Beijing-Guilin-Longsheng-Yangzhuo
Package Tour
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Beijing-Guilin-Longsheng-Yangshuo
China Cultural
Heritage Tour (7-day)
Highlights:
Experience the famed rice terraces of Longsheng, and
cruise down the graceful Li River, seeing the daily lives of the
local farmers and fisherman as you go by.
Travel to Yangshuo, a tropical gem with gorgeous mountains and
paddies, and featuring a population from all over the world
Visit Beijing, Chinas most important city. There you will see
the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, among
other top sights
Standard
Tour and Luxury Tour Packages Available.
B = Breakfast, L= Lunch, D =
Dinner
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TOUR ITINERARY |
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Tour
code:
P-BGLY |
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Day 1: Airport
Transfer
When you arrive in Beijing, we will meet you and
drive you to your accommodation, a 3 or 4-star hotel in
the heart of Beijing, The rest of your day is up to
your discretion.
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Day 2: Beijing-Tiananmen Square+Forbidden City+ Temple of Heaven +Lama Temple
(B, L)
Our guide will meet you at your
hotel between 7:30-800am, and from we will start our
sightseeing. Our first stop is at Tiananmen Square.
The largest public square in the world, Tiananmen
Square is seen as Chinas political center. Its
grounds have seen some turbulent moments, from the
May 4th Movement of 1919 to the political turmoil of
1989. The south of the square is marked by the
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, while the center of the
square is dominated by the Monument to the Peoples
Heroes, an imposing 10-story granite obelisk. To the
east is the National Museum of China, and to the
west is the Great Hall of the People, home to
Chinas legislative bodies. The north of the square
is dominated by the Gate of Heavenly Peace, known
for its iconic portrait of Mao Zedong, and is the
national emblem of China.
After walking across the square we will enter the
Forbidden City (known in Chinese as Gu Gong), the
largest surviving palace complex and the former home
of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The
Forbidden City is one of the greatest attractions in
the world. Built by the third Ming emperor between
1406-1422, the Forbidden City served as the official
residence to the Emperor of China until the last
emperor, Puyi, was forced to evacuate in 1924. The
Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The
southern section, or the Outer Court was where the
emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation.
The northern section, or the Inner Court was where
he lived with his royal family. Consisting of 980
buildings and with 8,707 bays of rooms, the
Forbidden City is the best example of classical
Chinese architecture in the world, and is a wonder
to behold.
We will then drive to the Temple of Heaven park. The
complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and
Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to
Heaven for good harvest. The Temple of Heaven park
is best known for the Hall of Prayer for Good
Harvests, an iconic building famed for its
magnificent triple-gabled circular roof. You will
also have an opportunity to walk the same imperial
walkway that the same emperors walked hundreds of
years ago in their holy rites. You will also see
Beijings senior citizens using the park grounds for
everything from tai chi and ballroom dancing to
bullwhip practice! If youd like we can join in for
their exercises, known as Tai Chi.
After visiting the Temple of Heaven we will go to
visit the Lhama Temple. Other than the temples in
Tibet this is the best Buddhist temple in China.
Work on the Lhama Temple originally began in 1694
during the Qing dynasty. It served as an official
residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted
into the home of the Prince Yong, a son of the
Kangxi Emperor and himself the future Yongzheng
Emperor. It was converted into a lamasery after his
ascension to the throne in 1722. Today the Lhama
Temple still functions as a monastery and temple of
the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. Walking
through the temple your senses will be enveloped by
the incenses and the chanting of the visiting monks
and other followers. The rear Pavilion of Ten
Thousand Happinesses features a 26m tall statue of
the Maitreya Buddha cared from a single piece of
white sandalwood. It is one of three artworks in the
Lhama Temple that were included in the Guiness Book
of World Records, and it is not to be missed on your
visit.
We will then drop you off at your hotel, and the
night is up to your discretion.
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Day 3: Beijing-Mutianyu Great
Wall-Ming Tombs-Spirit Way-Olympic Green (B,L)
After a morning pickup at your hotel we will drive
directly to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. As one of
the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall used to serve as
the northern barrier defending the capital and the
imperial tombs. First built in the mid-6th century
during the Northern Qi, Mutianyu Great Wall is older
than the Badaling section of the Great Wall. In the
Ming dynasty, under the supervision of General Xu Da,
construction of the present wall began on the
foundation of the wall of Northern Qi. In 1404, a
pass was built in the wall. In 1569, the Mutianyu
Great Wall was rebuilt and till today most parts of
it are well preserved.
Compared with other sections of Great Wall, the
Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics
in its construction. Watchtowers are densely placed
along this section of the Great Wall - 22
watchtowers on this 2,250-meter-long stretch. The
Mutianyu Pass consists of 3 watchtowers, one big in
the center and two smaller on both sides. Standing
on the same terrace, the three watchtowers are
connected to each other inside and compose a rarely
seen structure among all sections of Great Wall.
For the afternoon, we will make the short trip to
the Ming Tombs. The Ming Tombs, about 50 km/31 miles
from Beijing, are where 13 emperors of the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644) are buried. This site was
carefully chosen for its feng shui principles by the
third Ming emperor Yongle (who also moved the
capital from Nanjing to Beijing and began
construction on the Forbidden City). The tomb we
will visit, Dingling, is the tomb of the Wanli
Emperor. It is the only one of the Ming Dynasty
Tombs to have been excavated. It also remains the
only imperial tomb to have been excavated since the
founding of the People's Republic of China, After
viewing the tombs, we will head to the Shenlu, or
the Spirit Way. The Spirit Way leads into the
complex, lined with statues of guardian animals and
officials, with a front gate consisting of a
three-arches, painted red, and called the "Great Red
Gate". The Sacred Way, starts with a huge stone
memorial archway lying at the front of the area.
Constructed in 1540, during the Ming Dynasty, this
archway is one of the biggest stone archways in
China today.
On our way back to the city we will stop off at one
more sight, this one highlighting the more modern
aspects of Beijing. The Olympic Green was the center
of the event that captivated the world for two weeks
in August of 2008. The highlights include the Birds
Nest (officially known as the Beijing National
stadium) and the Water Cube (the Beijing National
Aquatics Center).
After walking the Olympic Green we will take you
back to your hotel, completing the days travels.
The night is at your discretion.
Optional: If youd like, you can choose one of our 1
day Great Wall hiking tours and do that instead for
today.
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Day 4: Beijing-Guilin (by air)
(B, L)
You will be driven to the airport,
and will then get on your flight to Guilin, in the
Guangxi Autonomous Region in southwest China. On
arriving in Guilin you will be met by our
English-speaking guide and be taken to your hotel in
the city. The rest of the day is to be spent at your
own leisure.
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Day 5: Guilin-Longsheng-Guilin
(B, L)
After an early wake-up we will make
the two-hour drive to Longsheng. By foot we will
walk up and down the Dragons Backbone Rice
Terraces. A vast region of rice terraces stretches
layer upon layer, coiling around from the base of
Longji (the dragon's backbone) Mountain to its
summit; this is the most amazing terrace in China.
The Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces is a beautiful
natural picture. The linked together rice terraces
vary from season to season. In spring, the water is
irrigated into the fields and the terraces look like
great chains or ribbons hung on the hillsides. When
the onset of summer, green waves rush continuously
down the mountainside from the heaven. The theme of
autumn is the harvest, with the mountainside
decorated with the gold of ripened millet. Coming
into winter, the whole mountain will be covered with
white snow, just like dragons playing with water.
Dotting all along the rice terraces are the peoples
and villages of the Zhuang and Yao minority groups.
The women dress in unique and colorful costumes,
singing and dancing. Guests also can join in with
them to enjoy the original Zhuang life and culture,
and even stay with local families enjoying both the
Longji tea and the Longji wine.
We will stay here most of the day in order to better
understand the Zhuangs and Yaos fascinating way of
life. In the late afternoon we will drive back to
your hotel in Guilin.
You can use your free time at night to walk down
Guilin streets and catch the folk dancing and
singing that is prevalent throughout the area.
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Day 6: Guilin-Yanghuo (B, L)
Today you will be cruising down one
of the worlds most stunning rivers, the Li.
Gorgeous karst peaks give you surprises at each bend
of the limpid river under the blue sky. Water
buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice
paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on
bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking scenery and
taste of a life far removed from the concrete
metropolis, the scenery along the Li River become
one of China's top tourist destinations. Some of the
highlights you will see on your 7-8 hour cruise will
be Elephant Trunk Hill, a hill resembling an
Elephant taking water from its trunk, Pagoda Hill,
just a few minutes away from the Elephant Trunk
Hill, Daxu Town, an ancient river town, and of
course you will also see local fisherman and workers
over their normal course of work. The cruise down
the Li River offers a fascinating insight into the
lives of the local population here.
Our cruise will terminate at Yangshuo, a lush and
exotic county that includes minority groups from all
over Asia. In the afternoon we will rent bikes and
ride onto the country roads, lanes, and tracks,
through the paddy fields orchards that surround the
misty mountains. To cool off after our ride, we will
float on bamboo rafts down the Yulong River. The
languid river is surrounded by a primitive, but
pure, natural landscape, along with green bamboo
forests and rolling hills. Visitors to the area will
delight in the picturesque scenes of simple rural
life: bamboo waterwheels irrigating the paddy
fields; village girls hand washing clothes outside
of their cottages with smoke curling upward from the
chimneys; old men fishing in the river; flocks of
ducks swimming in the pond.
The night is up to you, but we recommend spending
some time at West Street, the oldest street in
Yangshuo, and features an interesting mix of
traditional shops and modern bars.
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Day 7:
Yangshuo-Guilin
We will travel back to Guilin, and
will be taken to the airport, where you will fly
home or to your next destination, and thus ending
your tour with us.
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Stuff to bring:
Sturdy shoes or boots, sunglasses and sunscreen
Bug spray and any other items needed in dealing with the tropical heat
Tips for a job well done by your guides and drivers, money for any
personal expenses not mentioned
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