15 Days Typical Architecture Tour

Day 1

Arrival Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, the capital city of China, be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.
Meals: No Meals
Accommodation: In Beijing

Beijing, China's capital and one of the great travel destinations of the World, offers sights and cultural relics found no where else on Earth. The city has a character all its own; there are quadrangles, small alleys, tricycle, boiled mutton, roasted duck, arts and crafts, Peking Opera, The Great Wall, the 2008 Olympics venue and a vibrancy that is the distinctive flavor of Beijing.
 

Day 2

Beijing
Depart from your hotel in the morning to visit Tian'anmen Square, the World's largest urban square and the Forbidden City, the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. Then visit the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. This evening, Peking Roasted Duck will be your optional dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Beijing

As the biggest city center square in the world, Tian'anmen Square covering 44 hectares in the heart of Beijing. It is the place where history-changing events and ceremonies occurred. A few steps away, come to visit the Forbidden City, which was the Imperial Palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and, it is one of the largest, and certainly the most completely restored, ancient architectural complex in the world. Walk in the footsteps of Emperors; come to the museum and see with your eyes, and feel with your hearts; you'll begin understand what life in this richest of feudal realms was like for the Imperial Rulers, their concubines and their slaves.

After enjoying a delicious lunch, continue on to the Temple of Heaven. Departing from the Imperial vermilion and gold hues of the Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven is decorated in blue, the color of the Heavens. The perfect harmony between the architectural environment and nature can be felt here; you might easily imagine the vivid spectacle of a great sacrifice to the Heavens for a good harvest. The magnificent Hall of Prayer of Good Harvest is one of the most important and impressive building in China.

For today's dinner, how about taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck, as it is the best-known dish in Beijing. It is very tender and unforgettably delicious. You'll visit a local restaurant to enjoy a full meal and learn the proper way to experience Peking Roasted Duck. From the whole roasted duck to the soup of duck bones, you'll enjoy a banquet made from every part of the duck. Moreover, the chef will demonstrate his skill of cutting the skin of the duck for your entertainment. 
 

Day 3

Beijing
In the morning, we head forth to the northwest valley of Beijing. Feel peace and solemn when first stop at the Sacred Way. Walk through this 7km path extending from north to south; we'll see statues of ancient government officials and animals figures flanked at both sides. The star attraction of China is its Great Wall, a massive defensive structure built to keep intruders from entering the mainland. The rest day you will have the opportunity to traverse the ancient steps of Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall. If you desire, enjoy Peking Opera tonight as your optional activity.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Beijing

The approach to the Ming Tombs is a shaded 7-kilometer-long road known as the Sacred Way. Its beginning is marked with a marble archway standing 27-meter long and 15-meter high, similar to the triumphal arches of Europe. This archway, one of the finest and best preserved in the country, was erected in 1540. A stone table nearby proclaims that entrants must dismount at this point and proceed on foot, that admittance beyond the archway was forbidden to ordinary citizens. Further on, this road is lined with gigantic stone statues, 24 of lions, camels, elephants, horses, and mythical animals and 12 of generals, civil mandarins, and courtiers.

Mutianyu Great Wall was first built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi, making it older than the Badaling section. It is connected with Jiankou in the west and Lianhuachi and Jinshanling in the east. In 1569, the Mutianyu Great Wall was rebuilt, mainly with granite and is one of the best-preserved sections with the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall, being 7-8 meters high and 4-5 meters wide with 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-meter-long section. It served as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

In the evening, we offer you an opportunity to enjoy Peking Opera. Expert performers convey powerful emotions to the audience through song, dance, facial make-up, exquisite masks and costume, skilled use of body language and sympathetically integrated musical accompaniment. 
 

Day 4

Beijing
In the morning, take a visit to the most beautiful garden in China - Summer Palace. After lunch, enjoy a leisure visiting to the Hutong by rickshaw. It will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Beijing

In the afternoon, visit the "most beautiful garden in China"- the Summer Palace. Originally known as the "Garden of Clear Ripples ", the Summer Palace is a magnificent imperial garden located 15 km north of Beijing City . This is the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer retreat for Emperors and the chosen few! The site includes more than 100 ancient style pavilions, mansions, towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water lake. What is most enjoyable about the Summer Palace, it is simply a gorgeous place to relax, escape the smoke and crowds of the city and spend an afternoon walking. It is said one could just as easily spend one week out here as one afternoon. Here is a rare chance in Beijing, to lose the crowds and 'clear away the cobwebs'. 

If exploring the Forbidden City has improved your understanding of the lifestyles of China's ancient Imperial Court, then this relaxing Hutong Tour will give you an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese people and reveal their social culture in today's Beijing City. The narrow streets of old Beijing are known as Hutongs. You'll take a rickshaw tour along the Hutongs and see the 100-year-old houses, courtyards and a vanishing way of life in today's Beijing. 

Day 5

Beijing    Datong
Be transferred to the railway station for your express train to Datong, which will cost you about 6hours.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Datong

Datong is situated in the northern part of Shanxi Province near the Great Wall Pass to Inner Mongolia. In ancient China, Datong was a place of strategic importance and a place where the Han people frequently conducted trade with the Mongol tribes to the North of China. Therefore this city is popular for its harmonious coexistence of religions, together with its strategic importance geographically and the beauty of its rugged terrain.
 

Day 6

Datong
According to historical records, Datong was founded as Pingcheng in 200BC during the Han Dynasty. It then prospered and became a stop-off for camel caravans moving into Mongolia and beyond. To the South-west, there is a site evident of the long history of Datong. It is called Yungang Grottoes and it is composed of 252 grottoes which contain 51,000 Buddhist statues. Today it is considered one of the best examples of rock-cut architecture which is a collection of cave art that combines traditional Chinese art with Greek and Indian influences. Returning to the city proper, we'll pass by the Nine Dragon Screen.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Datong

Yungang Grottoes is one of the best preserved sites in China with 53 caves containing over 51,000 stone carvings of Buddha and Buddhist. The grottoes were built between 460 AD and 494 AD in the Northern Wei just before the capital city of that dynasty was moved to Luoyang to build another set of grottoes (Longmen Grottoes) afterwards. These statues range from the tallest of 17 meters to the shortest of a few centimeters high with some of them still retaining their original color. The lines of the statue's face are very graceful, with a pair of bright piercing eyes. In 2001, Yungang Grottoes was included on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List.

Datong's Nine Dragon Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty. With 426 glazed tiles fired specially in five different colors, the exquisite design of green wave at the bottom like the sea, blue background as sky and white as clouds, the glazed nine dragons on the wall vividly express their movements, rising out of the sea and chasing the mythical suns to gain the supernatural ability to control the forces of nature. The oldest and largest glazed screen in China, though it has been standing over 600 years, it is still in a perfect condition today owing to its architectural design and refined craftsmanship.
 

Day 7

Datong    Pingyao
Today, leave Datong you will first take 1hour driving to Hunyuan County for a visit to the Hanging Temple, the masterpiece of ancient wooden constructions. And then continue your driving to Pingyao to appreciate the ancient Chinese architects as Pingyao be considered a treasure house of Chinese architecture. Upon arrival, walk through the ancient Ming Qing Street- which is used to be the Wall Street of China, admire the Ancient City Wall and Rishengchang Exchange Shop, the first draft bank of China.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Pingyao

All buildings in the Hanging Temple were constructed below the crags on a steep cliff-face of Hengshan Mountain (75m above the ground). Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is unique not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements.

Watchtowers, cast iron cannons, intimidating wooden gates and sturdy walls render an impenetrable feel as you walk around Pingyao Ancient Town. The ancient town of Pingyao had been emerged gradually along with the city wall during the Zhou Dynasty 11th century -256 BC. It is the only ancient city in China completely reserved as it was hundreds of years ago without any modern architecture, but only the narrow street flanking with Chinese shops in old style and the road plated with the original stone. Pingyao is not only famous for its antiquity, but also for being the merchant center with the nation's earliest bank established in the 19th century, and furthermore it was once served as the financial center of the Qing government.
 

Day 8

Pingyao      Xian
After a night rest in Pingyao, riding for Wang's Courtyard in Lingshi County, which consisting of 54 courtyards and 1,052 rooms, the epitome of Oriental domestic architecture. Then be transferred back to Pingyao for an overnight train to Xian.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: On the train

The Wang's Courtyard is 35 km from the Ancient City of Pingyao. Acclaimed as the "First Folk Residence in Cathay", it is the largest-existing folk residence cluster in China and a model of the merchant family's residence in North China's Shanxi Province, demonstrating the quintessence of Chinese architectural art and cultural values. This luxurious residence covers about 45,000 square meters with 123 compounds and 1,118 rooms and took about half a century (1762-1811) to build. The whole complex is made up by three parts, The Compound Walls, The Buildings, The Grand Courtyard.   

The whole compound incorporates garden art and courtyard building techniques under the premises of conforming to social institutions and practicality. The traditional flavor of North China's civil residence is very distinctive, but the building also borrowed the design of the gardens in South China. The outline, the intervals, and every other detail of the compound jointly present an elaborate work of Chinese folk residence.

Xian, steeped in history and still giving up secrets, is your gateway to ancient Chinese civilization. In its 3,100 recorded years of evolution, it has been home to 13 dynasties.  Xian was also the end of civilization for those setting out on the famous Silk Road. Today's Xian is a vibrant, modern city, but surrounded by history, even underfoot! So there can be no underground railways due to the obligation to preserve the wealth of ancient treasure still awaiting discovery

Day 9

Xian
Today is all about Xian. After getting off the train, your first destination is the Qin Terracotta Army. It has been regarded as the 8th wonder of the world and the most significant excavations of the 20th century. Then get back to city for the Xian City Wall and Bell Tower. Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner is available for your optional meal this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Xian

As an ancient capital city to 13 dynasties, Xian has a rich recorded history, frequently enhanced by the evidence of new discoveries, like the 1974 unearthing of the fabulous Qin Terracotta Army, the long forgotten army created to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb. In accordance with ancient beliefs, this grand project was mounted at enormous cost by the cruel and tyrannical Emperor, only to be attacked, plundered, burnt and buried after his funeral by the peasants who'd labored under the whip to build it. Then, over two thousand years later, this 'Eighth Wonder of the World' was rediscovered by farmers digging a well. The fine troops, horses and carriages in battle formation are a National ancient art treasure. Three excavation pits are now opened to the public and a fourth is nearing completion. You can, like US President Clinton, now gaze in wonder upon this historic site, listed by UNESCO in 1987 as a world cultural heritage.

Then we get back to city for the Xian City Wall, which stretches round the old city. Xian was always a walled city, and today's 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. The first city wall of Chang'an was begun in 194 BCE. The existing wall was started during the Ming Dynasty in 1370; it is massive, measuring 13.7 km in circumference, 12 m in height, and 15–18 m in thickness at the base. The South Gate and North Gate are the two main entrances to the inner city. The city itself is neatly arranged along the city wall. This impressive structure is just a precursor to the remarkable discoveries awaiting visitors to Xian.

Also within the city, we'll see the Bell Tower which is the most well-preserved the best-known among many ancient cities of China. It used to strike the time. It was first built as one part of the Yingxiang Temple and moved to its present site in 1582. Since then, it became the geographical center of the ancient capital.

Tonight you can choose to enjoy a Tang Dynasty Show with Dinner that was created for 'emperors only' in ancient China. You'll enjoy the sumptuous dinner while watching a fabulous dancing and singing performance of the Tang Dynasty. This is not only a performance of Chinese traditional dancing and singing, but a re-enactment of Chinese ancient ceremony and culture.
 

Day 10

Xian    Shanghai
This morning you will take the flight to Shanghai. In this modern but still rich in ancient cultures city, you'll have time to 'unwind' in the exquisite beauty of Yuyuan Garden, an expression of filial piety by a Ming Dynasty official, Pan Yunduan, who spent his life savings ensuring his parents would live out their lives in magnificent comfort. In the evening, enjoy the nightlife of Xintiandi, bars and nightclubs in converted 19th century European style houses.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Shanghai

Shanghai is a city unlike any other in China. It is the bustling economic heartbeat of China that enjoys all of the comforts and amenities of a fully modern metropolis. Shanghai today looks to regain its former position at the turn of 20th of being one of the largest financial centers in the world behind New York and London. It is a city that seamlessly blends East and West.

Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of 'garden in the garden, whole in the part.

Xintiandi is a car-free shopping, eating and entertainment area of Shanghai, China. It is composed of an area of restored traditional shikumen (stone gate) houses on narrow alleys, a modern shopping mall with a cinema complex, and some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seatings. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi means "New Heaven and Earth", and is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China.
 

Day 11

Shanghai    Wuzhen
After a photo stop at People's Square, the picturesque green space surrounded by buildings on all sides, visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall to see the vision for the new Shanghai, complete with exhibits and an impressive scale model of the city planned for the future. Next take a nice walk along the Bund of different architectural styles that include Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. Have a bird-eye view of the city after ascending Shanghai's new landmark-Shanghai World Financial Centre in the new and developing Lujiazui area. After that, be transferred to Wuzhen, the small water village.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Wuzhen

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is located on People's Square, adjacent to the municipal government building. The Center is a six-story building, with two basement levels, which displays Shanghai's urban planning and development. Exhibitions include models of planned and recent developments, as well as Shanghai's history. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a huge scale model of the city of Shanghai, showing all existing and approved buildings. Alongside the model is a small theatre room playing a video about the impression of Shanghai's future, with notable locations including some of the Shanghai Expo 2010 pavilions.

The Bund is the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River. The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city.

Shanghai World Financial Center is a super tall skyscraper in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors. On 14 September 2007 the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 feet) and became the second tallest building in the world; as well as the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong.

Wuzhen is an old water town around 200 km from Shanghai. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful water towns in China. The flat houses with gray bricks were built along the river over hundreds of years. You will have a chance to take a traditional wooden boat rowing zigzag through canals, under the small bridges one after another to find the local people playing cards and tasting tea by the side of the water. Wuzhen is a great place for wandering around to find the ancient docks, waterside pavilions and corridors stretching for miles, presenting a typical, harmonious atmosphere of water towns in the South of China.
 

Day 12

Wuzhen    Shanghai    Xiamen
After breakfast, tour around Wuzhen Water Town, one of the six existing old-time water towns in Yangtze River delta. Then be transferred back to Shanghai for the flight to Xiamen.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Xiamen

Xiamen, also known as Amoy, the sub-provincial city of Fujiang Provinceis, is a coastal place in southeastern China. Cross the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan Island just on the opposite site.

Day 13

Xiamen    Nanjing County    Zhangzhou
In the morning, drive from Xiamen City to Nanjing County to visit the famous Tuluo in Snail Pit as well as Huaiyuan Building and Hegui Building -the representatives of the round building and square building in the area. Stay overnight in Zhangzhou City for better accommodation facilities than Nanjing Tulou area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Diner
Accommodation: In Zhangzhou

Tulou, a firm building complex made of earth, is a unique and mysterious Hakka architecture with a thick earth wall enclosure found only in the mountainous areas in southwestern Fujian province bordering Guangdong in Southern China. Tulou is usually an enclosed building, mostly square or circular in configuration, with a very thick earth wall up to 6 feet thick, topped with wooden structures from three to five stories high, that house up to 80 families. These earth buildings have only one entrance, guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate. The top levels of these buildings have gun holes for defense against bandits. What is remarkable about these buildings is the fact that, in spite of the earth wall, some of them are more than 700 years old, surviving through centuries of natural elements, including earth quakes, yet still standing solid.

Tianloukeng/Snail Pit consists of five tulous with a square Buyunlou at the center, surrounded by three rotundas tulous and an oval tulou, forming a pattern of "four dishes and a soup". The five are: The square Buyunlou (Reaching the Cloud Building) at the center of the quincunx. It was the first tulou at this site, built in 1796. It is three-storied high; each storey has 26 rooms, four sets of stairs, and a go around corridor in front of the rooms at each level. The Buyunlou was burnt down by bandits in 1936, and rebuilt in 1953 according to the original plan. The Hechanglou, is a three-storied high round earth building. Zhenchang Building is three storied with round shape, 26 rooms per storey, built in 1930. Ruiyun Building, built in 1936, is 3-storied, 26 rooms per floor. The oval shape Wenchang building of 1966, is 3-storied, 32 rooms per floor.

Heguilou is located in Pushan Village, Meilin Town. This large square building is 21.5 meters and five stories high. It is the highest of all tulous and most interesting of all; It was constructed on a swampland and has been impregnable for more than 200 years.

Four-story round building of Huaiyuanlou was constructed in 1907.The foundation of the wall was rammed from large cobblestones from the river and a mixture of lime, clay and sand. The surface of wall remains clean and smooth in spite of the pass of time. The ancestral hall of the building also serves as a private school. The beans, ridgepoles, doors, and windows in the entire ancestral hall are decorated with beautiful carvings and painting in the ancient style. 
 

Day 14

Zhangzhou      Xiamen
Be transferred back to Xiamen in the morning. After a good break in hotel, visit Gulang Island off the coast of Xiamen. Gulang is a colonial period heritage site where almost all major architecture styles in the world can be found. Gulang Island is also famous for being home to China's largest piano museum. Feel at peace while savoring the fresh aroma of the island.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Zhangzhou

After a breakfast in your in hotel, you will then take a visit to Gulang Island. It covers an area of 1.87 square kilometers; and is a colonial period heritage site. There are many well preserved buildings on the islet showing both Chinese and foreign styles, consequently Gulang Islet is celebrated as a gallery of International architecture. The whole islet offers a clean, tidy and tranquil environment. 
 

Day 15

Xiamen    Hong Kong, Departure
Free at leisure until be transferred to the airport for your flight to Hong Kong.
Meals: Breakfast

Service Ends