China Big City Tour (Beijing/Xian/Chengdu/Guangzhou/Shanghai 10 Days)

　Tour Remark : Beijing is the capital city of China, which is located at northern China, Xian is the one of largest city in northwestern area of China, Chengdu is the one of the largest city in Southwestern area of China, Guangzhou is the one of largest city in the area of Southern China, Shanghai is the largest city in the eastern coast of China and also is the biggest city around the whole China.

　Day One, after your arrival, you may get lost at our new capital airport but with help of our smile guide, you could take the coach to reach the comfortable hotel. After a glimpse over the Beijing landscape, being free at your temporary home and ready for tomorrow's walking.

　Day Two, after taste of Chinese made of western breakfast, we will stop at the Tiananmen Square before spending several hours exploring the vast corridors and courtyards of the Forbidden City, one of China 's premiere historical attractions and the site of the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Altogether more than 800 buildings and 9,000 chambers make up this complex, and with the help of our expert guide you will be awed and enchanted by stories of imperial extravagance and political intrigue that go back more than 500 years. Trying first Chinese lunch in Beijing , we will head to Emperor's Summer Palace and you could relax your eyes from buildings and buildings, to enjoy the beautiful lake and man made mountain with some unforgettable old imperial story. Free at evening and night and you may enjoy one optional activity.

　Day Three, earlier getting up and we take a long coach ride out to view another of China 's signature monuments, the Great Wall. We will choose one of several sections of the Wall to visit and walking, and you could think about how to build these over 2,000 years ago and stretching about 6,700km.You may touch the Mongolian wind from north, and then you will understand why the wall is here. Down to foot of maintain, after enjoying a tourist Chinese meal, we continue to watch Ming Emperor's Tombs, you could find out Chinese concept of Feng Shui. On the way to the Ming Tombs, you should pass the Sacred Road which is lined with stone statues of animals, mystical beasts and officials who serve the emperor in his afterlife, through which the sitting emperors would go to perform memorial rituals for the ancestors once a year. After this whole tour, you could make relax by yourself in the evening.

　Day Four, today, we make for the Temple of Heaven in the morning, a vast religious complex containing masterpieces of Chinese architecture, used by past emperors for offering sacrifices. Today, such grisly activities are no longer in evidence, and the area has been opened to locals for recreational use. Nowadays, you could find all the local people like to come in, some play Taiji and Qigong, some are gathering for dancing and singing, some are flying kites, or some are staying together for playing chess and cards, etc. It is common life of ordinary people. With all memory photos and your luggage, after the last lunch in Beijing , we will transfer you back to the capital airport for the flight to Xian. Upon your arrival, we transfer you to the hotel from the Xian airport which is a very far away from the city. You will be free at the rest of day and make relax for yourself.

　Day Five, after taste of Chinese made of western breakfast and you will be ready to see the one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, the Terracotta Warrior and Horses. This discovery of the terracotta army buried near the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first unifier of China, is created 2,200 years ago as an imperial guard to serve the emperor in his afterlife, these thousands of life-size warrior and horse figures equipped with chariots and bronze weapons, bear witness to the military might of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), and give the world a rare peek into the distant past. Discovered in 1974 and opened to the public in 1979, this ancient site is now one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world. After that, we will drive back to the Xian city and watch the pretty nice Big Wild Goose Pagoda , a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture in a distinctly Tang dynasty style. It became famous when master Xuanzang or we called him Monk Tripitaka where he made the translation of the Buddhist scriptures after his return from his 17-years India journey. Later, someone created a story of Go West for his Indian travel and becomes very popular among Chinese people, even from children. What a rich Chinese culture city you will have.

　Day Six, you leave the hotel for our Xian city sightseeing after morning breakfast. Within the Xian city, we will drive you to see the ancient city wall which was firstly built by the 14 th Century on Tang Dynasty foundation. From the ancient city wall, you could have a view of the Xian city. After that, we move to the Drum Tower and Bell Tower which is located in the exact center of the ancient city, the old Xian landmark. Later, we will pay a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum , a striking Tang-Dynasty style pavilion with a large collection of historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi . Take your time, your last day in Xian. After that you will catch up for the flight to Chengdu in the afternoon. While your arrival, our tour guide will transfer you directly back to your hotel. On the way, you could have a window sightseeing of Chengdu city, you might learn a little about the big city in Southwestern China .

　Day Seven, after a nice sleep at your hotel, we will start our one day tour in Chengdu in the morning. As Sichuan is the home town of Panda , so we come to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The giant pandas are not only a Chinese national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over. They are found only in Sichuan , Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. Therefore, when visitors from home and abroad come to Chengdu , Sichuan Province one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves. It is a non-profit organization engaged in wildlife research, captive breeding, conservation education, and educational tourism. This Base covers an area of 106 hectares and will be enlarged to 200 hectares during the third phase of our expansion. Red pandas, golden monkeys and other wild and/or endangered species live and breed here. You will really touch of our Giant Panda.

　Leaving the Panda Base, we will have the experience with another local culture, Sichuan food. It is the time for the lunch, as you know the Sichuan dishes are very famous around the country, even around the world. It is famous for its many flavors, and almost every dish has its own unique taste. This is because many flavorings and seasonings are produced in Sichuan Province . These include soy sauce from Zhongba, cooking vinegar from Baoning, special vinegar from Sanhui, fermented soy beans from Tongchuan, hot pickled mustard tubers from Fuling, chili sauce from Chongqing , thick, broad – bean sauce from Pixian, and well salt from Zigong . Beside the hot dishes, it also has many delicious snacks and desserts, such as Bangbang chicken, chicken with sesame paste, lantern shadow beef, husband and wife's pork lung slices, steamed beef, noodles with chili sauce, and rice dumplings stuffed with sesame paste. We hope that you could have a good appetite.

　Thousands years ago, Chengdu used to be the capital city of Shu Kingdom during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-80 AD). And nowadays, we could still find some remains here and the Wuhou Temple is the one of them. It is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, the Martial Marquis of Shu in the Three Kingdoms. Zhuge Liang was the personification of noble character and intelligence. Memorial temples erected in many places after his death include a famous one in Chengdu . The most valuable cultural relic within the temple is the stele set up in 809. This huge stele 367-centimeter (144-inch) high and 95-centimeter (37-inch) wide is called the Triple-Success Stele. The three successes are: an article written by Pei Du, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty who served four emperors in succession, calligraphy by Liu Gongquan, one of the most brilliant calligraphers in Chinese history, and a statement about the morality and achievements of Zhuge Liang. His great personality, his dedicated service to others, and his outstanding intelligence, place Zhuge Liang above all emperors, generals, and ministers in history. A visit to the temple illuminates his status with the Chinese people.

　Near Wuhou Temple , it is Jinli Street . Dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), Jinli Street in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, was in ancient times one of the busiest of commercial boulevards of the Kingdom of Shu, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). It is thus known as the " First Street of the Shu Kingdom ." At the time of the Three Kingdoms period, the production of the famous Shu brocade (a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver) was centralized at the southern bank of the Jinjiang River in Chengdu , adjacent to the historical Temple of Marquis Wu . The area was originally known as Jinguan or Jinli, and during the later Tang and Song Dynasties, Jinli became another name for the city of Chengdu . Chengdu was the capital city of the Kingdom of Shu (221-263). Due largely to the leadership of Zhuge Liang and other personages of the Kingdom of Shu, the Three Kingdoms culture took strong root here. And here still exists some of the richest of the remains of the Three Kingdoms Period. Renovation of the street was completed at the end of 2004.Visitors from all over China and abroad gathered here in this ancient street to relax, take in the surroundings, and perhaps taste some of the local specialties. It is said that citizens of Chengdu are particularly fond of dining and socializing, and perhaps this is what helps to create the city‘s leisurely ambience.Chengdu has been newly designated as one of the ten most livable cities in China.

　By the end of the day, taking rich Three Kingdoms' culture with you, we will transfer you back to the airport for the evening flight to Guangzhou . Upon your arrival, our tour guide will transfer you directly back to your hotel. On the way, you could have a window sightseeing of Guangzhou city, you might learn a little about the big city in Southern China .

　Day Eight, after a nice sleep at your hotel, we bring you to have the tour in Guangzhou . Firstly, we come to see the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. It is a national major cultural relic in Guangzhou for all the Chinese people to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner of Chinese revolution. The hall saw its construction started in 1929 and completed in 1931 at where the Presidential Palace had been. Now, it is one of most symbolic buildings of Guangzhou , and also a major site for great convention and performance, a tourist attraction to visitors from home and abroad. After that, we will come to the Five Ram Statue. The Sculpture of the Five Rams built in 1959 is the symbol of Guangzhou . It is said that long ago five celestial beings wearing robes of five colors came to Guangzhou riding through the air on rams. Each carries a stem of rice, which they presented to the people as a suspicious sign from heaven that the area would be free from famine forever. Therefore, Guangzhou got another name from the myth - City of Five Rams or just Ram City . After seeing these two symbols of Guangzhou city, we will pay a visit to the Temple of Six Banyan Trees. The Temple of Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road . It has a rich collection of cultural-relics and is renowned both at home and abroad. Having a long history of about 1,400 years, originally built in 537, the temple has been rebuilt several times. Burning joss sticks is a big event when visiting the temple. Thus every year on the Chinese traditional Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, the temple becomes a busy area. Numerous people queue to burn the first joss stick in order to be blessed by gods in the coming year. Maybe you could try it in this Temple .

　At the noon time, it is the change for you to try the real famous Guangzhou dishes. Guangdong Cuisine, one of the main cuisine styles in China . With the advantages of all delicacies from all over the country, Guangdong Cuisine has gradually formed its own characteristics - using a wide variety of ingredients, offering food of all tastes, shapes and colors, good at changing, and serving light food in summer and autumn, and strong and mellow food in winter and spring. Guangdong Cuisine features sour, bitter, spicy and delicious tastes with a clear and fragrant smell. Guangdong snacks are peculiar about ingredients, some sweet and some salty, enjoying the reputation of "100 kinds of snacks having 100 tastes and 100 shapes." There is an old saying: " Guangdong serves best food in the country." Now we can say: " Guangdong offers delicacies from all over the world."

　Food is very good but how it will come from? Next stop will be the Qingping Market, that could be very interesting place in your trip. On the side of pretty Pearl River , Qingping Market is located at the crossing of Qingping Road and Tiyun Road . It spans about 1000 meters with 1200 sales counters. It is a market special for agricultural and sideline products and traditional Chinese medical materials. It becomes a significant distribution place for agricultural and sideline products and traditional Chinese medical materials with large scale, flexible transaction and broad coverage in Guangzhou . It deals in more than 600 varieties, including Chinese medical materials, fresh and dried fruits, fresh meat, eggs, poultry, aquatic products, seafood, preserved foods, vegetable, ceramic, jade ware, arts and crafts, flowers, birds, insects, cereals, oils, oilseeds, bran, and flour. Qingping Market attracts political VIPs and visitors all over the world to come by its various agricultural and sideline products and distinct oriental flavor.

　What an interesting market you have been, then we move to Shamian Island . Shamian, a small island in Canton ( Guangzhou ), was one of the most famous tourist attractions of the city.  History has it that the Shamian Island was "the only place where foreign traders were permitted to set up their warehouses and factories" from 18th to 19th century. After the Opium War in 1843, British and French colonists settled their residents and churches in Shamian, making it a completely western liked territory. Nowadays in Shamian one of the must-visit places is a French Catholic church, which is located at the east end of the main boulevard. The boulevard is garnished with lawns, flower beds, and European-style buildings on both sides. Vast area of the island is covered by huge banyans, under which senior citizens and children recreate themselves by playing badminton, cycling and dancing. Apparently, the tiny Shamian Island is not only an oasis for tourist, but also oasis for many Guangzhou dwellers in such a rushing city. It is a good luck that the city's constructions did not ruin any trace of this island. Nevertheless, it is the historical background of a city that makes it a real treasure.

　What is a busy day, we do not have any more times left for you and by the end of the day we will transfer you back to the airport for the flight to Shanghai . Upon your arrival, the guide will take you back to the hotel with an evening view of never sleeping city.

　Day Nine, at the first, we will stop at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and it is 468 meters high (1,536 feet) tower which is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower surpassed in height only by towers in Toronto, Canada and Moscow, Russia. However, the view of Shanghai from this height fills you with wonder at the beauty that surrounds you, such as the Yangtze River, the Bund, and whole picture of Shanghai city. Down from the Tower, we will drive to the Bund and Nanjing Road . The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road , is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge , which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River , the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower . And Nanjing Road was the earliest shopping street in Shanghai after the Opium War (1839-1842), but now, it become the China's premier shopping street, 3.4-mile-long, starts at the Bund in the east and ends in the west at the junction of Jingan Temple and Yanan West Street. It is a must-see metropolitan destination attracting thousands of fashion-seeking shoppers from all over the world.

　After the noon, we have two destinations for you, one is the Yuyuan Garden , and the other is Jade Buddha Temple . Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai . The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 20,000 square meters (about five acres). However, the small size is not a representative of the attractions of the garden. The pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters all have unique characteristics. And in the western part of Shanghai , a very modern and flourishing city, there is a venerable and famous Buddhist temple, Jade Buddha Temple . In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928. It was named the Jade Buddha Temple . Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city.

　End of Shanghai tour, old Shanghai and modern Shanghai , you all hold it into your camera and completed a whole view of Shanghai .

　Day Ten is the last day in China and you maybe have a free morning here. You could do what you like to do. Depend on your departure flight time and our guide will arrange the pickup for you to the airport.

　Tour Quotation:

　Remark: TBA means that it should be asked due to Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

　Remark: The price will be based on per person

　All the quotation will be including:

　1.  All the Entrance fees listed in the itinerary

　2.  Meals only including breakfast and lunch

　3.  Skillful driver with private vehicle

　4.  Hotel room should be on twin share bases

　5.  Excellent local guide

　6.  Domestic transportation
　   * Air tickets: Beijing to Xian and Xian to Chengdu and Chengdu to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Shanghai
　   * All the ground transfer

　7.  All the quotation is by US Dollars which is based on the rate of Bank of China

　8.  Cancellation policy: Cancellation should be informed three days before departure otherwise should have 30% penalty of total price.

　9.  Payment policy: All the payment should be three days in advance before departure when you received the final confirmation and tickets

　10.  Payment method: cash, credit card and wire transfer

　  All the quotation will be NOT including:

　1.   International ticket

　2.  All the dinners

　3.  Personal Expenses.

　4.  Gratuities, Tips to guides or drivers

　Notes: All the quotation would be changed due to the unexpected reason.