Homeland Heritage Tours

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The entire day was perfect and couldn't have gone better! We are especially thankful to Lotus for this special day because I knew it would not have taken place without their hard work!

- Patricia Lyman

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Orphanage Reunion Tour B

Positive cultural heritage reinforcements often contribute to healthy and happy upbringings of adopted children. Learning and exploring their ethnic backgrounds under the guidance and unconditional supports of their families as they mature often enhance self-confidence and positive adoptive identities. This unique reunion tour is cautiously planned with the intention to assist families in orphanage visitation arrangements and spectacular explorations at their children’s finding sites and provinces.

Children would also enjoy their time spent in traditional Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting lessons at the local children’s palace, and be thrilled by the rare chance to hold, hug and feed adorable baby pandas at the Wolong Panda Breeding Research Base while in Chengdu; intensive Chinese history lessons are also incorporated into daily sightseeing programs to foster better understandings and appreciations of the youngsters cultural heritages.

Two percent of the standard tour cost would be donated to Lotus Travel’s Orphans Improvement Program to improve the quality of life of orphans in China. By joining our China Homeland Heritage Tour, you help improve the lives of Chinese orphans!

Itinerary

Day 1: US/Beijing

accommodations: n/a

meals: n/a

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

Day 2: Beijing

accommodations: Beijing KunLun Hotel

meals: n/a

Arrive at the Beijing International Airport. Your private English-speaking guide and driver will transfer you to the hotel upon your arrival. Have a good rest tonight to adjust to your new time zone and surroundings.

Day 3: Beijing

accommodations: Beijing KunLun Hotel

meals: B/L/D

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. In the afternoon, visit China’s largest temple and altar—the Temple of Heaven, which is often depicted as the most recognizable symbol of China. Enjoy an acrobatics show after dinner tonight.

Day 4: Beijing

accommodations: Beijing KunLun Hotel

meals: B/L

Visit two UNESCO world heritage sites today. Begin your day with a tour at the Great Wall. Constructed more than 2,000 years ago by China’s first emperor, the ancient wall is 6,350 km in length and the only visible man-made structure that could be seen from space. Stop at the Beijing’s Cloisonne (Jingtailan) Factory to learn about the intricate cloisonné making process after your great wall experience. Cloisonne originated in 1426 and became popular during the reign of Ming Emperor Jingtai. In the afternoon, explore the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace originally built in 1750 and later 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.

Day 5: Beijing/Xian

accommodations: Overnight Express Train

meals: B/L/D

Explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing’s oldest Hutongs were constructed during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods that represented the history, culture, and lifestyle of old Beijing. After a special homemade lunch at a local family residence in the Hutong Lane area, you and your children can learn to make your own kites under professional instructions. Then kick back, relax and fly your handmade kites with the others at 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. Early this evening, board a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian.

Day 6: Xian

accommodations: Xian Howard Johnson Hotel

meals: B/L/D

Arrive early this morning in China's ancient capital city of Xian. Known as ChangAn in ancient times, Xian was the capital city of China for 1,062 years (13 dynasties), under the reign of 73 different emperors. Visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum for an in-depth look at China’s extensive history with more than 2,000 items on exhibit. In the afternoon, get on top the 950-year-old city wall and ride a bike; be sure to enjoy the panoramic view of the city. Built during the early Ming Dynasty with a core of mud covered by three layers of bricks, it is the only city wall to remain intact in China today. After your exhilarating afternoon, enjoy the Tang Dynasty Show after a nice dinner.

Day 7: Xian

accommodations: Xian Howard Johnson Hotel

meals: B/L

Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today and begin with an exploration at the Terracotta Warriors & 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 worn away during weathering, thus revealing their original earthy color. Continue your tour at the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum nearby. Historical records noted that 700,000 labors spent 36 years building Qin’s Mausoleum at the foot of Lishan Mountain; numerous treasures entombed with the emperor still remain undiscovered. Learn to make JiaoZi (dumplings) in a local restaurant and have JiaoZi lunch there. Visit the HuaQing Hot Springs Palace constructed during the Tang Dynasty. This evening, relax and unwind. Enjoy recording your experiences of the day in a journal or just lounging in your fine hotel room.

Day 8: Xian/ChengDu

accommodations: ChengDu JinJiangHotel

meals: B/L

You will fly to Chengdu from Xian today.

After lunch, visit the Chengdu Children’s Palace where you could learn the basic techniques of Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting; certainly a fun activity for both adults and children.

Day 9: ChengDu

accommodations: ChengDu JinJiangHotel

meals: B/L

Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. A professional panda caregiver will give you a brief insight of the panda researches and everyone will have the rare opportunity to hold and hug a baby panda; something everyone in the family is sure to enjoy. After lunch, visit the fascinating SanXingDui Museum. Little is known about the mysterious cultural and religious beliefs of the people of SanXingDui, yet visitors can gain a sense of the culture through intriguing displays of ancient and rare artifacts used in daily life, and religious ceremonies.

Day 10: ChengDu/Province

accommodations: 4 or 5 Star Hotel

meals: B/L

Depart Chengdu and travel to the capital city of the designated province for an orphanage visit.

Day 11: Province

accommodations: 4 or 5 Star Hotel

meals: B/L

With the assistance of your local English-speaking tour guide and driver, visit the orphanage and have lunch with the orphanage staff (4 of them). Visit your child’s finding site after lunch.

Day 12: Province

accommodations: 4 or 5 Star Hotel

meals: B/L

Today your private English-speaking tour guide and driver will show you around the adoption city.

Day 13: Province/Guangzhou

accommodations: Guangzhou White Swan Hotel

meals: B/L

After breakfast, depart the province for Guangzhou.

Day 14: Guangzhou

accommodations: Guangzhou White Swan Hotel

meals: B/L

After breakfast, tour around Shamian Island: stopping at the medical clinic where adoption medical exams are conducted and visiting the photo shop where your child’s visa photo was taken. In the afternoon, take another trip down memory lane when you visit the American Consulate. Your guide will then escort you to a local park where you can linger and relax while enjoying a story-time of traditional Chinese folktales to deepen your understanding of the rich cultural heritage of your child. Bring closure to the lifelong memories from the past two weeks this evening. Enjoy journaling, some last-minute shopping or sightseeing before you embark on a return trip.

Day 15: Guangzhou/US

accommodations: n/a

meals: B

Please meet your private English-speaking tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby and travel to the Guangzhou New Bai Yun Airport for your international flight back to the United States. Cross the International Dateline and arrive home on the same day.

Lotus Travel Terms and Conditions

Inclusions:

Chinese domestic airfare
Airport/hotel/airport transfer as listed on itinerary.
All listed sightseeing and tour programs with private English-speaking tour guide and private van or bus with driver.
Hotels and meals as indicated on itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Chinese lunch, D = Chinese Dinner).

Exclusions:

International Airfare*
Adoption Provincial trip on Day 10-12 and the airfare from province city to Beijing
Some meals.
Tipping to tour guide and driver.
Chinese visa.
Expenses of a personal nature.
Costs associated with side-trip to orphanage

Terms and Conditions:

Deposit: A $500.00 per person non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration.
Balance: Balance is due 60 days before departure.

Notes:

A child has to be 11 years old or under on the last day of the tour to receive a discount.
In China, a child taller than 3'10" is charged an adult fare for admission tickets, transportation fares (except airfare) and meals in restaurants. Lotus Travel assumes all children 11 years old and under are shorter than 3'10" and quotes them a child's fee. If your child exceeds this height limit, your tour guide might ask you to pay the difference of the transportation fare and admission ticket while in China.
Twin beds in China hotels (about 50 inches wide) are closer in width to the 54" double size beds in the US and much wider than the 39 inches wide twin beds found in American homes.
A soft sleeper train compartment is equipped with two bunk beds for four travelers. If there are less than four people in your party, Lotus Travel highly recommends purchasing extra seats in the compartment to ensure privacy.
If your itinerary states "free time" or "free day", no activities would be planned for you and your English-speaking tour guide and driver would not be present.
Lotus Travel highly recommends clients to purchase travel insurance. The Travel Plus Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 15 and under are free of charge when traveling with an adult. Please see the attached documents for more details.
A Chinese visa issued at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles is good for 6 months. We recommend applying for travel visas at least two months before your departure. For detail information, please visit our website at www.lotustours.net.
Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact us for details.

Remarks:

Adoption Provincial trip (orphanage visit) on Day 10-12 and the airfare from province city to Beijing can be arranged with extra cost.
B = Breakfast L = Chinese Lunch D = Chinese Dinner
CA = Air China 3U = SiChuan Airlines CZ = China Southern Airlines

Inclusions:

Chinese domestic airfare
Airport/hotel/airport transfer as listed on itinerary.
All listed sightseeing and tour programs with private English-speaking tour guide and private van or bus with driver.
Hotels and meals as indicated on itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Chinese lunch, D = Chinese Dinner).

Exclusions:

International Airfare*
Adoption Provincial trip on Day 10-12 and the airfare from province city to Beijing
Some meals.
Tipping to tour guide and driver.
Chinese visa.
Expenses of a personal nature.
Costs associated with side-trip to orphanage

Terms and Conditions:

Deposit: A $500.00 per person non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration.
Balance: Balance is due 60 days before departure.

Notes:

A child has to be 11 years old or under on the last day of the tour to receive a discount.
In China, a child taller than 3'10" is charged an adult fare for admission tickets, transportation fares (except airfare) and meals in restaurants. Lotus Travel assumes all children 11 years old and under are shorter than 3'10" and quotes them a child's fee. If your child exceeds this height limit, your tour guide might ask you to pay the difference of the transportation fare and admission ticket while in China.
Twin beds in China hotels (about 50 inches wide) are closer in width to the 54" double size beds in the US and much wider than the 39 inches wide twin beds found in American homes.
A soft sleeper train compartment is equipped with two bunk beds for four travelers. If there are less than four people in your party, Lotus Travel highly recommends purchasing extra seats in the compartment to ensure privacy.
If your itinerary states "free time" or "free day", no activities would be planned for you and your English-speaking tour guide and driver would not be present.
Lotus Travel highly recommends clients to purchase travel insurance. The Travel Plus Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 15 and under are free of charge when traveling with an adult. Please see the attached documents for more details.
A Chinese visa issued at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles is good for 6 months. We recommend applying for travel visas at least two months before your departure. For detail information, please visit our website at www.lotustours.net.
Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact us for details.

Remarks:

Adoption Provincial trip (orphanage visit) on Day 10-12 and the airfare from province city to Beijing can be arranged with extra cost.
B = Breakfast L = Chinese Lunch D = Chinese Dinner
CA = Air China 3U = SiChuan Airlines CZ = China Southern Airlines

Tour Overview

Trip Duration:
15 days/14 nights
Price:
Adult (Land Only): $1,899
Child (Land Only): $1,520
Departure Dates:
2008:1/05, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/16, 2/23, 3/01, 3/08, 3/15
As of March 31, 2008 we no longer have selected departure dates for Homeland Heritage Reunion Tour B; however, many similar tours have freqent departure dates throughout the year. Please click here to return to the list of Homeland Heritage Tours we offer.
Orphanage Visits
Orphanage visits in the following provinces are available: AnHui, ChongQing, FuJian, GuangDong, GuangXi, GuiZhou, HaiNan, HuBei, HuNan, JiangSu, JiangXi, Shanghai, SiChuan, ZheJiang, YunNan.
For more information, please contact our Homeland Heritage Tour expert Louie.