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Home > Tour > Classic
Tour >
Best
of Southern China
| DAY
.1 |
ARRIVAL
IN HONG KONG |
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You
will be met on arrival this evening in Hong Kong by our representative
and transferred by private car to the Hotel. |
| DAY
.2 |
HONG
KONG |
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The
morning will commence with a briefing on your onward trip to China
and you will depart on your day of sightseeing to witness the bustling
modern city with a rich Chinese culture laced with a 150 year old
British colonial history. The Western a district rather older and
more exotic in character than other parts of Hong Kong. Its crowded
residential streets and traditional shops form a character contrast
to Central. |
| DAY
.3 |
HONG
KONG |
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The
morning will commence with a briefing on your onward trip to China
and you will depart on your day of sightseeing to witness the bustling
modern city with a rich Chinese culture laced with a 150 year old
British colonial history. The Western a district rather older and
more exotic in character than other parts of Hong Kong. Its crowded
residential streets and traditional shops form a character contrast
to Central.
Man Mo Temple, located in a deeply traditional area is one of the
most atmospheric small temples to visit. This 150 year old temple
is notable for its great hanging coils of incense suspended from the
ceiling. The two figures on the main alter are the Taoist gods of
Literature (Man) and the Martial Arts (Mo). Hong Kong Park in Central
acts as a green lung which provide a peaceful breathing space to the
bustling community. A 24.7 acre parkland facility which include a
visual arts center, greenhouse areas replicating desert and tropical
jungle environment. You may also find Hong Kong`s largest aviary,
designed as a tropical rainforest for more than 150 species of birds.
The flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is also located here.
The Peak 1,811 feet above sea level on the back of the Dragon provides
impressive harbor and south island sea views. You will take a ride
on The Peak Tram, a funicular railway up this hill and will be passing
through the area which was quintessentially colonial with upper-class
expats in expensive houses, though Chinese were not allowed to set
up home on the hill until relatively recently. Reaching the top, you
will find a new observation deck, shopping and entertainment area.
Lunch this afternoon will be at the Peak Cafe The rest of the afternoon
is at leisure to enjoy some time for your own independent activities. |
| DAY
.4 |
HONG
KONG / GUILIN |
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After
breakfast you will have the morning at leisure to complete your last
minute shopping. Afternoon you will be transferred to the airport
for your evening flight to Guilin. Upon arrival into Guilin you will
be transferred to hotel, the ride from the airport to the hotel will
take approximately 1 hour. The hotel is nestled on the banks of the
Li River amid lush and tree lined avenues. Guilin city is South China`s
shining pearl with verdant mountains, elegant waters, magnificent
crags and fantastic caverns with a history of more than 2,000 years. |
| DAY
.5 |
GUILIN |
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Today
you will embark on a private riverboat and cruise along Li River to
the rural village of Yangshuo and enjoy a tasty luncheon aboard. This
trip passes the most exquisite stretch of Guilin`s famed scenery and
the experience is like to travel through a verdant landscapes straight
off a Chinese scroll painting. Every poem has a painting and every
painting has a poem this Chinese adage best describes the remarkable
natural beauty of Guilin; a living painting that is a poem to the
wonders of nature. Towering limestone pinnacles, formed from the erosion
and geologic upheaval of an ancient seabed, cloaked in a mantle of
forest green are scattered along the shores of the Li River. The crystalline
waters and the verdant belt of green vegetation inspired the Tang
poet, Han Yu (8th century) to write: The river forms a green gauze
belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins.
After berthing at Yangshuo you will disembark and spend some time
wandering through its free market before returning by road to Guilin.
Yangshuo is a charming town of white-washed shops lining cobbled street,
a lively market center for the surrounding farming communities. This
evening, experience one of the more unique practices of Guilin`s fishing
people when you view night cormorant fishing. While you are seated
in a viewing boat a local fisherman on a traditional bamboo kampan
(three plank boat) will release his trained cormorants (tethered to
the boat by rope) into the river. The birds dive into the water and
track the schools of fish that thrive in the clear river water. Once
the cormorant has caught a fish, they return to the boat where the
fisherman removes the catch. A ring around the bird`s neck prevents
the cormorant from swallowing any of its catch. The fisherman will,
however reward his faithful companion. This is an unusual and highly
popular method of fishing along the Li River. |
| DAY
.6 |
GUILIN
/ XISHUANGBANNA |
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Your
morning today will begin with some city sightseeing that includes
Fubo Shan, a hill where the giant Jie Die fought a demon that was
descending on Guilin with a vanguard of deadly animals. The demon
was vanquished and the city never troubled by evil spirits again.
Climb to Fubo's summit and you pass three hundred Buddha images, carved
into the rock during the Tang and Song dynasties.
Visit Tunnel Cave, one of the region`s distinctive caves with a 2,624
feet long spacious tunnel, is a gallery of sparkling stalactites and
stalagmites with myriad of shapes and forms with no limit to imagination.
It became a sightseeing spot as in the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907),
and since then many poems and other inscriptions have been left behind
on its walls by visiting writers and scholars.
In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for your flight
to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan via Kunming. On arrival you will be transferred
to Hotel. Xishuangbanna is the Southernmost part of Yunnan Province,
bordering on Myanmar (Burma) and Laos has a tropical rain forest climate.
With abundant sunshine, plentiful rain and frequent dense fog, it
has a reputation for beautiful subtropical scenery and unique folk-culture
attractions. On this land live more than 13 ethnic groups such as
Dai, Hani and Yao, all with colorful customs and rich historical traditions.
It also enjoys great fame as "the kingdom of plants and animals,"
because of its rich resources of flora and fauna. The rest of the
day is at leisure for independent activities. |
| DAY
.7 |
XISHUANGBANNA |
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A
full day of sightseeing begins with a visit to the Hani Village on
the Menghai Highway (the road to Myanmar). The Hani are one of the
oldest groups in Yunnan Province . They are a cluster of 20+ tribal
groups that speak over 10 different languages & dialects. In the
1950s, the central government grouped them all into one category and
called them Hani.
Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon you will be transferred
to the Mekong River Pier to embark on a private boat to cruise down
the Mekong to Ganlanba Plain Pier and will be transferred to Shui
Dai Village. The visit here will include a Buddhist Temple, local
homes and a village performance of traditional Dai dances. The major
activity is the cultivation of rice, dry rice in the highlands and
wet in the valleys. The usual Dai household consists of a husband,
wife (or wives), and unmarried children. The status of women is high.
None of the Dai people has a caste system. The basic structure of
their villages is similar, with communal leadership being provided
by an elected village headman, together with the Buddhist monks and
elders. Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant. |
| DAY
.8 |
LIJIANG |
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Today
will be a full morning of activity at the Ye Xiang Gu(Wild Elephant
Valley) Nature Reserve. Wild Elephants Valley covers an area of 911
acre with hills rolling gently at an altitude ranging between 2,450
and 3461 feet. The valley is covered by tropical rain forests, crisscrossed
by rivers and streams, and teeming with such endangered species as
Asian wild elephants, wild oxen, green peacocks and monkeys. You will
see a wonderful performances given by the first elephant domesticating
school of China followed by a guided rainforest walk and a tram car
ride to a to enjoy the scene of elephants bathing, playing water and
seeking for food. Visit the aviary where a number of indigenous species
of parrots, eagles, peacocks and various birds.
After lunch and you will be transferred to the airport for your flight
to Lijiang. Upon arrival you will be transferred to Hotel. Lijiang
is a township of pebbled paths, potted rhododendrons and whimsical
architecture. Situated at the foot of the Yue Long Xue Shan Mountains,
Lijiang is divided into two very distinctive sections the Han administration
and rustic charm of the Naxi part of the city that is often referred
to as the "old city. |
| DAY
.9 |
LIJIANG |
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A
full day of sightseeing today includes Baisha Village to view the
Baisha Murals painted in the 14th and 15th centuries. These are remarkable
visual records of Naxi culture that absorbed Tibetan Buddhist, Chinese
Buddhist and Taoist influences and incorporated these with their traditional
Dongba`s beliefs. Afterwards visit the home of Dr. Ho, a Chinese herbal
medicine doctor who assisted Joseph Rock in his botanical expeditions
to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Continue to Longquan Village (Dragon
Spring Village), a local Naxi vilage dating back 500 years, retains
a wonderful atmosphere of traditional Naxi village life, cobble lanes,
stone and abode houses.
This afternoon`s visit includes the Black Dragon Spring which was
developed around some crystalline springs, the park houses the Dongba
Research Center?and the Dongba Museum of Naxi Culture? is the last
remaining memorial of the former Taoist temple from the time of the
Mongolian Yuan dynasty. Enjoy tea in the park and meet with a living
Dongba for a discussion of Naxi beliefs followed with a guided walk
to the old Town sof Lijiang, a World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO.
It retains a great deal of Yuan, Ming and Qing period architecture. |
| DAY
.10 |
LIJIANG
/ GYALTHANG |
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Late
this morning you will depart on a pleasant journey to Shigu(Stone
Drum Village) to view the first bend in the Yangzi River (the Yangzi
flows south from Tibet into Yunnan and then turns north again for
approximately 60 miles) at Shigu. Continue to Shigu for a visit to
the Red Army Memorial commemorating the crossing of the Red Army during
the Long March in 1934-1935.
After lunch, continue north on the Tibet Highway (which links northwest
Yunnan to Lhasa, Tibet) and make one stop at the entrance of the Tiger
Leaping Gorge before continuing north to Zhongdian (Gyalthang in Khampu
Tibetan) seat of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous County, just recently
opened to the outside world. Late afternoon, arrive at the Gyalthang. |
| DAY
.11 |
GYALTHANG |
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Today
begins with sightseeing to Napha Reserve for views of Napha Lake and
Wetlands (important winter flyway for the Black Necked Crane and other
water fowl) as well as time for a short walk to observe wildflowers
(including azaleas, rhododendrons, wild roses and blue poppy). Continue
to visit the Samsetling Monastery, the largest Gelugpa (Yellow Hat)
Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Yunnan province, dates back to the 15th
century and once housed over 4,000 monks; since the Cultural Revolution
it has rebuilt and is flourishing with some 700 monks in residence.
After the tour of the monastery, meet with the Living Buddha. In the
afternoon, visit the central market and Tibetan craft stores and the
Zhongdian Museum. |
| DAY
.12 |
GYALTHANG |
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A
full day of sightseeing today includes Gonzho and the upper gorges
of the Yangzi River, driving through dramatic scenery, towering mountains,
deep gorges and Tibetan villages noted for their crafts (black pottery,
wooden offering bowls, etc.). Enjoy a picnic lunch and visit to a
local craftsman`s homes. Continue on the confluence of the Yangzi
and Gongzhou River for photographs. This evening, your farewell dinner
will be accompanied by Tibetan music and dance performance. |
| DAY
.13 |
GYLTHANG
/ KUNMING / HONG KONG |
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This
morning you depart to Hong Kong via Kunming. Kunming, the capital
of Yunnan Province, is a city that was once believed so remote that
during ancient times, political prisoners were exiled there. Long
considered one of China`s most interesting regional centers, Kunming
is a city of pleasant surprises, and you will have a short sightseeing
tour of Kunming followed by lunch at Harbour Plaza. In the afternoon
you will continue with your journey by flight to Hong Kong. Upon arrival
into Hong Kong you will be transferred to Hotel. |
| DAY
.14 |
HONG
KONG DEPARTURE |
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Today
you will be transferred to the airport by private vehicle and assisted
with departure formalities before boarding your homebound flight. |
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