BEIJING --- Imperial Palace
PINGYAO --- Ordinary township

10 DAYS IN CHINA
Please join us, as we pursue the urban fabric that shows the Evolution of architectural styles in the planning of imperial palaces and townships in China; as it is so well represented by the cities of Beijing and Ping Yao over a period of five centuries.

Day 1
Upon arrival in Beijing, an English speaking guide will escort you directly the from airport to the city center, Tian'anmen Square, before checking you in at your hotel. When time permits, an escorted tour will be made to the neighborhoods to say the first Ni Hao to the local residents.... A Welcome Dinner will be served in the Double Happiness Restaurant ( reserved private room ).

Day 2
In the morning, the first stop will be at the famous Cloisonné Factory to see how the talented Chinese artists create with absolute craftsmanship, these beautiful and intricate works of art...... Next will be a 25 minute ride to the Sacred Way, an avenue of stone statues (1435) lined with twelve pairs of gigantic animals and six pairs of dignified officials and officers.... Lunch in the Friendship Store restaurant, after which, we will drop in at a local village where you will experience a real picture of Chinese countryside.... By 2:30pm, we will arrive at the world famous Great Wall - Waterpass area. This section of the Wall will provides you with a unique chance to see the naturally collapsed walls, the 70 degree steep steps and a remote view of Mongolia..... Dinner at shouting restaurant (Fu Jia Low), which offers a 100% Beijing atmosphere.

Day 3
Pearls have fascinated the Chinese for centuries and this morning we will visit one pearl market and learn how pearls are cultivated in the shell winning the favor of humans with their genuine quality.... Then we will be going through a long corridor crowded with Chinese seniors having their fun at playing pokes, kicking shuttlecock, staging Peking opera, or simply practicing calligraphy on the bricked walk. At the end of this corridor is Temple of Heaven (1420), where most Chinese emperors in Ming (1420-1640) and Qing (1640-1911) Dynasties, having fasted and meditated for three days, would pray in solemn ceremony for a good harvest and to offer sacrifices on the dates of the winter solstice and summer solstice.... To save time today, a light picnic of banana/fruit, dim sum, water, etc. will be provided on the bus while we drive to the Forbidden City, which is also called the Imperial Palace Museum......This formidable historical complex. is the largest of it's kind in the world, housing 9999.5 rooms inside with a space of 178 acres. For a lasting memory, a group picture will be taken in the front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the last emperor in China, Pu Yi, was reluctantly persuaded to the throne inside, in the year 1909..... The evening ends with a very exciting Dinner show at the Dai ethnic restaurant, where the very talented performers in colorful costumes will entertain you, leaving you haunted by the delightful music you have just enjoyed.

Day 4
The enormous sandalwood statue in honor of the Buddha Maitreya is the highlight of Yong He Gong, Lama Temple. It measures some 18m/59ft high and has a diameter of 3m/10ft, although the 8m/26ft high base lies underground.... Afterward we will proceed to the most renowned Chinese pharmacy, Tong Ren Tang, and listen to a brief lecture presented by senior Chinese doctors.... Lunch will be served by Qing Dynasty costumed waitresses in the Imperial restaurant at the side of Tian'anmen Square.... In the afternoon, a guided tour will be led to the Underground City, which was the result of the enormous volunteer labor in 1960s, when the atomic war shadow was shrouded over China.... Enjoy a dinner and show at A'dili restaurant with Mongolian girls demonstrating their exotic dancing skills.

Day 5
Pandas, known to have existed over 2 million years ago, are one of the oldest mammals on earth. This morning, we will visit the Panda Garden inside Beijing zoo, where usually three red pandas ( lesser panda) and seven black & white pandas are given the greatest of care. Various panda souvenirs can be found inside the garden.... Before lunch, we will enjoy a trip to the Silk Carpet Weaving Show inside the No1 Beijing Silk Carpet Factory. Over 1000 patterns of neatly woven carpets are on show and sell for rather reasonable prices. Everyone is encouraged to sit by the weavers and pull the silk thread thru.... At lunch, you will enjoy the flavors, fun and a great favorite of the local people, Hotpot Lamb and Vegetable (fondue). Make sure you are clear about the function of all those sauces, coriander, onion, and red Chinese tofu before you grab your chopsticks..... During the balance of the afternoon, the Summer Palace will be the highlight. This magnificent combination of gardens, pavilions, pagodas and waterways covers an area of 716 acres, making it China's largest park. It is surely a treat to view these splendid man-made landscapes....Dinner at the Beijing Style Restaurant (Ping An Fu), followed by a Peking Acrobatic show presented by the national acrobatic troupe aging from 6 to 16 years old.

Day 6
Beautiful Jade has always been the favorite collectable of Chinese people. This morning, we will visit one of the largest Jade Centers to learn how to appreciate the meticulous intricacy of the carving and to gain a better understanding of it's value..... Next program this morning will be to join our Beijing residents in one of the local shopping malls, where you will find how 16 million people are supplied.... With what is left of our morning, we will take a short rest in the hotel, re-packing if necessary, prior to checkout at 1230pm with lunch afterwards..... In the afternoon we will visit Big Bell Temple and the large market outside..... Dinner and then off to the train station, for an overnight ride (softsleeper 4 to compartment) to Pingyao; estimated departure time at 9:20pm.

Day 7
By 7:10am, the train will arrive in Pingyao, and you will be transferred to your Hotel in the center of the city which is still at the break of day.... Rest and have some breakfast in the family hotel. Enjoy free time in the morning, wandering along the exotic Ming and Qing street; it may bring you back to the time between 1400 and 1911....Lunch in the hotel.....In the afternoon there will be two programs, Wang Family Courtyard and Xihuan Village, before dinner back in the hotel. Wang's Grand Courtyard is an example in handing down and inheriting the five thousand year old Chinese civilization and a peak-usurping masterpiece of Chinese civil residence architecture of the Qing Dynasty, with a total area of 45000 sq.m, covering 123 large and small compounds and 1118 houses. Xihuan Village is one of the very old villages where people are dwelling in the mountain caves, and if you are capable of 30 minutes walking, you may get to see the 2000 year old cypress which could only be embraced by twelve people hand in hand.

Day 8
This will be a day of touring inside Pingyao. The Program today will include the following: Pingyao City Wall which was built in Xizhou period (827-728 BC) and renovated in 1370 it is 6.4km/4mile long . Risehngchang, established in 1823 as the first draft bank in China, it has branches in 35 major cities in China, Japan, Singapore and in San Francisco USA. County Government Office, built in 1346, it is responsible for governing the "Yang World" (the human world) while Chenghuang Temple for governing the"Yin World" (the spiritual world). A Court Suit Case performance is available inside. Chenghuang Temple, or Temples of Town Gods and Future Gods Museum of Ancient Residential Houses, Bodyguard Service Bureau,Yong Long Lacquering House. Our days ends with a return Night Train to Beijing, Softsleeper. ETD 8:25.

Day 9
Arrive in Beijing. Breakfast in a local restaurant.... You will have a short rest in the hotel before setting out to visit an imperial Tea House, where you will be treated with various kinds of Chinese teas..... Enjoy the delicious Roasted Peking Duck at lunch in the famous restaurant Xiang Man Lou.... In the afternoon, we will start from Coal Hill ( 250 steps up) where a panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the new Beijing city may be achieved, then we will walk from there to the best example of a Beijing Hutong Bell Tower. A Farewell dinner follows..

Day 10
After breakfast in the hotel, you will be met and transferred to the airport for your flight home.

Beijing Office Regent China Tours
Email: xy06110101@hotmail.com