CHINA TOUR
China & the Yangtze MAKE SURE TO VISIT THE ADDITIONAL
INFORMATIONAL WEB SITES AT THE END OF THIS
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21-Day River CruiseTour
Beijing * Shanghai * Yangtze River Cruising
Xian * Guilin * Hong Kong
With Optional Post-Trip Extension in Bangkok
Overview of Your River CruiseTour
For centuries, the Yangtze has been China's main thoroughfare for
commerce and culture. Here's your chance to touch the roots of
ancient and modern Chinese civilization through a blend of land
exploration and river cruising. You'll visit timeless riverside villages,
seeing people living much as they did hundreds of years ago. Visit
the capitals of long ago dynasties with their lovely pagodas, imposing
walled fortifications, and elaborate tombs. Construction on the Great
Wall of China began more than 2,000 years ago, and symbolizes China's
determination to keep foreigners out. The isolation of this great nation
was nearly complete until very modern history, and Westerners have only
just begun to visit the treasures within the country that was a flourishing
civilization when most of the rest of the world was just making its way
out of the Stone Age. You'll visit China at an important juncture in its
modern history. Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1,
1997, after 150 years as a British Protectorate. Soon, the Three Gorges
Dam will begin filling much of the Yangtze Valley with a 370-mile
reservoir. When complete, this controversial hydroelectric project will
displace 1.25 million people, and submerge 13 cities, 140 towns and
1,352 villages. This river valley is home to spectacular landscapes of
misty mountains, breathtaking gorges, remarkable canyons, bamboo
groves, whirlpools and lagoons. Along its narrow, cliff-bound passages
lie some of China's greatest cultural treasures: ancient tombs, shrines,
and walls dating to before the time of Christ. These cultural and natural
wonders of this mighty river: the magical landscapes that have graced
the watercolors and scroll paintings of China's great artists for thousands
of years will be flooded with the completion in ten years time of the
Three Gorges Dam.
Day-to-Day Itinerary
Introduction: Here is a day-to-day outline of your upcoming China &
the Yangtze River CruiseTour. Your included meals are
listed in each day of your itinerary. All sightseeing features are included
unless described as Optional or On Own.
Orientation Briefing: Shortly before your trip, your Grand Circle Program
Director will review your itinerary to ensure your trip
runs as smoothly as possible, taking into consideration any local
circumstances. During your Orientation Briefing, he or she will
provide you with updates on exact times, new information, and any
changes that may be necessary.
Activities You Have Planned On Your Own: If you have planned an
activity on your own during the leisure time of your itinerary, and
unforeseen circumstances result in a change that may conflict with
those plans, we will make our best efforts to accommodate you for any
missed included features. Please understand that this may not always be
possible. You may be in the position of having to choose between
participating in a group activity or carrying on with your on own plans.
We appreciate your understanding that any changes made to your program
are in the interests of ensuring you the best possible trip.
Important Notice:
This is the itinerary we strive to follow, but due to local circumstances, it is
important for you to understand that we may not always be able to follow
this plan in this exact order. The sequence of places visited, the days on
which included features occur and Optional Tours are offered may vary.
Day 1 Depart USA
All Day:
Overseas Flight Depart the U.S. today on your flight to China. Please refer
to your individual air itinerary for exact departure and arrival times.
Day 2 Beijing, China
Afternoon & Evening:
Arrival & Transfer Upon arrival in China this afternoon, you are met and
transferred to your hotel. The balance of the afternoon and evening is at
leisure to relax after your overseas flight.
Day 3 Beijing/Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
All Day:
Orientation Briefing & Included Beijing Tour. Join us after breakfast for an
opportunity to get to know your Program Director and fellow travelers at an
Orientation Briefing. Your Program Director will go over the details of your
upcoming trip and answer any questions you may have. After the briefing,
set off on a sightseeing tour of Beijing. You'll walk around what is probably
the largest public square in the world, Tiananmen Square, setting for mass
Red Guard rallies through the years. In 1989, the square was the setting for
huge pro-democracy demonstrations. The city of Beijing is built around
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. You'll enter the Forbidden City,
so named because it was off limits to visitors for 500 years. Completed in
1420, this was the center of Imperial palaces for the emperors of the Ming
and Qing dynasties. The last dynasty fell in 1911, though the last Qing
Emperor lived here until 1925 when it was made a museum. The city
contains 800 ceremonial buildings, containing 9,999 rooms, and a courtyard
that can hold 100,000 people. Marvel at its acres of grandeur, elegant
palaces, pavilions, courtyards, and gardens-all walled in as a rectangular
island within a moat wide enough for naval engagements. You'll enjoy
lunch at a restaurant outside the Forbidden City, and return to the hotel in
the late afternoon.
Evening:
Welcome Dinner Your day is complete with a welcoming traditional Peking
duck dinner in the hotel this evening.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Beijing/Optional Ancient Hidden Lanes Summer Palace
Morning:
At Leisure Your morning is at leisure to do as you please.
Optional Tour:
Beijing's Ancient Hidden Lanes OR
Join us for an optional tour. Hutongs are ancient city alleys or lanes.. In
the
past, several thousand lanes, alleys, and
quadrangles formed residential areas for ordinary people living in the capital.
Surrounding the Forbidden City, many hutongs
were built during the Yuan (1206-1341), Ming (1368-1628), and Qing
(1644-1911) Dynasties.
In the prime of these dynasties the emperors, in order to establish
their absolute power, planned the city and arranged the residential
areas. You'll participate in the popular pastime of roaming through
Beijing's ancient narrow hutongs by old-fashioned pedicab, visiting
the old quadrangles, and learn about the daily life of ordinary Beijing
citizens. Today, as the city develops into an international metropolis,
its lanes and alleyways, occupying one third of the city proper, still
serve as dwellings for half the total urban population. Cost of this
excursion, including a visit to a local school, is about $29.
Afternoon:
Included Summer Palace Tour After lunch on your own, travel outside
of the city to visit the magnificent Summer Palace. This palace is
actually a more than 700-acre garden and complex of buildings,
whose Chinese name means Garden of Nurtured Harmony. The
gardens, running up and down gentle hills and comprising two serene
lakes, are considered the finest of Chinese architectural gardens.
Originally built in the twelfth century, it was expanded in 1750 to
honor the 60th birthday of the mother of the Qianlong emperor. To
escape the summer heat of Beijing, the Imperial Court lived here
every year from April to October, receiving diplomats and conducting
business in the Hall of Longevity and Benevolence. The British burned
the palace in 1860, and it was rebuilt in 1895 on the occasion of the
60th birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress Dowager so
loved the palace that she made it her permanent residence, and lived
here with a huge retinue of ladies-in-waiting, eunuchs, and female
officials.
Evening:
Included Opera Performance This evening you?ll have dinner in a
Szechuan Restaurant. Then we take you to a traditional Chinese opera
performance. The Chinese opera is an ancient theatrical art, and the
opera troupes in Beijing set the national standard for this highest
expression of Chinese culture. This is not like the Western opera, full
of arias and centered around singing. It?s a beautiful and delicate
blend of grand opera, ballet, song, drama, and comedy that spans the
entire history of China, its folklore, mythology, literature, and culture.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 Beijing/Ming Tombs & Great Wall
All Day:
Included Ming Tombs & Great Wall Tour On today?s full-day excursion,
you'll visit the peaceful valley that the Ming emperors chose as their
burial ground. Pass through a great marble gateway more than four
centuries old, and onto Spirit Way, the Avenue of the Animals lined
with massive stone statues of kneeling and standing elephants, lions,
camels, and fanciful beasts. Nearby you will see tombs housing the
remains of 13 emperors and innumerable treasures. These 13 imperial
tombs were built from 1409 to 1644, and are spread over nearly 25
square miles. Later, ride through the suburbs to the Badaling Hills to
the fabled Great Wall of China. Construction on this massive wall was
begun more than 2,000 years ago and completed under Ming Dynasty
rule in the 14th century. Built originally in sections to protect various
provinces from northern tribes, the wall?s construction ranges from
brick and mortar to earthen ramparts. In the 1950s, restoration was
begun on several significant portions of the wall-one of the most
impressive at the Badaling Hills, originally built in 1345. As you walk
along its ramparts, undulating up and down steep hills and graced
with massive lookout towers, imagine the scenes of battle, ceremony,
commerce, and labor that have taken place along its 3,900-mile
path to the sea.
Marvel at the great stone towers, that each could garrison hundreds
of soldiers. Learn that the towers are built at a distance of two bow
shots apart-meaning the entire wall could be defended by the archers
within them. Find out why the wall snakes along such a winding path.
Chinese mythology maintains that demons and evil spirits can only
travel in a straight line, and the undulating wall effectively keeps them
out. Before returning to Beijing, stop at a cloissone factory. Though
cloissone is a French word, this delicate and beautiful enamelware
was a fine art in China when France was still in the Dark Ages.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Beijing/Temple of Heaven Shanghai/Jade Buddha
Temple
Morning:
Included Temple of Heaven Tour After breakfast, join us on a tour of
Tiantan, Beijing?s lovely Temple of Heaven.
The temple is set in the middle of a nearly 700-acre park with many
pine and cypress trees, some over 500 years old. It was built during
the same period as the Forbidden City, and ranks among the most
famous structures in China-a series of elegant circular structures
giving the impression of reaching for heaven. It was here that the
emperor, bearing all the sins of the Chinese people, humbled
himself before Heaven and performed rituals to ensure good harvests.
Afternoon:
Included Temple Visit In the late morning, you transfer to the
airport for your flight to Shanghai, having lunch on the plane. On
arrival in Shanghai, you are met at the airport and taken for a
visit to the Jade Buddha Temple. Many monks live in this temple,
and you will probably hear them singing or reading the scriptures.
This 19th-century temple houses two priceless jade statues of
Buddha, one in the seated position of enlightenment and the other
reclining?both carved out of single pieces of pure white jade.
Evening:
Acrobatic Show This evening, you are treated to an acrobatic
show during dinner.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 Shanghai
Morning:
Included Shanghai Tour This morning, your tour of Shanghai
travels along the famous Bund, a five-block long riverfront
promenade containing many of Shanghai?s banks and trading
houses. Here, every morning, you can watch people practicing
the slow, deliberate movements of Tai Chi. During the day,
street performers and vendors share the boulevard with pedestrians.
The evening marks the emergence of well-dressed courting
couples. During your tour, you?ll also visit the Shanghai Museum
of Art, containing fascinating glimpses into ancient everyday
Chinese life and with a rich collection of artifacts from the Song to
Qing Dynasties.
Afternoon:
At Leisure After a traditional Mongolian barbecue lunch, the
balance of the afternoon is at leisure to relax or do some
exploring on your own.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 Shanghai/Suzhou
All Day:
Included Suzhou Excursion Join us today on a full-day excursion to
500-year-old Suzhou in China's fabled Silk Region.
Travel by train (about one-and-a-half hours), arriving in the
afternoon in time for lunch. This is the city of silk, gardens, and
canals that inspired Marco Polo. So much silk was produced, he
reported, that every citizen was clothed in it. You'll visit the
Embroidery Institute, to see silk thread being used to create works
of art, and to see how silk goes from cocoon to cloth.
Suzhou means "Plentiful Water", and its Grand Canal is crowded
with strings of barges laden with fruits, vegetables, construction
materials, and coal. The Grand Canal, second only to the Great
Wall as a Chinese engineering feat, was begun 2400 years
ago. During your time in Suzhou, you'll have a boat cruise on
the Grand Canal, admiring its graceful bridges and tile-roofed
whitewashed houses that lean over the edges of the water.
Suzhou is also known for its perfectly landscaped, classical
Chinese gardens. The first of these more than 150 gardens was
laid out over a thousand years ago.
In your excursion, you'll visit Zhou Zheng Yuan (the Humble
Administrator's) Garden, the largest and most open in the city.
It was constructed from 1509-1513, and is built around a central
pond. Pavilions, gazebos, terraces, and towers sit along the
water's edge, or climb gracefully up gently sloping hills.
Throughout are delicate artificial islands, floating lotus blossoms,
groves of bamboo, and graceful weeping willows. Return to
Shanghai in time for dinner.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Shanghai/Wuhan/Embark Cruise Ship
Morning:
At Leisure Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and some free time in
Shanghai this morning.
Afternoon:
Transfer to Wuhan & Embark Cruise Ship This afternoon, fly from
Shanghai to Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. Wuhan is noted
as the most important site of the republican revolution and as a
gateway to the Yangtze Gorges. You arrive and board your
Yangtze River cruise ship in time for dinner, and set sail during
the night. (Due to frequent fluctuations in water level and river
currents on the Yangtze, the Captain may adjust daily schedules
and shore excursions.) The Yangtze River is the third largest in
the world, after the Amazon and Nile. Its waters originate at
"the top of the world" on the Tibet Plateau, flow dramatically
and productively for 3,900 miles through China, and empty into
the South China Sea.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 Yangtze River Cruising
All Day:
Yangtze River Cruising A full day of cruising gives you the
opportunity to relax, watch the scenery pass, and explore your
river ship. Until only 50 years ago, when thousands of coolies
towed vessels upstream by means of ropes and pulleys, a Yangtze
cruise was a very risky enterprise. You will be making the passage
in a fully air-conditioned ship with small, but comfortable, cabins.
Today's cruising takes you to Dongting Lake, linked to the Yangtze
River by a series of canals. The lake is flanked by the city of
Yueyang, noted for its lovely harbor and Yueyang Tower.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner
Day 11 Three Gorges Dam/Xiling & Wu Gorges
Morning:
Three Gorges Dam Project Wake up early as you sail to
Sandouping Village to see the site of the new Three Gorges Dam
project. Until huge new locks on the north bank are completed in
a few years, ships will pass the dam site via a temporary
channel, which has been dug out of the south bank. This will
be a thought-provoking visit as you hear about the monumental
construction project and its effects on the people and landscape.
Afternoon:
Yangtze River Cruising For the next 150 miles, the Yangtze
forces its way through a spectacular barrier of solid limestone
ridges known as the Three Gorges. Xiling Gorge, the longest of
the gorges, is noted for its narrow, precipitous cliffs and Wu for
its magnificent scenery of lush green mountains. You'll sail
through some of the most dramatic scenery in the world-past
tombs, shrines, and caves-through stretches of tranquil water
and swirling rapids. As you cruise, look for the Twelve Peaks,
enshrouded in rain and mist, Five Sisters Peaks, Three Brothers
Rocks, The Needle, and Goddess Peak.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 Lesser Three Gorges/Qutang Gorge
Morning:
Included Lesser Three Gorges Excursion Arrive this morning
is Wushan. Weather permitting, you'll disembark your
cruise ship to board authentic sampans for an excursion on
the Daning River to the Lesser Three Gorges. Narrower than the
great Three Gorges, these remarkable canyons are considered
just as impressive as their larger counterparts.
Afternoon:
Yangtze River Cruising Continue your cruise through the
Qutang Gorge, the shortest and narrowest of the three, but quite
spectacular. This narrow gorge is a one-way passage, so
upstream ships must often wait for downstream ships to clear it
before entering.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 Wanxian/Upper Yangtze Cruising
Morning:
Included Wanxian Tour Today you disembark for a shore
excursion to Wanxian, the largest city due to be flooded by the
Three Gorges Dam reservoir. When docking, you will see
buildings sprawled along the steep riverbanks. These will all be
underwater in a few years, so an entire new city is being built
above the current downtown area. You'll visit the local market
and enjoy an acrobatic show before sailing again about lunchtime.
Afternoon:
Yangtze River Cruising During the rest of your day of cruising
toward Chongqing, you'll observe the old and the new of China.
Because of the rise and fall of the river over millennia, the
terraced fields are among the most fertile in all of China. Each
year, new fields are carved out of the higher slopes to prepare for
the future rise in the reservoir. As you pass the many river towns
along the banks, you can watch the industry and commerce that
drives the economy of this watery inland region.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14 Yangtze River Cruising/Chongqing/Xian
Morning:
River Cruising Continue cruising on the Yangtze this morning.
Afternoon:
Included Chongqing Tour After lunch onboard ship, disembark
in Chongqing (previously called Chungking). In April of
1977, Chongqing was separated from Sichuan Province, and
became an independent municipality, encompassing the entire
Yangtze Valley between Wushan (Lesser Three Gorges) and
Chongqing proper. You'll tour this proud mountain city, which
was the capital of China during World War II, and which today
is the most important inland industrial city in China. During
your tour, you'll visit the Stilwell Museum dedicated to
"Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, commander of American forces in
China, Burma, and India during World War II. Here, you'll
learn about the colorful history of the American volunteer
air group, the "Flying Tigers" who were based here during
the war.
Evening:
Transfer to Xian You'll have dinner at a restaurant near the
Chongqing airport, and then fly to Xian where you are
transferred to your hotel-home for the next two nights. When
ancient Peking was just a remote trading post, Xian was the
capital of the Middle Kingdom and one of the world's
biggest and richest cities, the geographical beginning of
China's fabled Silk Road. The town itself is famous for its
city walls, measuring more than 22 miles in circumference.
Xian (then named Changan, meaning Everlasting Peace)
reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty. It was once one of the
largest cities in the world, with a population
of almost 2,000,000.
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner