BEIJING
On Arrival in Beijing you will be met and transferred to the HOTEL NOVOTEL PEACE BEIJING situated in the Wangfujing district, the historic, cultural and shopping heart of the city. Spend three nights here. Our tour starts this evening at 18h00 when we meet for a welcome drink prior to dinner. Welcome dinner will be at a well known Beijing restaurant where we sample the famous Peking Duck

BEIJING – Temple of Heaven, Hutongs, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City
Morning visit to the intricately decorated 15th century Temple of Heaven, one of China’s best examples of traditional architecture, in a huge complex of ancient buildings, where you may see local people doing their morning exercises, practicing Tai Chi, dancing, even singing Peking Opera. We then take a very different look at daily life with a ride on a trishaw to visit the Hutongs, the fast disappearing old courtyard houses of the city, to have tea at the private home of a local family. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world, flanked by an assortment of historical buildings including Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum, the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Great Hall of the People. From Tiananmen Square we take a walk through the Gate of Heavenly Peace to visit the symbolic centre of the Chinese universe. Completed in 1420, The Forbidden City, where 24 emperors ruled for 500 years, is the world’s largest palace and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can marvel at the marble bridges, winding lanes, stately courtyards and magnificent halls containing rare treasures. Free for dinner this evening.

BEIJING - Cloisonne Factory, Great Wall, Chinese Herb Medicine Museum, Kung Fu Show
We start our day with a visit to the cloisonné factory to see how this famous traditional enamelware is made. Known as the “Blue of Jingtai” in China, with a history of over 500 years, the “blue” was the typical colour used for enamelling and “Jingtai” was the title of the 7th Ming Emperor. A great variety of products are produced today; vases, jars, bowls, plates and boxes. Take a scenic drive through the countryside to visit the Great Wall, symbol of China and one of the seven wonders of the world, that meanders through China’s northern mountain ranges for a distance of 5,633 km (3,500 miles). We visit the Mutianyu section of the wall, which lies in a dramatic hilly setting, visited by fewer tourists, where we take a cable car, followed by a short climb onto the wall, where you will be able to walk along the wall with its series of watch towers. Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised in China for thousands of years and historically, has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases in China. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the Tongrentang Chinese Herb Medicine Museum for a fascinating insight into this ancient art of healing. This evening attend the amazing Kung Fu show with its dazzling display of martial arts, dance and acrobatics.

BEIJING / XIAN - Hanyang Tomb
Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Xian, capital of the Middle Kingdom for 11 dynasties and historic gateway to the Silk Road. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Hanayang Tomb, the mausolem of Liu Qi (188 – 141 BC), the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, and his queen. The tomb covers an area of 20 sq km. Comprising the emperor and empress’s tombs, south and north burial pits, ceremonial site, human sacrifice graveyard and criminals’ cemetery, this is a new tourist destination and the Outside Pits Exhibiton Hall is the first underground museum in China. Spend two nights at the BELL TOWER HOTEL centrally situated directly opposite the Bell Tower, with its distinctive three tiered green roof.

XIAN - Terra Cotta Factory, Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses, Wild Goose Pagoda, Tang Dynasty Show
Today’s main excursion will be to modern China’s greatest archaeological discovery – the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, which silently guarded the tomb of China’s first Emperor for over 2,200 years. In 1974 a local farmer discovered the first of three massive earth and timber vaults, while digging a well. The extensive excavation, still in progress, has yielded over 6,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors, each individually sculpted with the physical characteristics of the human models. Archers, infantrymen, horses and bronze chariots have also been unearthed. After lunch, visit the impressively tall Wild Goose Pagoda, in the grounds of the still-active Temple of Thanksgiving, built in the 7th century to store the scriptures brought back from India by Monk Xuan Zang. After work, locals fly kites, stroll in the huge park and practice tai-chi. This evening, attend a feast of culinary and cultural delights with a special Dumpling (dim sum) banquet followed by the Tang Dynasty show, a colourful performance of music and dance which will give you a greater understanding of China’s golden age.

XIAN / CHONGQING –Yangtze Museum, Giant Pandas, Ciqi Kou Ancient Town- YANGTZE CRUISE
Take a morning flight to the port city of Chongqing, at the junction of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. A highlight will be a visit to the Giant Panda section of the 60 hectare Chongqing Zoo. The modern Yangtze Museum will be an introduction to the Yangtze River, its history and the people who live along the banks. The traditional houses and shops of Ciqi Kou Ancient Town, a famous porcelain production centre during the Ming era, are today tea bars, artists’ studios and Shu embroidery workshops. After dinner in the city, board the cruise ship MV PRESIDENT 6 for the start of your 4 day Yangtze River cruise.

YANGTZE CRUISE – Shore excursions to Shibaozhai Pagoda or Fengdu
The Yangtze River originates on the Tibetan Plateau and traverses a distance of 6270 km (3900 miles) before flowing into the East China Sea near Shanghai. It is the third longest river in the world, after the Amazon and the Nile and has been the lifeline and major commercial thoroughfare in China for millennia. At 86 mt long, with a maximum capacity of 198 passengers, the 4* MV President 6 is one of the largest cruise ships on the Yangtze. The comfortable air conditioned cabins all have en suite facilities, the public areas include a large lounge offering panoramic views, wide walking decks and a beautiful sun deck, offering unlimited photo opportunities of the magnificent passing scenery. The restaurant offers a variety of classic Chinese and international foods. Some of the on board entertainment which you may wish to enjoy includes the teaching of calligraphy, martial arts (tai chi) and folk dance. There will be presentations on Chinese painting and lectures on China’s culture and history and nightly entertainment by the crew. There is also a beauty salon and massage room on board. Stop at Shibaozhai, a rural river town, for a shore excursion to see the 400 year old 12 storey wooden pagoda, built entirely without nails. Depending on water level, the excursion may instead dock at Fengdu – China’s City of Ghosts, to visit temples and shrines dedicated to the gods of the underworld.

YANGTZE CRUISE – Shore excursion to Shennong Stream or Lesser Three Gorges
A day of incredible views awaits you as you pass though the gorges, where you can see centuries old pagodas perched on steep cliffs, in mist shrouded mountains. Today’s highlight will be an exciting trip up the Sennon Stream to do an excursion in small pea pod boats pulled by trackers. Finally, pass the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, being built in the Xilling Gorge, the longest of the three gorges on the Yangtze River. Completion of the dam is scheduled for 2009. Tonight, enjoy a Farewell Banquet and show on board. Cruise itinerary subject to change due to weather conditions, captain’s decision or other factors beyond our control.  

YANGTZE CRUISE – Shore Excursion to Three Gorges Dam Project YICHANG / SUZHOU
Your remarkable Yangtze cruise finishes in Yichang. Disembark after visiting the Three Gorges Dam project. Take an afternoon flight to Shanghai, where you will be met and transferred to the town of Suzhou, famous for silk production and classical Chinese gardens. Check in at the charming GARDEN VIEW HOTEL for two nights. Dinner at a local restaurant.  

SUZHOU – Tongli Watertown, cruise, Embroidery Research Centre, Garden Night Show
Pay a visit to the fascinating Tongli watertown, with its 1000 years of history, criss crossed with canals and bridges dividing the town into seven islands and 40 sets of bridges. Take a cruise in the afternoon and visit the embroidery research centre. Suzhou embroidery, one of the best types in China, is renowned for its unique workmanship, perfected over a period of 2600 years. This evening attend an unusual Garden Night Show in the famous Wangshi Yuan, the Master of the Nets Garden, for many people, the finest of Suzhou’s gardens. This musical performance depicts Chinese drama and folk instruments.  

SUZHOU – No 1 Silk Factory /SHANGHAI – Oriental Pearl Tower, Urban Planning Centre, Acrobatic show
After visiting the No 1 Silk Factory, take the fast train to the dynamic cosmopolitan city of Shanghai. On arrival, visit the Oriental Pearl Tower, the highest tower in Asia, for spectacular views of the modern city below. At the Shanghai Urban Planning Centre, we see the amazing scale model, the largest in the world, to understand the true scale of Shanghai and its ongoing building boom, with a complete projection of what town planners expect the city to look like in 2020. Check in at the BROADWAY MANSIONS HOTEL overlooking the Huanpu River and the Bund. Spend two nights here. Tonight we attend a spellbinding performance by the renowned Shanghai acrobatic group.  

Day 12 Thu 21 May
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Day 13 Fri 22 May
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SHANGHAI – Jade Buddha Temple, Tea Ceremony, the Bund, Former French Concession, Xintiandi
Visit the Jade Buddha Temple, dominated by the exquisite 2 meter high seated Buddha, made of a single piece of precious white jade, wearing a robe of precious gems from Burma. Attend a tea ceremony, practice your bargaining skills in the Yuyuan Market, visit Xintiandi with its last remaining “stone gatehouses”, the Bund, Shanghai’s waterfront boulevard and the former French concession, with its tree-lined streets and old villas, shops and cafes. Farewell dinner this evening in the elegant Old Shanghai Moon Restaurant.  

SHANGHAI
A last day to enjoy this exciting city before transferring to the airport for departure.  

OPTIONAL 5 DAY ADD-ON PACKAGE TO TIBET AT END OF TOUR.
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