Art Treasures of China and the Yangtze
TRIP OVERVIEW:
Art Treasures of China and the Yangtze - a 16-day tour. This China experience is for art lovers. Immerse yourself in the techniques of calligraphy and Chinese watercolors. Let our art history experts share their knowledge of architecture, bronzes and porcelains. And visit the best of China along the way. Explore modern Shanghai. See the imperial splendors of Beijing. Discover the ancient Terra Cotta Warrior sculptures in Xi’an. Cruise the awe-inspiring Yangtze River. Enjoy performances of the Beijing Opera, Tang Dynasty and Shanghai Acrobats. Get to know the Chinese people and their culture through art on this unique itinerary.
Cruising Yangtze River with East King and East Queen
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: North America to Shanghai
Day 2: Shanghai
Meet your China Elegance tour guide at the airport and transfer to your deluxe hotel.
Day 3: Shanghai
Stroll along the Bund, the famous promenade along the Huangpu River, and see Old Town with its winding alleys, shops, teahouses and restaurants. Visit the Shanghai Museum, China’s equivalent of New York’s Metropolitan, and the Children’s Palace where talented youngsters receive advanced training in art and music. And in the evening, enjoy the artistic beauty of the Shanghai Acrobats.
Day 4: Shanghai to Tongli to Suzhou
Your art adventure begins with a scenic drive to Suzhou, stopping first in the river town of Tongli. Crisscrossed by canals and ancient bridges, this is the China of watercolors and picture books. After lunch, continue exploration of the treasures of China with a scenic canal tour of Suzhou’s watery alleyways. This picturesque tour is a photographer’s dream.
Day 5: Suzhou
Enjoy a day in Suzhou, famous for its silk, intricate embroidery and beautiful gardens. According to a Chinese proverb, “In heaven there is paradise. On earth there is Suzhou.” The delicate designs found in the gardens are world renowned. After lunch, visit the Embroidery Institute and learn this ancient Chinese art and its impact on the silk manufacturing industry. In the evening, enjoy a special performance of dance and song, exclusive to Uniworld guests, at the Garden of the Master of the Fishing Nets.
Day 6: Suzhou to Shanghai to Yichang to Yangtze River EAST KING or EAST QUEEN
Fly to Yichang. Board and settle into your comfortable cabin, with our cruise director and staff members on hand to assist with information about shipboard facilities.
Days 7–9: Yangtze River EAST KING or EAST QUEEN
After visiting the site of the Yangtze’s Three Gorges Dam, sail into the shoals and rapids of Xiling Gorge, longest of the Three Gorges and a first taste of one of China’s scenic wonders. Disembarking at Badong for an excursion to seldom-visited Shennong Xi, we are poled along the Shennong River by local boatmen who communicate with their fellows in song. After cruising through the unusual mountain landscapes of Wu (“Witches”) Gorge, and dramatic Qutang Gorge, enter the upper course of the river, where the Yangtze begins the journey to its source, high on the Tibetan plateau.
Day 10: Chongqing to Xi’an
Disembark and tour Chongqing, often described as the city of hills, fog and spicy food. If time permits, visit the zoo which is famous for the Giant Pandas. Fly to Xi’an in the afternoon.
Day 11: Xi’an
Explore China’s cradle of civilization. Stand in awe at the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Visit with a local farmer and see his cave home along the Yellow River. And after lunch, enjoy a visit to the Tang Dynasty Art Gallery with a lecture on Chinese painting and the art of calligraphy. In the evening, enjoy a Tang Dynasty dinner and cultural show featuring music, dance, and traditional costumes.
Day 12: Xi’an to Beijing
Before boarding your afternoon flight to Beijing, tour the Shaanxi Provincial Museum in Xi’an, which houses an exceptional collection of ancient Chinese and imperial treasures.
Day 13: Beijing
The heart of Beijing, Tiananmen Square, is the world’s largest public square. Tiananmen Gate, also known as the “Gate of Heavenly Peace,” is the entrance to the Forbidden City. Boasting over 250-acres of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens, this ancient place contains more than 9,000 rooms spread out among more than 800 buildings. Walk the very hallways where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties resided. Later in the day, enjoy another Uniworld exclusive, a behind-the-scenes tour of hutongs (ancient lanes and alley ways) surrounding the Forbidden City. Sitting in a traditional rickshaw, explore the area, visit gardens of wealthy families and meet with some of the residents. Your day concludes with a marvelous performance at the Peking Opera.
Day 14: Beijing
A full-day excursion takes you 40 miles north of Beijing to the Great Wall, an extraordinary 4,000-mile-long fortification built to thwart barbarian invasions. A walk along a section of this enormous edifice is a not-to-be-missed experience. During the afternoon, drive along the Sacred Way. Lined with trees and colossal stone statues, it leads to the Ming Tombs, the formerly lavish burial chambers of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
Day 15: Beijing
Enjoy a peaceful morning at the Summer Palace, the best-preserved and largest imperial garden in China. The palace is comprised of a complex of beautiful pavilions, halls and temples. Continue with a visit to the city’s most popular inhabitants, the pandas at the Beijing Zoo. After lunch, visit the brightly-painted Temple of Heaven where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped heaven and prayed for good harvests. And at the end of the day, delight in a succulent Peking Duck dinner.
Day 16: Beijing for North America
Fly home from Beijing. Or continue your journey on one of our popular extensions.
The itinerary is subject to change in the order on occasion to allow for variations in internal flight times/operations, variables in sailing times, or other unforeseen operational considerations.
River Cruise - Art Treasures of China and the Yangtze
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River Cruises
Oct 23, 2007 - 12:49:54 AM
Oct 23, 2007 - 12:49:54 AM