Historical China with Shanxi

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Beijing

  When your flight lands in Beijing, your tour guide is waiting for you at the airport. The guide is ready to pick you up and help you with hotel checking in. The remainder of the day is yours to relax or explore the capital city with a history of more than 3,000 years on your own.

  • Beijing

• Day 2: Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven

  Your historical tour begins at Tiananmen Square, a popular spot with great significance for it has witnessed many important events in Chinese history such as the founding of the P.R.C. Walking through the Tiananmen Gate you'll enter the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties for almost 500 years. It takes you back to the feudal past, and helps you understand the Chinese worship of imperial power in the old days. Apart from the frequented three palaces on the central axis, some other places that most tourists don't set foot in will ensure you an in-depth visit.

  Continue the Beijing history discovery to the Temple of Heaven, a holy place visited yearly by the emperors to pray for good harvests.

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  • Beijing

• Day 3: Mutianyu Great Wall

  The Great Wall is undoubtedly an engineering masterpiece left by the ancient Chinese. It was precipitously built across the historical northern borders of China to protect the empire from attacks and invasions of nomadic tribes. A two-hour drive takes you to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, the history of which can even trace back to the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). Take a cable car up and hike around to appreciate this well-preserved section of the Wall snaking across the mountain ridges.

  In the afternoon, drive back to the urban area and visit the Shijia Hutong Museum, get to know more about how Beijing city was designed and developed with hutongs in its history.

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  • Beijing

• Day 4: Bullet Train to Datong, Yungang Grottoes

  Transfer to the railway station in the morning and hop on a high-speed train to Datong, one of the nine ancient capitals of China. Upon arrival, the local guide and driver will meet and take you to visit the 1500-year-old Yungang Grottoes with a world-famous treasure collection of arts and culture. Find peace and calm at Huayan Temple, one of the only three remaining Liao Dynasty (916-1125) temples in China. Climb to the top of a tall pagoda among the temple complex, to be rewarded with an amazing view of the walled old Datong city. Have a short stop to see the Nine Dragon Screen, China's oldest extant glazed screen wall decorated with nine dragons.

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  • Datong

• Day 5: Hanging Temple, Bullet Train to Pingyao

  After breakfast, drive to the Hanging Temple, a unique ancient temple that combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in China. Though not too complex the building is, one can imagine the awe-inspiring process it must have taken to build as it sets on the steep mountainside.

  Board a high-speed train to Pingyao, a famous historical and cultural county.

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  • Pingyao

• Day 6: Pingyao Ancient City Tour

  Enjoy your time at the Ancient City of Pingyao. As one of the most complete ancient cities existing in China, it still keeps its old charms: city walls, elegant courtyards, and scattered temples, reflecting the urban planning style during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

  Have a panorama view of the ancient city from the City Wall of Pingyao. When at the birthplace of China's banking industry, you cannot miss the Rishengchang Former Bank, which shows you the bank system of China in the past. Stroll through the traditional Ming and Qing Street, a cobbled road with old buildings on either side. Proceed to the well-preserved Temple of the City God to learn more about people's Taoist beliefs in that period. Drive about 15 minutes to the Shuanglin Temple to be impressed by its number of painted clay statues.

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  • Pingyao

• Day 7: Wang's Family Compound, Bullet Train to Xi'an

  This morning drive around an hour to Zhangbi Ancient Castle, a fortified village with a collection of historical sites, ancient tunnels, tumuli complex, dwellings, and many other cultural relics, especially the fortress tunnels of the Northern Dynasty (386-581) are pretty impressive. Move forward to Wang's Family Compound, an incredible residential compound of multi-generation endeavor of the Jingsheng Wang family through the Ming and Qing Dynasties for more than 300 years. With 231 courtyards, 2078 rooms, and other auxiliary architecture forming an area of 250,000 square meters, this massive family compound reputes as an art museum of traditional Chinese architecture and "The Forbidden City in Folk".

  Later on, transfer to the railway station to take a high-speed train to the 3100-year-old Xi'an.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 8: Terracotta Warriors

  The Terracotta Warriors make Xi'an famous around the world. Spend the morning visiting this legendary army, and take in the extraordinary archaeological discovery of thousands of lifelike warriors, horses, and chariots. On the way back to the city proper, visit a local family living in a traditional cave and glimpse the local farmer's lives. The special cave-dwelling was quite popular back just a few decades in Shaanxi Province, and some people in the northern part of the province still live in such a way today. After that, pay a visit to the Great Mosque, a peaceful retreat in the middle of the thronging city with fascinating old buildings and courtyards. Some walking will lead you to the Muslim Quarter, a bustling area that has been the center of the Muslim community in Xi'an for over 1,000 years.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 9: Xi'an Tour, Bullet Train to Luoyang

  Commence the day at the Drum Tower. Initially built in 1380, it is one of the best-preserved among the many drum towers left from ancient China, and nowadays people can even possibly admire ancient folk music in the Tower. Shaanxi History Museum will be the next stop, where thousands of precious relics with a time span up to 1 million years waiting for you to discover.

  Leave Xi'an behind and hop on a high-speed train to Luoyang, the city ever with the earliest capital and the most dynasties in Chinese history.

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  • Luoyang

• Day 10: Shaolin Temple Tour

  Be met by your guide at the appointed time and transferred to Dengfeng to visit the 1500-year-old Shaolin Temple. Known as the "No. 1 Temple in the World ", Shaolin Temple is well-known for it is the cradle of the famous Shaolin Kung Fu. Discover the great aesthetic value and profound cultural connotations at the Forest of Dagobas, and marvel at the stunning Shaolin Kung Fu performance. Continue the tour in Dengfeng by visiting Songyang Academy, which is famous for its rationalistic Confucian philosophical school. First built in 484, it was one of the four great academies in ancient China. Conclude the day by being taken back to Luoyang.

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  • Luoyang

• Day 11: Longmen Grottoes, Bullet Train to Nanjing

  Highlight in Luoyang you cannot miss is the Longmen Grottoes, one of the three famous Buddhist grotto art treasure houses in China, together with Mogao Caves in Dunhuang and Yungang Grottoes in Datong. As a world cultural heritage site, the Longmen Grottoes were mainly carved from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535) to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) for more than 400 years. Up to now, more than 2,100 cave niches and over 100,000 statues have still been preserved there, ranking top among all grottoes in China.

  After marveling at the masterpieces of Buddhist rock carvings, you'll take a high-speed train to Nanjing, a famous political and cultural city with a history of more than 2,500 years.

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  • Nanjing

• Day 12: Nanjing Highlights Tour

  Spend the day getting back in the history of Nanjing in different centuries. Climb to the castle-style ancient Zhonghua Gate with massive masonry walls and deeply arched gateways. Move forward to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, to learn more about Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's life story and China's history in the 20th century. Explore Ming Xiaoling, the first emperor's mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty. As the head of the Ming Tombs, Ming Xiaoling is magnificent and has influenced the shape and structure of imperial tombs for more than 500 years during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. See how people worship the great philosopher and educator Confucius of ancient China at Confucius Temple. Recall the vast tragedy that happened to 30,0000 inhabitants of this former capital in the 1937 winter by visiting The Memorial of the Nanjing Massacre, and praying fervently for world peace.

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  • Nanjing

• Day 13: Nanjing Departure

  Pack up your unforgettable memories and head to the airport for your flight to the next destination.

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