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Beijing	→	Xian	→	Dunhuang	→

Kashgar	→	Suzhou	→	Shanghai

The Bird Tour

The Craft Tour

The Golf Tour

The Health Tour


The Kung Fu Tour	The Meditations Tour	The Silk Road Tour

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The Echo Silk Road Tour

A Rich, Multi-Cultural Experience... And Much More!

China\'s vast western region is accessible to travelers along the classic Silk Road, although historically, the trade route was never called such until a German geographer gave it that romantic name in the late 1800s. In AD 200, this transcontinental route linked the Roman Empire in the west with the imperial court of China. Trade along the route was carried on by foreign traders who belonged to neither of the two old empires.

This ancient trade route starts in the old capitals of Luoyang and Xian (then called Chang\'an), reaches the Yellow River at Lanzhou, then skirts westward along deserts and mountains before dividing into three routes at the oasis of Dunhuang. The great part of the Silk Road threads its way through Xinjiang. Ancient travelers left behind many historical records and invaluable relics.

Destinations on the Silk Road Tour include:

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 1

Beijing... Tradition, Beauty, Promise

China\'s capital city eagerly awaits your visit! Locations below are available in our different package tours but can also be included in a custom upon request.

Day 1 am: Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven, at three times the area of the Forbidden City, is China\'s largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

The Altar of Prayer for Good Harvest stands on a round foundation built with three levels of marble stones. This towering triple-eave hall is under a three-story, cone-shaped glaze-tile roof in blue color crowned with a gilded knob. A circular wall of polished bricks known as the Echo Wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven.

Day 1 pm: Yonghegong Lama Temple

Historically, the Yonghegong Lama Temple was a residence for Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It was built in the 33rd year of Kangxi\'s reign (1694) and was changed into a Emperor\'s palace in the 3rd year of Yongzheng\'s reign (1725). In the 9th year of Qianlong\'s reign (1744), it became a temple of the Lama Buddhist sect.

The Yonghegong Lama Temple was made up of three exquisite arches, the Yonghe Door, the Yonghegong Hall, Yongyou Hall, Falun Hall, Wanfu Hall, and the Neicheng Hall. It also has the East and West side halls, the \'Four Halls of Scholarship\' (Medicine Hall, Mathematics Hall, Mizong Buddhist Sect Hall, and Scripture Recital Hall) as well as two display rooms for relics.

Day 1 pm: Ancient Observatory

A passer-by strolling east of Tiananmen Square in the middle of Beijing will be surprised to see an ancient observatory high up on the top of a fort-like building at Jianguo Gate.

On entering the unassuming entrance of the observatory compound (built in 1422), one can see various sea-faring instruments at the courtyard. One then enters a two story museum which is a collection of pictures, write-ups and busts to show the ancient Chinese scientists and their various astronomical achievements. An impressive replica of a Ming Dynasty gold foil map of the constellations can be seen in the museum.

Day 2 am: Jingshan Park

There\'s no better place for a clear aerial view of the Forbidden City than from Jingshan Park. The park\'s central hill was created using earth left over from the digging of the imperial moat and was the highest point in the city during the Ming dynasty.

It was designed to enhance the fengshui of the Forbidden City, by blocking the harsh northern wind and by burying a Mongol Yuan dynasty pavilion, the Yanchun Ge. A tree on the east side of the hill marks the spot where the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, supposedly hanged himself in 1644, just before Manchu and rebel armies overran the city.

Day 2 pm: Forbidden City

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City (Gu Gong in Mandarin Chinese) was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square.

Rectangular in shape, it is the world\'s largest palace complex. Surrounded by a seven foot deep moat and a 12 foot high wall are 9,999 buildings. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate and to the north is the Gate of Devine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall that afford breathtaking views over both the palace and the city outside.

Day 2 eve: Acrobats Show

Acrobatics is an interactive art form. Admirers from all walks of life can immediately appreciate and be dazzled by acrobats as it is a specialty no language barrier or cultural border.

The history of acrobatics in China can be traced back to Neolithic times. It is believed that acrobatics grew out of the labor and self-defense skills that the people practiced and demonstrated during their leisure time.

A professional acrobatic program requires significant preparation time before it is ready to be performed in public. Acrobatic art has its own genre. The performance itself is very depictive and requires very specific lighting and musical accompaniment.

You will find the acrobats show an excellent way to finish off your second day in Beijing.

Day 3 am: Cloisonné Factory

Cloisonné is a unique combination of copper and porcelain working skills, traditional painting, sculpting, and etching skills. Originating in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), cloisonné is an intricate process requiring many years of training for an artisan to master.

Over the centuries, a great variety of beautiful and creative cloisonne have been created. They are brilliant in color and splendid in design. Cloisonne is one of the defining arts and crafts of Beijing.

See for yourself the ancient art of cloisonne at one of the original creation sites.

Day 3 pm: The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is acknowledged as one of the greatest wonders of the world. Like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles) from east to west of China.

With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entiFIXY disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Day 3 eve: Kung Fu Show

Kung Fu is one of the most well known features of traditional Chinese culture. Kung Fu has been developed for self-protection and survival. Over its long history, it has become a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline and art. The form was popularized in the West by the Chinese Kung Fu actors Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

The skills of Chinese Kung Fu consist of various forms of fighting: fist fights (e.g. long fist, southern fist), weapon fights (e.g. lance, staff, rapier, the rope dart), and other fighting routines (including kicking, hitting, throwing, holding, chopping and thrusting) and unarmed combat. Chinese Kung Fu contains many different styles including the well-known Shaolin Temple System.

Our Kung Fu show will amaze you with feats physical and mental prowess. This is a performance you will remember for years to come.

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 2

Xian... The Eternal City

Xian stands as a living history book of the great changes of the Chinese nation. Called Chang\'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian\'s 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here.

Day 4 am: Shaanxi Provincial Museum

Located to the northwest of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, in the south suburb of Xian city, the Shanxi Provincial Museum is a epitome of Shaanxi\'s glamorous imperial past. The museum building was designed in China\'s ancient Tang Dynasty style, grand and elegant.

Built at the site of a former Confucian temple in the southern part of Xian, this is the largest and most comprehensive museum in the province. It exhibits rare and beautiful historical relics of past dynasties and displays precious art treasures and stone carvings of the Han and Tang dynasties.

Day 4 pm: Terra Cotta Warrior Site

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guards looked like back in the days of pomp and vigor.

Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.

Day 5 am: Ancient City Wall

The Xian City Wall is not only the most completely well preserved example of ancient Chinese architecture but also the largest and most integral ancient military fort in the world.

The wall was constructed in the early Ming Dynasty on the basis of the Imperial City of Chang An (Everlasting Peace) of the Tang Dynasty. It is also a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xian.

As old as it is, the Xian Wall has been preserved intact. The construction of the Xian City was formally started in the seventh year of Emperor Hongwu\'s reign (1374) and completed in the eleventh year of Hongwu\'s reign (1378).

Day 5 am: Feng Shui Symposium

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement that creates harmony and prosperity in our lives. If you have walked into a home or a place of business and instantly felt at ease, chances are you have experienced good Feng Shui. If you couldn\'t get out of a store or office fast enough, you may have been in an establishment that didn\'t have good Feng Shui.

For over four thousand years, Feng Shui practitioners have balanced the relationship between the natural world and our dwelling spaces. While it began as a method for choosing auspicious land for optimum survival, Feng Shui is recognized today as an effective method for helping us function in our complex, modern societies.

The Chinese Feng Shui character literally means \'wind and water\'. This represents a natural balance of opposite forces such as the familiar yin yang.

Day 5 pm: Mt. Huashan

Situated roughly 75 miles east of Xian, Mt. Huashan is known as \'The Number One Precipitous Mountain Under Heaven\'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China which include Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan.

In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a \'flower\' (hua in Chinese), hence the name \'Huashan\'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 3

Dunhuang... Desert Beauty

The historical city of Dunhuang is renowned for its Mogao Caves. It is situated on the boundary between the Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang Provinces.

Dunhuang, long ago referred to as \'Sha Zhou\' (beautiful desert oasis), was the hub of middle and eastern silk routes in ancient times. The city landmark is an attractive statue based on a mural in the Mogao Caves, a shrine to the culture and arts of Dunhuang.

Day 6 pm: Mogao Grottoes (Caves)

Located on the eastern slope of Rattling Sand Mountain (Mingshashan) southeast of Dunhuang County in Gansu Province, the Mogao Grottoes (also known as Thousand Buddha Cave) is one of three noted grottoes in China and also the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world.

Today, 492 caves still stand, containing some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals. These murals, if joined together, would cover a length of over 18 miles.

The caves vary in size with the smallest being a foot or so wide while the largest stretches from the base to the top of the mountain, with a height of over 40 meters. The colored statues also differ in size, ranging from a few centimeters to 33 meters high, embodying the remarkable imagination of their makers.

Day 7 am: Echoing Sand Mountain

Have you ever heard of a mountain that echoes to the sound of sand as you slide down its slopes? Here in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, you will have the chance to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of the Echoing Sand Mountain.

The mountain is about three miles away from the city of Dunhuang. Seen from afar, the mountain looks like a golden dragon winding its way over the horizon. As you approach you realize the sand has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. On windy days, the fast shifting sands roar but when the wind is gentle, the sand produces dulcet sounds akin to music.

The same sound can be heard a you slide down the mountain. At first, the sand under your feet just whispers. But as you slide further, the sound level rises until it reaches a thunder-like crescendo. Some say that the sand is singing, while to others it is like an echo, hence how the mountain gets its name.

Day 7 pm: Crescent Moon Lake

This most unusual crescent-shaped spring lies in the green basin of Mingsha Mountain, hence comes the name Yueya Spring (Crescent Spring). The Crescent Spring is located at the north foot of Mingsha Mountain, about 50 meters from north to south and 5 meters deep on an average.

The Crescent Spring water is sweet and crystal clear, and never gets covered up by drift sand. It never overflows after long-lasting rain or dries up after a long drought. It has wonderful scenery, with flickering leaves of aspens and weeping willows, sweet flowers of narrow-leaved oleaster, swaying reeds and hovering wide birds.

Reputed as the first desert spring under heaven, the crystal clear Crescent Spring is one of the eight sights in Dunhuang. It is also a national key point of interest, ranking among one of the forty famous scenic spots in China.

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 4

Kashgar... The Oasis City

Kashgar is a important hub on the Old Silk Road, a vibrant Islamic centre within Chinese territory. It is the largest oasis city in Chinese Central Asia and 90 percent of its population of over 3 million are Uygur. Kashgar\'s importance derives from its stratehic position at the foot of the Pamir Mountains, commanding access to the high glacial passes of the Silk Road routes into Central Asia, India and Persia.

Day 8 pm: Visit the Mal Bazaar

In the old districts of Kashgar, many streets have \'bazaar\' as part of their names. Although most of the bazaars have ceased to exist except in name, there are still some in use. From the names of these streets people can imagine the past glory of this ancient trading city on the Old Silk Road.

Kashgar markets are open every day. The famous Sunday bazaar has been operating since ancient times, and the scale has grown, attracting merchants from all over Xinjiang and neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Kirghizstan.

On Sundays, the whole city becomes a big market. It is hard to tell the markets from the ordinary streets. Of the 20 markets, some are comprehensive while others are specialized, selling local produce, arts and crafts, garments, knives, timber, coal or animals. Among the largest are the animal markets. Each day, more than 1,000 head of cattle, horses, sheep and camels are traded here.

Day 9: Kashgar Old Town

Kashgar\'s Old Town contains a large group of Uygur residential houses. The Old Town city is now home to 630 homes with more than 2,450 people, all of whom are Muslims.

The town, which is well over 2,000 years old, is located at a precipitous position with mud-thatched buildings densely built one atop another. Numerous small lanes crisscross the town and reach every corner of it. Houses are generally equipped with a staircase that leads to the top of the building but the condition of these can be treacherous at times.

Each house has a courtyard which vary is size based on the terrain. Similarly, all the yards grow the Muslim-favored trees and flowers, such as mulberry, figs, megranate, almond, grape, rose, China rose. The yards are heavily shaded, proving a tranquil environment for relaxing and refreshing. In bigger yards, some owners have even built a pergola for grape vines.

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 5

Suzhou... Land of Beautiful Gardens

As the saying goes - \'Gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them\'.

These gardens attain their grand reputation not only for their vast numbers, but also for their charming natural beauty and harmonious construction. At present more than 60 gardens are kept intact in Suzhou, and a series of them have been listed in the World Heritage List, including the Humble Administrator\'s Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Garden of Master of Nets and the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.

Day 10 am: Humble Administrator\'s Garden

The beautiful waterside City of Suzhou in South China is most famous for its elegant classical gardens. Among these, the Humble Administrator\'s Garden, covering almost 13 acres, is the largest and most renowned. Due to its unique designs and ethereal beauty, the garden has garnered many special honors. Along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Mountain Resort of Chengde in Hebei Province and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou, it is considered as one of China\'s four most famous gardens. No other classic garden in the country has been honored more than this one.

The Humble Administrator\'s Garden was originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was initially a private garden of a former government servant named Wang Xianchen. It was said he intended to build a garden after retired and just do some gardening work like planting trees and vegetables there, which was said to be the life of a humble man by him, hence is the name of the garden. The garden was created upon the old relics of a resident and a temple. Water is the main background and its natural landscape includes small forests, hills and rock formations.

Day 10 pm: Tao Hua Wu Wood Cutting Society

Since the end of the Ming dynasty and into the Qing dynasty, Suzhou Tao-hua-wu wood-cutting has been recognized as one of China\'s finest styles of art. It later had such a great influence upon Japanese engravings that it was named \'the Suzhou Engraving\' by Japanese engraving historians and won international recognition.

After the Cultural Revolution in China, Suzhou engraving maintained the excellent work of traditional woodblock prints and introduced contemporary styles depicting the landscapes of the South Yangtze River to the world. This style of print has gained recognition both at home and abroad and has been exhibited extensively in England, Canada, Japan, U.S. and other countries.

Day 11 am: Choyers Silk Factory

Day 11 pm: Tiger Hill

A famous Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi said, \'It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.\' This epitomizes the general opinion of those who have seen this local point of interest with its many attractions.

Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, covers over three acres and is 118 feet in high. Climbing the hill, numerous historical sites are seen, some of which can be traced back over 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou.

Tiger Hill is a wonderful sight with its leaning pagoda, waterfalls and landscaped paths. It is hard to believe the hill was man made to be the burial place of a king but this is yet another part of the wonder that is China, a land that will never cease to amaze and enthral the visitor with its heritage.

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The Echo Silk Road Tour - Destination 6

Shanghai... Where Old World Meets New

Today\'s Shanghai is a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. Bubbling Shanghai shows off every aspect of her unique glamour.

Shanghai is a scintillating city swirling with rapid cultural change. Since market restrictions were lifted, it has embraced the forces of business and design and rewritten its rule book shaping a fresh, new city that is sophisticated, innovative and living a life it has never lived before.

A wide variety of cuisines can be found in the city and today Shanghai offers a plethora of culinary delights focusing on the traditions of Beijing, Yangzhou, Sichuan, Guangzhou as well as its own local dishes. Shanghai\'s restaurants are among the finest to be found in China and they welcome diners from anywhere at any time.

Day 12 am: Visit a Watertown

Small nested rivers flow through the region south of the Yangtze river. The soil is fertile, and the weather is gentle. In ancient times, rivers were a primary means of transportation. Many canals were built to facilitate these water highways.

In recent history, wars, the cultural revolution, and the rapid economic development around Shanghai, Jiangsu, and the Zhejiang province has contributed to the \'destruction\' of countless numbers of these ancient towns and cultural relics. However, the Watertown culture is not completely destroyed.

Today, there are six famous and well preserved Watertowns remaining in Zhejiang and the Jiangsu Province. They are remarkably rich in culture and are being preserved at great expense by the local governments. In these Watertowns, one can see Chinese architecture over 1,000 years old including countless numbers of unique bridges and small Chinese boats. In a Watertown, you\'ll see an ancient culture and a way of living that is quickly fading from modern China.

Day 12 pm: The Bund

The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds less than one mile in length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting.

The most famous and attractive sites are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. The Bund was the centre of Shanghai\'s politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there.

Day 12 pm: The Jade Buddha Temple

In the western part of Shanghai sits the glorious Jade Buddha Temple. In 1882, an old temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been brought from Burma by a monk named Huigen. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928 and named the Jade Buddha Temple.

Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique in this modern city. Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple. The Sitting Buddha is in the Jade Buddha Tower and the Recumbent Buddhas are in the Recumbent Buddha Hall. More than 7,000 Dazang sutras are kept in the Jade Buddha Tower.

Day 13 am: Visit Yuyuan Garden

Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan\'s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

In the 400 years of its existence, Yuyuan Garden has undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan\'s family. In 1760, some rich merchants bought Yuyuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. The Yuyuan Garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. The garden was open to the public in September, 1961.

Day 13 am: Old Shanghai Neighborhood

To the casual eye, Shanghai is a city obsessed modernity, from the stark space of People\'s Square to Huaihai Lu, where all the old buildings have been razed to make way for department stores or covered in green glass and converted into boutiques. The sense of timeless and tranquility that can be found in China\'s older and more \'Chinese\' cities seems to be lacking in the midst of Shanghai\'s fast-paced bustle. That is, unless you know where to look.

Beyond the tourist theme parks of Yuyuan and the \'Shanghai Old Street\' lies a little known treasure trove of living history. In Old Shanghai, as foreign ways and architecture dominated the rest of the city, its \'Chinatown\' was a crowded place of winding streets, vibrant markets, entrenched customs and a lifestyle that remained relatively unaltered despite the rapid pace of change around it. That description still holds true today, and the little back lanes of the Old City remain an intriguing anachronism of the way life was lived a century ago.

Day 13 pm: Jin Mao Tower

Being the third tallest building of the world and the tallest building in China, Jin Mao Tower is located in the center of Lujiazui Finance and Trade Districts in Pudong.

The 88-stories Jin Mao Tower was completed in 1999. It is almost 1,380 feet tall and covers an area of almost 6 acres.

Jin Mao includes modern offices, a deluxe 5-star hotel, exhibition halls, banquet halls, an observation deck, and entertainment facilities.

The tower has the best elevators available. Two direct elevators operate at the speed of nearly 30 feet per second that can send visitors from the ground floor to the 88th floor for only 45 seconds. There are also five to six elevators every 10 floors, which reduce waiting-time to 35 seconds even during busy times.

Day 13 pm: French Concession

The French Concession was founded in 1862 in southwest Shanghai as a result of the Treaty of Nanking. The concession is a pleasant mix of wide tree lined streets and interesting European style architecture.

The foreign diplomatic quarter, top hotels, great shopping and international restaurants and bars are all found in this area\'s art deco buildings. In the 20s and 30s, the French Concession was famous for its lawlessness and decadence. This spirit of anarchy also attracted political activists and a house in the concession is the Site of the 1st National Congress of the Communist Party.

Huaihai Road, once known as Avenue Joffre, is one of Shanghai\'s favorite shopping roads. Chic shops housed in French style buildings sell Shanghai\'s finest goods, designer clothes and much more.

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