8 days classic highlight tour-a

includes: beijing, xi'an & shanghai

d1 arrive in beijing, the capital of china. the tour guide will meet you at beijing international airport, and then transfer you to hotel.

d2 beijing served as the capital for 5 dynasties over a period of 800 years, with each emperor identified as a dragon sent from heaven. begin your city tour with a visit to the summer palace, built in classical chinese style in 1750 as a royal recreational resort. among its famous features are the 700-meter-long corridor with its wonderful painted gallery, the marble barge, and several magnificently painted pavilions and pagodas. next stop is the palace museum, more commonly known as the forbidden city, until recently opened only to the emperor's family. this complex, the largest imperial palace ever built in the world, features more than 800 buildings with over 9,000 rooms, resplendent golden- glazed roofs, red lacquered pillars and vermilion walls. see the high-walled "inner city" with its government buildings. sightseeing continues at the temple of heaven where the ming and qing emperors prayed to heaven for a good harvest. this evening you will enjoy a special imperial cuisine flavor served at fangshan restaurant.

d3 here is your chance to climb the great wall of china! this wonder of the world, built 2600 years ago, is one of the two man-made structures seen by the naked eye of us astronaut neil armstrong from outer space. later visit the ming tombs, the burial place of thirteen emperors and their families of the ming dynasty. year-long excavations have uncovered many rare treasures such as the gold royal crowns and the silk robes. tonight's special dinner gives you a real taste of the peking duck.

d4 in the morning, stroll around tiananmen square(the gate of heavenly peace) , the largest square in the world, and also known as a witness for many historical and contemporary events. later fly to xi'an. visit the wild goose pagoda and the ancient city walls. in the evening, you will see a wonderful stage show of the tang dynasty.

d5 xi'an, the cradle of chinese civilization, was the state capital of 73 emperors spanning 11 dynasties during 1100 years dating from 4,000 b.c. after a visit to the huaqing hot springs, also known as the site for the famous xi'an incident, you will visit another wonder of the ancient world - the terra-cotta warriors. concealed under earth, those thousands of life-sized clay warriors, horses and chariots, as one part of the tomb of emperor qinshihuang, were accidentally discovered by a farmer while he was digging out a well. you would also see some archaeologists still working on site to uncover the rest part of the vast tomb complex of emperor qinshihuang, the first emperor in chinese history, and also the initiator of the great wall. for dinner, feast on numerous varieties of dumplings.

d6 in the morning you will board the flight to shanghai, the largest metropolis of china with a population of 14 million. this night you will taste deluxe shanghai courses. afterwards, ascend the tower of the eastern pearl (asia's tallest tv tower) in the newly developed pudong district and enjoy a night view of the city. stay overnight in shanghai.

d7 shanghai, once a tranquil yet busy fishing village, and long known as a paradise for adventurers in the years before 1949, is now the largest commercial and financial center of china. sightseeing includes the old town, a finely designed maze of elegant pavilions and ponds in the old part of this city. then stroll along the bund, china's most famous waterfront stretching about one mile along the huangpuriver. visitshanghaimuseum, one of the largest museums in china and the children's palace.

d8 enjoy a delicious breakfast. this is followed by a city tour to complete your stay in shanghai and your tour in china. board your homeward flight in the afternoon.