11-day Tour to Beijing, Shanghai, and Water Towns

 
Meet the local guide at the airport and then transfer to check in the hotel. Free for the rest of the day. Plan your own time.

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Todays highlights: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Beijing Roasted Duck as dinner. Then enjoy a Peking Opera show in Liyuan Theater.

- The Tian'anmen Square: It is the largest city square in the world, representing symbol of China's national pride, surrounded by many grand buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
- The Forbidden City Built from 1406-1420 during the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Palace, popularly known as the Forbidden City, was the permanent residence of the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). It covers over 720,000 square meters of floor space, with more than 8,700 rooms, surrounded by city wall as high as ten meters and a city moat as wide as 52 meters.
- Temple of Heaven: At the Temple of Heaven Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) worshiped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. A masterpiece of the Ming and Qing architectural art and a precious example of China's ancient architecture, the Temple of Heaven is the largest architectural group for worshipping Heaven in the world. In 1961, it was listed by the State Council as a key monument under state protection." In 1998, it was recognized by UNESCO as a human heritage of the world."

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Visit the Badaling Great Wall. Sichuan food as lunch at a local popular restaurant. Visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the afternoon.

-The Badaling Great Wall: The Great Wall at Badaling is the best representative section of the Great Wall. It is more than 7 meters high and 5 meters wide. It was the strategic point of Juyongguan Pass in ancient times. Many other fortresses and beacon towers were constructed at the strategic points. This section of the Great Wall has drawn great attention from the Chinese government since the foundation of P.R. China. It was designated a major historical site under state protection in 1961. The Great Wall was listed "a World Cultural Heritage" by the UNESCO in 1987. The Great Wall at Badaling is preserved as a historical monument and has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.
-The Ming Tombs: Located at the foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District, Beijing, the Ming Mausoleums, occupying an area of 120 square kilometers, are well preserved and have the biggest number of emperors buried in the world.

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Visit the Summer Palace and the lovely pandas in Beijing Zoo. Fly to Nanjing and transfer to the hotel.

-The Summer Palace: The Summer Palace landscape, dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water surface. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, garden and other ancient-style architectural structures. Well known for its large and priceless collection of cultural artifacts, it was among the first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China to be placed under special state protection.

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Visit the Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the Confucius Temple.

- Mausoleum of Dr.Sun Yat-sen: With a solemn atmosphere, Dr. Sun-Yat Sen's Mausoleum is built at the foot of the majestic Purple Mountain. Viewing above, it presents a shape of bell with the meaning that Chinese people should always keep in mind Doctor Sun’s will and dedicate to build a strong China.
- the Confucius Temple: The Confucius Temple built in the Song Dynasty is a place to worship the great philosopher Confucius. This area has been the center of Confucian study for over 1.500 years. Now it has become a commercial center, with many featured shops. Also you may enjoy the famous local snacks there.

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 Transfer to Suzhou and check in the hotel. Visit the Tiger Hill, the Garden of the Master of the Nets and the Humble Administrator's Garden.

-Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest of all classical gardens in Suzhou. It is centered upon the broad expanse of a lake, making up about one fifth of the total area. With well-spaced buildings, the garden landscape and water space are simple, extensive and natural, possessing the traditional appearances of the Ming Dynasty. It is divided into three parts; the eastern, middle and the western parts. The house lies in the south of the garden.

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Drive to Zhouzhuang, the No. 1 Water County of China. Visit the Hall of Shen's residence. Then back to Suzhou.

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Free morning and lunch on your own. In the afternoon, transfer to Hangzhou by train. Upon arrival, check in the hotel.

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Visit the West Lake, the Six Harmonies Pagoda. the Lingyin Temple (Temple of Inspired Seclusion) and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum.

-Six Harmonies Pagoda: Located on the Yuelun Hill besides Qiantang River, Six Harmonies Pagoda was built by King of Wuyu to ward off Qiantang bore. As high as 59.89 meters, this grand pagoda has 7 sides and 8 stories. Looked down from the top, all Qiantang River beauty is bird viewed. Now near Six Harmonies Pagoda, a Garden of Chinese Ancient Pagodas with more than 100 pagodas and towers in various dynasties has been constructed to display Chinese pagoda culture integrated.
-Lingyin Temple, west of the famous West Lake in East China's Hangzhou city, stands at the foot of the Beigao Peak and faces the Feilai (Peak That Flew Here) Peak across a stream. With many old trees, groves of bamboo, and quiet and beautiful surroundings, the Lingyin Temple is one of the most famous temples south of the Yangtze River.

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Transfer to Shanghai by train and check in the hotel upon arrival in Shanghai. Visit the Shanghai Museum, the Yuyuan Garden, the Bund and a local family. The Farewell Dinner is served at Wang Bao He restaurant of Central Hotel. It is the best place to serve Shanghai Cuisine. After dinner, watch the Portman Acrobatic Show at the Shanghai Centre Theatre.

- Shanghai Museum:As the biggest museum in China, Shanghai Museum has a collection of over 120,000 pieces of Chinese art & cultural heritages. The museum is especially famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy.
- Yu Garden: A traditional Chinese park decorated by beautiful pavilions, miniature lakes, bridges and rockeries. Yu Garden is not only a famous classical garden in South China, but also a major historic and cultural site under state protection.

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See off.

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