13 Days Beijing, Yichang, Shibaozhai, Chongqing, X ian, Shanghai, Suzhou

Day 1 Sat: North America / China
Depart today and begin your exploration of several of China’s most fabulous areas.

Day 2 Sun: Arrive Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, which is over 3,000 years old. You are welcomed at the airport and escorted to the HILTON BEIJING HOTEL. Afternoon is at leisure.

Day 3 Mon: Forbidden City with Tiananmen Square & Summer Palace
Visit the Forbidden City, the 250-acre palace containing more than 9,000 rooms. Closed to the common people for centuries, it was only opened to the public in 1949. Also visit Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. Later, explore the Summer Palace, the retreat of China’s royal families for over 2,000 years. Tonight you are welcomed to the Middle Kingdom with a Peking Opera show, including a backstage visit. (BL)

Day 4 Tue: Great Wall Excursion
The highlight of your stay in this ancient capital is a visit to the Great Wall. It is easy to see why the Great Wall, built 2,300 years ago and extending 3,750 miles, can be seen by astronauts from space! You will also visit the Ming Tombs, including a nice walk on the Sacred Way, which was regarded as the formal entrance to the Tombs. Also visit the Tomb of Emperor Zhudi, founder of the Forbidden City. Tonight you will enjoy a Beijing Roast Duck Dinner. (BLD)

Day 5 Wed: Hutong Tour / Temple of Heaven / Yichang
You will tour some of Beijing’s thousands of hutongs, or ancient city alleys. The hutongs were built as part of a city building plan that followed the etiquette systems of the Zhou dynasty, which had specific protocols regarding how residential areas should be set up. Visit the Temple of Heaven, possibly the country’s most popular symbol. It was believed to be the closest place to heaven and was where the emperors would communicate with the gods. Later fly to Yichang to board the luxurious Orient Royal Cruises’ EAST KING. (BLD)

Day 6 Thu: Three Gorges Dam Project / Five Steps Ship Lock
Depart Yichang around 8 a.m., sailing through the east Xiling Gorge. Arrive at the Yangjiawan Pier for a shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dams. Return to the ship and sail through the five steps ship lock. (BLD)

Day 7 Fri: Xiling Gorge/Shennong Stream/ Wu Gorge/Qutang Gorge
Pass through Xiling Gorge, famous for its strangely shaped cliff faces and rock formations. Largest of the Three Gorges, it offers the “mountains beyond mountains” scenery of classic China. Take an excursion by boat up Shennong Stream, enjoying the vistas of Parrot Gorge and Dragon Boat Gorge with their breathtaking scenery. Return to the cruise ship and continue through the wondrous Wu Gorge, a meandering landscape of dazzling peaks and rocks, forming a whimsical gallery of natural beauty. After visiting the Three Gorges Dam site, which is scheduled for completion in 2009, continue to Qutang Gorge, which the river has carved out between sheer precipices of overhanging mountains. There you can see the original site of the famous Fenbi Wall, the ruins of ancient cliff roads and the Mengliang Steps. (BLD)

Day 8 Sat: Shibaozhai
Shore excursion to Shibaozhai, literally translated into English as the “Stone Treasure Fortress.” Located in Zhong County at the south bank of the Yangtze River—30 miles away from Wanxian—it was first built during the Qing dynasty in 1750 with a height of 183 feet. Shibaozhai is simply a rectangular rock with sheer cliffs that stands on the riverside. A twelve-storey red wooden pagoda was built against the rock wall. Visitors can climb to the top by a spiral staircase in the pagoda, which is 525 feet above the river, to gain a panoramic view of the winding river, the village and the countryside. (BLD)

Day 9 Sun: Chongqing / Xian
Disembark in Chongqing, skirted on three sides by rivers and nicknamed the “Capital of the Mist.” Your tour gives you an idea of Chongqing’s rich historical past, including such sites as the General Stilwell Memorial hall. Also visit the Panda Hall, before flying to Xian (once the largest city in the world). Xian was the national capital for eleven Chinese Dynasties and a major link between Asia and Europe. You will be met and transferred to SOFITEL ON RENMIN SQUARE XIAN. (BL)

Day 10 Mon: Terra Cotta Warriors
Xian captured the interest of the world in 1974 with the discovery of the astonishing third-century BC burial sites of the first emperor to unite China, Qin Shi Huangdi. Visit the archaeological site to see thousands of Terra Cotta Warriors, which have stood guard over the Imperial Tomb for more than 2,000 years. Also visit Shan’xi Provincial Historical Museum. In the evening, enjoy a Tang dynasty dinner show. (BLD)

Day 11 Tue: Xian / Shanghai
Fly to Shanghai, “the Paris of the East” and China’s most westernized and largest city. Your tour of Shanghai includes a visit to Yu Yuan Garden, the Temple of the Jade Buddha and a drive along the famous Bund, the wide, tree-lined avenue along the Huangpo River and the former “Wall Street” of foreign powers. Later, enjoy a performance by famous Chinese Acrobats. HILTON SHANGHAI. (BLD)

Day 12 Wed: Suzhou Excursion
Enjoy a day trip to Suzhou by train. Often called the “Venice of the East” because of its network of waterways and canals, which are graced by 300 bridges that date back to the Ming dynasty, Suzhou is an important city renowned for its historical and cultural heritage. Ride on the Grand Canal, China’s ancient commercial waterway. Visit the garden of Net Master and Panmen Gate to appreciate what is perhaps the finest example of the classical style of the silk-spinning process in China. (BL)

Day 13 Thu: Shanghai / North America
Leave the Orient behind today and board your flight home, filled with memories of your exciting journey into the many marvelous treasures of ancient China. (B)