Day 01 Arrive in Beijing
Activities: Arrive in Beijing, your gateway city of China tour. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.
Accommodation:Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing
Meals: No Meals
Day 02 Beijing
Activities: Leave your hotel in the morning to visit Tiananmen Square, the largest urban square and Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. Peking Roasted Duck and Peking Opera are available for your dinner and night entertainment which are exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
Accommodation:Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing
Meals: B/L
Day 03 Beijing - 
- Urumqi
Activities: Visit Summer Palace, the emperor's place of escape from Beijing's hot summer and take a flight to Urumqi. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
Accommodation:Orient Dynasty Hotel Urumqi
Meals: B/L
Day 04 Urumqi
Activities: Today's plan to visit Nanshan Pasture of great natural beauty and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum.
Accommodation:Orient Dynasty Hotel Urumqi
Meals: B/L
Day 05 Urumqi - 
- Turpan
Activities: Drive about 2.5 hours to Turpan in the southeast of Urumqi, and visit Jiaohe Ancient City and Karez Well on the way. Then be transferred to the hotel to catch up on some rest. Uygur Ethnic Minority Dance Show is available as your optional night show which is exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
Accommodation:Turpan Hotel
Meals: B/L
Day 06 Turpan - 
- Dunhuang
Activities: Depart from hotel in the morning to have a full-day excursion including Gaochang Ancient City-once an important garrison town on the Silk Road, Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs, Grape Valley-an area filled with juicy sweet green grapes in Flaming Mountain and Bezeklik Caves. Take an overnight soft-sleeper train to Dunhuang.
Accommodation:On Train
Meals: B/L
Day 07 Dunhuang
Activities: Upon arrival, check-in and have a good rest. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this city.
Accommodation:Grand Sun Hotel Dunhuang
Meals: B/L
Day 08 Dunhuang
Activities: Today's trip is to visit Mogao Grottoes at first, the site is considered the great treasure house of Buddhist arts in existence. Later visit Crescent Spring and Sighing Sand Dune.
Accommodation:Grand Sun Hotel Dunhuang
Meals: B/L
Day 09 Dunhuang - - Xian
Activities: In the morning fly to Xian. Then you will visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, Ancient City Wall and Bell Tower.
Accommodation:Tianyu Gloria Palza Hotel
Meals: B/L
Day 10 Xian - - Chongqing
Activities: You have ample time to appreciate the famous spots:the Qin Terror-cotta Army Museum, one of the world's most important archaeological finds with troops, horses and carriages in battle formation and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum. Fly to Chongqing for your coming Yangtze River Cruise. Embark in the late afternoon.
Accommodation:Yangtze Cruise
Meals: B/L
Day 11 Yangtze River Cruise
Activities: Depart from Chongqing in the morning. The first shore excursion of cruise occurs either at Fengdu, Shibaozhai or Wanzhou, which depends on local river conditions.
Accommodation:Yangtze Cruise
Meals: B/L/D
Day 12 Yangtze River Cruise
Activities: Today pass Three Gorges namely Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, during which take an excursion through Daning River Lesser Three Gorges. In the evening, sail through the ship locks.
Accommodation:Yangtze Cruise
Meals: B/L/D
Day 13 Yichang - - Shanghai
Activities: Get off the cruise to visit Three Gorges Dam in the morning. Disembark at Yichang for the flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, be transferred to the hotel to catch up on some rest.
Accommodation:The Bund Hotel Shanghai
Meals: B/L
Day 14 Shanghai
Activities: Today you will have a whole-day trip of Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai History Museum, Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Bund, Shanghai's famed waterfront promenade. Traditional Dim-sum Banquet and Acrobatics are available for your optional lunch and night entertainment which are exclusive in our quotation. Feel free to contact our travel advisor about the details and cost.
Accommodation:The Bund Hotel Shanghai
Meals: B/L
Day 15 Depart from Shanghai
Activities: Be transferred to the airport for homebound flight as the trip ends. Bid a fond farewell to this exotic land.
Accommodation:
Meals: B
Day 01 Arrive in Beijing
Beijing is the cultural and political capital of the People's Republic of China. This ancient city has remained a constant throughout the many incarnations of the Chinese nation, a history stretching back over 5000 years. The history of modern Beijing, however, began in the 13th century, when Genghis Khan built his fortress city Khanbaliq amongst the ashes of Yanjing-the Liao Dynasty capital that he burned to the ground in 1215. Beijing remained the centre of power throughout the reigns of the succeeding Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties-most of the last 800 years. After the Nationalist Government in Nanjing was usurped by the Communists Party in 1949, Mao Zedong made his capital in Beijing; famously announcing the birth of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949. Beijing's lengthy and diverse history can be seen on the streets of Beijing, in the variety of monuments and palaces built by emperors and governments over the centuries. Beijing is one of the world's most iconic cities; full of must-see sights for all first-time visitors to the Middle Kingdom.
Day 02 Beijing
Tiananmen Square: Tianmen Square( the Gate of Heavenly Peace), is located in the center of Beijing. It was first built in 1417 and named Chengtianmen (the Gate of Heavenly Succession). At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was seriously damaged by war. When it was rebuilt under the Qing in 1651, it was renamed Tianmen, and served as the main entrance to the Imperial City, the administrative and residential quarters for court officials and retainers. The southern sections of the Imperial City wall still stand on both sides of the Gate. The tower at the top of the gate is nine-room wide and five-room deep. According to the Book of Changes, the two numbers nine and five, when combined, symbolize the supreme status of a sovereign. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tiananmen was the place where state ceremonies took place.
Forbidden City: Forbidden City also known as Palace Museum was home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the ancient time, the emperor claimed to be the son of the heaven and therefore their supreme power was conferred upon them from the heaven. Their residence on the earth was built as a replica of the Purple Palace where the God lived in the Heaven. Such divine place was certain forbidden for the ordinary people and it is why the Forbidden City is so called. The museum is a real treasures house of Chinese cultural and historical relics, recognized as one of the most important five palaces in the world. The splendid architecture of the Forbidden City represents the essence and culmination of the traditional Chinese architectural accomplishment. In 1961 the Palace Museum was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and in 1987, it was nominated as the world cultural heritage by the UNESCO.
Temple of Heaven: The Temple of Heaven is a large park and temple complex situated in more or less the south central area of Beijing. Its centerpiece is a large tower built, it is said, entirely of wood and not using a single nail. It is said that the main features of the park are its trees and inhabitants. The park is filled with more than a thousand species of tree, some of which are hundreds of years old, despite their relatively small size. One thing you could notice here is that most of the architecture here. The park also attracts local residents by the thousand each day, who come to practice singing, martial arts, Peking opera, chess, dancing, calligraphy. Of course, this can be said of many parks in Beijing, but the Temple of Heaven attracts more than its fair share.
Peking Roasted Duck: Peking Roasted Duck is thought to be one of the most delicious dishes all over the world; most visitors coming to Beijing will never forget to have a try. The two famous restaurants that serve Beijing Roast Duck are Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant and Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, both of which have a history of over one hundred years. They represent two different schools of roasting duck. Bianyifang, founded in 1855, makes use of a close oven and straw as the fuel, which won't make flames go directly onto the duck. Before being put into the oven, a duck is filled with specially-made soup to make it possible to roast the duck outside and boil it inside at the same time.
Day 03 Beijing - - Urumqi
Summer Palace: UNESCO says that the Summer Palace is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.The Summer Palace, in the Haidian District, northwest of central Beijing, is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in modern China. It is hardly surprising that, during the hot Beijing summers, the Imperial Family preferred the beautiful gardens and airy pavilions of the Summer Palace to the walled-in Forbidden City. Dowager Empress Cixi took up permanent residence here for a time, giving rise to some wonderful tales of extravagance and excess.
Day 04 Urumqi
Towards the south of Urumqi City, the Nanshan Pasture is located in Kelawucheng Mountain, a branch of north Heavenly Mountain. Moreover, there are numerous valleys in the pasture. It is cool here in the summer, and is a good place to get away from the heat. The pasture below Southern Mountain is quite extensive. Looking north from the pasture, the west to east panorama includes these highpoints: West Baiyanggou, Juhuatai, East Baiyanggou, Mount Zhaobi, Miaoergou and Daxigou. West Baiyanggou is part of the north spur ridge of Mount Kalawucheng and the north aspect of Mount Tianshan.
Day 05 Urumqi - - Turpan
Jiaohe Ancient City: The Ancient City of Jiaohe is one of the world's architectural wonders hiding in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 kilometers west of Turpan City. Shaped like a willow leaf, the ancient city of Jiaohe has a history of 2,300 years and lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30 meters. Jiaohe is 1,760 meters long from northwest to southeast and is 300 meters at its widest, with an area of 430,000 square meters. In the Western Han Dynasty(206B.C.- A.D.24), the city served as the capital of the Ancient State of Cheshi, one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Regions. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the government established Jiao he County under the jurisdiction of the Tang Western Prefecture. "Anxi Frontier Command", the highest military and administrative organ established by the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, was once set here.
Karez Well is a kind of underground water works invented and built by laboring people of various ethnic groups in China to adapt to the natural environment in dry region. It is considered one of the three great projects in ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Why Karez Wells were built in great number in Turpan Basin can be attributed to the local natural geographical conditions. To the north of Turpan Basin is Bogda Mountain and to its west Kalawucheng Mountain.
Day 06 Turpan - - Dunhuang
The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are part of the Underground Museum of Turpan and the Living Archives of Gaochang. Astana means capital in Uigur. Karakhoja was a Uigur hero who protected his people from a vicious dragon. The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. Among the excavated 456 tombs, the Gaochang king's has not been found. Since 1959, 456 tombs have been excavated and thousands of cultural relics have been unearthed. Besides hundreds of dried up bodies, there are murals depicting figures, birds and flowers on display in the three tombs. Altogether 2,000 documents were unearthed, with content covering political, economic, cultural and military developments of Gaochang City. Now three tombs have been opened to visitors. Besides dried-up corpses, there are murals depicting figures, birds and flowers on display in the three tombs.
Day 07 Dunhuang
The national, historical city of Dunhuang is a renowned tourist city famous for the Mogao Caves. It is situated in the common boundary of Gansu Province, Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Province. Dunhuang, long ago referred to as 'Sha Zhou' (beautiful desert oasis), was the hub of middle and eastern silk routes in ancient times. The city landmark is an attractive statue, the idea of which comes from the mural in Mogao Caves, a shrine to the culture and arts of Dunhuang. From Mt.Qilian in the south, Mt. Mazong in the north and desert from east to west, the landform of Dunhuang City is a declining basin-plain from west to northeast, high in the north and south, and low in the middle. The western cities of China, especially those in the desert, are known for their sandstorms. Today, as a reminder of this historical area, we are left with the Mogao Caves, Yangguan Pass, Yumenguan Pass and many wonderful Chinese poems depicting the time. Although what remains of the two Passes are crumbling walls, one can still experience the atmosphere of that time while visiting in person.
Day 08 Dunhuang
Mogao Caves, located 25 kilometers (about 15.5 miles) southeast of Dunhuang City, should be regarded as the premier Buddhist spot in China, perhaps in the whole world. The artistic features of the treasured Buddhist murals represent perfectly the artistic style of the Northern Wei (386-543), Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties through the combination of the architecture, statues and murals in the caves. It is a worthwhile place for visitors to visit. In 1987, UNESCO placed the Mogao Grottoes under the protection of the world cultural heritage list.
Just like oil and water don't mix, so do springs and deserts. But Crescent Spring is an exception. About 6 kilometers (3.73 miles) south of Dunhuang city, and surrounded by the Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Spring can be called a natural wonder in the Gobi Desert. Some say it reminds them of the eye of a beautiful woman, lucid, beautiful and amorous. Some say it looks like the mysterious, gentle and seductive lips of a pretty woman, or a slice of lush, sweet and crystal cantaloupe. Actually, it resembles a crescent fallen down into this desert. Having been lying among these sand dunes for thousands of years, although given many surprise attacks by sandstorms, Crescent Spring still gurgles clear, and still remains worthy as the first spring in the desert.
Day 09 Dunhuang - - Xian
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum: The museum occupies an area of 65,000 square meters (16 acres). It is a grand complex of buildings imitating the architecture style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). A primary pavilion stands in the center, and secondary pavilions of varying heights are distributed orderly around it. With black, white and grey as the predominant colors, the buildings have a solemn and rustic charm. The museum is furnished with central air-conditioning and multi-functional lighting system to ensure the protection of the culture relics. It is a comprehensive museum with more than 370,000 exhibits of different times and kinds. The two-storied primary pavilion is divided into the following three main exhibition halls: Basic Exhibition Hall, Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall.
Ancient City Wall: The first landmark visitors will encounter in Xian is the ancient city wall, which stretches round the old city. The northern side runs parallel to the railway. Xian was originally a walled city, and even today the wall is considered a landmark dividing the city into the inner part and the outer part. The city wall is massive - tall, long and thick. 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.
Day 10 Xian - - Chongqing
The Qin Terracotta Army Museum: Viewing Emperor Qin Shi Huang's terracotta army guarding his burial site and protecting his entry to the afterlife from the earthen side of a continuing archeological project is certainly one of the most memorable parts of any trip to China. Every figure differs from those around in facial features and expression, clothing, hairstyle, and gestures. The horsemen, the longbow bearers, the archers and the senior officers and generals were positioned in strict accordance with the ancient directives on the Art of War. The site was made a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.
Day 11 Yangtze River Cruise
Fengdu County is a county of Chongqing Municipality in China. There is a necropolis called Fengdu modelled after the Chinese Hell in Taoist mythology, built over 1800 years ago. The famous ghost town will become an island after the Three Gorges Dam project is completed. Specifically, part of the ghost town of Fengdu will be submerged, but scenery above the "Door of Hell" will remain.
Day 12 Yangtze River Cruise
Xiling Gorge is a gorge on the Yangtze River in China. It stretches from Xiang Xi to Yi Chang and is the largest and furthest downstream of the Three Gorges. It is named after Mt. Xiling. The Xiling Gorge, around half the length of the Three Gorges, is actually a series of four different gorges: Precious Sword, Horse Lung & Ox Liver, Soundless Bell, and Shadow Play Gorges. It is known for being the most dangerous of the three gorges to travel through, with frightening whirlpools and strong rapids.
Day 13 Yichang - - Shanghai
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric river dam that spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. It is the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind. The dam body was finished in 2006. When the whole project is completed, it will contain 32 main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW. Except for a planned ship lift, all of the originally planned components of the project were completed on October 30, 2008, when the 26th generator was brought into commercial operation. Six additional generators in the underground power plant are being installed, not expected to become fully operational until around 2011. The total electric generating capacity of the dam will then reach 22,500 MW.
Day 14 Shanghai
Jade Buddha Temple: The two precious jade Buddhist statues are not only rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade gives the Buddhas the beauty of sanctity and make them more vivid. The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by the agate and the emerald, portraying the Buddha at the moment of his meditation and enlightenment. The Recumbent Buddha is 96 centimeters long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg, this shape is called the 'lucky repose'. In the temple there is also another Recumbent Buddha which is four meters long and was brought from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower: The Oriental Pearl TV Tower has become one of the modern symbols of Shanghai. The 468 meter tall tower is the tallest in Asia and the third tallest TV tower in the world. The bird's eye view from its observation platform is breathtaking, especially at night, when the nearby Bund is lit up. With a unique design composed of balls and columns, the tower has become Shanghai's newest landmark and a big magnet for tourists. The designers magically set the eleven beautiful spheres of various sizes up from the green grassland to the blue sky with two giant spheres shining like two rubies. The whole design is rich in poetic and pictorial splendor, which gives the tourist the impression that pearls of various sizes are dropping onto the emerald plate.
Yuyuan Garden: It is a renowned traditional landscape garden in Jiangnan. It is also a historical site and tourist attraction famous at home and abroad. It was built by a man named Pan during the Ming Dynasty. It was changed and rebuilt for hundreds of years by different descendents of the original builder. The garden is a virtual maze of caves, gardens, rockeries, paths, bridges, and buildings. Even though many people have had a hand in rebuilding the garden over the centuries, it is seamlessly blended. Every corner you turn has a new surprise, and a total different view.
The Bund: The Bund is the long corridor of Shanghai. For more than 100 years, it has been the symbol of Shanghai. Shanghai people are proud of the Bund. It shows the culture of Shanghai and the creation of modern civilization to people. The architecture along the Bund is unanimously honored as a "World Architectural Fair", including all kinds of tall buildings like the Gothic style, the Baroque style, the Roman style, the classical style, the Renaissance style and the combination of Chinese and Western style. Generally speaking, the beauty of a city should contain three elements' architectures, sculptures, and evanescence. Of the three elements, sculptures are also called the eyes of a city. It is an important part for a city's beauty.
Acrobatics: Acrobatics is an interactive art form. Whether you are old or young, educated or illiterate, you can appreciate it as long as you can see. There is no language barrier and cultural border. When you watch a Chinese acrobatics, you are strongly impacted both mentally and physically. It is truly and unforgettable experience. It is no doubt that Shanghai is the best place to enjoy a perfect Chinese acrobatic show. The Acrobatics at Shanghai are not to be missed. They are held each night and last for about 2 hours. An acrobatic show has become one of the most popular evening entertainments for tourists in Shanghai. You can enjoy gravity-defying contortionism, juggling, unicycling, chair-stacking, and plate-spinning acts at the following stages.
Day 15 Depart from Shanghai
In the past few days you have had a wonderful time in China. You must be fascinated about her. We are sure that you have enjoyed the splendid culture and unique scenery and you can be our best ambassadors to share that experience with your friends and neighbors. We sincerely hope to see you revisit China again with your friends. Also we hope you are satisfied with our information and service.
