A health & well-being tour to Chengdu (Sichuan), Yunnan and South China.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive at Chengdu
Our program starts from a visit to the Wen Shu Temple, where we enjoy a vegetarian feast in the Buddhist style, followed by a stroll through the tranquil courtyards of this lovely Buddhist temple. Our next stops are the Cottage of Du Fu, the famous Tang Dynasty poet, and the Wang Jiang Lou Park, where we can view over 100 species of bamboo and enjoy a Tea Appreciation Ceremony in a local teahouse. Before setting out to sample some of the famous spicy Sichuan cuisine, we can relax at the hotel pool for a while. Enjoy the welcome dinner of famous Sichuan cuisine and followed by Sichuan Opera Face Changing Show while enjoying a foot massage.
Overnight: 4-star hotel.
Day 2: Chengdu to Mt. Qingcheng
Early in the morning we visit the Panda Breeding Center just outside of the city. The morning is the best time to observe pandas, as they are most lively at that time. An expert from the center takes us around and explains the habits of these adorable animals to us. In the afternoon we drive to the Mt.Qingcheng. We take the cable car followed by a ferry on Yuncheng Lake, then hike to Tianshi Dong Temple. We have a lecture of the Daoism before dinner tonight. We spend the night at temple guesthouse.
Overnight: Temple Guesthouse.
Day 3: Mt. Qingcheng to Chengdu
After a morning Qigong learning section, we spend sometime to explore the mountain trail and temples. We descend the mountain and drive back to Chengdu in the afternoon. After lunch, we drive to Wang Jiang Lou Park, where we can view over 100 species of bamboo and enjoy a cup of green tea in a tea place where there is competitive bird singing. After enjoying some tea, we take a calligraphy learning lesson with our master.
Tonight is free for exploring the famous Chengdu snacks.
Overnight: 4-star hotel.
Day 4: Chengdu to Lijiang
This morning, we take a Cooking Lesson to learn 2 to 3 cuisine of the popular Sichuan food. After lunch, we take a short evening flight to Lijiang. Once past the Waterwheel at the entrance of Lijiang's Old Town, you will find yourself transported into a world of narrow cobblestone streets bordering canals of crystal clear freshly melted snow, unchanged since the Ming Dynasty when the town was founded.
Overnight: 4-star courtyard hotel
Day 5: Lijiang
Enter the Black Dragon Pool Park and photograph Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rising majestically behind the peaceful lake. Next to the park, spend time at the Museum of Naxi Culture. In the afternoon, we can visit Baisha Naxi village, which is a small village 10km north of Lijiang. Although the traditional houses do not look very impressive, Baisha was the historical capital of the Naxi kingdom and is still a good place to have a glance at the Naxi culture. There are old temples with interesting frescoes, traditional musicians, as well as Taoist doctor specialist in herbal medicine. The evening concert of ancient Naxi music will end the day on a high note.
Overnight: 4-star courtyard hotel.
Day 6: Wenhai Valley.
Today we take a day hike to Wenhai village. Our hike starts in a village where the famed naturalist Joseph Rock lived during the 1920s and 1930s as he catalogued the botanical richness of the northern Yunnan and Western Sichuan region. We can visit the house he lived in, which has been converted to a small museum about his life. We then take a moderate hike over a pass and into a world of Yi people. Our destination is Xuehua, a village of some 30 families. We are greeted by the local Dongba, or shaman, and his wife. In the afternoon, we descend into the Wenhai Valley. Along the trail, there are excellent views of Lijiang. The trail passes by a small reservoir and the Botanical Garden of Edinburgh and the Kunming Institute of Botany.
Overnight: 4-star courtyard hotel.
Day 7: Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge to Zhongdian
This morning, we drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge and stop at Shigu Town for the scenery of the First Bend of Yangtze River deflected sharply to the northeast towards Tiger Leaping Gorge. After a short hike at Tiger Leaping Gorge, we continue driving to Zhongdian, the center of Tibetan Culture. Having recently proclaimed their city the “Shangri La” of James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, the civic leaders of Zhongdian have a powerful desire to conserve its rich natural heritage.
Overnight: 4-star Tibetan style boutique hotel
Day 8: Zhongdian
This morning, we visit the Songzanlin Monastery, one of the largest Tibetan monasteries in Yunnan. We'll join morning prayers with the monks and in the monastery. Afterwards, we walk up to the Ringha Temple which is known as the Monastery of the Five Wisdom Buddhas. We then hike along the kora (pilgrim path) around Ringha Hill. The act of kora-walking clockwise around a sacred object-is carried out by pilgrims as a devotional exercise. Later, we are welcomed into a local Tibetan home, where we learn about daily life and sample traditional yak-butter tea. After lunch, we visit a Tibetan Village at Nixi, one hour drive south of Zhongdian town where you can learn pottery-making from local craftsman who has lived on this skill for many years. This village is almost untouched by tourists.
Overnight: 4-star Tibetan style boutique hotel.
Day 9: Zhongdian to Shanghai via Lijiang
We drive to Lijiang and take the flight to Shanghai. After some rest at hotel, our Shanghai tour starts with a walk on Shanghai's great landmark, the Bund, where the great foreign commercial houses and banks built their imposing office buildings in the first half of the twentieth century. Then we transfer to for dinner at Xintiandi, a trendy up market recreation of Shanghai's traditional shikumen architecture, filled with restaurants, boutiques, and tea houses.
Overnight: Old Shanghai style boutique hotel.
Day 10: Shanghai
This morning, we get up early for joining local people’s morning exercise at Fuxing Park. Then we continue our tour to visit the Shanghai Museum, which contains one of the world‘s finest collections of Chinese art, all housed in a state of the art museum. In the afternoon we embark on a walking tour of some of the tree shaded streets of the French Concession.
Overnight: Old Shanghai style boutique hotel.
Day 11: Shanghai to Suzhou
This morning, we drive for about one hour to Zhujiajiao, a traditional water town built on canals to get a rare glimpse of the southern Chinese people’s life that has been in existence for centuries.
Then we continue driving to Suzhou, an ancient city famed for its gardens and silks. Our guide leads us through two of the most famed gardens of Suzhou - the Garden of Master’s Nets and the Humble Administrator’s Garden. During the garden walk, our guide explains in detail philosophy and principles of Chinese garden arrangement. Tonight we stay at a boutique courtyard hotel to get a experience of the leisure life in South China.
Overnight: 4-star courtyard style boutique hotel.
Day 12: Suzhou to Shanghai
After breakfast, we visit a Silk Factory, where the whole complicated process of silk making is laid out clearly. When visiting the Embroidery Research Institute, we have an opportunity to pick up a needle and actually make a piece of silk embroidery, which we can take home as a remembrance. In the afternoon, we drive for about two hours back to Shanghai. The rest of the day is open for free exploration.
Overnight: Old Shanghai style boutique hotel.
Day 13: Back home
Transport to airport for your international flight home. Trip ends.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Airfare US$ 510 (Chengdu to Lijiang/Lijiang to Shanghai)
Price Includes:
- All hotel accommodations (Atmospheric Boutique Hotel) based on double occupancy, including tax and breakfast
- All meals as stated in the itinerary highlighting the local cuisine with water, tea, local beer, and soft drinks.
- Airport arrival and departure transfers
- All ground transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water and snacks on coach
- All admissions and activity expenses as noted on itinerary
- Services of local guides, site experts, and other support staff
Price Excludes:
- International airfare
- Any en route stopovers, hotels, and meals to and from China
- Excess baggage charges and airport taxes
- Passport and visa fees
- Normal level of gratuities for local guides and drivers
- Travel insurance for trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage lose/damage
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
China
Pilgrimage/Spirituality
Cultural Journey
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