6-Day Fabulous China by Bullet Train Beijing and Shanghai Tour

6-Day Fabulous China by Bullet Train Beijing and Shanghai Tour Highlights

Price Per Person

Notes:

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

Meals: N/A

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven  or similar

When you arrive in the capital of the Middle Kingdom, you will be greeted by your friendly guide who will escort you to your hotel. You will settle into your hotel for the night. Enjoy free time on your own.

Day 2 Beijing

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Peking Roast Duck Dinner

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven  or similar

The history of Beijing can be traced back over 3000 years ago. It was then known as Ji, a city-state from the 11th century to 7th century BC. Ji was conquered by the State of Yan and was renamed as Yanjing. Beijing became very prominent during the early Ming Dynasty when Emperor Yongle decided to establish it as the capital city of the empire. Henceforth, Beijing has served as China’s capital for around 600 years. The rapidly developing economy has contributed to the shrinking of its historical sections, giving way to modernity. However, there are still many attractions that give visitors a glimpse into the city’s ancient past.

In the morning, you will be transferred to the suburb of Beijing to visit a less-traveled section of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall. You will spend some time walking on the wall, taking pictures, and admiring the grandeur of this structure. The sheer engineering feat of the Great Wall becomes all the more profound, when one realizes it was constructed without the use of modern equipment. The construction of the Great Wall started as early as the Spring and Autumn period. During that time and the following Warring States period, different states such as the Qin, Wei, and Zhao built several walls to defend their own borders. At the end of the Warring States period, Ying Zheng, King of the Qin State, conquered his opponents and united China again as a great empire. Subsequently, he connected all the walls together. Since then, the Great Wall has been rebuilt and enlarged several times. The current wall was mainly constructed during the Ming Dynasty.

In the afternoon, the tour continues with the Ming Tombs (specifically the Changling Ming Tomb) to learn more about that period in history. In total, 13 emperors from the Ming Dynasty were buried here, together with their empresses and concubines. The Changling Ming Tomb was constructed for Emperor Yongle, who built the Forbidden City. The tomb is not excavated, so you will visit the on-site museum which houses many artifacts unearthed from the surrounding area. After that, drive back to Beijing.

Before returning to your hotel, you will enjoy a hearty Peking Roast Duck Dinner at one of the famous Quanjude Restaurants, a renowned brand for the iconic dish.

Day 3 Beijing

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven  or similar

Your adventure begins from Tiananmen Square in the central location of Beijing. It is an important meeting place for political events. The square is lined with many buildings such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the Great Hall of the People, and the National Museum of China. Each morning, the five-star-red-flag, China’s national flag, is raised up here with the rising sun.

Next on the tour, is a short walk to the iconic Forbidden City, the imperial palace of both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the past, it was strictly off-limits to commoners. The construction of the Forbidden City started in 1406 and ended in 1420, under the reign of Emperor Yongle. A total of 24 emperors, together with their households have resided here throughout history. Most of them were born and raised in the complex, came to the throne, and worked diligently to rule the country, and finally died here. It has a rich, storied history waiting for you to discover. You will visit the main palaces, the imperial garden, the treasure gallery, and the clock and watch the exhibition hall.

Next on the tour, you will explore another landmark of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven. It was constructed at the same time as the Forbidden City, by Emperor Yongle. In ancient China, the emperors regarded themselves as the son of Heaven, and thus ruled the country on behalf of gods in Heaven. The temple was built to hold sacrificing ceremonies in reverence to the gods, and to likewise pray for good harvests.

In the evening, you will enjoy tea-tasting, while watching a series of performances including an acrobatic show, Peking Opera, Face Changing, amongst other, all in short snippets at Laoshe Tea House.

Day 4 Beijing/Shanghai by Bullet Train

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Grand Noble Hotel Xian  or similar

This morning you will take a leisurely tour to the Summer Palace. It was built in 1764 by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, for his mother’s 60th birthday. Severely damaged during the Second Opium War in 1860, the palace was restored in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi with funds originally planned for upgrading the navy. Cixi (1835-1908) was a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng. After the emperor’s death in 1861, her son succeeded to the throne at the age of 6, as Emperor Tongzhi. Thereafter, Cixi became the empress dowager and the actual regent in the late Qing Dynasty, who controlled the government for around 47 years till her death. Occasionally, she came to the Summer Palace for respite from the heat of the capital.

You will then be transferred to the railway station for the super high-speed train to Shanghai. This train is very modern, fast and comfortable. Before it was in use, it took more than 13 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai by normal-speed train. Now, the fastest high-speed train takes about 4 hours 49 minutes. When you arrive in Shanghai, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 5 Shanghai

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei  or similar

Today you will take the entire day to explore some of Shanghai's major attractions. First on the itinerary, you will be taken to the Jade Buddha Temple, an important Buddhist Temple in Shanghai. This temple has a history of over 120 years and contains two wonderful jade Buddha sculptures. Hence, why it is called the Jade Buddha Temple.

Following that, you will travel to the Yuyuan Garden. The garden was built in 1559 by an official of the Ming Dynasty, to please his father. When you visit the garden, you will be impressed by its size, the artistic man-made rockeries, and the exceptional architecture of the ornately carved buildings. After exploring the garden, you will spend some time strolling along the Shanghai Old Street located nearby. It is lined with many souvenir shops.

Next stop on the tour, is the Shanghai Museum. It is one of the most important museums in China. It houses more than 120,000 items covering bronzeware, pottery, and ancient furniture amongst other artifacts. After that, you will take a leisurely walk on the world-famous Bund, the center of Shanghai.

Day 6 Depart from Shanghai

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy free time until being transferred to the airport for your departing flight, and thus ending this fabulus tour.