Chengde - the Mountain retreat of the Qing Dynasty Emperors and a perfect place to escape Beijing's hustle and bustle. Treat yourself!
Day 1
Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included.
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)
Day 2
Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Treasure Houses, Hutong Tours in a Rickshaw, Jiayixiong Jewelry Co. Ltd
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary:
Tiananmen Square: The world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
The Forbidden City: The Imperial Palace, home to 24 Emperors between 1420 and 1911. Great squares, halls and gates contrast with the intricate networks of side halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters for those who lived in this 'city within a city'. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are also absolutely fascinating. Expect to spend at least 2-3 hours, wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
Treasure Houses: Treasure house has undergone 4 time renovations, the present one takes up almost 220 square metres, more than 440 treasures on display belonged to Qing dynasty royalty, half of which have not never been on display in the old one. It's worthy of visiting.
Hutong Tours in a Rickshaw: A maze of historic alleyways and old single storey traditional courtyard houses, now fast disappearing. Dotted around the hutong are the Drum and Bell Towers, Tea House, and local people's houses. Your tour includes a visit with a local family.
Beijing Ba guo bu yi Restaurant: Ba Guo Bu Yi is located in Xizhimen next to the Beijing Youth Palace at No. 68 Nanxiao Road. It serves some of the heartiest and most authentic Sichuan fare in town with its traditional Chinese style decorations. Favorite dishes include mapo dofu (tofu braised in chili oil with brown peppers), dandan noodles in spicy peanut-sesame-garlic sauce, lazi jiding (chicken smothered by chilies), steamed fish served with chili-oil sauce and huiguorou (twice-cooked pork).
Jiayixiong Jewelry Co. Ltd: China's freshwater pearls are celebrated throughout the world. See how they are produced using some of the latest technology, and learn how to spot a fake. The outlet also offers a range of items produced from pearls and pearl oysters which goes far wider than jewelry.
Tel: 010-80796761
Address: Haidian District; Beijing
Day 3
Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Beijing Olympic Green
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary:
Temple of Heaven: Situated in the southern part of the city, the temple of heaven covers the total area of 2,700,000 square meters. The temple was built in 1420A.D. It is the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for good harvests. The main buildings of the temple including the Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.The surrounding gardens are full of interesting activities, particularly weekend mornings.
Summer Palace: Much-loved summer retreat of the Imperial families, the lovely landscaped gardens, halls, pavilions and corridors are set around the lake and rivers in natural harmony. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours here. Renovations (complete in 2010) mean that an individual section or building may be closed at any one time, but this is a huge site. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
Beijing Olympic Green: Located at the north end of the central axis of Beijing City, Olympic Green hosts 50% of the competitions in the Olympic Games. With a large area of 1215 hectares, it contains a 760 hectares green forest, National museum, exhibition area, Olympic Village and Olympic competition avenues. Approximately 31 venues are used in Beijing Olympics, including National Stadium, the Bird's Nest and National Aquatics Center.
Jing Mian Da Wang Restaurant(Chong Wen Men Branch): Jing Mian Da Wang specializes in its traditional decoration of old city with archaistic red lanterns & bridal sedan chair, it mainly caters wheaten food to diners from local and different regions, creating a cozy atmosphere of festival and household.
Day 4
Place & Transport: Beijing to Chengde
Today's Activities: Simatai Great Wall
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Si Ma Tai Restaurant (Lunch)
Detailed Itinerary:
Simatai Great Wall: This section of the Great Wall incorporates the many different characteristics of other sections of the Great Wall. It is known for its steepness. People said "The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall." UNESCO has designated Simatai Great Wall as a World Cultural Heritage site.
Si Ma Tai Restaurant : Si Ma Tai Restaurant is located at the foot of Simatai Great Wall which provides beautiful sunrise and sunset views. It serves a great variety of Chinese delicacy.
Day 5
Place & Transport: Chengde to Beijing
Today's Activities: Chengde Summer Palace, Xumi Fushou Temple, Putuozongcheng Temple, Puning Temple
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
Detailed Itinerary:
Chengde Summer Palace: Chengde Summer Palace, located in the north of Chengde city, was a place where emperors from the Qing dynasty spent their summers to escape the heat in Beijing. Occupying an area of 564,000 square meters, it is the largest royal garden in China, even bigger than the Summer Palace in Beijing. The historically important Chengdo Summer Palace is not only a tourist destination, but also a museum to explore the history and culture of the Qing Dynasty
Xumi Fushou Temple : Xumi Fushou Temple, located near Putuozongcheng Temple, was built in an imitation of the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet. It was built as a residence for the sixth Panchen Lama who traveled a great distance from Tibet to Chengde in 1870. He was to participate in the celebration of Emperor Qianlong's birthday. Ironically, the temple's name, meaning happiness and longevity, runs contrary to its history and the Lama's unfortunate destiny. He had to be sent home for burial after succumbing to small pox.
Putuozongcheng Temple : Putuozongcheng Temple is reminiscent of the Dala Lama’s Potala Palace in Tibet. It is considered as a great place to go if you cannot travel to Tibet. The temple was built to show the imperial family's respect for the minority groups and their beliefs. The temple is a marvelous sight with red walls that contrast against the green mountain backdrop. The top of the temple complex has a commanding view of the Chengde Summer Palace Resort.
Puning Temple : Punning Temple, also called Big Buddha Temple, has the world's largest wooden Buddha. This Buddha has thousands of hands and eyes. It is 22 meters high and 15 meters wide. The temple was built to commemorate Emperor Qianlong's victory over the Mongolian rebellion. The front of the temple was built in traditional Chinese style, but the temple complex features both Han and Tibetan style buildings. The temple has drum and bell towers, numerous pavilions and halls. It is still in use today.
Day 6
Place & Transport: Depart Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing)
Meals: Breakfast
Note: If you choose to stay on in Beijing for a few extra days, or arrive a few days early in Beijing, please let us know, and we'd be happy to extend your hotel bookings, or arrange additional tours for you.
* Prices are in US dollars, for one person. Prices are for references only, may vary according to different travel seasons.
* Better discounts are valible when travel in low season from Nov to March.
