China Winter Discovery Tour

Begin your tour to China’s most popular historical sites and cities today when you depart from the US gateway city for Beijing.

Begin your day with a tour at the Forbidden City. Listed as a world heritage site in 1987, the Forbidden City contains the largest group of intact palace structures in the world. The palace is 720,000 square meters in size and contains 9,999 rooms, numerous pavilions, gardens and courtyards. Then visit the Tiananmen Square. Noted as the largest city square in the world, the square was initially designed for political rallies and important gala events. Today the square is flanked by the Forbidden City in the north, the Great Hall of the People in the west, Mao TseTung’s Mausoleum in the south and the Museum of Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History in the east. This afternoon, stop by at the major 2008 Olympic Venues including the National Stadiums – “Bird's Nest”, the National Aquatics Center – “Watercube” on the way to the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace. The palace was originally built in 1750 and was rebuilt in 1886. Located in the western outskirts of the city, the Summer Palace is the leading classical garden in China and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing’s oldest Hutongs were constructed during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods, which represent the history, culture and lifestyle of old Beijing. After a special homemade lunch at a local family residence in the Hutong Lane area, your family can learn how to make your own kites under professional instruction, and then fly your handmade kites with others at the Temple of Heaven, which is China’s largest temple and altar. It is often regarded as the most recognizable symbol of China. Early this evening, get onboard a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian.

Beijing/Xian  Soft Sleeper Train Z19 (9:24P/8:25A+1 day) (Your tour guide has tickets.)

Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today, beginning with an exploration at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, where you will find lifelike terracotta soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons created more than 2,000 years ago to guard the first emperor’s tomb. Their vibrant painted details have worn away and revealed their original earthy color. Learn to make JiaoZi (traditional Chinese dumplings) in a local restaurant and have a JiaoZi lunch there. This evening, relax and unwind. Enjoy recording your experiences of the day in a journal or just lounging in your fine hotel room.

After breakfast, travel to the 1,200-year-old canal town of Wuzhen. Recently opened to visitors, the town retains its charm and grace reminiscent of a traditional Chinese painting: quaint buildings, traditional arched bridges and willow- lined canals. Local actors regularly perform Shaoxing, Peking and Flower Drum Operas for free at the town square adjacent to the Xiuzhen Temple. After lunch, visit traditional workshops that carry local craft products, such as indigo painted fabric, Sanbai wine, cloth shoes and bamboo handicrafts. Return to Hangzhou in the early evening.

Your orphanage visitation typically includes a lunch meeting with the orphanage director and staff. If your family wishes to be in touch with the foster family, Lotus can also arrange a time for you to reunite if contact information is available. After lunch, you may explore your child’s finding site. Record the day’s events in your journal or just relax with your family this evening.

Begin your adventure with a relaxing walk along the Bund near the Huang Pu River. Then visit the Yu Yuan Garden and enjoy its intricately designed pathways, pavilions, koi stocked pools and quiet courtyards; then pass by the shops and restaurants in Yu Yuan Bazaar on your way to lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Jade Buddha (Yufo) Temple. As you enter the temple grounds, you might hear prayers of the monks and glimpse the smoke of incense curling toward the sky.