Day 1 - 2 Beijing
Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. The next day, you will be met by your personal English-speaking tour guide to begin your Beijing tour. You will start with a visit to the Temple of Heaven where you will see locals practising Tai Chi, singing and writing calligraphy in the neighbouring park. Take a leisurely walk through Tiananmen Square to Beijing’s Forbidden City and enjoy the panoramic view of the Forbidden City from Jing-shan Hill. In the evening, sample a Chinese Peking duck dinner before seeing an eye-opening kung fu show. (1B/1D)
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Day 3 Beijing
Take photos at Beijing’s 2008 Olympic site and see the best of China’s modern architecture at the Bird’s Nest National Stadium and Water Cube Aquatic Centre before stepping back in time to ancient China with a walk on the Great Wall at Mutianyu section. (1B/1D)
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Day 4 Beijing
Explore the alleyways (‘Hutong’) by riding on a traditional rickshaw to catch close-up glimpses of local life. Finally, complete your tour of Beijing with a visit to the ancient Summer Palace, a former imperial summer resort, before boarding an afternoon flight to Chongqing. (2B/2D)
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Day 5 Dazu
Enjoy an excursion to the Dazu Rock Carvings, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site. Considered to be the best of rock art in China, it showcases more than 50,000 ancient stone carvings and reflects the union of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. You will be impressed by the craftsmanship of the artists, respecting their carving techniques and skill. After sampling a local specialty dinner, board your cruise ship for the Yangtze River cruise. (1B/1D)
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Day 6 - 7 Yangtze River Cruise
Your Yangtze River cruise goes from Chonqing to Yichang, sailing through Xiling Gorge, Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge first. Relax and enjoy magnificent views of peaks, rolling hills and small towns along the river or participate in a variety of the Chinese cultural activities on board including Chinese brush painting shows, Chinese silk embroidery lessons and Tai Chi morning exercise classes. As part of your Yangtze River cruise, you will get to go ashore to visit the Ghost City of Fengdu, take a Sampan (wooden boat) tour to one of the Yangtze’s tributaries and visit the Three Gorges Dam project. While on board, your cruise ship will also pass through the world’s biggest five level ship lock. (2B/2L/2D)
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Day 8 Yichang
Disembark at Yichang where you will be transferred to the airport for your flight. (1B)
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