13 Days Chinese Kung Fu Culture Exploration Tour

Summary

Itinerary Highlight
Day 1 Arrive in Beijing
Day 2 Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Peking Roast Duck Lunch, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace
Day 3 Beijing: Mutianyu Great Wall, Ming Tomb, Water Cube & Bird's Nest (from outside)
Day 4 Beijing-Luoyang: Nanluoguxiang, Beijing to Luoyang By Bullet Train
Day 5 Luoyang: White Horse Temple, Shaolin Temple
Day 6 Luoyang-Xian: Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang to Xian By Bullet Train
Day 7 Xian: Terra-Cotta Warriors Museum, Drum & Bell Tower, Tang Dynasty Show, Dumpling Banquet
Day 8 Xian-Mt.Wudang: Xi'an Ancient City Wall, Big Goose Pagoda, Xian to Mt.Wudang by private vehicle
Day 9 Mt.Wudang: Wudang Museum, Golden Summit, Purple Cloud Palace, Nanyan Nanyan Palace
Day 10 Mt.Wudang-Wuhan: Mt.Wudang to Wuhan by Train
Day 11 Wuhan-Shanghai: Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan to Shanghai by Flight
Day 12 Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, Nanjing Road, The Bund, Jinmao Tower, Boat Cruise On the Huangpu River
Day 13 Shanghai Depature

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

Upon on your arrival, our guide will meet you at Beijing Airport with a welcome signage "China Private Tour". And then, drive you to your hotel in Beijing downtown. The rest day is free on your own to explore the city or recover the jetlag.

Day 2 Beijing

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at appointed time. The first place for Beijing is Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 1,000,000 people at one time.

After sightseeing, walk into the Tiananmen you will meet the one of the world’s 5 most important palaces – Forbidden City. The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia.

Have lunch at the local famous Peking Roast Duck restaurant, taste the most famous duck in Beijing and try some local cuisine in Beijing.Roast duck — or Peking Duck, as it's often known — has been served in Beijing for around 600 years, according to Liu. First served by palace chefs during the Ming dynasty, it has royal pedigree.

In the afternoon, drive about 6km to next imperial site - Temple of Heaven. The temple was constructed in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was enlarged during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is the grandest cult architecture complex in the world and a masterpiece of the Chinese people created in ancient times. It covers 2,700,000 square meters (667 acres). Emperors of the two dynasties used to worship the heaven and pray for rich harvests, as the feudal emperors thought they were the son of the heaven. 

At last, you will head to visit Summer Palace, it is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.  After 1949, the Summer Palace briefly housed the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China. Many of Mao Zedong's friends and key figures in the Communist Party, such as Liu Yazi and Jiang Qing, also lived there. Since 1953, many major restoration and renovation works have been done on the Summer Palace, which is now open to the public as a tourist attraction and park.

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 3 Beijing

In the morning, our guide will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Your tour starts with visiting Mutianyu Great Wall, it about 70KM far way from downtown. There is an old saying "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is indeed an experience of life. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. It's known for its beautiful surroundings - dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with the seasons of a year. 

Your lunch is offered near the Great Wall in a local Chinese restaurant.

After lunch, the Sacred Way, affiliated with the Ming Tombs, is a main attractions arranged for you. The Ming Tombs lie in Changping County, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest from the urban area of Beijing. It is actually a tomb cluster of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), including thirteen emperor's mausoleums, seven tombs for concubines and one grave for eunuchs.  

On the way back to your hotel, you are fortunately to pass by the famous Bird's nest and the Water Cube. You can take their exterior photography photographs to keep track of the two grand constructions and leave a pleasant memory here.

Day 4 Beijing-Luoyang

In the morning, check out from your hotel. Our guide will take you to start the Beijing hutong tour. Hutong is a window into Beijing folk life. Drive you to Nanluoguxiang Hutong, it's one of the best preserved historical areas in downtown Beijing, is famous for its hutong and siheyuan courtyards. Recently the popularity of Nanluoguxiang has increased noticeably with tourist numbers on the rise after 2008 Olympic Games. You will do a short walking along the authentic Beijing Hutong. Will give you a deep impression of the local residents’ live. You will have lunch at local family, to taste the home cooking style.

After lunch, transferred to Beijing West Train Station for the train to Luoyang. It takes around 4 hours. Once arrived at Luoyang train station, you will be greeted by our guide at the exit of the train station with a welcome signage “China Private Tour". Our guide will take you have a dinner at local restaurant. After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Luoyang.

Overnight in Luoyang.

Day 5 Luoyang

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and drive you to visit White Horse Temple. White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty capital Luoyang. The site is just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, east of Luoyang in Henan Province. It is considered by most believers as "the cradle of Chinese Buddhism". The geographical landmarks to the south are Manghan Mountain and Lucoche River.

Your lunch is arranged at Shaolin Temple, to learn the temple diet and try some food in temple. Lunch at the Shaolin temple is served at 11:30, and consists of tofu and rice paired with a mixture of five or six different types of raw or cooked vegetables. The monks do not use garlic, ginger, onions or any type of spice when preparing their meals, believing that spicy, hot or strong-smelling foods excite emotion. Water and tea is not served with meals in order to improve digestion, says Bo. If you are trying to replicate a Shaolin-style lunch at home, choose brown rice for additional fiber and avoid deep-frying the vegetables and tofu in favor of steaming or stir-frying with minimal oil.

Next, you will visit Shaolin Temple, also known as the Shaolin Monastery, which is a Buddhist temple in Dengfeng County, Luoyang. Dating back 1,500 years when founded by Fang Lu-Hao, Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day. Shaolin Monastery and its Pagoda Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng".

Drive you back to your hotel in Luoyang.

Day 6 Luoyang-Xian:

Today you will start your tour with Longmen Grotto, the Longmen Grottoes are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples. There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from an 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, whence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 

Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian of the Second Zhou Dynasty, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups. Longmen Grotto is regarded as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity," for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China. 

After lunch, transfer to Luoyang train station to catch the train to Xian. Upon arrival, our Xian local guide will meet you at the exit of train station with a welcome sign "China Private Tour". Drive you to your hotel and the rest day is free on your own.

Day 7 Xian

In the morning, our guide will meet you at the pointed time. Today, you will visit the highlights of Xi'an city.

Firstly, drive you to Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, it known as “the eighth Wonders of the world”, the museum shows a surprisingly high level in sculpture which is listed as the most significant discovery of the 20th century. Up to now, there has discovered a total of 179 accompanying burial pits of different connotations and various shapes in Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum area. The discovery of these pits has provided all important significance in the research of the burial system of the Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum, the characteristics structures and characteristics of the burial pits. However, what makes people feel amazing is that of all the burial pits, none has been found survived from being burnt down. 

Your lunch is arranged at local restaurant with tasting local cuisine. Such as Liangpi, it is made from rice, this cold noodle dish is a summer favourite through Shaanxi province as well as other places around China.

After lunch, drive you back to the Xian downtown, keep going to visit the Drum Tower & Bell Tower, which is the largest bell tower in structure and shape and the best-preserved one in China. The Drum and Bell towers located in the center of the ancient city of Xian, are two of its most famous symbols.

At night, you will have a Xi'an Dumpling Dinner, which is famous in Xi'an. Our guide will lead you to Shaanxi Grand Opera House and help you find your seat for the most famous Xi'an Dumpling Dinner within the Opera House.In Xian, a must for visitors to try is the delicious dumplings. While tasting those dumplings, customers will be astonished by the cooks' smart cooking methods include steaming, boiling, pan-frying, deep frying, and roasting. It seems that all of the indigenous meat and vegetables can be used for the dumplings' stuffing, such as pork, mutton, beef as well as celery, radish, cabbages, etc. Nowadays, by the cooks' continuously improving, the dumpling has been one of the local best foods to entertain visitors from home and abroad..

After dinner, you will enjoy the local colorful and splendid Tang Dynasty Dance Show, which is a performance of music and dance that imitate the Tang Dynasty over one thousand-year ago. The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian.

Drive you back to your hotel.

Day 8 Xian-Mt.Wudang

In the morning, first drive you to visit the Ancient City Wall. This wall represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls, as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Now it is 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide over 14 kilometers in length with a deep moat surrounding it. You can walk, or even cycle on the wall. Its south gate is the largest with a suspension bridge. Most of the tourists choose the south gate for sightseeing. 

Continue to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, also named Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'and became the symbol of the old-line Xi'an. It was built in 652 during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. The structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming dynasty. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion and its simple but appealing style of construction. It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang.

Your lunch is arranged at local restaurant with tasting local cuisine. 

After lunch, drive around 4.5 hours to Mt.Wudang, which is another origin of Chinese Kung Fu, especially for its Taichi Quan, to continue your exploration. Our guide will help you to check in the hotel.

Overnight in Mt.Wudang.

Day 9 Mt.Wudang

After breakfast, your full day Wudang Mountain Taoism exploration starts. First, take a visit to Wudang Museum to get a basic understanding about Taoism before visiting the sacred mountain. Walking through the eight halls, you can learn about the history of Taoism, architecture, celebrities, Taoist statues, folk customs, music and martial arts.

Then, take toursit bus to Qiongtai Palace with 14 temples preserved where is the starting point of cable car. Then take a cable car to the highest peak in Wudang - Tianzhu Peak at 1613 meters and explore Golden Summit(Jinding or Peace of Harmony), which is the symbol of Wudang Mountain, for a panoramic view of the Taoist mountain and temples. With the impressive natural sea of clouds, sunrise and sunset, lush forests and rocks, the Palace of Harmony is like a heaven on earth. After having a wonderful time on the summit, enjoy a walk to admire Taihe Temple if your energy permits. 

Then head to Purple Cloud Palace, one of the best preserved palaces with 9 buildings and 182 rooms on Wudang Mountain. Looking from the axle wire, the constructions locate there symmetrically along the mountain, splendid and gorgeous.

After that, continue your visit to Nanyan Palace to explore this stunning palace on the cliff and visit various Taoist temples, stylish architectures and cliff inscriptions.

If you are interested in Tai Chi or other Kung Fu learning, you can take 1 or 2 hours Kung Fu experience course under the guidance of professional Taoist masters.

Later, take cable car down and back to your hotel. Have dinner in your hotel.

Day 10 Mt.Wudang-Wuhan

Free on your own until our driver pick you up from your hotel and transfer to Shiyan City train station to catch the train to Wuhan, it takes around 4 hours. You will be picked up from Wuhan train station and drive to your hotel in Wuhan.

Day 11 Wuhan-Shanghai

In the morning, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and take you to visit one of famous attractions in Wuhan-Yellow Crane Tower. If you're in Wuhan, an absolute must-see is the Yellow Crane Tower. Regarded as one of the Four Great Towers of China, the tower stands on the banks of the Yangtze River at the top of Snake Hill. It is incredibly beautiful and its cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan city. It goes without saying that it is one of Hubei's most popular tourist attractions. 

After lunch, you will be transferred to Wuhan airport for your flight to Shanghai. Once you arrived, our Shanghai guide will meet you at the exit of airport with a welcome sign "China Private Tour" and transfer to your hotel in Shanghai.

Overnight in Shanghai.

Day 12 Shanghai

In the morning, our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel. Firstly, you will visit Shanghai Museum, which is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. The museum was founded in 1952 and was first open to the public in the former Shanghai Racecourse club house, now at 325 West Nanjing Road, it was rebuilt at its current location in 1996, it is considered one of China's first world-class modern museums. The museum has a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art and foreign art.

You will have lunch at local restaurant, where you can enjoy some authentic Shanghai food.

After lunch, drive you to the Lujiazui and visit the famous Jinmao Tower to have an eye-bird's view of Shanghai city. Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone in Pudong.The 88-stories Jin Mao Tower was completed in 1999. It is 420.5 meters (almost 1,380 feet) tall and covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.68 acres). The architect, Adrian D. Smith, of this skyscraper ingeniously combined the elements of traditional Chinese culture with the newest architectural styles of the time, which makes it one of the best-constructed buildings in China.

Then proceed to visit the "Pedestrians only" Nanjing Road, a walking bustling street that is always packed with people waching other people. When people mention Shanghai's Nanjing Road, they're probably talking about East Nanjing Road, a pedestrian shopping street running for blocks between the northeast corner of People's Square and the Bund. Nanjing Road, 5.5 km in full length, enjoys the reputation as China No. 1 commercial center. It was the earliest commercial street in Shanghai since the city opened to the outside world.

After that move on to The Bund, the Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The area is in the eastern part of Huangpu District centers on a section of Zhongshan Road ,which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing the high, modern skyscrapers of Pudong,Traditionally, the Bund begins at Yan'an Road in the south and ends at Waibaidu Bridge in the north, The Shanghai Bund on which you can embrace the best cityscape, feast on the rich architectural fashions ( Gothic, Baroque, Rome, Renaissance, Classic and Mixed Eastern and Western style, etc.) 

You will have a dinner before cruise, the last thing for today is Night cruise along the Huangpu River. When traveling in Shanghai, you should not miss a cruise tour on the Huangpu River. It is the best way to admire Shanghai's classic skyline views of colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers along the river.

Drive you back to your hotel.

Day 13 Shanghai Depature

Free on your own in the morning, then you will be transferred to the airport and you can fly back home. Have a pleasant trip!

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.