China and Tibet ** 10 spaces are available on this tour as of 10/23. We will fill them on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact us if you would like to get more information! ** |
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| A Brief Itinerary: |
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| Day 1 | July 13, 2009: Arrive in Beijing (AB) Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. |
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| Day 2 | July 14, 2009: Full Day Beijing (AB, L, SD) Visit the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Summer Palace. The Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Adjacent to the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square. The square is 880 meters south to north and 500 meters east to west, a total area of 440,000 square meters, which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world. We will also visit the Summer Palace which is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. In the evening, we will enjoy a Kung Fu Show and sample the famous Peking Duck at our Welcome Banquet. |
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| Day 3 | July 15, 2009: Beijing (AB, L, D) Enjoy a full day excursion to the world famous Great Wall. In the evening, we will visit the ancient Astronomical Observatory of Beijing. Its rich history spans more than five hundred years, making it one of the most historically interesting observatories in the world. |
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| Day 4 | July 16, 2009: Beijing - Xian (AB, L) Visit the Ming Tombs in the morning. The harmonious integration of remarkable architectural groups in a natural environment chosen to meet the criteria of geomancy (Feng shui) makes the Ming and Qing Imperial Tombs masterpieces of human creative genius. Take an evening flight to Xian. |
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| Day 5 | July 17, 2009: Xian (AB, L, SD) In Xian, we visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, a Chinese style mosque, Terra Cotta Warriors and browse through the night market. The Qin Terra Cotta Warriors site near Xian has nearly 8,000 life-sized pottery warriors and horses in battle attire and formation. They have been buried for over 2,200 years their discovery is considered to be the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. Enjoy the famous Dumpling Banquet of Xian. |
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| Day 6 | July 18, 2009: Xian (AB, L, D) Visit the Two Wild Goose Pagodas. These two giant Buddhist pagodas date back about 1300 years to the Tang Dynasty. They are the only tall pagodas of the historic Tang era still standing. Also visit the Bell Tower and the prehistoric village of Ban Po. The Bell Tower, a remarkable symbol of ancient Xian, is the largest and best preserved among the existing bell towers in China. Ban Po, just east of the modern town, is a famous excavation in archeological circles, consisting of a complete Neolithic village. |
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| Day 7 | July 19, 2009: Xian - Chengdu (AB, L, D) Fly to Chengdu in the morning. Half day tour to Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, begun in the 2nd century BCE, is a major landmark in the development of water management and technology, and is still discharging its functions perfectly. This system controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. The immense advances in science and technology achieved in ancient China are graphically illustrated by the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. |
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| Day 8 | July 20, 2009: Chengdu (AB, L, D) Morning visit to Giant Panda research center. The Chengdu Panda center is one of the best known panda breeding facilities in China and has been very successful at producing cubs. In the afternoon, we will visit the Sanxingdui Museum and learn about the culture that existed in the area of Chengdu between 2,800 to 800 BC. The museum houses some of the area's most ancient remains excavated near the present city of Guanghan. Clues to this large and thriving culture were discovered by a farmer in 1929 and in the years since, more and more clues about the mysterious Sanxingdui are being unearthed. Silk Factory and Tea shopping after the museum. |
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| Day 9 | July 21, 2009: Chengdu - Leshan - Emei (AB, L, D) About 2 hrs drive from Chengdu to the Leshan Scenic Area where we will visit the cultural treasure of the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looking down on the confluence of three rivers. At 71 m high, it is the largest Buddha in the world. We will then drive to Emei Shan and the Golden Summit. The World Heritage Committee considers the area of Mt. Emei to be of exceptional cultural significance, since it is the place where Buddhism first became established on Chinese territory and from where it spread widely throughout the east. Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old. It is an area of natural beauty into which the human element has been integrated. Overnight at Golden Summit Hotel. Please note that we wi'll be spending the night at the summit. |
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| Day 10 | July 22, 2009: ECLIPSE DAY! (AB, L, D)
"Totality! Where the Sun once stood, there is a black disk in the sky, outlined by the soft pearly white glow of the corona, about the brightness of a Full Moon. Small but vibrant reddish features stand at the rim of the Moon's disk, contrasting vividly with the white of the corona and the black where the Sun is hidden. These are the prominences, giant clouds of hot gas in the Sun's lower atmosphere. They are always a surprise, each unique in shape and size, different yesterday and tomorrow from what they are at this special moment. You are standing in the shadow of the Moon." (- adapted from Totality: Eclipses of the Sun)
NOTE: For more information please visit: Fred Espenak, NASA's eclipse specialist. Photo: Photodisc We have selected to view this eclipse from the summit of Emei Shan which lies almost directly on the centerline of the eclipse path. Emei Shan is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China and has an elevation of 3099 meters. The views from the summit are spectacular and are usually clear of the clouds and fog of the low lying mainland at this time of year. Mt. Emei & Golden Summit. Cable car down to the foot of Mt. Emei via Wannian Temple. Overnight at Golden Summit Hotel. |
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| Day 11 | July 23, 2009: Mt. Emei - Chengdu (AB, L, D) Return to Chengdu. Visit Wuhou Temple and Dufu's Thatched Cottage. Dufu was a well-known poet in the Tang Dynasty (618 ~ 907A.D.). He was regarded as the "Father of Poems" because he used his poems as a weapon to reveal the exploitation of the poor by the Emperor. Sichuan Opera in the evening. Face changing is the highlight of the Sichuan Opera where performers will change more than 10 masks in less than 20 seconds! |
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| Day 12 | July 24, 2009: OPTION A - Chengdu - Lhasa, Tibet (AB, L, D) Transfer from airport to hotel. Spend the rest of the day getting used to the altitude. OPTION B - Chengdu - Beijing - Home (AB) OPTION B tour ends on this date - passengers will travel from Chengdu to Beijing, making connections with international flights in Beijing. OPTION A tour will continue on to Lhasa, Tibet |
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| Day 13 | July 25, 2009: Lhasa, Tibet (AB, L, D) Visit Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery and Barkhor Street. Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000, the Jokhang Temple is located in central Lhasa and is the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Pilgrims. The Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. Barkhor, the sacred pilgrim path, is also a marketplace where shaggy nomads, traders, robed monks and chanting pilgrims join together. |
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| Day 14 | July 26, 2009: Lhasa, Tibet (AB, L, D) Visit Potala Palace, Lobucalin and Tibetan History Museum. The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. |
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| Day 15 | July 27, 2009: Lhasa, Tibet (AB, L, D) Visit Sera Monastery for Bhudism Debating. Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. Scriptures written in gold powder, fine statues, scent cloth and unparalleled murals can be found in the monastery halls. Colorful debates on Buddhist doctrines are held here and employ a style distinctive from those at Lhasa's other famous monasteries. |
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| Day 16 | July 28, 2009: Lhasa, Tibet (AB, L, D) Free morning, in the afternoon, enjoy local Tibetan Folk Dance and Singing |
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| Day 17 | July 29, 2009: Lhasa, Tibet - Chengdu (AB, L, D) Flight from Lhasa to Chengdu, stay overnight in Chengdu |
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| Day 18 | July 30, 2009: Chengdu - Home (AB) Flights from Chengdu to Beijing and back home. |
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_________ AB = American Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner SD = Special Dinner |
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