Historical China Tour
Embark on a captivating journey through China’s historical and cultural tapestry with a focus on enriching experiences. This 12-day itinerary seamlessly blends immersive encounters with ancient wonders, vibrant traditions, and the unique charm of historical cities. From volunteering with giant pandas in Chengdu to exploring the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an, the Overhanging Great Wall in Jiayuguan, and the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, each day of our tour unfolds a chapter of China’s profound cultural legacy. The route culminates in Beijing, where the Forbidden City and the Great Wall beckon, providing an unforgettable exploration of China’s historical treasures.
$1,699.99
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Product Details
- Visit quintessential historical sights in China, including the ancient Sanxingdui site and Terracotta Warriors.
- Learn about China’s diverse culture through visits to Muslim Street, the center of Xi’an’s sizeable Hui Muslim populace, and a visit to the Tang Dynasty Dancing Show at the Tang Dynasty Palace.
- Explore Xi’an’s unique sights, including the Xi’an City Wall and the Shaanxi Museum, and visit ancient relics including the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
- Take a step back into even more ancient history with visits to Dunhuang’s Mogao Cave, which contains thousands of ancient carvings and statues of Buddhas.
- Get a taste of China’s natural wonders, including the Singing Sand Dune and Crescent Spring in Dunhuang.
Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in China, is known as a “land of abundance”, “country of heaven” and “home for pandas.” Because of its geographical location in southwest China, it has been an important place in history. The city is now one of the most important economic, financial,
commercial, cultural, transportation, and communication centers in China. It is most widely associated with giant pandas because of the “Panda Reserves.” It is a transportation hub to Tibet and the UNESCO World Heritages: Leshan Giant Buddha 乐山大佛, Mount Emei 峨眉山 and Jiuzhaigou 九寨沟. Modern Chengdu enjoys a reputation for its slow, carefree, leisure and relaxing daily life for tea, varieties of foods and recreational activities.
Xi'an
Xi’an, known as Chang’an in history, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. Having served as the capitals for 11 dynasties over 1,100 years in Chinese history, it is acclaimed as the oldest among the four ancient capitals (Xi’an, Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang). The history of the city can be traced back to three thousand years ago. It is regarded as a natural history museum in China with over 73 identified emperors’ tombs and numerous historic sites in the area. It was the starting point of “the Silk Road” and was the trading center which witnessed the prosperity of trade between China and the rest of the world from the 2nd century BCE to the 14th century. The Ming Dynasty city wall, built partially on the ruins of the Tang imperial city wall, is so far the best preserved city wall in China to demonstrate the city defensive system in ancient China.
Additional information
Day 1: Arrival in Chengdu
- Arrive at the hotel in Chengdu, meet your tour guide, and spend a relaxing first day in Chengdu.
Day 2: Chengdu and Dujiangyan
- Spend the day at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, where you’ll meet adorable giant pandas and learn how pandas are cared for. As part of the experience, we’ll volunteer at the center and help clean the pandas’ enclosures, feed bamboo to pandas, and observe panda behaviors, habits, and health alongside experienced researchers.
Day 3: Chengdu to Xi'an
- Visit the Sanxingdui museum, situated in Guanghan City roughly 50km north from Chengdu.
- Visit the Sanxingdui museum, where you’ll learn about the history of Sanxingdui and see other historic sights surrounding the Sanxingdui site.
Day 4: Xi'an
- Visit the Terracotta Warriors. Discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the Terracotta Warriors is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century and has been registered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Visit Muslim Street, the center of the sizable Chinese-Muslim community in Xi’an, and eat traditional snacks and buy souvenirs.
- Watch the Tang Dynasty Dancing Show and have a dumpling dinner at the Tang Dynasty Palace.
Day 5: Xi'an to Jiayuguan
- Visit the iconic Xi’an City Wall, which boasts a circumference of nearly 14km.
- Visit the ancient Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 during the Tang dynasty to house the sutras brought back from ancient India by the famous monk Xuanzang.
- Embark on a a flight to Jiayuguan
Day 6: Jiayuguan
- Spend the morning visiting the Jiayuguan Fort. Before entering the fortress, take a short visit to the Great Wall Museum to learn some interesting facts about both the Jiayuguan Fort and Great Wall, including history, old photos, relics, etc. Then enter the gate to explore the grandiose fortress.
- Later, proceed to the Xuanbi Great Wall (Overhanging Wall) which is about 18km away from the Fort. The walls were built on lofty cliffs with incredibly large gradient looking like an overhanging cantilever. Climbing up to higher gives you excellent views of the surrounding land and mountains.
Day 7: Jiayuguan to Dunhuang
- Spend the morning visiting the Wei and Jin Tombs, a hidden cultural site composing of thousands of ancient tombs (only one is opened for the public). You will walk through a passage to the underground grave, see the three burial chambers, which were courtyard, living room and bedroom of the previous grandees, and take a close look at colorful brick murals painted more than 1,500 years ago.
- Board your train to Dunhuang and retreat to your hotel for rest.
Day 8: Dunhuang
- Visit the ancient Mogao Caves, also known as the Mogao Grottoes or ‘Thousand Buddha Caves’ and praised as “a glittering pearl that adorns the Silk Road.” The Caves are the most famous Buddhist caves in China. Located about 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang city, it includes 735 caves, 40 to 60 of which are normally open to the tourist.
Day 9: Dunhuang to Beijing
- Visit the Singing Sand Dune, a giant sand dune composed of five-color sands in red, yellow, green, black and white. When wind passes or when you slide down from its top, the sound could be heard, hence the name. You can ride camel, try sand sliding or do paraglide from the top of the dune.
- Visit Crescent Spring, known as “the First Spring in the Desert,” a small spring shaped like a crescent moon in the middle of the sand dunes. The spring is known as a desert wonder, as it has survived in such a dry environment.
- Fly to Beijing.
Day 10: Beijing
- Visit Beijing’s important historical sites, including Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
- Take a tour of Rickshaw Hutong, the old narrow paths through Beijing containing the courtyard homes of Beijing residents. These narrow paths give a glimpse into the daily lives of ordinary Beijing residents.
Day 11: Beijing
- Visit the iconic Temple of Heaven, a place which was visited yearly by former emperors who performed rituals to ensure a good harvest for the nation in ancient times.
- Visit the Great Wall of China.
- Take the Mutianyu Cable Car across the Great wall.
Day 12: Departure
- Enjoy some free time before you’re taken to the airport for your self-arranged flight back home.
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