Not just a country, China is a different world. This is an experience in your life to see varied aspects of China from a picturesque countryside to mind boggling structures.

Minimum 2 persons, surcharge is applied for single traveller.

Trip Schedule 2008:
Apr:  19-30, 26 Apr - 7 May
May:  3-14, 10-21, 17-28, 24 May - 4 Jun, 31 May - 11 Jun
Jun:  7-18, 14-25, 21 Jun - 2 Jul, 28 Jun - 9 Jul
Jul:  5-16, 12-23
Aug:   No operation - 2008 Olympic Games
Sep:  13-24, 20 Sep - 1 Oct, 27 Sep - 8 Oct
Oct:  4-15, 11-22, 18-29
Nov:  1-12, 8-19, 15-26, 22 Nov - 3 Dec, 29 Nov - 10 Dec
Dec:   6-17, 13-24, 20-31, 27 Dec - 7 Jan

Trip Schedule 2009:
Jan:   3-14, 10-21, 17-28, 31 Jan - 11 Feb
Feb:   7-18, 14-25, 21 Feb - 4 Mar

• Package includes:
  • 11 night accommodation with buffet breakfast:
  - Chang An Grand hotel or Kingwing Hot Spring International Hotel or similar(5 star)
  - Xian King Dynasty Hotel or similar (4 star)
  - Guilin Park Hotel or similar (4 star)
  - Shanghai Galaxy Hotel or similar (4 star)
  • Sightseeing with lunch & dinner listed in the above itinerary
  • Professional English speaking tour guide service in each city
  • Round trip airport/hotel transfers in each city
  • Domestic airfare Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Shanghai with airport tax.

  Note: Additional fuel tax of RMB 390 (as of 25Feb08) or approx. 60 US dollar for domesitc flights is included in the price of this program and subject to change if the airlines revise the fuel charge in the future. 

• Package excludes:
  • Arrival & Departure International flights
  • International Airport tax out of Shanghai
  • Personal expenses
  • Gratuities to guides, drivers & porters 

  Note:

• A single traveler will be charged 37 US dollars for a round trip transfer from the airport to the hotel on an arrival flight.  

• Travelers who arrive and/or depart on a day other than the day stated in the schedule mentioned above will be charged 15 US dollars for a transfer (per person/ per way) from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. 

• The reservation of at least 14 days prior to your arrival date is required. An additional USD 30 per person will be charged for late booking.

• All visitors to China and Tibet, including those of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, need to apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy or consulate in or near your country. Passports must be valid for at least six months before your travel to china. Visa application should be lodged at least 3 weeks before your entry.
  
  Hotel used in the program:
  Beijing - Chang An Grand hotel or similar hotel (5 Star)
  Xi'an - King Dynasty hotel or similar (4 star)
  Guilin - Guilin Park Hotel or similar (4 Star)
  Shanghai - Shanghai Galaxy Hotel (4 Star)

It has been said that China is not a country. It’s really a different world, one possessing origins of the oriental civilizations. China is considered to be the third largest country in the world with reference to area and population. Since China is comparable to a continent, first-time travelers had better spot their itinerary to the outstandingly attractive tourist sites so as to see landmarks identifying the symbols of the country. For tourists visiting for the very first time, these sites in China are a must see, like seeing the Eiffel Tower or La Champs-Elysees when in France.

Beijing
The Forbidden City
Covering an area of 720,000 square metres with more than 9,000 rooms, this is the Palace Museum. It is also known as the Purple Forbidden City. It is the largest and most well preserved imperial residence in China today. Under Ming Emperor Yongle, construction began in 1406. It took 14 years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of 23 successive emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne. In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized the Forbidden City as a world cultural legacy.

The Great Wall
The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. It is a distance of 75 kilometres northwest of Beijing. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 metres above sea level.

Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 - 221 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.  

The Wall traverses mountains and gullies. It was extremely difficult to build along steep slopes under harsh conditions. Some of the slabs of rock were as long as two metres and weighed as much as one ton. All the rocks, bricks and lime had to be carried up the mountains at the cost of backbreaking labour. The earth and bricks were passed up from hand to hand or carried in baskets by donkeys and goats. The large slabs were moved up slopes by means of rolling rods and hoisting bars. According to rough calculation, the amount of bricks and rock used to build the Wall would have been enough to build a wall five metres high and one metre thick around the world.

Xi'an
The terracotta warriors of Emperor Qinshihuang
In March 1974, villagers of the Xiyang Village, while welling, stumbled on the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang's Tombs. The big tombs are made up of thousands of terracotta figures of soldiers, horses and weapons. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. This is a sight not to be missed and apparently the highlight of the trip to Xian.  

When Qin Shi Huang, who was the first Emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13 in 246 BC, the young emperor had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. Many treasures and artifacts were found with thousands of life size terracotta figures and horses.

The museum features more than thousands pieces of terracotta figures of warriors, horses chariots and weapons.The discovery of the tombs has put Xian on the tourist map and become one of the 10 most famous places in China. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as the world cultural heritages.  

Great Wild Goose Pagoda
Located in Daci’en Temple in the southern suburb of Xian, the Great Wild Goose Pagoda is regarded as the masterpiece excelling the Nature. The pagoda was built in 652 AD when a famous Chinese monk Xuanzang presented a memorial to the emperor to build the grand Dayan Tower to store the Buddhist scripture he fetched from India. It was also a sanctum where he worked on the translation of the Buddhist scripture.

Mounting the grand Dayan Tower, looking into the distance while leaning on the handrail, you can see the whole ancient city of too many beautiful things, which makes you relaxed, happy and reluctant to leave.  

Shanghai
Pudong: Special Economic Zone
Pudong is bounded by the Huangpu river in the west and the East China Sea in the east. Located on the other side of the Bund, Pudong is the special Economic Zone. With a population of 1.5 million, Pudong has 13 residential districts and 28 townships under its jurisdiction. Its futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower, with a giddy height of 468 meters, stands as the world's third tallest TV tower. The tower’s observation floor is 263 meters high and 45 meters in diameter. It is the best place to get a bird's-eye view of Shanghai. It goes without saying that the skyscrapers and towers in Pudong have already come to symbolize Shanghai.

Shoppers’ paradise
Shanghai is a "paradise for shoppers". The famous 5-km-long Nanjing Road, known as China's No. 1 Street, is lined with more than 350 shops and department stores selling clothing, food and specialty goods. In the evening, the road is lit up with colourful neon signs. The newly-expanded Huaihai Road, Jingling Road East and Sichuan Road North are also busy commercial sections with hundreds of stores and shops selling all kinds of merchandise. For exotic shoppers, Yuyuan Bazaar offers all sorts of local products.  

Guilin
Lijiang River
Lijiang River is the soul of Guilin scenery. It is the river of poems and paintings. The transparent River twists in and out among the grotesque pinnacles and hillocks like a jade ribbon. From Guilin to Yangshuo, the 83-km-long waterway forms a gallery of landscape painting. The scenery often changes with the changing days and seasons. Take a boat and enjoy yourself with the wonderful scenery of peeks, rivers, sunshine and reflections on the water. Guilin is a fairyland in the world with "Fascinating Views of Three Hills", "Nine Horses in Picture Hill", "Places of Interest in Xingping" and "Green-Lotus World" etc.

Yangshuo Town
Located 65 kilometres south of Guilin along Lijiang River is Yangshuo County. This small laid back town becomes a haven to adventurers who want to explore Guilin’s countryside. Founded in Jin Dynasty some 1500 years ago, it is famous not only for the attractive hills and waters there, but also for its fertile farmlands, particularly for such fruits as sweet orange, tangerine and pomelo. The town boosts numerous caf้, souvenir shops and guesthouses. It is easy to get around the town with bicycles which are available for rent in many shops in the market.