Here is the Golden Route of the China Tour by Gerry Dawson and Bob Janes. On this tour with Silkholidays they took their wifes, Pat and Angela. The tour ran from October 11 to October 23. We all spent time in British Columbia before and after the tour.
Date and Day Schedule
Two Meals on the Airplane
Shanghai's high-rise skyline is a symbol of China's booming prosperity. The majestic sweep of the Bund is a testament to Europen colonialism in Shanghai. Design Director Jun Xia said "Shanghai is innovative, inclusice and always ready for something new." Shanghai is a city of dazzling contrasts. The Yangzi which flows into the East China Sea just below Shanghaie, is the thread that binds all of Central China together.
12 Oct. Thur. Shanghai - Beijing via China Eastern MU586 Dep: 2050 hours / Arr: 2250 hours
Upon arrival Beijing Internation Airport, meet the guide and transfer to Qianmen Jiangua Hotel
In Shanghai our flight MU586 was delayed for four hours; we were put on another flight that got us to Beijing Airport at 2300 hours. Our guide was not at Beijing Airport because he though we were on flight MU586. We took the bus from the airport and got a taxi the rest of the way to our hotel. We did this without speaking their language or them speaking our language. Our guide woke us up after midnight and arranged' to meet us in the morning.
We enjoyed a cruise on Kunming Lake while in Beijing. While on the lake we had a great view of the Summer Palace.
13 Oct. Fri. Beijing (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Full day city tour to visit Tian'an Men Square, the Forbidden City, Jing Shan Park and the
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the world's largest cities with a population of over 14 million. Expanding in concentric rings from the Forbidden City at its core, the grid-like layout of modern-day Beijing still echoes its Ming dynasy blueprint. Jing Shan Park is right next to the Forbidden City. Its hill was created from earth that was excavated while building the palace moat during the reign of the Ming Yongle emperor. At Tian'an Men Square we saw red flags flying next to Zhengyang Men.
14 Oct. Sat. Beijing (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Full day excursion to the Great Wall Badaling and Ming Tomb.
Overnight at Qianmen Jianguo Hotel
The Great Wall has been completely bebuilt in parts in modern times, but its dizzying loop across the horizon left us lost for words. The existing battlements of the Great Wall were reinforced and joined together during the Ming dynasy.
15 Oct. Sun. Beijing - Xi'an via China Eastern MU2128 Dep: 1435 hours / Arr: 1620 hours
(American Breafkast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Visit the Summer Palace. After lunch, transfer to airport for late afternoon flight to Xi'an.
Upon arrival, meet and transfer to Xi'an Hotel
Xi'an in Shaanxi province is more eclipsed by tits past than any other ancient capital. Xi'an most magnificent treasures are the Terracotta Warriors created to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the Qin emperor who unified China. This city reached its zenith during the Tang dynasty. It prosper because of its position at the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Grand Mosque and sizable Muslim population testify to Xi'an cosmopolitan grandeur during that time.
16 Oct. Mon. Xi'an (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Overnight at Xi'an Hotel
Xi'an other key sights include the extensice Eight Immortals Temple associated with Daoist legends, and the two Goose Pagodas with their strong connections to Tang-era Buddhism. Me made a trip to the holy mountain of Hua Shan to the east of Xi'an. South Peak is the highest summit of Hua Shan mountain.
17 Oct. Tue. Xi'an - Guilin via China Eastern MU2329 Dep: 0840 hours / Arr: 1030 hours
(American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Transfer to Airport for flight to Guilin in the morning. Upon arrival, meet and start tour.
Visit the Reed Flute Cave, and Elephant Hill. Then transfer to Guilin Bravo Hotel.
Guilin is renowned for its karst peaks, most under 650 ft. high. Dotted throughout the city, they are particularly concentrated along the Li river to the south of town. Used as a hideout by Guilin's residents during the Japanese invasion in the 1940s, the Reed Flute Cave has 33-ft. tunnels winding for 1,640 ft. through Guanming Hill. Inside, its numerous rock formations are lit with nean lights.
18 Oct. Wed. Guilin - Yangshuo - Shanghai via China Eastern MU5382 Dep: 2145 hours / Arr: 2355 hours (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Full day cruise on Li River. Disembark in Yangshuo.
Visit the Town of Yangshuo. Drive back to Guilin airport.
Late evening flight to Shanghai Do Dong Airport.
Upon arrival, meet and transfer to Ocean Hotel
A small highway town at the end of the Li River Cruise, Yangshuo is surrounded by some spectacular karst hills interspersed with green paddy fields. It was nothing more than a rural marketplace until the late 1980s, when it became popular with visitors taking the cruise from Guilin. Not as tranquil as it used to be, Yangshuo remains a good base to explore the surrounding peaks and river, as well as a few caves and outlying villages.
19 Oct. Thur. Shanghai - Suzhou (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Overnight at Suzhou Hotel
A network of canals, bridge, and canal-side housing characterizes the city of Suzhou. Silk is the city's prized commodity. The city has plenty of sights, and is dissected by broad, busy roads laid out in a grid. The Ou Yuan Garden is charming.
20 Oct. Fri. Suzhou - Hangzhour (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Drive to Hangzhou. Visit Lingyin Temple, Six Harmonies Pagoda, and Tea Plantation.
Most of the old buildings of Hangzhour were destroyed in the Taiping Rebellion. The misty West Lake with the Su Causeway bridge and its surrounding area are still worth visiting. There is a secluded path up to the Seal Engravers' Society Pagoda on Gu Shan Island.
Morning boat ride on the West Lake. Visit Temple of General Yue Fei.
Drive to Shanghai and visit the Bund and Nanjing Road. Overnigh at Ocean Hotel
Just north of the West Lake lies the tomb of the Song general, Yue Fei, a popular Chinese hero revered for his patriotism.
22 Oct. Sun. Shanghai (American Breakfast/Chinese Lunch/Chinese Dinner)
Visit the Yu Yuan Garden, Old Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple.
Enjoy a night show called "Acrobatics Shanghai."
Overnight at Ocean Hotel
Located opposite the attractive Jin'an Park, which contains the old Bubbling Well Cemetery, Jing'an Temple is one of Shanghai's most revered places for ancestor worship. There are Golden Buddhas in this temple.
23 Oct. Mon. Shanghai - Vancouver via China Eastern MU581 Dep: 1450 hours / Arr: 1030 hours
Free in the morning, then transfer by High Speed Train to Airport for flight back Home. This sleek
train traveled 431 km/hour whizzed above a man hauling brick stacked on a wooden cart.
Two Meals on the Airplane
We seen lots of visitors throng the zig-zag bridge to the Huxingting Teahouse in Shanghai's Old City. Barges and tugs chug in the Hauangpu River by day; neon-lit tour boats take over at night. Today, Shanghai has more than 17 million people and is making final preparations to stage the 2010 World Expo. It started out as a humble fishing village in the 10th century. After China lost the Opium Wars in the early 1840's, Britain, the U.W. and France took control of large sections of Shanghai and turned them into self-governed enclaves, a system that would last nearly a century. Overseas entrepreneurs poured in, while Chinese from other provinces come to escape fighting between the government and rebels. Requiring no visas of its entrants, Shanghaie was a sanctuary in the 1930's for Russians and some 20,000 Jews. Resilience and resourcefulness shaped it into the business, intellectual and cultural capital of China.
Yes! We did it. We went to China and survived it. Actually, it was great and everything we expected and more. Great place for 2008 Olympic Games.
It took a little while adjusting to the change in time. Sixteen hours differance between Shanghai and Vancover. Four hour differance between Vancouver and Moncton. We arrived in Vancouver at 9:30 AM on Monday October 23rd when we left Shanghai at 2:50 PM on Monday October 23rd. We got there before we left.
It seemed at times we were going on empty, but we did not miss a thing and got to see and do all kinds of fascinating things.
The weather was hot and muggy in China with just a few days of rain. We could have worn shorts through out the time there. Could have done without the smog and humidity. But hey it is China, a wonderland.
Our tour was great and basically we had a private tour with just the four of us. We had our own private guide everywhere we went. All the tour guides were very young, very friendly and spoke great English. Because of our group was small we got to do a few extra things. The last day we had a free 45 minute foot bath and massage. After two weeks of nonstop walking and climbing steps it was a God send.
Our accommodations were really great. Pat (Gerry's wife) loved Shanghai as their room was on the 24th floor overlooking the harbour and all the downtown skyline. She sat on her bay window, sipped wine and watched the world go by.
Two weeks of Chinese Food got to be a little much and we would have killed for a burger and fries. We did, however, enjoyed an American breakfast daily.
The sight, sound and smells took a little getting used too. What a hussle and bussle of a place. Every man for himself as far as traffic goes. We daily competed with bikes, carts, rickshaws, antiquated autos, and crazy drivers. No stopping for pedestrians on crosswalks. You usually crossed a 6 lane street one lane at a time and waited for the next break. Over 65 per cent of the people rode bikes. Hence, it was hectic to say the lease. An experience everyone should have one in a lifetime.
All the tourist attractions were great. We climbed the Great Wall (see picture below of Gerry and Pat on the Great Wall). Walked Tian'an Men Square. Toured the Forbidden City. The Temples were astounding and amazed us constanly. Pat never walked as many stairs in all her life.
