Itinerary
Day 1-2, Monday-Tuesday, Arrival in Beijing
Departure from home gateway to China. We land in Beijing and proceed to Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is the central square of Beijing, capital of China. Its name means The Gate of Heavenly Peace. It‘s called this because of Tiananmen Gate which stands at its northern end, and which is the entrance to the Forbidden City. The square was built in 1417. At its center stands the Mausoleum of Mao Ze Dong which contains his mummified body. Tiananmen Square became infamous due to the quelling of the student demonstrations which took place there in 1989. After our visit there, we will arrive at our hotel.
Day 3, Wednesday, Beijing
We‘ll depart early for the greatest wall in the world. The Great Wall of China is the largest construction project ever undertaken by man-- measuring over 6,000 kilometers. Large sections of the wall were built between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE, over 2500 years ago. For hundreds of years, according to security needs arising from political conflicts in different ages, some sections of the Great Wall of China were added and strengthened while other sections were neglected. The Great Wall is made up of three primary components: passes, signal and watch towers, and defensive walls. Walking along the Great Wall will enable us to sense the historical dimension of the project. Afterwards, we‘ll visit a Chinese health center and enjoy an invigorating reflexology treatment. In the evening, we will see an amazing Kung Fu spectacle, a magnificently staged theatrical production with lovely music and a beautiful story describing this ancient Chinese martial art.
Day 4, Thursday, Beijing- Xian
In the morning we will depart for the airport for our flight to Xi'an where we'll visit one of the wonders of the world: the immense Terra Cotta Army that the great Emperor Qin Xi Huang Di prepared for himself for his eternal life.� We'll view the mountains at the foot of which lie the Huah Qin springs, which became famous as the place where Chiang Kai-shek was captured and from where he escaped. In the evening, we will see the colorful Tang Dynnasty Show.
Day 5, Friday, Xian - Guilin
In the morning we will visit one of the city's picturesque quarters to see the grand mosque, a building that serves as a center for more than 50,000 Muslims. It bears striking resemblance to the ancient synagogue of Kaifeng, China.
We then fly over the karst mountains to the beautiful city of Guilin. After we land, we will visit the Reed Flute Cave, an impressive karst cave, the largest in Asia. Then we will go to our hotel and prepare for shabbat. Tfilot and shabbat dinner.
Day 6, Shabbat, Guilin
After Shabbat services and lunch we‘ll take a walking tour of the area near the hotel. In the evening, we will go out on a boat on the river to see a demonstration of cormorant fishing.
Day 7, Sunday, Guilin - YangShuo
In the morning we will set out on a cruise on the Li River, one of the most beautiful and famous journeys in China and maybe in all the world. Along the banks we will see the magnificent green karst mountains and then arrive in a small town of Yangshuo, a charming town with a magical atmosphere. In the evening we will see a spectacular show that was produced by China‘s most famous producer, Jiang Yimou, the man who produced the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.
Day 8, Monday, Yangshuo - Longshen - Guilin
Today we will get up early for our trip to an area north of Guilin. The trip to Longshen is picturesque, full of rice fields, tea plantations, and filled with villages populated with people of some of China‘s ethnic minorities. We will stop for some pictures of these villages nestled in the foothills of the rice terraces and bamboo forests. We will see some of the Yao and Dong minorities people.
Day 9, Tuesday, Guilin & Shanghai
In the morning we'll fly to Shanghai, the second largest city in China, and by all accounts, the most modern and developed city that causes most visitors to wonder in amazement at its astonishing stylized, modern, soaring skyline. Upon arrival, we'll take a tour of the city including Nanjing Road, Shanghai's main pedestrian mall and Shanghai's famous Bund promenade along the HuangPu River. Here we'll see the city's famous 19th Century colonial buildings. We will visit a silk factory to learn about the traditional production of silk and to see the silk products of today. In the evening we will cruise down the river from where the lights of this magnificent city can be seen from a different angle.
Day 10, Wednesday, Shanghai
Throughout today's tour of Shanghai we'll acquaint ourselves with its varying characteristics. We'll tour the Jewish Quarter- a fascinating and unique story in itself. We will see the museum that will acquaint us with the story of the refuge given to the Jews here during World War II. From there we'll continue to the YuYuan neighborhood, Shanghai's "Chinatown" with its bustling shopping center and beautiful gardens. We'll ascend to the top of one of the skyscrapers for a bird's-eye view of the city. After that we'll make our way to the Shanghai Museum, one of the most important museums in the world. We'll end the day with a visit to the financial center of Shanghai in Pudong, an area that only 15 years ago was a small village and today is the fastest growing area in the world. In the evening we will enjoy an amazing Chinese acrobatic show.
Day 11, Thursday, Shanghai - Suzhou, City of Silk, Gardens and Canals
Today we'll visit Suzhou - the"Venice" of China. We'll be amazed by its canals. We‘ll see the Lion Grove Garden, once owned by the grandparents of architect I.M. Pei, and the hundreds of naturally odd-shaped boulders which lend the place a most unusual look. This evening we will attend a very special show of Chinese culture at the "Master of the Nets" or "Fisherman's" Garden.
Day 12, Friday, Suzhou - Hangzhou
After breakfast, we'll travel to Hangzhou, a city surrounded by China's most famous tea plantations. Hangzhou was the capital of China in the 12th Century, and is considered the "Switzerland" of China. We'll marvel at the city's West Lake, its gardens and promenades. We'll visit the Pagoda of Six Harmonies where we'll come into contact with Buddhism - the most important religion in China and indeed in the entire East. Well visit the Temple at Li-Yen where hundreds of Buddha statues are carved into the rock face surrounding this enormous temple. Afterwards we'll transfer to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner.
Day 13, Shabbat, Hangzhou
After Shabbat services and lunch, we'll take a walking tour to the "Chinese Quarter" - an area reconstructed in ancient Chinese style. We'll visit an ancient Chinese pharmacy which has been in existence for over 150 years and where Chinese medicinal practices guide the pharmacists in their work. We'll see the pharmacists at work and we'll visit a museum located on the 2nd floor of the building. After dinner, we will go out to the amazing Song Dynasty show.
Day 14, Sunday, Hangzhou - Beijing
Today we'll fly back to Beijing. We will visit the Summer Palace. We‘ll view the palaces, gardens and lake where the emperors of China would relax and retreat from the sweltering heat of the Beijing summer.
Day 15, Monday, Beijing
Today we will visit the most impressive place in Beijing, the Temple of Heaven. We will see the Chinese people in the park that surrounds it playing badminton, doing Tai Chi, dancing, and socializing. We will visit the grounds of the Temple of Heaven which was an important ceremonial center. We will visit a pearl factory to learn about the production of pearls. Then we will go on to see the very heart of Beijing - the Forbidden City. Built in the 16th century, as the palace of China's Ming Dynasty Emperors, it's an impressive example of traditional Chinese architecture. We'll traverse the entire length of the Forbidden City, as we view the many splendid palaces and vast courtyards. Used as the set for the film "The Last Emperor", it was indeed forbidden to the Chinese masses until the onset of the revolution at the beginning of the 20th century. In the evening, we will see the spectacular "Beijing Nights" show.
Day 16, Tuesday, Beijing
Today we'll make our way to the airport for our flight to Beijing, from where we'll return to our home gateway. We've had an unforgettable experience, seen a beautiful and fascinating part of the world, and developed an appetite for more.
This is an extraordinary excursion to a captivating culture. Big bustling cities on breathtaking backdrops; tasty exotic teas and fertile rice paddies; soft silk and exquisitely pleasing pearls, and the marvels of Chinese medicine – see them all up close and personal as the greatest transformation of the modern age takes place before our very eyes. Our tour menu includes charming Suzhou, the enchanting vistas of Guilin; the cities of Beijing, Xian, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and quaint countryside villages. An exciting exploration of both ancient and modern Chinese culture