Itinerary III

11 Days to Beijing, Kaifeng, Shaolin Temple, Luoyang, & Shanghai

(The length of the trip, cities, sights, performance preferences can be changed if you like to personalize your Performance Itinerary. This itinerary you will travel through current China’s capital, Beijing and two of China’s ancient capitals, Kaifeng, and Luoyang, and visit the famous Shaolin Temple: the birthplace of Kung Fu, the mother of all forms of martial arts.)

Day 1: International flight from U.S. to Beijing. Meals will be served in flight.

Day 2: Arrive in Beijing; your tour guide will pick you up at the gate and take you to your hotel.

Day 3: Today you will be a “true hero”, as chairman Mao said “you will not be a true hero until you climbed the Great Wall of China. Late morning Performance on the Great Wall of China – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and then free time to explore the wall. On the way back after lunch visits the jade factory to see how jade is carved, then drive back through the city to get a view of the Olympic village. In the afternoon, see the amazing Chinese Acrobatic Show.

Day 4: A city tour of Beijing to the center of the city -Tianan-Men Square – the largest open plaza in the world accommodating half a million people at one time. Then walk across the street to the Forbidden City (Palace Museum), the former Imperial Palace for the 24 Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After lunch go and see the magnificent Temple of Heaven, the largest temple and altar complex in China, where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty worshipped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. In the evening, enjoy a banquet of Peking duck dinner.

Day 5: Visit the 800 year-old Summer Palace with the largest garden in China. Here, the royal family of the Qing dynasty came to spend relaxing summers and handle government affairs. In the afternoon visit Beijing Zoo, where you will have a chance to see and take pictures of Panda’s, along with other zoo animals. (Night Sleeper Train to Kaifeng).

Day 6: Today you will enjoy an excursion to Kaifeng, the ancient capital of seven dynasties. During the Song Dynasty 1,000 years ago, Kaifeng was the richest and most culturally diverse city in the world.
You’ll be transported back to that time when you visit the historical recreation of a Song Dynasty city at Riverside Park. You’ll experience daily Song life as you board an ancient boat, explore the narrow streets, cross the rainbow bridge, try your hand at traditional crafts, participate in ceremonies, and meet “officials” and “residents” in period costumes.
At noon, you can enjoy the traditional dishes of the Baozi Banquet. This banquet features many different flavors of the local cuisine. Performance and cultural exchange in a local school in Kaifeng.

Day 7: Today you will travel by bus to the 1,500 year-old Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of Kung Fu – the original form of all martial arts. This temple is situated at the western edge of the Songshan Mountains. In the Thousand Buddhas Hall, you can still see the footprints of the monks stamped into the floor – a reminder of the intensity of their practice. Here, you will be amazed by a live Kung Fu demonstration performed by the Grandmasters and monks. (Bus to Luoyang)

Day 8: Luoyang is the capital of thirteen dynasties. This city is home to the first Buddhist temple in China, the 900 year-old White Horse Temple. In the morning take a look at the White Horse Temple, legend has it that a white horse carried the first Buddhist script from India to here, hence the name White Horse Temple. After lunch a visit to a local school for cultural exchange and in the evening perform either a combined shared performance or a solo performance.

Day 9: Visit the most spectacular site in Luoyang, the Longmen Grotto. Carved from a solid rock mountain over 1,500 years ago, this site has over 2,345 caves and more than 100,000 statues of Buddha. Chinese noblemen sponsored the creation of most of these statues, ranging in height from miniature (1 inch high) to giant-size (57 feet). For dinner relax and enjoy the delicious delicacies of the Water Feast, a banquet handed down by the Tang Dynasty empress. (Overnight Train to Shanghai)

Day 10: Shanghai, a modern bustling metropolis of thirteen million people in the southeast region, Shanghai is China’s center for industry and commerce. It is called the “Paris of the East,” because for many years the city was home to large numbers of Europeans, giving it an international flavor. Walk along the Bund, the famous waterfront, also the center of Shanghai that house the business commerce of the city. After lunch, you will have your last chance shopping on the famous Nanjing Road. In the evening, take a cruise along the Huangpu River and enjoy the beautiful night view of Shanghai.

Day 11: sadly we have to say goodbye to friends in China, but will always remember the wonderful memories. Board the International flight back home.