| Beijing-Shanghai tour with
bullet train |
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Tour
Cost (Per Person)
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RMB |
USD |
2-3 pax |
6230 |
989 |
4-5 pax |
5100 |
810 |
6-9 pax |
4800 |
761 |
single suppl. |
1200 |
190 |
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Included:
*Round-trip train tickets;
*4 star Hotels with daily western breakfasts;
*Meals in accordance with that listed on the itinerary.
*Professional local guide & driver;
*Private air-conditioned car or van for transportation;
*Admission of the first gate;
*Two bottles of mineral water per day. |
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Beijing-Nanjing-Shanghai-Suzhou-Hangzhou-6-Day-Tour
on High-speed Railway |
Highlights:
*Visit one of the world's great cities, one that is
bursting at the seams with culture and excitement.
China's largest city, Shanghai is China's economic
center and noted for its vast selection of shopping
and dining
*Hangzhou, a beautiful lake city and one of China’s
Seven Ancient Capitals, is especially known for West
Lake. Held on three sides in the embrace of hilly
peaks, this water wonderland has been an attraction
for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a
favorite imperial retreat. You will explore West
Lake in full, along with all the different pagodas
and temples along the way
*Described by Marco Polo as “Heaven on Earth”,
explore the beautifully preserved classical gardens
and temples of Suzhou, which some consider to be a
sort of “Chinese Venice”.
*This makes for a great Beijing getaway! With the
new high-speed rail, traveling has never been
cheaper and easier, as the travel time to Shanghai
and its surrounding cities has been nearly cut in
two. The price of a rail ticket is dramatically
cheaper (and less of a hassle) than flying.
(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
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Day 1: Beijing-Nanjing (by bullet train) (D)
You will take China's newest and the world's fastest
bullet express train to China's former capital of
Nanjing. You'll experience China's world-leading
high-speed train technology which is now
participating in the bidding for the U.S. California
Intro-State High-speed Railroad Project from
Sacramento to Los Angeles. Your local
English-speaking guide will meet you whenever you
arrive at the Nanjing South Railway Station. For
your stay in Nanjing you’ll be lodging at a 3 or 4
star hotel (for normal tours) or a 5 star hotel (for
deluxe tours).
We'll start off our sightseeing with a visit to that
great sage Confucius at his temple. Confucius (Kong
Fuzi) who taught philosophy in China 2,500 years ago
is considered the most important figure in the
shaping of ancient Chinese civilization as well as
the cultures of the countries of Japan, Vietnam, and
Korea. The Confucius Temple is south of the city’s
central district. There was a temple that was built
in the year 1034 during the Song Dynasty period on
the banks of the Qinhuai River. During the past
millennium, it was renovated, reconstructed, and
enlarged so that it became a large complex. It was
used by Confucian scholars. Next to it was the
Jiangnan Gongyuan that was the largest examination
area for people taking the imperial examinations and
the Xue Gong that was the Qing Imperial Academy for
training mandarins to govern the vast empire.
For dinner, we will go to a local restaurant, and
you can try a meal of Jiangsu cuisine, named after
the province Nanjing is located in, and the
specialty of the region. The regional cuisine is
noted for its muted sweet flavor, which is a stark
contrast to the hotter and spicier dishes of other
provinces. We'll cap off your night with a pleasant
cruise back on the Qinhuai River.
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Day 2: Nanjing-Shanghai (by high-speed rail)
(B, L)
After breakfast we'll get started on your
sightseeing with a trip to what is arguably the
biggest highlight of Nanjing, the the Mausoleum of
Dr. Sun Yat Sen (also known as Zhongshan Ling). Dr.
Sun was the first president of the Republic of China
and one of the leading organizers of the struggle to
create a modern republic in China. The impressive
memorial was built in the 1920's. Its architecture
is accentuated by its splendid natural setting on
the forested slopes of Zijin Mountain on the
outskirts of Nanjing, its buildings made of white
stone with dark blue roof tiles. We'll then have a
Chinese lunch at a nearby restaurant.
We'll then head out to see one of the modern marvels
of engineering at the Yangtze River Bridge. The
Great Bridge over the Yangtze River in Nanjing is
not only a striking example of post-Revolutionary
art and engineering, but the story behind it is a
source of pride for people throughout China, and
especially those in Nanjing. It is the first modern
bridge completely built by Chinese people. After the
1949 Revolution, China worked closely with the
Soviet Union, and the Soviets provided many
technical advisors and engineers.
Unfortunately, relations between the two countries
deteriorated in the early 1960's, and the USSR
brought all of its engineers home. Unwilling to give
up, Chinese engineers managed to overcome the
challenge and create this monumental and impressive
bridge. The huge piers of the bridge are capped with
towers topped by giant glass sculptures representing
red flags surging forward, vividly recording the
enthusiasm and patriotism of 1960's China.
In the late afternoon, you will be taken to the
train station where you will make the quick ride to
Shanghai, where you'll be met at the station by your
new travel guide. You will then be taken to your
4-star hotel, where the rest of the night can be
spent at your own leisure.
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Day 3: Shanghai (B, L)
Following breakfast in the hotel we'll get started
on your full day city tour at the Shanghai Museum, a
large museum of ancient Chinese art. The museum
style and presentation surrounds visitors with
artifacts demonstrating ancient wisdom and
philosophy. The exterior design of the round dome
and the square base symbolizes the ancient idea of a
round heaven and a square land. The museum is
divided into eleven galleries and three exhibition
halls. The eleven Galleries cover most of the major
categories of Chinese art: Ancient Bronze, Ancient
Ceramics, Paintings, Calligraphy, Ancient Sculpture,
Ancient Jade, Coins, Ming and Qing Furniture, Seals,
and Minority Nationalities. The museum is a
wonderful primer on ancient Chinese culture, and is
a must-see when coming to Shanghai.
Nearby is Yuyuan Garden. Yuyuan Garden is a famed
classical garden, and even though it may be small,
it contains numerous pavilions, halls, rockeries,
ponds and cloisters, and all have unique
characteristics. There are six main scenic areas in
the garden: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun
Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden.
Each area features several scenic spots within its
borders.
After experiencing the charm of Yuyuan Garden, we
will take a time machine from old Shanghai into the
city’s glittering present and future, which the Jin
Mao Tower is a prime example. Being the fourth
tallest building of the world and the second tallest
building in China, Jin Mao Tower is located in the
center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in
Pudong. The architect, Adrian D. Smith, of this
skyscraper ingeniously combined the elements of
traditional Chinese culture with the newest
architectural styles of the time, which makes Jin
Mao Tower one of the best-constructed buildings in
China. The tower’s observation decks give you an
almost bird’s eye view of the city’s rapidly rising
skyline.
Next, we'll walk down Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s
premier shopping street. Open-air bars, abstract
sculptures, and lingering sounds from street
musicians enhance evening strolls. A trackless
sightseeing train provides a comfortable tour of the
pedestrian street. Then we’ll go to the most
recognizable landmark of Shanghai, the Bund. The
Bund is a waterfront embankment and has been
regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of
years. It affords marvelous views across the river
of the Pudong district and its numerous towers. The
most famous and attractive sight which is at the
west side of the Bund are the 52 various buildings
of different architectural styles including Gothic,
Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance.
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Day 4: Shanghai-Suzhou (by car) (B, L)
After breakfast we'll make the short drive to Suzhou
(1.5 hrs), which is just outside Shanghai. The city
is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges,
pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which
have contributed to its status as a great tourist
attraction. It is widely known as the “Chinese
Venice”.Our first stop in Suzhou will be to visit
the Garden of the Master of the Nets. This is the
smallest garden yet supposed to be the most delicate
one in the city. The 0.6-hectare garden is an
elegant structure of a typical official's residence
in the Qing Dynasty. The present garden is found on
the former site of a Song dynasty official's
mansion. Its owner, an early Qing-dynasty official
Song Zongyuan, gave its present name based on the
earlier one, "Fisherman's Retreat".
Garden of Master of the Nets consists of a
residential quarter and the garden proper. Inside
the refined residential quarter, the halls are
linked closely by a corridor. The garden, petite but
substantial, is focused on a pond and decorated with
plants, rocks, pavilions, and stone bridges. The
garden is especially fancied by overseas visitors
and is praised as the most ornate and intact private
gardens in Suzhou. Some tourists even offer a huge
amount of money to buy it.
Next, we'll take a cruise on the Grand Canal of the
Jiangsu River. The river houses and red lanterns
along the way along with the sounds of crickets will
transport you back in time to a far simpler and
remote China. Also known as the “land of silk”,
Suzhou has long been famed as China leading center
of silk producing and manufacturing, and even hosts
a silk festival every year. We’ll head for the No.1
Silk Factory to see the technical process of how
silk is made, from silk swarm raising, cocoon
sorting, cocoon boiling and cocoon reeling,
rewinding and packing. The high-grade silk produced
in this factory is the best raw material for the
product of high-quality silk fabrics.
Our last stop in Suzhou will be at the famed
landmark of Tiger Hill. The 36-meter-tall Huqiu
(Tiger Hill) stands outside the Lumen Gate to the
north west of Suzhou. It was where the King of the
State of Wu( a small state in the Spring and Autumn
Periods over thousands of years ago) Fu Chai, buried
his father-Helu along with 3,000 swords. Legend has
it that on the third day after the burial, a white
tiger appeared to guard the tomb, hence the name of
the hill. The Yunyan Temple, another key attraction
on the hill, is one of the most famous Buddhist land
in this part of China. Even Emperor Qianlong of the
Qing Dynasty could not resist its peaceful ambiance
so he decided to make the temple his temporary
residence during his Suzhou trip.
For the evening you will stay at a 4-star hotel in
Suzhou.
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Day 5: Suzhou-Hangzhou-Shanghai (by car) (B,
L)
In the morning we will drive out to Hangzhou (2 hr.
drive). The capital of Zhejiang province, Hangzhou
is one of the more modern and prosperous cities in
China. It sits at the southern end of the Grand
Canal and is one of China's seven ancient national
capitals. Hangzhou's "heavenly" beauty attracts
hundreds of thousands of tourists to its exquisite
West Lake (Xi Hu) area each year to enjoy the placid
lake, beautiful gardens, reflecting pools, lavish
temples and lakeside teahouses.
Once we arrive at Hangzhou we'll set out for the
city's main attraction, West Lake. West Lake is a
man-made lake and is created after the Chinese love
for garden style parks for recreation. Hangzhou's
West Lake Scenic Area, in the southwest of the city,
covers 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), of
which West Lake itself occupies 5.6 square
kilometers (2.2 square miles). West Lake is a place
of tranquility where urbanity becomes a silhouette
on the northeast horizon and mountains near and far
surround it on the other three sides. The occasional
pagoda and Chinese-style arched bridge add
atmosphere to the tree-lined walkways, verdant
islands and hills.
Within West Lake, is one of China's most famed
temples, Lingyin, which we will explore. Commonly
translated as "Temple of the Soul's Retreat", Ling
Yin is one of the largest and wealthiest temples in
China. It was originally founded in 326 AD, but has
been rebuilt no less than sixteen times since then.
The current buildings are modern restorations of
late Qing buildings. The hillside to the south of
the temple is also famous as a site of old Buddhist
caves and rock carvings. Many of these date back to
the time when the temple was first founded and a
great many were carved during the blossoming of
Buddhism during the Tang dynasty. Despite some
damage inflicted by red guards during the Cultural
Revolution, the temple and grounds escaped much of
the wholesale destruction that other temples in
China suffered because of the protection of Premier
Zhou Enlai. Today the temple is thriving, though
most of the thousands of visitors who come do so for
sightseeing and not for religious reasons.
In the late afternoon we will make the drive back to
Shanghai, where you will spend the night at the same
hotel as you when you were here before. The rest of
the evening can be spent at your discretion.
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Day 6: Shanghai-Beijing (by bullet train) (B)
After breakfast in the hotel, you will be taken to
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and you will take
the new high-speed bullet train back to Beijing
(approx. 5.5 hours).
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Shanghai
Shanghai