Bullet Train Tour from Beijing to Chengdu

Overview：

This 13-day tour covers many classical destinations in China, making you better understand the inclusive history of China and appreciate Chinese treasures. Your tour begins in Beijing, the capital city of China. Here we will pay a visit to many spectacular imperial architecture--the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, The Great Wall and the Summer Palace. After experiencing the grandeur of the royal family, let’s go to Shanxi and have a look of Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Monastery built on the cliffs, enjoying the religious beauty together. Next, go to Pingyao and experience the life of ancient businessmen and witness the traditional architecture of Ming and Qing. Then, let’s go to Xi’an, feel the prosperity of the ancient capital city and appreciate the wonderful Terracotta Warriors made by craftsmen thousands of years ago. Afterwards, let’s go to Chengdu to have a joyful encounter with giant pandas and feel the laid-back life of local people, and drive to Leshan to have a glimpse of the grandeur of Leshan Giant Buddha. Don’t hesitate-- join us and get a taste of historical China!

Highlights：

· Unveil the lives of China's royal family in their diverse palaces

· Climb up upon the Great Wall and enjoy the awe-inspiring landscape

· Discover the beauty of the dynamic religious history

· Experience the prosperity of Tang Dynasty in person

· Have a close encounter with Giant Pandas

· Appreciate Leshan Giant Buddha from different angles

Itinerary：

· Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Upon arrival, your guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. If you arrive early, you can enjoy the relaxing afternoon at your leisure. For dinner, you will be in for a treat of Beijing Roast Duck.

· Day 2 Forbidden City-Temple of Heaven

Today we will visit the Forbidden City in the morning and the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. Be ready to be amazed by the profound history and majestic architectures.

The Forbidden City, namely the Palace Museum, was once the Chinese imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is known as the largest, best-preserved ancient timber-built palace complex in the world. The buildings are all covered with yellow glazed tile roofs with red columns and high walls beneath, symbolizing the noble status of the royal family. In addition to its magnificent appearance, the Palace Museum also houses numerous cultural relics and treasures. Visiting to the Palace Museum can help us travel for time and space and appreciate the time-honored Chinese culture.

The Temple of Heaven was built for emperors to pray for a good harvest, with an orderly arrangement showing Chinese nobility and regality. The temple of Heaven is a cultural museum of offering sacrifices to Heaven, which merges architecture, aesthetics, acoustics, astronomy, calendar, music and dance into an integral whole. It is an important window through which we can learn the history of China.

· Day 3 The Great Wall（Mutianyu Section）

In the morning, we will drive one and a half hour to Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved sections with gorgeous scenery along the way. Take your time strolling along the wall and look far into the distance to enjoy the splendid landscape.

· Day 4 Summer Palace-Bullet Train to Datong

This morning we will visit the Summer Palace, “the Museum of Royal Gardens”. With luxuriant Longevity Hill and vast Kunming Lake, the big garden was built for the imperial family to flee the summer heat. Nowadays, it is accessible for everyone to enjoy the view of beautiful scenery and have fun here.

After sightseeing, we will take the bullet train for two and a half hours to Datong. Upon arrival, you tour guide will escort you to your hotel. The rest of day is free for you to relax.

· Day 5 Yungang Grottoes-Hanging Monastery

After breakfast in the hotel, let’s go to visit the Yungang Grottoes in the morning and the Hanging Monastery in the afternoon.

Yungang Grottoes are one of the largest grottoes in China and are the first large-scale grottoes operated by the royal family in Chinese history. It holds a vivid record of the history of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to China and reflect the process of the secularization and nationalization of Buddhist culture.

After lunch in a local restaurant, let’s head to the Hanging Monastery. Protruding from the cliff of Cuiping Peak and facing the main peak, Hanging Monastery boasts a long history more than 1,500 years. The building well practices principles of mechanics and uses rocks and invisible supports. The hanging wooden structure roots in holes and pillars that hook each other into rocks. The temples can also be highlighted for its fame of the oldest temple amalgamating three religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Here, you can not only appreciate the spectacular architecture but also discover the religious beauty of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

· Day 6 Datong-Pingyao Ancient City

Depart Datong in the morning and take bullet train to Pingyao. It will take you about three hours to Pingyao Ancient City. The rest of day is free for you to explore Pingyao Ancient City at your pace.

· Day 7 Pingyao Ancient City

Today let’s discover the traditional beauty of Pingyang Ancient City together.

Pingyao is the birthplace of the Jin Businessmen and play a crucial role in the economic development of Shanxi during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a good place for you to feel the glorious past of Han People. Strolling in the ancient city, you can not only appreciate the quaint architecture but also experience the local traditions and custom unique to Han.

· Day 8 Pingyao-Xi’an

Say goodbye to Pingyao and take bullet train to Xi’an. It takes you about two and a half hours to Xi’an. Once the imperial center of China for 2,000 years, Xi’an is now a vibrant, modern city dotted with interesting historical sites. After checking in, you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the hotel. In the late afternoon, your tour guide will take you to the Datang Night City Scenic Area, where you can take a stroll along the pedestrian street and enjoy an astonishing variety of performances, including the tumbler performance, light show, fountain show and live music show. The glitzy nightlife will make you amazed.

· Day 9 Terracotta Warriors

Today we will journey outside of Xi’an and visit the Terracotta Warriors, one of the man-made wonders of the world. After being buried for 2,000 years, the discovery of such a large-scale terracotta army makes the world surprise. These life-size clay models are distributed in three terracotta pits which in total cover an area of 19,120 square meters equivalent to 50 basketball courts. None of the seven thousand warriors look the same. They wear different clothes, each with the unique facial features. Come to see if there is a face that seems familiar to you!

· Day 10 Xi’an-Chengdu

Today we will visit Shaanxi History Museum.

Afterwards, we will visit the Shaanxi History Museum nearby. Known as “the pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures”, Shaanxi History museum gives a miniature overview of the thousands of years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of olden time. You can appreciate a large collection of precious cultural relics, such as sancai, bronzes, etc., giving you a deeper understanding of ancient Chinese history and culture.

In the late afternoon, we will catch the bullet train to Chengdu. It will take approximate four hours.

· Day 11 Panda Base-Board and Narrow Alley

Let’s start our journey in Chengdu by a visit to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. You can have a close encounter with adorable pandas here.Hopefully, you can catch the best time and witness them doing different things. It is a time-smart visit for you to understand pandas’ physical features and living habits.

In the afternoon, we can visit the Broad and Narrow Alley. It is a microcosm of the past of the ancient but vibrant city. Taking a stroll here, you can not only appreciate the quaint buildings but also taste delicious local food. It is a good place to experience Chengdu People’s laid-back lifestyle and feel the profound history of Chengdu.

· Day 12 Leshan Giant Buddha

Travel by private car this morning to Leshan. After about two and a half hours, you will get to  Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest and tallest stone-carved Buddha statue in the world. Over 1,300 years ago, the Giant Buddha was built to bless the passing boats. For several decades, it has attracted flocks of travelers to witness the grand Buddha statue. When you arrive here, you can climb to the mountain top to have a closer look of the Giant Buddha or go on a cruise to catch a panoramic view of it. Afterwards, drive about 45 minutes to Baoguo Temple, the biggest temple at the foot of Mount. Emei, which is blessed with a huge porcelain Buddha, Buddhist sutras, and several beautiful plants. Wandering along the serene paths, you can appreciate beautiful scenery and soak yourself in the atmosphere of Buddhist Culture.

· Day 13 Departure

After breakfast, your guide and driver will send you off. If you want to extend your stay in China, we are willing to make customized tour plans for you.