11 Days China Yangtze River Cruise

Day 1

Today's Activities: Arrive in Beijing

Day 2

Today's Activities: Beijing
Tiananmen Square (50 minutes):

As the largest square all over the world, Tiananmen Square was also a remarkable place of several key events in the history of China, esp, in Chinese modern history, giving the Square more cultural significance. Near the Square, there are governments buildings, Forbidden City, Heavenly Gate, museums and mausoleum.

The Forbidden City, situated at the heart of Beijing City, is most prosperous between 1420 and 1911 during Chinese feudal society, as it is home to 24 emperors. It is precious wealth to China as well as the whole world for the great halls, gates and squares along with the intricate networks of side courtyards, gardens, halls and quarters. As for tour, it is not a single point, Wangfujing Street, Tiananmen Square and Shijingshan Park are not far away.

Summer Palace, one of the premier attractions in Beijing and also a well-known tourist attraction all over the world, is among the largest and the best preserved Chinese imperial gardens. It is pleasant to take a ferry boat to spend ten or more minutes cruising on the Kunming Lake. 

Day 3

Today's Activities: Beijing
Badaling Great Wall (2 hours):

As the first section of the Great Wall opened to the public, Badaling Great Wall is also the most well-known one among all the sections of the Great Wall in Beijing, which is about 75 km NW of Beijing. There you can appreciate wonderful views: magnificent ancient battlements and watchtowers. Transportations there are quite convenient.

Changling tomb, the mausoleum of Emperor Yongle and his empress, was built in 1413, covering an area of 100,000 square meters, as the principal and the best-preserved one among the imperial mausoleums. 

Day 4

Today's Activities: Beijing to Xian, Flight to Xian
Temple of Heaven (1.5 hours):

Temple of Heaven, located in the southeastern part of Beijing City, is a complex of buildings in Taoist style. During Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a place for emperors hosting annual ceremonies praying for good harvest.

Hutong in Beijing is just like Nongtang in Shanghai, which has already become a particular symbol of the city. Hutong, namely alleyways, is a maze bearing profound history, where rickshaw is available. Hop one through the narrow alleys, you can truely experience the lifestyle of the locals in Beijing.

Day 5

Today's Activities: Xian
Shaanxi Historical Museum (2 hours):

Located to the northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda of Xian City, Shaanxi Historical Museum is one of the first huge state museums with modern facilities in China, which was built between 1983 and 2001. It exhibits over 300,000 items including murals, paintings, pottery, coins and bronze, gold, silver objects.  It appearance imitates the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

Situated in southern suburb of Xian of Shaanxi province, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Dayan Pagoda) is a holy Buddhist pagoda, which was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty. It had five stories originally, and the exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming Dynasty. Besides, it was used to hold sutras and figurines of Buddha that were bought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

Constructed originally in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Xian City wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world. However, as time goes, many sections have been destroyed, only 14 km of wall survived.

Day 6

Today's Activities: Xian to Chongqing,Flight to Chongqing, Board on Yangtze River Cruise Ship
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum (1 hour):

Being the first, largest and richest imperial mausoleum in Chinese history, the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum draws the most attention from all social circles. The lay of  from Lishan to Mount Hua is shaped dragon-like according to traditional Chinese geomancy and the mausoleum is just at the eye of the dragon.

Day 7

Today's Activities: Yangtze River
Fengdu Ghost City :

Fengdu Ghost City, situated on Ming Mountain which stands on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, is considered as a "Ghost City". It is not a city of ghosts or spirits, on the other hand, it is a city combining the culture of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism with the mystique of ghosts. Quite a lot well-known Chinese literary works like Journey to the West, Apotheosis of Heroes and Strange Tales of a Lonely Studio can find prototypes here. If you are interested in the moral world of Chinese, Fengdu Ghost City is definitely the No.1 choice.

Qutang Gorge is the shortest one of the three gorges, but it is also the most majestic one, which winds five miles from Baidi City, Fengjie County to Daxi Town, Wushan County. Along the two banks of the gorge, there lies wonderful tourist attractions.

Day 8

Today's Activities: Yangtze River
Wu Gorge :

Wuxia Gorge, known for its elegance, is the second gorge of the three gorges along Yangtze River, which starts from the estuary of Daning River (east of Wushan) in the west and ends at Guandukou in Badong, Hubei Province, winding as long as 25 miles.

Shennong Stream, situated on the border between Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, rises from the main peak of Shennong Jia (the first peak in Central China), flowing through Badong County. When cruising along the stream by boat, you will certainly be immersed in the wonders of zigzagging watercourses, the primitive scene, the mysterious culture along the banks while appreciating the canzonet by the boat tracker.

Day 9

Today's Activities: Yangtze River to Yichang, Yichang to Shanghai, Flight to Shanghai
Three Gorge Dam :

Situated in the middle section of Xiling Gorge, near Sandouping Town in Yichang City, Hubei Province, Three Gorge Dam is the largest hydropower project in the world. Three Gorges Dam Project has created many "Firsts" such as the most difficult construction work, the most efficient dam in flood control and the world's largest migration project, etc.

Xiling Gorge, the longest gorge among the three gorges along the Yangtze River, starts from Xiangxi (Fragrant Stream) Kou of Zigui County in the west and ends at Nanjin Pass in the east. Xiling Gorge is quite precipitous in ancient times for there dotted with reefs and weird-shaped stones in rapid shoals, while nowadys, most of these dangers have been erased by the Three Gorge Dam.

Day 10

Today's Activities: Shanghai
Jade Buddha Temple (1 hour):

The Jade Buddha Temple was founded in 1882 with two jade Buddha statues imported to Shanghai from Burma by a monk named Huigen in 1,882. These were a siting Buddha (1.95 meters tall and 3tonnes), and a smaller reclining Buddha representing Buddha's death. The temple now also contains a much larger reclining Buddha made of marble, donated  from Singapore.

Situated in the Anren Street of the center of the Old Shanghai city next to the Chenghuangmiao(Town God's Temple) area of Shanghai, the Yuyuan Garden is considered one of the most lavish and finest Chinese gardens in the region. With an area of about 20,000 square meers, Yuyuan Garden was built in 1,577 by a government officer named Pan Yunduan for his parents. tourists could access the Yuyuan Garden from the nearby Yuyuan Garden station on the Shanghai Metro Line 10.

The area of the Bund centres on a section of Zhongshan Road (East-1 Zhongshan Road) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. Usually, the Bund refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. There are 26 buildings in diverse architectural styles, such as Baroque, Gothic, Classicism, Romanesque and the Renaissance etc. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai.

Located at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River, opposite of the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower was the tallest structure in China from 1994-2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center. It is the world's third tallest Tv Tower with a height of 468 meters only after towers in Toronto of Canada and Moscow of Russia.

Day 11

Today's Activities: Depart Shanghai, Hotel-airport Transfer