China Minority Culture Exploration Tour

Arrive in Beijing, our guide (CET representative) will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Meals:

After breakfast, we go to pay a visit to the [Temple of Heaven], which is a complex of ancient buildings, gardens, pathways and its organization indicates relationship between Earth and heaven. Then, enjoy a walk on the [Tian'anmen Square] -- one of the largest city squares in the world. It is located on the central axis of old Beijing. In the center of Tian'anmen Square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes. Then we go to the [Forbidden City] – the imperial palace for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city contains 800 ceremonial buildings, 9,999 rooms, and a courtyard that can hold 100,000 people. Best ancient Chinese architectural styles are well preserved here, consisting an imposing view. Later the day is on your own to explore more about this city.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Meals: (B, L)

There is a famous saying goes "one cannot be a hero unless he climbs on the Great Wall." This morning we drive to the [Jinshanling Great Wall], the most original and less commercial section of the Wall. This historic construction is somewhat a challenge to the climbers as it winds up and down the precipitous ranges. But as a reward, splendid views are available.

People say that a visit to Beijing isn't complete without trying the crispy and tasty Peking duck, so we will recommend a dinner with Peking duck for you at one famous restaurant.

Stay overnight in Beijing.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we go to visit the [Summer Palace] -- one of China's architectural masterpieces. The beauty of the Summer Palace is deliberated. The pavilions, kiosks, terraces, bridges, dikes, corridors are delicately crafted and placed, well displaying the thousand-year old Chinese landscape gardening. The scenic spots contain a nation's profound philosophical and aesthetic tradition.

After lunch we drive to the airport for a pm flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, be met by the guide and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to relax.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Meals: (B, L)

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and we go to visit the [Yuyuan Garden], where you find more delicate handicrafts and tasty Chinese snacks. Today’s tour also includes a visit to the [Jade Buddha Temple], an elegant structure famous for its Buddha statue which is carved of a complete piece of solid white jade and decorated by jewels. Lunch is arranged at a characteristic Shanghai restaurant.

After lunch our guide takes you to the [OuterBund], for a grand view of Shanghai and you may marvel at how modern this metropolis is while still containing its old traditions. Enjoy a walk on the [Nanjing Road], the most prosperous commercial street. You can find lots of world famous brands setting along the street and enjoy a good time in shopping.

Stay overnight in Shanghai.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we would visit the Shanghai Museum. After lunch we will be transferred to the airport for a pm flight to Xi'an.

Stay overnight in Xi' an.

Meals: (B, L)

With a history of more than 3,000 years, Xi'an has abundant collection of archaeological relies to express its rich history. This morning we go to visit [Banpo Museum], where you can see lots of precious unearthed cultural relics and artworks, indicating the civilization of the Matriarchal Community, the period of the prehistoric time. Very close to the Banpo Museum, we will visit a Terra Cotta Fine Art Factory, where we can see the Terra-cotta Warrior replicas, and have the opportunity to know the manufacturing operation of them. After the visit, we travel by van/bus for 30 minutes to the world-renowned Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Situated east of Xi'an city, the [Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum] is famous throughout the world for its life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. The three pits of the terra-cotta warriors and horses excavated shows you how magnificent the structure of Emperor Qin Shihuang's (the First Qin Emperor’s) Mausoleum was.

Later this evening you may choose local special Dumpling Dinner and the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Stay overnight in Xi' an.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we go to visit the ancient [City Wall] and the [Provincial Museum], a striking Tang-Dynasty style pavilion, houses a large collection of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi Province. The next to do is a visit to the [Big Wild Goose Pagoda] -- one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, possibly the most beautiful building left in Xi’an today.

After all the visits, we will take a pm flight to Kunming.

Stay overnight in Kunming.

Meals: (B, L)

Let’s have a day tour to the [Stone Forest]. Those magnificent stone masterpieces, various strange and steep intricate formations, and countless labyrinthine vistas make Stone Forest (Shi Lin in Chinese) worthy of the fame as the “First Wonder of the World”. And there goes a local saying, It is a waste of time without being in the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming.

Later this afternoon we drive to Kunming Train Station to catch an overnight train to Dali.

Stay overnight on train

Meals: (B, L)

You are picked up by your guide at Dali Train Station in the morning, transferred to your hotel in the Old Town. The rest time in the morning will be your own.

After lunch, we set out to visit a typical sight of Dali-the [Three Pagoda Temple]. As its name implies, Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. This is unique in China. Enjoy a walk along the old street in [Dali Ancient Town]. It was an important gateway to the Silk Road in Southwest China, and also served as a seat of government and a major military barracks for Yunnan Province in the ancient times. By witnessing some parts of the city wall and the tower remained, we can still explore the mystery belonging to the history. The Dali City layout was uniform, with five main streets from south to north and eight main streets from east to west, while marketplaces were neatly arranged within the city, which has remained unchanged to this date. Traditional Bai ethnic minority folk houses can be seen everywhere, which gives us a different feeling from any other Chinese city. Then we continue to [visit a local Bai Minority Family] for the first hand experience of the local daily life. Their traditional way of life and finished handicrafts will surely impress you.

Stay overnight in Dali Old Town.

Meals: (B, L)

Today we depart for Lijiang by private van/car/bus after lunch. It is roughly a 3.5 hours drive. The beautiful scenery on the way will surely give you some special feeling, and we may stop on the way for you to relax and take some photos. We will arrive in Lijiang by dinner time.

Stay overnight in Lijiang.

Meals: (B, L)

Lijiang is the ideal destination for nature lovers and anyone interested in ancient people groups and their customs. This morning we go to the [Jade Dragon Snow-capped Mountain]. With skyscraping snow-capped peaks and its imposing body, it reflects in the interlaced rivers flowing under the old town, composing a fabulous picture. We [take cables to climb the mountain] and be intoxicated in the picturesque scenery. And we also organize a tour in the ancient town. The [Ancient Lijiang City] has no city walls, which is one of the features of this ancient city and different with other China's ancient cities. "The city depends on water for existence and water comes along with the city; has become one of the main features of the old town. The Yuquanshui River includes three mainstreams, which flow towards the west, east and in the middle. The river running into the ancient city includes many branch canals, so the network of rivers mixed with the roads of the five-flowered stones. You can get the beautiful picture that "every house is surrounded by the rivers and the drooping willows", so it is highly spoken by the architects of China and abroad.

Stay overnight in Lijiang.

Meals: (B, L)

Depart Lijiang for Shangri-la by private van/car/bus after breakfast. It will be a long drive, but the scenery all the way is fantastic. On the way, we will stop to view the First Bend of the Yangtze River and the Tiger Leaping Gorge. We also have a lunch stop on the half way. We will arrive in Shangri-la by dinner time.

Stay overnight in Shangri-la.

Meals: (B, L)

Let’s go to visit [Songzanlin Monastery] -- a famous Tibetan style Buddhist temple in China and a spiritual hub for people to discover the mystery and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Tourists are attracted to this scenic spot where they can enjoy the view and be lucky to take photos of girls wearing exquisite Tibetan costumes holding perfectly white fluffy lambs against the imposing mountains and blue sky. Visit to the [old part of the town] and a [Tibetan family] are included in today’s tour as well. The Tibetan built their houses in distinctive religious styles influenced by Buddhism. You can taste Tibetan specialties of yak butter tea, local yogurt and Tibetan barley. Later this afternoon is on your own to walk around. We suggest you get a feeling of local people's daily life by visiting the local market.

Stay overnight in Shangri-la.

Meals: (B, L)

Situated in southwest China, Guiyang has a population of about 3.5 million, of which 65% is Han and the rest a mixture of minorities such as Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Yi, Shui, Hui, Gelao, Zhuang, Yao, Bai, Tujia, etc. The most populous minority ethnic group is the Miao, and less populous are the Bouyei, the Dong, and the Tujia. With beautiful scenery, pleasant climate and abundant tourist resources, it is a developing tourist resort of China. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is leisure at relax.

Stay overnight in Guiyang.

Meals: (B, L)

After breakfast, we depart Guiyang for [Xijiang Thousand-household Miao Village] (about 3 hour drive). Circled by green mountains, Xijiang Village is situated in a valley and sides of the mountains and a small crystal clear stream bisects the village. Row upon row of roofed wooden bridges, called "Wind and rain" bridges by the locals, stretching over the stream and making a picturesque scene. The Diaojiao buildings (wood houses propped up by wooden supports with ladders leading up), tier upon tier peaks rising one higher than another, are covered in the green forest. Xijiang Village has a population of nearly six thousand, and about one thousand households, making it one of the largest Miao villages, though technically it is comprised of eight smaller villages located close to one another. In this village, we will find that people wearing colorful and exquisite minority costumes, by marvel at their graceful songs, their traditions and cultures. Lunch will be arranged in a local restaurant, where we will have opportunity to taste the special sour fish dishes. The rest of the day will be free for you to explore this charming village yourself.

Stay overnight in Xiangjiang Village.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we leave Xijiang Village for Rongjiang. En route, we will visit the [Leigong Mountain]. Located 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of Kaili, Leigong Mountain is the most fascinating scenic area of the Miaoling Mountains. It gained its reputation as a National Nature Reserve in virtue of its abundance of overlapping mountain ridges, flourishing verdant plants, precious and rare animals, and valuable historical war remains. On the sight of a large number of rare animals wandering among the virgin forests, one may feel he or she has really returned to nature.

After the Leigong Mountain, we continue to drive (for about 5 hours) to Rongjiang.

Stay overnight in Rongjiang.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we leave Rongjaing for Congjiang (about 3 hour drive). Upon our arrival at Congjiang County Town, we will directly go to explore the [Biasha Miao Village], a special and old Miao Ethnic village, and very little touched by violent and noisy modernization. It is a place where ancient culture is most completely protected, and this group is quite different from other Miao groups in terms of clothing and daily life. It boasts the only village in China where it is legal for people to have hunting guns.

In the afternoon, we drive to Zhaoxing Dong Village (about 1.5 hours). [Zhaoxing Dong Village], the largest Dong village in China, is also called Qianhu (meaning a thousand households) Dong Village because about 1,000 households of Dong people live here. The magnificent wood-structure complex will surprise you. Zhaoxing village is also a cradle of Dong festivals and dances.

Stay overnight in Zhaoxing Village.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we depart Zhaoxing Village for Sanjiang. En route, we will visit the [Tang'an Dong Village] (6 km from Zhaoxing) -- renowned as the "most primitive Dong Village" in China. There are village gates, drum tower, drama tower, ancient graveyard, ancient well, water-powered roller for grinding grain, barns and the pit to worship the female ancestors of Dong people. Ancient stone paths and wood houses still exist in the village. All of these make it a perfect place for people to return to nature.

Then we leave for Sanjiang (about 3 hours) to visit the [Chenyang Wind and Rain Bridge]. It's a pure wooden architecture made up of pillars, purlins and balusters of different sizes and shapes. The entire bridge is made of wood with mortise and tenant joints & without any iron nails. These magnificent structures are another example of the influence of the Dong in an area.

Stay overnight in Sanjiang.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we depart Sangjiang, driving to Longsheng County (about 1.5 hours). We will stop in town to visit a [local market]. Then keep driving for roughly 40 minutes to Ping’an Zhuang Villlage. It is a minority area with magnificent [terraced rice paddies. The [Longji Terraces] are located in Heping Township, Longsheng County. You may have a chance to take some wonderful pictures of minority people wearing exquisite costumes along the way. Located southeast of Longsheng, the rice terraces are built into the hillsides which look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill. This ingenious construction makes best use of the scare arable land and water resources in the mountainous area.

Stay overnight in Ping' an Village.

Meals: (B, L)

Have a free morning to explore this village and its area yourself. After lunch, we go downhill to take our van/bus to go to the city of Guilin. En route, we will stop to visit the [Huangluo Red Yao Village], where all women keep their hair to a length of more than one meter. You will be marvel at their characteristic red costumes and beauty.

Upon arrival at Guilin City, you are transferred to the hotel, enjoy a leisure afternoon.

Stay overnight in Guilin.

Meals: (B, L)

This morning we embark the boat for the [Li River cruise]. Cruising downstream with a pleasant breeze greeting, you can sit on cushion comfortably or enjoy the open-air viewing platform. Bring lots of films or be sure the memory card in your digital camera is with a large capacity, because this is a photographer's dreamland, where you are able to capture the dramatic landscapes that Chinese artists have been painting for centuries. Lunch will be served onboard. Disembark at Yangshuo Town and walk to the West Street, which has received countless foreigners from all over the world and reputed as "Global Village in China". Today, the 600 meters long street is over 300 cafes, restaurants, hotels art crafts and tourist stores, foreign language clubs, internet centers and Kungfu schools.

This afternoon you are free at leisure. You can enjoy a coffee time in the West Street, or walk around the small Yangshuo town.

Stay overnight in Yangshuo.

Meals: (B, L)

In the morning, we drive back to Guilin city, spend the rest of the day in Guilin to discover its shinning scenic spots that make the city unique and especially beautiful. The [Elephant Trunk Hill] is the symbol of Guilin, standing in the Li River and looks like an elephant drinking water from the river. The [Reed Flute Cave] is one of the most spectacular caves displaying karst geographical formation in various shapes. After the visit, we will continue to the nearby [South China Sea Pearl Museum], where we can learn some knowledge of pearls and have the chance to purchase real sea pearl at competitive prices.

After dinner, we may recommend a cruise in the city's central area on a water system, which will absolutely give you a deep impression of Guilin.

Stay overnight in Guilin.

Meals: (B, L)

Today is on your own to relax and until you are transferred to the airport for a flight to Hong Kong to continue your tour or for departure.

Our service ends at the Guilin airport.

Meals: