Day01 Mon Arrival in Shanghai Arrive in Shanghai, China’s largest booming city, transfer to hotel. 1N at 4*Great Wall Holiday Inn Downtown Day02 Tue Air Shanghai – Yichang BL In the morning visit Yu Yuan (Yu-Garden) and the old city area. Originally built in 1559, it served as the private garden of high-ranking official by then. The word “Yu” contains a meaning of “safe and peaceful”. Then visit Waitan (Bund). As one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of Shanghai, the Bund site shows a portion of the historic center of the foreign presence in Shanghai and its transformation in recent times. In the afternoon transfer to airport, flight to Yichuang, the starting point of the upstream Yangtze Cruise. Transfer to pier and embark the cruise ship. 4N in 5*MS Yangtze 1 Day03-05 Wed-Fri Yangtze River Cruise BLD Day06 Sat Arrival in Chongqing BL In the morning, we arrive in Chongqing, the largest city in the world, which has a population of 30 million. Meet with local guide and driver, transfer to visit the lovely giant panda at the Chongqing Zoo. In the afternoon we will make a tour to the ancient town Ci Qi Kou, once a busy cargo dock in west of Chongqing city. 1N at 4*Best Western Chongqing Garden Hotel Day07 Sun Air Chongqing – Lhasa BL Take a morning flight to Lhasa (3650m), the capital of Tibet, transfer to hotel. In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Ani Sangkhung Nunnery. There are plants everywhere and it feels like you are in a garden in the middle of the city. In the nunnery there is a little shop where they print prayer books. If the nuns are working on it you are welcome inside to see how it is done. 3N at 3*Thangka Hotel Day08 Mon Lhasa BL In the morning visit Potala, which was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties. Day09 Tue Lhasa BL In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred land of Gelug Sect., which was established in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. Afterwards visit Norbulinka, the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “the court of wild rose”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. The "Buddhism Scriptures Debate" in Sera is very famous. Day10 Wed Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Gyantse – Shigatse BL In the morning drive to Gyantse along the Kyichu River. On the Kamba La (4.796 m) have a fantastic view of the holy lake of Yamdrok Yumtso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. Pass by the 5.010 m high Karo La and the Simi La to Gyantse (approx. 3.900 m). In the afternoon visit Pelkor Chode Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse. This typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the only one large building complex in Tibet that old monastery and stupas are completely preserved and characterized as a monument. It is recorded14,000 kilograms of copper was used to make the 8-meter-high sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha housed in the grand hall of the temple. The 8-storey stupa is 42m high and 62m in diameters contains a total of 76 chapels with wonderful murals revered by art scholars around the world. In the afternoon drive about 90 kilometers to Shigatse (3880m), the second largest city with 40,000 inhabitants in Tibet and the traditional capital of the Tsang. Overnight at 3*Manasarovar Hotel Day11 Thu Shigatse – Lhasa BL In the morning visit Tashilunpo monastery of Gelug Sect, the seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in China, and a tomb of the 4th Panchen Lama containing masses of jewels and gold. In Tibet Buddhism, Panchen Lama is just the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Today 600 monks live in the monastery. In the afternoon drive back to Lhasa. 1N at 3*Thangka Hotel Day12 Fri Train Lhasa – Xi’an B Check out hotel in the early morning and transfer to Lhasa Railway Station for train ride to Xian (T28 0830/2022+1, soft sleeper, 4-Bed-Cabin). It is a about 36hrs train ride from Lhasa to Xian. The train will be passing through Nagqu, Golmud, Xining and Lanzhou. A highlight of the ride, without doubt, is the leg from Lhasa to Xining, a journey of 1956 km on the highest rail of the world. It is a fascinating handscroll of natural beauty. The snow mountains, meadows, creeks and the immense grasslands are its components. Yak, sheep flock, horses and other wild lives of different species are active along side the railway. If lucky, you might have chance to see the most rare and protected animal of the plateau, the Tibetan Antelope or known as “chiru”, which are living on the snow land 3500 – 5000 m high. 2N in the train Day13 Sat Arrival in Xi’an At 20:22 arrive in Xi’an, the capital of province Shaanxi. Meet with your local guide at the railway station and transfer to hotel. 1N at 4*New World Hotel Day14 Sun Train Xi’an – Beijing BL In the morning visit the Museum of Terracotta Warriors. An inside museum has been built over these pits, covering a floor space of 20,000 square meters and displaying 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, 100 or so chariots, and 30,000 weapons-an assemblage famed as the Eighth World Wonder and a world cultural heritage site. Besides, visit Da Yan Ta (Big-Wild-Goose Pagoda), which was completed in 652. The Xian City Wall is the best preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defence system in China. In the evening transfer to railway station for Beijing by train (Z20 2016/0717+1, soft sleeper, 4-Bed-Cabin). 1N on the train Day15 Mon Beijing BL Arrival in Beijing in the morning. Transfer to hotel for a short rest and refreshment. Then stroll in the Tian An Men Square, which is probably the biggest one of its kind in the world. Then go to visit Forbidden City (Gu Gong) the emperor's palace, which was built between 1406 and 1420 with 9000 halls and rooms, containing many precious relics. Facing south and rising from a terrace, the largest palace in the world represents the supreme power and authority emperors enjoyed during the feudalistic dynasties, and exemplifies the elements of palace architecture. In the afternoon visit the Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan), which was built in 1420 of the Ming Dynasty and expanded in the Qing Dynasty at present covering an area of 273 hectares. The grand temple served as the sacrificial place for the emperors of the Ming and Qing to worship the heaven, presenting gratitude for the harvest of this year and praying for another good harvest next year. 2N at 4*Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel Day16 Tue Beijing BL In the morning go to the Great Wall at Mutianyu part. The Great Wall is one of the eight ancient wonders of the world and the only man-made construction on earth that the astronauts can see in the moon. Starting out in the east on the banks of Yalu River in Liaoning Province, the Wall stretches westwards for 12,700 kilometers to Jiayuguan in the Gobi Desert. It was built as a defensive structure and gradually become the symbol of the ancient Chinese civilization. Walking on the wall at Mutianyu. Late in the afternoon drive back Beijing. Day17 Wed Leave China for home B Check out hotel in the morning and transfer to airport for homeward flight. End of the amazing tour to China.
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