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THIRD
MONTH FAIR & CHINA MINORITY TOUR
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Day 1/ April 14 US/BEIJING
Fly from US gateway city to Beijing, China (flight
details to be advised)
Day
2/April 15 ARRIVE BEIJING
Welcome to
Beijing! Arrive at Beijing International Airport.
Clear Chinese immigration/customs. Airport reception
by your tour manager with private transfer |
to Capital Hotel.
Day3/April
16 BEIJING
AM:
Depart at around 9:00am in the morning for an escorted
excursion to Tiananmen Square (Gate of Heavenly Peace).
This is the world's largest public square and represents
the heart of Imperial and 'Tourist' Beijing. Continue
your day by visiting Imperial Palace Museum (former
Forbidden City). This architectural marvel was completed
in 1420 after 14 years of hard work by 200,000 laborers.
It was the symbol of Imperial power for over 500 years
and was the home of 24 emperors from the Ming and Qing
Dynasties.
PM: Escorted tour to Yihe Yuan (former Imperial
summer palace). Since it was for summer holiday use,
the emphasis was therefore on the cooling features such
as the natural underground stone freezer. You will see
the famous Marble Boat. Return to Beijing in the evening.
EVENING: Welcome Peking Duck Banquet Dinner at Chungjude
Duck House. Enjoy the fantastic meal. This will be a
great start for you to know more about your fellow travelers.
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Day4/April
17 GREAT WALL EXCURSION
AM:
Depart at around 8:30am in the morning for an
escorted excursion to Great Wall. The construction
of the Great Wall (Changcheng) started in the
7th Century BC during the Qin Dynasty, making
the Great Wall over 2,500 years old. Based on
your interests, we will arrange for you to visit
Mutianyu, a rarely visited section. Take a cable
car to the summit for a fantastic view.
PM: Drive along the magnificent Sacred Way
to Ming Tombs (Burial site of 13 Emperors of Ming
Dynasty). Although Beijing was the capital city
of five dynasties, the tombs of the Ming emperors
are the only ones found in modern Beijing. Your
guide will give you an introductory lesson on
"Fengshiu" - one of the most popular
concepts introduced to the Western world from
China.
EVENING: Peking Opera Performance at Chang'an
Theater. |
Day
5/April 18 BEIJING/ XI'AN
AM:Walking tour
through Beijing's ancient back alleys and passageways
known as Hutongs. You will have an opportunity to see
this traditional communal life-style that has existed
for hundreds of years. There will also be an opportunity
for a private in-home visit with Chinese families in
their Dazayuan (a traditional courtyard house). These
neighborhoods have their origins in the Yuan (Mongol)
Dynasty. Hutongs and Dazayuan are unique Chinese structures
and can be found nowhere else outside China.
PM: Transfer to the airport for flight to Xi'an.
Airport reception by your guide and transfer to Xi'an
Garden Hotel. Escorted tour by car and on foot of Xi'an's Tang
dynasty site. Visit the Ancient walled city and Big
Goose Pagoda. Xi'an used to be called "Chang'an,"
and was the capital of the Tang Dynasty. In Chinese,
Chang'an means "forever-lasting peace and prosperity."
It was also the ancient capital for eleven other Chinese
dynasties. During the Tang Golden Age in the 10th Century,
Chang'an was one of the largest and most cosmopolitan
cities on earth, and it was eight-times larger than
Xi'an is now.
EVENING: Evening: Imperial banquet & restored
Court music/dance in the luxurious Tang Dynasty Grand
Dinner Theater.
Day 6/April 19 XI'AN
AM: Escorted tour to the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum
(Binmayong). The site was accidentally uncovered in
1974 by local peasants and is among the most important
archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century. Start
today's tour by viewing an informative IMAX documentary
that gives a brief overview of 2000 years of Chinese
history. Followed by on-site inspection of the 6,000
terra cotta warriors, made in the 3rd Century BC and
all with different faces, expressions and postures,
they were modeled after real human beings. You may find
it difficult to believe that originally, when found,
all these life-size "soldiers" were mashed
into powder and broken pieces. On-site archaeologists
demonstrate how they restore them into their original
condition. Also visit the newly-opened site #3.
PM: Continue the private excursion to Banpo Neolithic
Village, which is Xi'an's number two attraction. Banpo
is the earliest example of Yangshao Culture, a representation
of human life from 4500 BC to 3750 BC. Return to Xi'an
in the late afternoon.
EVENING: Food is art! Let's prove it tonight. Enjoy
a Sha'anxi local specialty and dumpling banquet at De
Fa Chang (Mongolian Bar-B-Q Beef and Lamb, Dumplings
and Sha'anxi local specialty and snacks), one of the
most well-known restaurants in China.
Day
7/April 20 XI'AN/ KUNMING
AM: Visit the Great Muslim Mosque, the Muslim market
and Sha'anxi Provincial Museum. The museum is one of
the world's greatest repositories of Tang Dynasty ceramics,
painting, and textiles. Transfer to the airport to board
flight to Kunming.
PM: Airport reception/ transfer to Kunming Green Lake Hotel (5-star). Kunming,
the capital of Yunnan province, is known as the "City
of Eternal Spring." City tour of Kunming, visit
Flower and Bird Market, wander around the quaint little
alleys and streets and Yuantong Temple, the largest
Buddhist complex in Southwest China. It was built 1200
years ago and is a good example of Tang Dynasty Architecture.
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Day
8/ April 21 KUNMING/ STONE FOREST EXCURSION
All-day private escorted tour through the beautiful countryside to the
legendary ' Stone Forest .' Marine fossils found in this area suggest that
the whole area was once under water. There are several 'Stone Forests' in
this region. You will visit Fungi Forest -the most well known region. Marvel
at the enthralling limestone crags, Karsts caves and waterfall. |
Day
9 / April 22 DALI EXCURSION
AM:
Fly to Dali private escorted tour to The Three Pagodas, the 'official'
first stop in Dali. Standing on the hillside, with a
reflection in the lake nearby, it is impressively pretty.
Followed by an up-close visit to Xizhou, a well-preserved
Bai National Ethnic Minority village with traditional
architecture and friendly people. Explore a Bai market
and watch Batik making.
PM: The
Bai have long-established roots in the Erhai Lake area.
They are thought to have settled in this region more
than 3,000 years ago. Boat excursion, horse and buggy
rides or bicycling available. Also visit Putuo Island, overnight at Asia Star Hotel.
Day 10 / April 23 DALI / THIRD
MONTH FAIR
Today
will be the highlight of your tour. You will be participating
the famous Third Month Fair and make friends with Bai
(Meaning white) Minority. Third Month Fair is a traditional
festival of Bai. Grand folk song and dance performances
and sports competitions are held. There will also be
street fairs and special tribal markets.
Day 11/ April 24 DALI/ LIJIANG
AM: Breath-taking scenery on your four-hour drive
to Lijiang. Enrote stop and visit two well-preserved Bai villages.
PM: Arrive at Lijiang in the early afternoon. Transfer
and check-in Jiannunchun Hotel (4-star, in Ancient Town). The ancient city of Lijiang
is also known as 'Dayan Town.' It is an intact ancient
city inhabited mostly by the Naxi National Ethnic Minority.
In its center there is a square first built in 1126
during late Song Dynasty. The old center of Lijiang
is charmed with its cobblestone streets, wooden buildings
and flowing canals. You will be able to distinguish
at least ten different types of Naxi buildings. The
Naxi are descended from Tibetan nomads and live in matrilineal
families. The traditional religion of the Naxi is Dongba.
Believers practice witchcraft, are skilled in traditional
medicine. Escorted walking tour of Lijiang Old Town.
Visit Dongba Culture Research Institute.
EVENING: Naxi Orchestra. Each of the 24 members
in the Orchestra plays a different example of Taoist
temple instrument. These instruments are not to be found
anywhere else in the world.
Day 12/ April 25 LIJIANG /JADE DRAGON SNOW MT.
All Day: Escorted tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
So named because the 5000 meter high mountains are in
the shape of a dragon, and are covered with snow year-round.
The mountains interlock the Yungui and Tibet Plateaus.
Take the chairlift half-way up, followed by an easy
walk. You will be greeted by a stunning view of the
Snow Mountains and probably by a group of Naxi women
enthusiastically waiving at you.
Day 13/ April 26 LIJIANG/SHANGHAI
AM: Escorted tour to Black Dragon
Pool, where you can appreciate from afar the breathtaking
view of Dragon Snow Mountains. Bicycles available to
tour around the pool.
PM: Transfer to the airport for flight to Shanghai.
Airport reception/ private transfer to Shanghai.
EVENING: Explore the Old Town.
Day 14 / April 27 SHANGHAI
AM: Visit the world-renowned Shanghai Museum of
Art. It has the best collection
of public art in China, including bronzes, ceramics,
calligraphy, sculpture jade, seals, paintings and objects
dating back to 8000 years ago.
PM: Private escorted walking tour including Nanjing
Road and Huihai Road and Maoming Road -- the most famous
historic roads and delightful shopping districts. Huihai
Road is the former French Concession, and is nicknamed
'Frenchtown.' Find an entrance back to the 1920's from
a side street. You can expect to see some of the best
old architecture from Art-deco apartment buildings to
classical mansions and villas. Special arranged "Make-A-Friend"
program with families in Shanghai Workers Housing Estate
and in Children's Palace (Xiaoniangon) - a government
sponsored after-school center for talented children.
You will meet with gifted children and watch them perform
traditional arts, music, dance and crafts.
Day
15/ April 28 SHANGAI/ US
AM: Private transfer to the airport to board return
flight to the US. Arrive home the same
day.
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-End
of program-
- Program designed and revised by Michelle Lin-March
21, 2002
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