Proposed Itinerary
Sunday, Day 1: Los Angeles to Beijing
Monday, Day 2: En Route
Cross the International Date Line.
Tuesday, Day 3: Beijing
Beijing is the political and administrative center of the People’s Republic of China. Home to more than 12 million individuals, it is the second largest and fastest growing municipality in modern China. Beijing is China’s single greatest repository of monuments and treasures from the Imperial era.
Enjoy a free afternoon for rest or other activities prior to a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Wednesday, Day 4: Beijing
Program briefing: Discuss the political and cultural diversity of China and receive further information on the delegation at the hotel
After lunch at the local restaurant, you have the chance to visit to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. The 9,999 rooms of the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) await a thorough exploration. You will enter the massive stone walls that protected the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for nearly 500 years. Twenty-four emperors walked over the same stone bridges, through the intricate arches and past the traditional lion statues as you will.
Dinner will be at a local restaurant followed by a Kungfu performance at a local theater.
Thursday, Day 5: Beijing
In the morning you will be taken to the Great Wall of China. Enjoy breathtaking views from the wall’s high vantage points, and meander along a section set in a rugged, mountainous landscape. You also get the opportunity to visit a cloisonné factory on the way back, where you will experience how cloisonné are made. You can also make a small piece on your own under the supervision of the technicians.
Peking Duck Dinner at the famous Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant.
Friday, Day 6: Beijing
Old Beijing’s culture and customs will come to life as you spend time with a family in the old Hutong area. Gain an understanding of how the locals really live by immersing yourself in their lives, even if only for a short time. Then our guests will move on to visit the best-kept courtyard house in Beijing, Gong Wang Fu, or the Prince Gong Palace. Covering 5.7 hectares of land in the core area of Beijing, it is the world largest and the most beautiful courtyard house. The palace is situated in the Western Street of Qian Hai, on the northern shore of Shicha Lake, Western District of Beijing.
The still water of reflecting pools and exotic foliage stirring in the breeze will entice you to explore the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. The Summer Palace has been an urban oasis for the last 800 years and was restored to its original splendor in the early 20th century.
Spend several hours at the Temple of Heaven. For hundreds of years, emperors of the Ming dynasty came to the Temple of Heaven on the winter solstice to offer sacrifices to the gods in hopes of a good harvest. Larger even than the Forbidden City, it was built in 1420 and is one of the largest parks in the city. You’ll have the chance to bask in the mysterious atmosphere of this ancient compound and explore its architectural intricacies. Besides in the morning you can see thousand of people doing morning exercise.
Enjoy a cocktail reception and dinner with local people at 798 Factory.
Saturday, Day 7: Beijing to Guilin
Revered by the Chinese for its mystic landscapes and magnificent geologic features, Guilin is home to the meandering Li River, natural stone towers, and broad, green plains. Its natural wonders have inspired poets and artists for centuries. Guilin is also a significant manufacturing center and transportation link, but in the surrounding countryside, the old traditions of rural China continue uninterrupted.
In the afternoon explore the Reed Flute Cave a famous Guilin attraction. A 500-meter trail winds past unusual formations illuminated with colored lights that cause them to resemble coral, agate, amber and jade. With prompting from guides, their shapes will conjure up images of old trees, dense shrubs, ferocious beasts and human forms. A vast grotto is located inside the cave, and is capable of holding up to 1,000 people. According to legend the stone pillar in the grotto is the Dragon King's
magic needle, used as a weapon by the Monkey King in the popular Chinese fable
and novel "Journey to the West."
Take part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony today.
Sunday, Day 8: Guilin
Soak in the spectacular beauty of China’s heartland and people during a Li River boat cruise. You will catch glimpses of local life while floating past waterfront and farming activities and may even see fishermen using cormorant birds to catch fish. The cruise will end in Yangshuo, 40 miles southeast of Guilin. Visit the teaming free markets of Yangshuo, and learn a little of the town’s 1,400-year history.
Upon arrival Yangshuo, you will have the opportunity to take either a village tour by Trolley or a bicycle tour around Yangshuo.
Attend an Impression Liu San Jie Performance this evening. The performance, with the natural mountains and water as the setting, has become a must for visitors to Yangshuo, a tourist attraction in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is directed by famous movie director Zhang Yimou and is performed by local villagers and fishermen, particularly local minority groups as Zhuang and Yao.
Overnight in Yangshuo.
Monday, Day 9: Guilin
Spend the morning in Yangshuo where delegates will learn about Chinese calligraphy.
Also enjoy a presentation on Traditional Chinese music instrument.
Explore Jiangtoucun Village located in the north of Guilin. The buildings built in Ming & Qing Dynasties survived and are preserved very well. There are 158 families with a total population of 680. The family name for all the villagers is Zhou, because their ancestor is Dun Yizhou a famous philosopher of Northern song Dynasty (over 1000 years ago). Dun Yizhou wrote the essay “on lotus—loving” and nearly all Chinese students can recite it.
The "Ailian" (which means lotus—loving) ancestral temple is one the village’s important building and also their public house.
Tuesday, Day 10: Guilin to Shanghai
Shanghai, the fourth largest city in the world, is one of China’s most cosmopolitan areas. More than half of Shanghai’s 13 million people live in the urban core, and it is a leading cultural and educational center of China.
Enjoy the Acrobatic Show after dinner in a local restaurant.
Wednesday, Day 11: Shanghai
In the morning embark on a walking tour of some of the tree shaded streets of the French Concession. Most of the houses of this area remain intact, and provide a charming area for strolling. Browse some shops and sample some of China's most famous teas.
Lunch will be provided with a local family.
In the afternoon you will tour to the Shanghai Museum to peruse 120,000 cultural relics representing all the historical periods of ancient China. The collections include bronzes, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy and ancient sculptures created by some of the finest artisans China has ever produced. Established in 1952 and located in People's Square, the museum is reputed to be one of the four largest in China.
Thursday, Day 12: Shanghai
Explore Suzhou and visit to Tiger Hill. Tiger Hill has the reputation of being the top tourist site of the Wu region. There are three ideal vantage points and nine different ways of enjoying the sights of the hill.
Built in the 1100s, the Master of Nets Garden (Wangshi Yuan) is a masterpiece of landscape compression. Set back off the main road and hidden at the end of a blind alley, the Master of Nets Garden was built as a contemplative retreat. Rimmed by galleries of carved stone tablets and poetic inscriptions on wooden plaques, the Master of Nets Garden is a relic of Old China.
Enjoy a farewell banquet on the final evening in China.
Friday, Day 13: Shanghai to Los Angeles (via Hong Kong)
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