ESSENTIAL CHINA

Firstly, you will pay a visit to the Temple of Heaven Park to see several spectacles that will also enable a better understanding of Chinese society. We recommend an early start today, something that we’re sure will pay-off, but as it’s your trip you’re free to plan as you wish! Every morning, the park welcomes mass sessions of public exercise (including taiji, kung-fu, sword-dancing, meditation, tango, and gymnastics) as well as locals practicing calligraphy on stone with water. In summer it is an intriguing to see - because of the heat, the water evaporates almost as quickly as it is written!

After a leisurely bout of people-watching, you will then discover the temple itself. Notable for its architectural simplicity, the temple reflects early Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. The temple experience continues with a visit to the lesser-known White Cloud Temple where Taoist monks still wear their hair in a traditional style and visitors come to rub sculptures representing the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac. If time allows, you’ll also be able to visit Beijing Mosque, a symbol of the expansion of Muslin merchants to China from Central Asia.

Lunch will then be taken in a leading local restaurant.

After lunch you will have the opportunity to visit Yong He Gong Lama Temple, which proudly boasts an 18-meter-high Buddha statue carved from one block of wood. The last temple visit of the day takes you to the Temple of Confucius – a teacher whose moral codes provide the cornerstone of Chinese culture. A visit here will round off the day of temple tours which, together with your guide’s expert explanations, will give you a valuable knowledge base of China’s religions before being driven back to your hotel to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Formerly a home of emperors, the Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace in the days of the Ming Dynasty and was lovingly restored in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. You’ll have the chance to take in the serene surrounding courtyards and stately rooms of this vast and elegant 720,000-square-meter complex which was completed in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle. The Forbidden City served as the Imperial administrative center until the fall of the Empire in 1911 and according to legend is made up of 9,999 rooms.

Our guide will take you to climb the hill behind the historic city to get spectacular views of the site and the layout of Beijing, helping you gain a greater understanding of the chaotic city.

After taking the time to fully absorb the majesty of the 500-year-old City, you’ll then make tracks to catch the six-hour overnight train to Datong. Riding the overnight traditional train is an unforgettable experience and is a unique way to appreciate subtle nuances of Chinese culture. Safely tucked up in your own soft-sleeper cabin, you’ll discover that train travel in China is a cultural experience, not just a means to an end as you share a beer or baijiu (Chinese rice wine) with locals and consume scandalous amounts of sunflower seeds and freshly made noodles before getting some well-deserved sleep on this comfortable sleeper service.

Day four begins with a morning of leisure and gives you a chance to do some Beijing shopping or venture out and explore the city alone. In the afternoon we’ll take you to visit the awe-inspiring Forbidden City, one of the most majestic sites in the world.

Formerly a home of emperors, the Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace in the days of the Ming Dynasty and was lovingly restored in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. You’ll have the chance to take in the serene surrounding courtyards and stately rooms of this vast and elegant 720,000-square-meter complex which was completed in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Yongle. The Forbidden City served as the Imperial administrative center until the fall of the Empire in 1911 and according to legend is made up of 9,999 rooms.

Our guide will take you to climb the hill behind the historic city to get spectacular views of the site and the layout of Beijing, helping you gain a greater understanding of the chaotic city.

After taking the time to fully absorb the majesty of the 500-year-old City, you’ll then make tracks to catch the six-hour overnight train to Datong. Riding the overnight traditional train is an unforgettable experience and is a unique way to appreciate subtle nuances of Chinese culture. Safely tucked up in your own soft-sleeper cabin, you’ll discover that train travel in China is a cultural experience, not just a means to an end as you share a beer or baijiu (Chinese rice wine) with locals and consume scandalous amounts of sunflower seeds and freshly made noodles before getting some well-deserved sleep on this comfortable sleeper service.

At the tomb, it is possible to view the recently unearthed statues through the glass floors of each pit. The trip also includes a visit to an excellent little museum which allows you to see some of the most well preserved pieces. The excellent layout and quality of the site makes this trip unmissable. 

After the visit you take a two-hour flight to Guilin, in the Guangxi Autonomous Region, famous for its numerous hill tribes and stunning scenery which includes the rock peaks which border the Li River, an endless number of caves, rice terraces at Longsheng, and the waterfalls of Detian.

In Guilin you will discover Reed Flute Cave which takes its name from number of reeds growing at the cave entrance which are used to make flutes. After taking in a kitsch lightshow, guests are given torches to admire the stunning stalactites and stalagmites that litter the cave.

Having explored the cave you may then take a stroll around Shan Lake, known for two marvelous pagodas – one dedicated to the sun and the other for the moon. You will then spend the evening in Guilin, at another of our carefully selected hotels.

Shanghai is an important city in Chinese history, from being the first area to be colonized by Western powers in the 18th century, to then becoming the first seat of the Communist Party. Nowadays, Shanghai is the economic powerhouse of China. While some associate Shanghai with cool bars, skyscrapers and an exhilarating nightlife still hugely influenced by the West, others would see it as the result of a fascinating case of cultural fusion.

The evening will be yours to enjoy an evening meal, a stroll around the city or do a spot of shopping before getting some well-earned rest at your hand-picked hotel.

During colonial times this area was a center of vice and a no-go area for the police during the ‘roaring 30s’. A far cry from what you can see today as stroll around the surrounding roads and admire the local colonial homes that have been transformed into restaurants, bars and boutiques – a reflection of the changing face of Shanghai inspired by increasing commercialism in modern China.

You will then continue to Xintiandi, a renovated area considered one of the liveliest parts of the city. Here you’ll discover the famous Yu Garden and enjoy taking tea in the Huxinting Teahouse. You will even get the chance to meet a Chinese gardener who will talk to you about his art, in particular penjing (which translates as ‘the countryside in a flowerpot’) also better known as bonsai. Traditionally, Chinese gardens are a miniature reproduction of nature; the presence of rocks represents mountains, ponds symbolize lakes and running water imitates rivers.

The finale of your day will be a traditional Chinese massage, or ‘acupression’ that concentrates on acupuncture points to stimulate the body’s natural healing process to help restore your vitality so that you return home even more relaxed and refreshed than before you arrived.

Your final evening after the massage will be free to spend at your leisure in Shanghai, perhaps grabbing some last-minute souvenirs, or taking one last delicious dinner before you wind down and pack for home.