Day 1 - Sunday
USA / International Date Line
Depart from the U.S.
Day 2 - Monday
Beijing
Evening arrival in Beijing, China's second-largest city and capital for 700 years. Here you will have the opportunity to visit sites that connect the illustrious past of imperial China with the modernizing present of the People's Republic.
Beijing News Plaza Hotel
Day 3 - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Beijing
 Visit the world’s largest plaza, Tian An Men, where the first flag of the People’s Republic of China was raised in 1949. View the impressive monuments, museums and parade grounds of Tian An Men. You will take an extended tour of the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, which is the largest example of Chinese architecture in existence and contains palaces, pavilions, gates and chambers, and is surrounded by a wall and moat. Visit the perfection of Ming architecture, the Temple of Heaven, where shape, color and sound take on symbolic significance. Hear a lecture on China’s “One Child Policy” from a member of the China Population Information and Research Center. In the evening you will enjoy the culinary experience of a Peking Duck dinner.
Beijing News Plaza Hotel
Day 4 - Wednesday (B, L, D)
Beijing
A memorable visit to the 2,000-year-old Great Wall. Dating from the 4th century B.C. and stretching over 3,000 miles across China’s northern frontier, the Great Wall remains one of the world’s most remarkable engineering feats. Take a rickshaw through the old quarters of Beijing which are a labyrinth of narrow alleys with one-story brick houses called Hutongs. See the homes of ordinary residents as you glimpse local daily life. In the evening you will attend a cultural event (subject to schedule availability) such as the famous Peking Opera, ballet, or the circus.
Beijing News Plaza Hotel
"The multi-dimensional aspect incorporating China's culture, history,
anthropology, food, people-to-people contact made this a rich learning
experience. Traveling with like-minded people in a group also added to the
appeal. The personal attention and vast knowledge from our national and
local guides created the sense of customized program. They were so open
about sharing their knowledge and personal stories that you didn't feel like
a tourist, but rather a new friend."
China - D. Worthley, VT
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Day 5 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Beijing / Xi'an
Travel to the Summer Palace where pagodas and pavilions add to the beautiful landscape around the lake. Walk along its well-known "Long Corridor" with lacquered pillars and crossbeams, as well as painted scenes of the scenic wonders of China. Afternoon flight to Xi'an, considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilization and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. See the seven-story Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which offers a splendid view of the city. Enjoy a cooking demonstration reflecting Chinese culinary arts and then experience a sumptuous Royal Dumpling Banquet.
Jin Shi International Hotel
Day 6 - Friday (B, L, D)
Xi'an
Visit the archaeological excavation of the 6,000-figure life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors that guard the still unopened burial mound of Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who unified China in 221 B.C. Visit the City Wall, which has over 400 years of history. Attend a lecture on “Education in China” at a local university where you will have the opportunity to speak with some of the students. This evening, attend the Tang Cultural Show.
Jinshi International Hotel
Day 7 - Saturday (B, L, D)
Xi'an / Jinan
In the morning pay a visit to the Muslim Mosque. Fly to Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. Enjoy a dinner, featuring one of the oldest and respected of the major nine cuisines of China, specially arranged by our Chinese hosts from the Shandong Province.
Shandong Mansion Hotel
 Day 8 - Sunday (B, L, D)
Jinan / Qufu
Look out across the Yellow River, whose banks often rise twenty feet above the city. The river is often called "China's Sorrow" because of its unpredictable flooding. After breakfast, travel to Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius. With its fine imperial architecture and cultural relics, Qufu's historic sites are second only to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Enjoy the lecture, "Confucius's Life and his Philosophic Thought." After lunch travel by traditional horse-drawn carriages to visit Kong Lin (Confucian Forest), the largest man- made park and best-preserved cemetery in China. A singing and dancing show is planned for the evening.
Queli Hotel
Day 9 - Monday (B, L, D)
Qufu
Early morning "Calligraphy and Art" lecture/demonstration. Visit the Temple of Confucius. See the stone-carved statue of Confucius and walk through the maze of more than 450 halls, rooms, and buildings of the Kong Mansion, the largest and most sumptuous aristocratic mansion in China. Enjoy a specially arranged Confucian Family Banquet.
Queli Hotel
Day 10 - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Qufu / Tai'an
Travel to Tai'an, the gateway town to Mount Taishan, the most revered of the five sacred mountains of China. Visit Bu Yang Village, and enjoy a visit and lunch in a local farmer's home where you can experience and observe the life and customs of rural China. Visit a nursery school for both senior citizens and children, and visit a township enterprise.
Ramada Hotel
Day 11 - Wednesday (B, L, D)
Tai'an / Jinan
After breakfast enjoy a walk up Mt. Taishan ("When one goes up Taishan Mountain, the world will be dwarfed beneath his feet." - Confucius). The grandeur of this time-honored attraction can be experienced as you ascend the 7,000 stone steps on foot (if you dare) or by cable car. Also visit the famous Dai Temple (Temple to the God of Mt. Tai) the site where 2,200 years ago Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, held sacrificial ceremonies. Visit a local hospital to learn about acupuncture. Travel back to Jinan.
Shandong Mansion Hotel
 Day 12 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Jinan / Suzhou (Grand Canal Cruise)
Board an early morning flight to Shanghai, and then travel through the countryside to Suzhou, which is known as the Venice of the East because of its canals and its quaint and traditional ambiance. Take a boat ride up the fabled Grand Canal, which stretches over 1,000 miles from Beijing to Hangzhou and crosses the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. It was constructed more than 2,000 years ago as China's main north-south artery. The activity of boats and people both on and along the Canal will provide you with unforgettable sights and photos.
Nanlin Hotel
Day 13 - Friday (B, L, D)
Suzhou
Visit two of Suzhou's classic gardens. The Lingering Garden, built in the Ming Dynasty and renovated and expanded in the early 19th century during the Qing Dynasty demonstrates a compact layout and a delicate decorative art. Fisherman’s Garden (Wangshiyuan), built in the Southern Song Dynasty and than rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty was designed in a style which integrates the garden with the residence. The unique design of Fisherman’s Garden gives the visitor the feeling that there are gardens inside the garden. Over ten million Chinese farmers produce more than half of the world's supply of silk fiber. Learn about the secrets of silk making on your visit to the Silk Factory and Embroidery Institute.
Nanlin Hotel
Day 14 - Saturday (B, L, D)
Suzhou / Shanghai
Travel through the countryside to Shanghai, one of the largest and busiest cities in the world. See the famous waterfront Bund, once the financial center of the foreign powers.
Rainbow Hotel
"We got what we expected and more - nothing went wrong! We have traveled most
of the world, but never on the mainland of China before. We were looking
forward with real anticipation to learning about China's culture, history
and contemporary society through close-up observation and discussions with
Chinese people. We were not disappointed; indeed we came away from this trip
very well satisfied. We appreciate TraveLearn's overall organization and
service support."
China - J. & S. Ingersoll, NC
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Day 15 - Sunday (B, L, D)
Shanghai
After breakfast, visit the newly opened Shanghai Museum of Art and History, the finest in all of China, and considered one of the great museums of the world. Visit the residential area called Caoyang Residential Village. In the afternoon visit the Childrens' palace. After dinner, take in a performance of the daring Shanghai Acrobatic Circus.
Rainbow Hotel
Day 16 - Monday (B)
Shanghai / USA
Transfer for your flight to the USA.
* OPTIONAL *
YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE EXTENSION
Day 16 - Monday (B, D)
Shanghai / Chongqing
Morning at leisure. Take an afternoon flight to Chongqing, the "mountain city" of Chongqing which clings to the steep slopes of the Yangtze.
Chongqing Hilton Hotel
Day 17 - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Chongqing / Yangtze River Cruise
After breakfast, visit the Ford Auto Plant and enjoy a special banquet featuring Szechuan cuisine. Visit the Panda Zoo. Chongqing was the short-lived wartime capital of China which suffered devastating losses at the hands of the Japanese. Visit the Stillwell Museum and learn about the time Stillwell served as Commander-in-Chief of the American forces in the China-Burma-India theater, between 1941 and 1945 when the threat of the Japanese Imperial Army was finally overcome. After dinner embark on the President Cruise Ship, one of the premier cruise ships on the Yangtze River to begin your three-night Yangtze River Cruise.
President Cruise Ship
Day 18 - Wednesday (B, L, D)
Yangtze River Cruise
After breakfast, take a shore excursion to Shibaozhai, built in the Qing Dynasty in 1750 with a height of 56 meters. Shibaozhai is simply a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs, standing on the riverside. A red wooden pagoda, 12 stories high, was built against the rock wall and you can climb to the top by spiral staircase in the pagoda. 160 meters above the river, enjoy a panoramic view of the winding river, the village and the countryside. Hear a lecture and view a demonstration on Chinese Cooking.
President Cruise Ship
Day 19 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Yangtze River Cruise
After an early breakfast, depending on the water level of the Yangtze, disembark and board the small motor boats or authentic sampans to sail through the Lesser Three Gorges for an excursion on a crystal clear tributary river of the Yangtze. You can see the ruins of the ancient plank road and suspending coffins of the ancient Ba people hanging on the cliffs above you as you enjoy the spectacular scenery. Enter Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge, the last of the Three Gorges. The combination of the height of the gorges and the narrowness of the river in this area - less than a hundred yards in places make the water swift. View the cliffs and peaks with pinnacles soaring up to 4,000 feet that have inspired Chinese landscape artists and poets for thousands of years. Hear a lecture and view a demonstration on Chinese painting. Enjoy a special banquet featuring Szechuan cuisine.
President Cruise Ship
Day 20 - Friday (B, L)
Yichang / Shanghai
Disembark at Yichang and visit the world largest Three Gorges Dam with unprecedented magnitude standing 185 meters high and 2.3km long, a modern engineering feature that only the Great Wall in the ancient China could parallel. This controversial water conservative project will force 1.3 million inhabitants in the Three Gorge area to relocate in various parts of China, and provoke some eco-environmental concerns, but it will also benefit the people in the aspects of flood control, power generation, and navigation improvement. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai.
Rainbow Hotel
Day 21 - Saturday (B)
Shanghai / USA
Transfer for your flight to the USA.
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