Day-to-day schedule
Day 1 -
3: Beijing
Today you have free time to explore and enjoy Beijing. This city is the capital of one of the greatest Empires in the world for centuries and was founded by the Mongolians in the thirteenth century. Beijing’s power stretched from Korea to Hungary, later becoming the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Many of the most important places of interest in this immense country are in or close to Beijing. With an area of 9,580,000 sq.km , China is 40 times greater than the UK and has a population of over one billion. Since 1949, the heart of Beijing and China has been Tian An Men Square, the square of Heavenly Peace. On October 1st of that year, Mao Zedong, chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, proclaimed the advent of the People’s Republic of China. At the start of his Cultural Revolution, in 1966, a million swooning teenagers worshipped him like a god there. In 1989 a student protest was smothered with brute military force and hundreds died. These memories are in sharp contrast to the peaceful atmosphere these days. Chinese families walk around it, people fly kites, there are stalls selling photographic equipment and ice-cream vendors. On one side of the square there are colossal buildings in Stalinist style: the Great Hall of the People and the National Museum of China. On the south side is the Mao Zedong memorial Hall. More important is the beautiful Forbidden City. The dimensions of this complex are staggering. It is one kilometre by 700 metres and has 9,999 rooms. Italian film director Bertolucci in his masterpiece, ‘The Last Emperor’, beautifully captured the imperial city on screen. Emperors could choose from many thousands of women, and over time provided work for 70,000 eunuchs. Ordinary mortals were not permitted in the Forbidden City. Some emperors hardly left the palace living secluded and totally unworldly existences. The Summer Palace is on the edge of the city and has magnificent buildings and temples. There is also a huge marble boat that was commissioned by the empress dowager Cixi for her dinner parties. Another highlight is the Temple of Heaven built completely without nails during the Ming Dynasty. You will find it in a large park, where locals practise Tai Chi every morning. Take a walk through the hutongs, the old working-class areas of Beijing where people live in small courts with a number of closely built houses. Grandparents play with their grandchildren and small shops sell all kinds of daily necessities. In the evening you could visit the Peking Opera, somewhat different to our western opera! The singing, which sounds plaintive, is very slow. It is a wonderful experience to go and see - once, if only for the splendid costumes. The Chinese Wall, winds through the mountains, starting from the north of Beijing. It is the only man made creation on Earth visible from the moon. In some places you can climb the wall and follow its path to the horizon. Your tour guide will organise a day tour for you to visit the Wall. You must have Peking Duck. It is fun to have the full meal with a group of people sitting at a round table with a turntable in the middle. Meals are ordered for the whole group and never individually. You can find western cutlery in most hotels, but in local restaurants you will have to eat with chopsticks which you’ll get used to very quickly.Day 4: Beijing – Pingyao
The morning is free in Beijing. In the late afternoon we take the night sleeper train to Pingyao, arriving next morning. During this holiday we will take 4 night trains to cover the enormous distances more comfortably. We pre book second-class couchettes, with three beds above each other. The bottom bed is used as a sofa during the day and you will be supplied with bedclothes. Each carriage has a supervisor who inspects the tickets, cleans, looks after the music, makes announcements and is responsible for the carriage. There are toilets (not entirely clean) and washbasins. For the Chinese the train is the way to cover large distances. They make themselves at home, put on their slippers and take out the inevitable tea mugs. It is amusing to see them hurry to one end of the carriage with their mugs, thermos flasks and bowls of instant noodle soup, when the rumour spreads that there is hot water again. The Chinese pass their time eating, drinking, sleeping, playing cards, nattering, reading, or listening to music. You are unlikely to get bored during these train journeys and you can watch China pass by your window. This is also the best place to strike up a conversation with an English speaking Chinaman, whom you will find without much effort.Day 5: Pingyao
In the morning you arrive in the ancient Chinese town of Pingyao, recently declared by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. In the 19th Century, Pingyao was the financial trading centre of China and the old mansions, formerly owned by merchants, have been very well preserved. You might imagine yourself to be in ancient China standing under the imposing town walls with the original gates still in use. In the narrow alleys inside the town walls stop in a restaurant or tearoom in one of the old merchant homes and be sure to try the noodle dishes.Day 6: Pingyao - Xian
You have one more day in this picturesque town. When you can no longer bear the noise of the tinkling bicycle bells and cackling rickshaw drivers, take a taxi to tranquil Shuang Lin (Twin Forest) Temple where you will come face to face with 2000 clay statues dating from the Song and Yuang dynasties. You could also make an excursion to 'Wangjia Dayuan', the fortress of the Wang Family, its enormous and encircles countless beautiful archways and lavishly decorated courtyards. This fort features regularly in Chinese movies. At the end of the afternoon we take the night train to Xian arriving next morning.Day 7: Xian
Xian is a very significant historical city as it is home to the famous Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shihuang. Thousands of man-sized clay soldiers have guarded his tomb since the third century BC. The Emperor united China and standardised weights and measures and the written language. Qin Shihuang was also responsible for building the Chinese Wall. During the first centuries AD, Xian was where the Silk Route began; it connected China to the Roman Empire. Caravans transported silk, lacquer ware and spices to the west, and earthenware, glass and fabrics to the east. Later, Islam spread to China by this route. Explore the Islamic part of the city; it is an enjoyable and lively district with an ancient mosque in the middle. You will see children being taught Arabic, men and women preparing the most delicious meals and many small bric-a-brac shops and stalls. The mosque is a mix of Islamic and Chinese architecture and has a quiet walled-in garden. In this area you can eat kebabs on the streets. From the seventh to the ninth centuries, when the Tang Dynasty ruled China, Xian enjoyed another ‘Golden Age’. It developed into one of the biggest cities in the world with two million inhabitants. The 14-kilometre city wall, dating back to the period, is still largely intact. With its height and width of 12 metres, it is an impressive sight. These imposing walls are often the scene of kite flying competitions and provide a great view of the city. For a good insight into the history of Xian and the Shaanxi province, in English, you should visit the beautiful historical museum.Day 8: Xian – Guilin
In the morning you take the sleeper train to Guilin. You should arrive the following day.Day 9: Guilin – Yangshuo
You will travel by bus to Yangshuo, a town in the world famous karst landscape of South China.Day 10 -
11: Yangshuo
You are now in the middle of China’s most distinctive scenic area. The Karst Mountains rise almost vertically from the paddy fields; only bamboo forests and small villages interrupt the view. In the early summer, the land is tropically green; in the autumn the fields turn shades of golden brown. Depending on the season, you can see the farmers ploughing the fields with their buffaloes, bedding out the rice by hand, or mowing with sickles. You can take a beautiful cycling tour of the area. Local farmers like to show you their villages and a tour of their house for a small fee. They might even invite you in for a meal. You’ll get a good impression of how hundreds of millions of Chinese farmers live today. You can also enjoy the karst landscape from a boat on the River Li. In the evening join the fishermen. They lure the fish with bright gas lamps, which are then caught by trained cormorants. Due to a special ring around their necks the fish cannot be swallowed. The fishermen conjure the fish out of the birds' throats with one skilful movement. Yangshuo is a bustling little town and the high street is full of small restaurants, shops and outdoor cafés.Day 12: Yangshuo - Guilin – Guangzhou
At the end of the afternoon on day 12 you travel by bus from Yangshuo to Guilin and subsequently on to Canton (Guangzhou) by night train. You will arrive in Guangzhou the following morning. In this city you can look around and perhaps find your last souvenirs.Day 13: Guangzhou
Canton (also called Guangzhou) has always played a special role in Chinese history. The city rulers have always behaved in a wilful and independent manner, aware that it is more than two thousand kilometres from Central Chinese Rule. In 1911 the imperial dynasty was overthrown and Sun Yat Sen proclaimed the republic. Twelve years later the Kuomintang was founded here.
Shamian Island is an old concession by the European powers from the time of the Opium War. You will recognize the European influences in the architectural styles of the stately homes. Near Shamian Island is Qingping Market. This is an authentic South Chinese market where you will feast your eyes on eccentric delicacies like snakes, dried turtles, owls and cats. Though the market is smaller and tidier than it used to be, it is still worth seeing.
Once your appetite has returned try some light delicacies from the South Chinese cuisine. Compare your memory of the heavier food you had in the North to the smooth, fresh flavours of Cantonese cuisine.
It is the last day of your tour but rather than being about ‘Goodbye’ your thought should be ‘Go further’!
Visit your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website. ‘my.shoestring’ is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
Day 14: Guangzhou
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 14) is not included.