin Xing

Detail Program: Today, enjoy your full day visit to The Qin Terracotta Army, one of the world's most important archaeological finds with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation, and then to see the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, follow the visiting to Shanxi Historical Museum.

Description:

Qin Terracotta Army -- As an ancient capital city to 13 dynasties, Xi'an has a rich recorded history, frequently enhanced by the evidence of new discoveries, like the 1974 unearthing of the fabulous Qin Terracotta Army, the long forgotten army created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb. In accordance with ancient beliefs, this grand project was mounted at enormous cost by the cruel and tyrannical Emperor, only to be attacked, plundered, burnt and buried after his funeral by the peasants who'd labored under the whip to build it. Then, over two thousand years later, this "Eighth Wonder of the World" was rediscovered by farmers digging a well. The fine troops, horses and carriages in battle formation are a National ancient art treasure. Three excavation pits are now opened to the public and a fourth is nearing completion. You can, like US President Clinton, now gaze in wonder upon this historic site, listed by UNESCO in 1987 as a world cultural heritage.

Shaanxi History Museum -- As the regional capital and doorway to the Silk Road, Xi'an was one of the richest, most well-protected cities in all of China. The famous Shaanxi History Museum introduces the visitor to area's rich culture, from Emperor Qin Shihuang to the present day in this walled city. The museum is house in a striking Tang Dynasty-style pavilion and features an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics. This is where you experience history, with chronological dynasties exhibits that take you through the Han, Wei, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda -- The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was originally established in 684 A.D. in honor of Li Zhi - Emperor Gaozong of Tang dynasty.

Day 06

Mon

Aug05,2013

Xian--Guilin (B,L)

Flight No. CA1225 (1820/20005)

Hotel: Bravo Hotel

Detail Program: Morning transfer to visit Xi'an City Wall, Archaeological Museum of Hanyang Mausoleum. Then transferred to the airport and take flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel.

Description:

Xi'an City Wall -- The first landmark visitors will encounter in Xi'an is the ancient city wall, which stretches round the old city. Xi'an was always a walled city, and today's wall represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The first city wall of Chang'an was begun in 194 BCE. The existing wall was started during the Ming Dynasty in 1370; it is massive, measuring 13.7 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15-18 m in thickness at the base. The South Gate and North Gate are the two main entrances to the inner city. The city itself is neatly arranged along the city wall. This impressive structure is just a precursor to the remarkable discoveries awaiting visitors to Xi'an.

Archaeological Museum of Hanyang Mausoleum -- Hanyang Mausoleum, also called Yang Mausoleum, located in Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province, is the multi-burial cemetery of Emperor Jing of Han and his queen. The tomb was built from 153 BC to 126 BC, covering an area of 20 square kilometers. The Hangyangling Museum has been established, which is a large-scale cultural tourism scenic spot mixing the modern technology, ancient civilization, history, culture and landscape together. It is the largest museum with largest floor space in China.

Guilin is world-famous for its serene landscape, Karst limestone formations, mist-covered hills and bamboo groves. It is home to more than ten ethnic groups, including Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Hui and Dong. On the way from the airport to your hotel, you will see dozens of pretty hills everywhere in the city of Guilin. It is a city of hills and green trees and boasts one of the most photographed areas of China.

Day 07

Tue

Aug06,2013

guilin--Yangshuo (B,L)

Hotel: Green Lotus Hotel

Detail Program: Along the stretch of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo, towering karst peaks rising straight up to the sky, which are the complement to the beautiful water. Cruise down from Guilin to Yangshuo. Free activities after arrival in Yangshuo

Description: Li River Cruise -- In the morning, be driven to Pier for your Li River Cruise. A double-decker river boat is waiting for you. The landscape from Guilin to Yangshuo is truly a masterpiece of nature. The crystal waters, straight-out-of-a-painting mountains, peaceful farm fields, hard-working-but- ever-smiling fishermen and wandering water buffaloes inspire poetic musings of Guilin's charming life. Under the blue sky, your river boat transports you in an unending daydream.

Day 08

Wed

Aug07,2013

Yangshuo--Guilin--Shanghai (B,L)

Flight No. MU5382 (1430/1635)

Hotel: Equatorial Hotel

Detail Program: Drive back from Yangshuo to Guilin and visit Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel.

Description:

Reed Flute Cave -- Reed Flute Cave is named for the special reeds, used for making flute instruments, which grow near the cave entrance. The caves are a feast for the eyes. The natural beauty of a profusion of stalactites and stalagmites, stele, stone pillars, stone curtains and stone flowers creating an infinite variety of extraordinary scenes, creatively illuminated, is bound to evoke gasps of admiration. It is fitting then, that Reed Flute Cave is commonly praised as Nature's Grand Art Palace.

Elephant Trunk Hill -- Return to the city center for the next tour attraction, pagoda-capped Elephant Trunk Hill, or Xiangbishan, the symbol of Guilin. Observed from a distance, you'll see an elephant-like form standing majestically at the confluence of the Li and Yang Rivers, with its trunk arching into the clear waters, a fantasy elephant eternally quenching a gargantuan thirst; lifelike in shape and energetic in posture.

Shanghai is a city unlike any other in China. It is the bustling economic heartbeat of China that enjoys all of the comforts and amenities of a fully modern metropolis. Shanghai today looks to regain its former position at the turn of 20th of being one of the largest financial centers in the world behind New York and London. It is a city that seamlessly blends East and West.

Day 09

Thu

Aug08,2013

Shanghai (B,L)

Hotel: Equatorial Hotel Shanghai

Detail Program: Today you would visit Jade Buddha Temple, take a view from outside of Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden, The Old Town, The Bund.

Description:

Jade Buddha Temple -- Jade Buddha Temple is located in a crowd of Shanghai City. It was first built in 1882 in Jiangwan on the southern outskirts of Shanghai. In order to make it convenient for the adherents to visit, it was bodily moved to Shanghai City at the present sire in 1918. It is named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha. It receives thousands of visitors and worshipers everyday while keeps its sanctity and charming. Carved from a whole piece of white jade, the sitting jade Buddha statue is translucent with a solemn expression, displaying the excellent skill and extraordinary art of Chinese people.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower -- Completed in 1995 to a highly innovative design, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower includes 15 spheres of different sizes at different levels creating an artistic conception of "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate" in ancient Chinese poem. It has become a symbol of excellence in architecture and is a favourite sight for tourists in Shanghai. Viewed from the Bund at night, the tower's three-dimensional lighting creates an enchanting, brilliantly coloured display. At 468 meters, it is the third tallest TV and radio tower in the World. Two of the six tower elevators can reach the highest sphere in 40 seconds; here the visitor will discover shops, a rotating restaurant and a sightseeing floor. The view of Shanghai from here is breath-taking.

Yuyuan Garden -- Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of "garden in the garden, whole in the part".

The Old Town -- The Old Town in Shanghai, also known as Cheng Huang Miao Shopping Mall, is a well known shopping destination in Shanghai. Each year, tourists coming to Shanghai from different parts of the world visit Cheng Huang Miao Shopping Mall market for a great shopping experience. One can find plentiful shopping options in Cheng Huang Miao Shopping Mall, Shanghai. Browse through the Cheng Huang Miao Shopping Mall of Shanghai to find various shops and departmental stores and get the things you need.

The Bund -- The Bund is the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River. The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city.

Day 10

Fri

Aug09,2013

Shanghai--Suzhou--Shanghai (B,L)

Train No. G7046 (0920/0946) from Shanghai to Suzhou

Train No. G7215 (1745/1826) from Suzhou to Shanghai

Hotel: Equatorial Hotel Shanghai

Detail Program: Morning transferred to the railway station and take high-speed train to Suzhou. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred to visit Lingering Garden, Silk Factory, Grand Canal Cruise, Panmen Gate, Pingjiang Road, then transferred to the railway station and take high-speed train to back to Shanghai. Be met and transferred to your hotel.

Description:

Lingering Garden -- The Lingering Garden is one of the four classical gardens in Suzhou City. It was originally the East Garden of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Today, centering the pond, the garden is separated into the eastern, middle, northern and western parts. To the east of the pond are zigzag corridors and Guanyun Courtyard which is best famous for its 6.6-meter-high and 5-ton-weighty Guanyun Peak, the only complete Taihu Lake Limestone and the biggest among the rockworks in Suzhou Gardens.

Silk Factory -- Silk has a history of some 4,500 years in China, so they have become adept at producing many different types of silk, as well as dyeing it and weaving different patterns into the fabric. Suzhou is famous for its silk production. In the Silk Factory you can see a display of the life-cycle of the silk worm and demonstrations of how the silk is harvested from the cocoons and eventually woven into fabric. It is quite astonishing to learn that one cocoon can produce about 2 km of silk strand, and that several of these strands are twined together to make a single thread. The process is so slow and painstaking; it comes as no surprise that genuine hand-made silk articles are so expensive.

Grand Canal Cruise -- The Grand Canal is the world's longest man-made waterway, being 1,800km long. The canal connects the present cities Beijing in the north and Hangzhou in the south, which served as dynastic capitals in the past, and contains 24 locks and 60 bridges. Since most of China's major rivers flow from west to east, the fact that the Grand Canal runs north and south provides it as an important connector between the Yangtze River valley and the Yellow River valley, and other minor river systems. It is being restored as a water-diversion conduit.

Panmen Gate -- Panmen Gate is the oldest city gate of Suzhou and the only existing water and land gate in China. The gate is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal Suzhou. Originally built during the Warring States Period in the state of Wu, historians estimate it to be around 2,500 years old.

It is composed of two water passages, three land passages and the outside gate. The canal outside the gate is the oldest section of the Grand Canal that was also built 2,500 years ago. In its vicinity, there is a 1,000-year-old pagoda named Ruiguang Pagoda, the earliest pagoda in Suzhou; and the Wu Bridge, the entrance to the gate at that time over the water passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time.

Pingjiang Road -- Pingjiang Road, on which the hotel lies, is designated as a historic cultural block preserved best in the downtown of Suzhou up to now. In 2005, Suzhou Pingjiang Historic Block Protection Project has won the Asian and Pacific Cultural Heritage Protection Honor Prize issued by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). And after renovation and development during these past years, a kind of vitality turns on the age-old flagging again, which has held the real life of ancient lane of Suzhou, preserving a unique Suzhou and meanwhile leaving you with unique city memories of Suzhou.

Day 11

Sat

Aug10,2013

Depart from Shanghai (B)

Detail Program: Transferred to the airport and take flight to leave Shanghai.

- Service Ends -