China Unchanged

Welcome to China! Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to a centrally-located hotel. Depending on flight arrival times, you may have time to explore the area around the hotel. However, you might just be glad to get off the plane and get a good night's sleep.

If you have not been to Beijing before, consider adding a few days on to the itinerary to explore this bustling metropolis. Places of interest include: the Forbidden City, with its intricate carvings and colorful paintings; the beautiful Temple of Heaven Park; the residential courtyard houses that line the narrow alleys and streets of the Hutongs; or spend some time hiking a portion of the Great Wall. The Beijing Opera, a performance of singing, dancing, and acrobatics that is unique to China, is a must see.

Meals: None
Lodging: Centrally located 4 * hotel

In the morning, you are free to explore Beijing at your leisure before departing to Datong on an overnight sleeper train. Travel by "soft-class" in compartments of four bunks each. (Ask about upgrading to a private cabin - pending availability.)

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Overnight train

Arrive in the Han town of Datong in the early morning. Datong, located in the northern part of Shanxi Province, had a luminous past as the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (383-534 AD). It is now famed for many sights, one of which is the Yungang Grottoes. Built against the Wuzhou Mountain, the grottoes extend for almost a mile east to west. The 53 grottoes include some 1,000 niches with about 51,000 statues - a treasure-trove of cave art that combines traditional Chinese forms with foreign influences, particularly Greek and Indian. Sculptures here are noted for their detailed features and a rich variety of sizes that range from the smallest, only about an inch high, to the tallest, a 56-foot-high Buddha.

Halfway through the Jinlong Valley lies the Hanging Temple of Wutaishan, another unforgettable historical sight. Situated against steep rock and facing a high valley, the temple literally hangs on the west cliff of Jinxia Gorge, more than 165 feet off the ground. This type of structure is rarely seen in Chinese architecture, and is in fact the only wood building built on a cliff in China. The Hanging Temple was built during the North Wei dynasty and was renovated in the dynasties of Tang, Jin, Ming, and Qing. It is the most amazing sight on the Hengshan mountain. Overnight at the best available four-star hotel in Wutaishan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Centrally located 4 * hotel

Today you will visit Mt. Wutaishan, one of the most sacred Buddhist mountains in China. The Five Terrace Mountain (Wutaishan) is a quiet area that, despite recent tourist infiltration, still retains its Buddhist roots. With an alpine atmosphere of dense forests and scattered snow-capped peaks, the mountain is known for its purity in the form of clean streams, including the aptly named Clear Water River (Qingshuihe), and its pious Buddhist atmosphere. Choose from a variety of activities on and around the mountain, including hiking and visiting the City of Temples. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Taiyuan (a four-hour drive) and checked in to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Centrally located 4 * hotel

After breakfast, you'll be driven approximately four hours to Pingyao, a small town located 62 miles south of Taiyuan whose history goes back 2,700 years. En route to Pingyao, you will stop to visit the Jin Ci Temple. Located just outside of Taiyuan city, the temple is a combination of historical and cultural relics mixed with beautiful landscapes. Take some time to stroll around the temple halls and observe the many figures within. These temple features and the Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond (an architectural wonder of its time) provide afford an excellent sense of a new era in Chinese architecture. Built in the Ming Dynasty, Pingyao is one of the few towns left in China that is still encircled by original Ming Dynasty walls. Most of the buildings in this town date from the Qing Dynasty, when Pingyao was at its most prosperous point. Because of the remarkable state of the city's preservation, and its importance as the city in which banking in China originated in the 19th century, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. A late dinner will be served upon arrival in Pingyao. Overnight at an atmospheric local inn, a converted 19th century courtyard dwelling that has been refurbished in dynastic style.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Local guesthouse

Today you'll walk along Pingyao's ancient city wall, marked with watchtowers every 50 meters (164 ft). Visit several of ancient courtyards and a complex of old private houses that have been converted into museums showcasing period art and furniture. In addition to appreciating the ancient architecture, you will learn about how banking started in China over a century ago in this very city. Of particular interest is the Qing Dynasty Yamen, or county magistrate's complex. Today's pace is leisurely, allowing you to absorb the atmosphere and relaxed ways of local life.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Local guesthouse

In the morning, head about five miles south of town to the 1,300-year-old Shuanglin Temple, which houses over 2,000 Buddhist terracotta sculptures. Travel a few more miles to the Zhenguo Temple, the only existing Buddhist complex dating back to the Five Dynasties period. After lunch, continue the drive to Jingsheng village in Lingshi County. Jingsheng has a quaint and unique charm, and it is famous for its well-preserved Qing Dynasty architecture and a heritage of wealthy bankers who inhabited the area. The main attraction of the village is the Wang residence, the former living quarters of a prosperous local family. Spend about two hours wandering around this enormous but little-known mansion and exploring its many nooks and crannies. Return to Taiyuan to catch the overnight train to Xian. (Ask us about upgrading to a private cabin - pending availability.)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Overnight train

Today you arrive in Xian, one of the six ancient capitals of China. Xian served as the seat of 12 imperial capitals for 1,120 years and is also a world-famous tourist city that houses a treasure trove of cultural relics. Xian is most famous for its terracotta warriors, which you'll see today. The terracotta warriors and their horses are the most significant archaeological excavation of the 20th century. In 1974, a group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well near a royal tomb outside Xian. News of the discovery immediately caught the attention of archaeologists who came to Xian in droves to study and extend the digs. They established beyond a doubt that these terracotta army men and horses were artifacts associated with the Qin Dynasty. Today, the site is preserved as part of the Terracotta Museum and is still actively excavated. There may also be time to walk the old city wall around Xian.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Centrally located 4 * hotel

Today, before departing for Guiyang, you'll see Xian's Muslim quarter and the Shangxi Musuem. Then it's off to the airport in order to catch your flight to Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province. From here, you'll have a 2.5-hour drive to Kaili, the center of many ethnic minorities. In the afternoon, make an excursion to visit the little-known Geija people at Matang village, located an hour's drive to the north. Due to their tradition of learning martial arts, or Wushu, their unique costumes resemble the style and design that ancient Chinese generals once wore. Their dyed handkerchiefs look like a general’s helmet; their outer coat like armor; and silver sword, knife, and hammer adorn their bodies. Return to Kaili in the evening, where you will be treated to local Miao cuisine.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Best available lodge

A short drive along the Bala River brings you to the village of Langde, one of Guizhou's loveliest Miao villages, where you will see traditional wooden houses and waterwheels. Enjoy a lovely lunch before continuing your journey to Datang, another Miao village with an aquatic granary and a stunning view of Mt. Leigong. Resume the drive along a sandstone road to Rongjiang through Kaitun terrace, where the layers of terraced rice fields form what appears to be a gigantic staircase along the side of a mountain. The drive today is long, but the sights along the way and tour stops make it all worthwhile.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Best available lodge

A six-hour drive will bring you to Zhaoxing, one of the largest Dong villages in the region, with more than 700 households and a population of 4,000. Although it is long, the drive will be filled with interesting village stops such as that at Basha Miao village. The Dong can be recognized by the men's turbans and the women's pleated skirts. They are also known for their architecture, particularly their drum towers and Fengyuqiaos, or wind and rain bridges, which are used as shelters during bad weather. Overnight at a wooden hostel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Guesthouse

If you wish, you can hike to visit nearby Dong villages such as Jilum, Kitang, and Tang'an. Overnight in Zhaoxing.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Guesthouse

From Zhaoxing, continue the adventure south into the Guangxi Province to visit Sanjiang. This village was inhabited by the South Dong, one of the two subgroups of the Dong ethnic minority. A short drive from Sanjiang will take you to Chenyang, a quaint little village with one of the largest and most exquisite Fengyuqiaos in the region. Here you will get to explore the villages on foot and visit lively markets and hillside farms. Overnight at the Sanjiang Hotel or similar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Guesthouse

Leave Chengyang in the morning to visit Longsheng, where the mountains are covered with terraced rice fields, some of them reaching up to 3,300 feet high. Continue on until reaching Guilin, where you will overnight in a comfortable hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Lodging: Centrally located 4 * hotel

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Consider adding the extension to Yangshuo.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: None