Day 2 - Shanghai
Landing in Shanghai, once known as the "Paris of the East", you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Remarks: Shanghai cuisine is typically seasoned with sugar, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine - a sweet and zesty combination. Shanghainese specialities are freshwater hairy crabs, fried fish in sweet and sour sauce, and shrimps served over sizzling rice.

Day 3 - Shanghai (B/L/SD)
Immerse in the culture and sophistication of Shanghai on a tour of the city's premier sights. Wander the lovely paths and pavilions of the 500-year-old Yu Garden; view all manners of Chinese arts displayed in the astounding galleries of the new Shanghai Museum; and shop at the Old Shanghai featuring all manner of antiques, curios and Chinese medicine. Return to the hotel at day's end to prepare for a special evening of Shanghai Cuisine at the prestigious Lu Bo Long Restaurant.

Day 4 - Shanghai/Zhouzhuang/Suzhou (B/L/D)
Travel to Zhouzhuang, the perfect embodiment of the serene villages of the Yangtze Delta. Tour the stone lanes and interlaced streams where the 900-year-old town's stories are depicted in landmark mansions and magnificent bridges resembling keys, rainbows, and musical instruments. Continue by coach to the garden city of Suzhou for an evening gala at the esteemed Garden of the Master of Nets. Enjoy special performances of classical music and dance, and an opportunity for an evening stroll on the intimate paths with surprises at every turn.

Day 5 - Suzhou (B/L/D)
Suzhou is a charming city of canals filled with Ming and Qing gardens, many dating back centuries. Exploring a selection of magnificent garden havens cherished by ancient scholars and visits the Embroidery Research Institute to marvel at the designs. End the day with a delicious dinner at the SongHeLou Restaurant.

Remarks: The feature of Suzhou-style dishes is their natural flavor in original stock and a mixture of salty and sweet taste. Among the best-known dishes are sizzling rice with shrimps, boat-shaped fried duck, braised pork in preserved bean-curd sauce, five-spiced chicken drumstick and so on.

Day 6 - Hangzhou (B/L/SD)
Take a morning train to Hangzhou, a silk center acclaimed by Marco Polo as a "paradise on earth". Cruise on West Lake in the heart of the city, dotted with palaces, reflecting pools, pagodas and gardens inspired by the highly-cultured Song Dynasty. Complete the day with a dinner overlooking the lake at the famous Louwailou Restaurant which has hosted nine state dinners

Remarks: Dishes of Hangzhou style are meticulously prepared, hence tasty and crisp. A blend of freshness and saltiness are the characteristic. The local specialties are the Beggar's chicken, vinegar fish from the West Lake, Dongpo meat (braised and steamed pork), and prawns in Dragon Well tea sauce.

Day 7 - Hangzhou (B/L)
The morning tour includes the cave carvings at the Lingyin Monastery built in the year 321 AD by a Buddhist monk from India, the view from Pagoda of Six Harmonies, and Hangzhou's famous tea plantation where China's most famous tea is produced.

Day 8 - Hangzhou/Xian (B/L/SD)
Your journey continues with a short flight to Xian. This evening, enjoy a dazzling dumpling dinner banquet at Defachang Dumpling Restaurant, where over 100 kinds of dumplings are available.

Remarks: Xian cuisine is the blending of the different types of dishes brought by the court officials during the Ming and Qing Dynasties with the native dishes of the regions. Pork, duck, lamb, and other meats are primarily eaten due to the cold weather in winter. Rich food and pot dishes are popular. The area is rich in wheat and many dishes are based on grain, popular items being dumplings, noodles, cakes, etc. Famous dishes are braised abalone with shells, fried sea cucumber with fistulous onion and fragrant calamus in milk soup.

Day 9 - Xian (B/L/SD)
Xian was the cradle of ancient Chinese civilization dating back to 4,000 BC, and the capital city for eleven dynasties up to the 9th century. Tour the highlights of the city and outskirts today, none more spectacular than the army of Terra Cotta Soldiers buried around the tomb of Emperor Qin for 22 centuries, but hidden beneath the earth until their discovery in 1974. Also explore the Provincial Museum, the landmark Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and Ming-era City Gate. This evening, enjoy a dazzling dinner banquet and stage show at the Tang Dynasty Theater.

Day 10 - Xian/Beijing (B/L/SD)
Fly to Beijing, the capital of China with an incredible mix of historic and modern landmarks. Explore the famous Tiananmen Square and the imposing Forbidden City, a treasure trove of art and heirlooms. This evening enjoy Mongolian Hot Pot, a regional styles of cooking, at DongLaiShun Restaurant, famous for its instant sliced Mutton Hot Pot and Barbecue dinner.

Remarks: Beijing food, originating in the imperial courts of northern China, is strongly spiced with coriander, peppers and garlic. Noodles and dumplings are featured, instead of the typical southern staple of rice. Stir-frying and deep frying is a favorite cooking method. You will find the texture crispy, and yet at the same time, tender. Beijing roast duck renowned for its scented crisp skin, which is so crisp that once taken in the mouth it breaks.

Day 11 - Beijing (B/L/SD)
With its various segments stretching nearly 4,000 miles across the rugged terrain of northern China, the Great Wall is truly a world wonder. Today's visit will allow ample time to linger at the site, photograph it from dramatic perspectives, and contemplate the resilience of the ancient people who toiled under the harshest conditions to erect the wall entirely by hand. Continue to the Ming Tombs, burial site of the Ming Dynasty's royalty before returning to the city for a delicious Peking duck dinner.

Day 12 - Beijing (B/L)
Tour the awesome Summer Palace with lovely pagodas, pavilions, and courtyards, still much as they were during the court of Empress Dowager. Enjoy a special lunch with the students and staffs at the Culinary School prior to Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist temple with finely detailed Thanqka paintings and beautifully carved Buddha images.

Day 13 - Beijing (B/L/SD)
Ride in old-fashioned pedicab through Hutongs, the "old city" neighborhood of narrow alleyways and courtyard gardens hidden behind Beijing's modern facade. After lunch, continue to the Temple Heaven with its exuberant interior and delightful park setting and is one of the best examples of Ming Dynasty architecture in Beijing. This evening, feast on a special Imperial dinner banquet at the renowned Fangshan Restaurant in Behai Park. The chefs here recreate the food eaten by former Emperors and Empresses. You will be dining on the most exotic foods imaginable.

Day 14 - Beijing/USA (B)
Bid farewell to China as you fly aboard your selected airline home.

Guaranteed Departure: Thursday	Air & Land		Land Only	Single Supplement
	LAX / SFO	NYC / IAD
2003
Apr 03, 24	$2,670	$2,800	$1,960	$710
May 08, 22, 29	$2,670	$2,800	$1,960	$710
Jun 05, 19, 26	$2,700	$2,830	$1,910	$700
Jul 03, 17	$2,700	$2,830	$1,910	$700
Aug 07, 14,	$2,700	$2,830	$1,910	$730
Aug 21	$2,760	$2,885	$2,060	$760
Sep 04, 18, 25	$2,780	$2,895	$2,090	$760
Oct 09, 16, 30	$2,780	$2,895	$2,090	$760
Nov 06, 20,	$2,675	$2,785	$1,960	$700
Nov 27	$2,675	$2,785	$1,960	$680
Dec 04, 18	$2,675	$2,785	$1,960	$680
2004
Jan 15, 22,	$2,625	$2,735	$1,960	$680
Feb 05, 12	$2,625	$2,735	$1,960	$680
Mar 04, 11, 18	$2,675	$2,785	$1,960	$680
Hotel Accomodations Shanghai Central Hotel Suzhou Banboo Grove Hotel Hangzhou Continental Hotel Xian Hyatt Hotel Beijing New Otani Hotel
Above AIRFARES are based economy class for your reference only. Please call us for detail informations Asia Connect Tours reserves the right to change hotels within the same category.