2 • We arrive in Beijing in the early evening. Our tour director will meet us at the airport and transfer to hotel. (Meals aloft) Accommodations at Tianlun Dynasty Hotel in the heart of Beijing near the Forbidden City.

3 • After breakfast, explore Beijing’s picturesque Houhai district where many old courtyard homes are preserved amid narrow hutong alleys bordering tree-lined lakes. Tour the district by “pedicab” for a more lively experience of traditional Chinese life. Later, divide into smaller groups and enjoy lunch at a local family’s private home. Afterwards, visit the Summer Palace. Explore the beautiful grounds, cruise the lovely Kunming Lake, and stroll through the royal gardens. Also, walk the Painted Gallery, the longest covered walkway in China famous for its exquisite landscape paintings. This evening, enjoy a special Peking Duck banquet. (B,L,D)

4 • Enjoy an optional early morning walk to Changpu Park to observe local Chinese practicing traditional health forms including taiji and qigong. This morning, visit the Forbidden City, the abiding symbol of imperial China. Marvel at its expansive architecture, magnificent imperial gardens, and many museums of Chinese antiquities and treasures. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the finest cultural expressions of the Ming Dynasty. The Temple of Heaven represents the most advanced principles architecture available at the time and serves as the ritual center of the imperial government. Tonight is free. Dinner is on your own. After dinner, there will be a Peking Opera performance. (B,L)

5 • Today is devoted to the justly famous Great Wall at Mutianyu, a rugged section of the Wall that is less crowded and with cable car available. Enjoy the astounding views of the Wall as it winds over the surrounding hills. Tonight, we enjoy a special banquet at Shanglinyuan Restaurant in Beihai Park. (B,L,D)

6 • This morning, fly to the ancient Tang Dynasty capital of Xian. Upon arrival, visit the extraordinary 2,300-year-old terracotta warriors, the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qinshihuang. The warriors still stand on the original site of the emperor’s burial complex, where they were discovered by peasants in 1974. Transfer to our hotel downtown. Our day concludes with a Dumpling Banquet, featuring 20 varieties of traditional Chinese dumplings. (B,L,D) Accommodations at the Sofitel Hotel in downtown.

7 • This morning we visit the Han Emperor’s Tomb, Yangling Museum, to view recent archaeological finds on the excavation site. Then, fly to Chonqing and visit General Stilwell’s Museum which documents the allied effort in China during WWII. Dinner is at Yangzi Island Restaurant. (B,L,D)Following dinner we board the Yangzi cruise ship, Victoria.

8-9 • The main focus of the cruise is the extraordinary Three Gorges--the deep valleys and towering mountains carved by the Yangzi River. Each day join special side trips on shore, including a visit of the ancient village Shibaozhai and the breathtaking Lesser Gorge Daninghe. Tour the Three Gorges Dam construction site at Sandouping and sail through the new ship-locks. (B,L,D)

10 • Disembark the ship in Yichang after lunch. Fly to Shanghai in the late afternoon and transit to our hotel. Accommodations at the Garden Hotel downtown. Evening is free. Dinner is on one’s own. (B,L)

11 • We will spend the whole morning visiting Shanghai Museum and viewing its wonderful collection of Chinese bronzes, jade, pottery and ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, old coins, and furniture. In the afternoon, visit Yuyuan Garden in old Shanghai and absorb the Chinese traditional garden ambience.This evening, enjoy a memorable farewell banquet. After dinner, we’ll stroll along the Bund, viewing the beautifully decorated colonial buildings along the Huangpu River. (B,L,D)

12 • After breakfast we depart for the airport. Our flight arrive in the Vancouver with a connection in Beijing the same day. (B, meals aloft)

Phone: (613) 533-2060
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