Private Jewish Heritage Tour of China
*Pre-Tour Day: leave USA Monday
Day 1, Tuesday - Beijing
Arrive in Beijing and be met at the Beijing airport by your guide who will
transport you to your lovely hotel -
Renaissance Marriott Hotel Beijing (5-star) or Similar.
As time allows, you'll receive a tour overview of Beijing and will stop at
interesting local spots or hutongs (neighborhood alleys and courtyards) to see
the local people and sights.
Day 2, Wednesday
Buffet Breakfast. Your day tour takes you outside the Beijing area through the
surrounding countryside to see some of the most historic sights in China.
Along the way, you'll visit the
Cloissonné Art Works
to experience the meticulous craftsmanship of Chinese artisans in the ancient
style. Walk the famous
Sacred Way,
entrance to the burial grounds of the
Ming Dynasty Tombs,
and visit the quiet
DeLing Tomb
and a
local village
and its surroundings for a discussion of Feng Shui. Stop along the way at one of
China's
Friendship Shops
for a unique shopping experience. Lunch at a local restaurant, then visit the
lovely
Juyongguan section
of the
Great Wall of China.
From here you'll have an opportunity to climb higher to a magnificent vista of
the dragon-like arms and legs of the Wall stretching in various directions
across the countryside.
Dinner is followed by an exhilarating
Chinese Acrobatic Show.
Day 3, Thursday
Buffet Breakfast. This morning, see a new highlight of Beijing, the incredible
Olympic Village
with its
Bird's Nest and Water Cubic Stadium.
Afterward, view the most beloved part of the Beijing Zoo ... the
Panda Garden.
Enjoy a local lunch or a picnic lunch at the exquisite Imperial
Summer Palace
with its magnificent marble boat and a serene ride on the park's lake.
Afterward, visit a
local pharmacy or traditional herbal medicine clinic
for a lecture of traditional Chinese medicine. After a local dinner, thrill to
Beijing's extravaganza Kung Fu show
featuring many of China's best Kung Fu practitioners,
directors, and designers.
Day 4, Friday
Buffet Breakfast. Visit a traditional
Chinese tea house
to experience the Chinese tradition of tea. Then see
Scenery Hill
(also known as
Coal Hill)
for a walk through the beautiful park and a climb to the top to
view the rooftops of the Forbidden City and Beijing.
After lunch, walk famous
Tiananmen Square,
the largest public square in the world and the center of the pulse of this city.
Then see the home to 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties,
The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace,
with its more than 800 buildings and 9,999 and one-half rooms. Return to your
hotel to prepare for
Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner with Chabad of Beijing (Orthodox/Glatt
Kosher Dinner) or Kehillat Beijing (Reconstructionist/Vegetarian-Fish Dinner)
Day 5, Saturday
Buffet Breakfast. This morning, visit the
Pearl Market
and view the many designs, colors, and textures of pearls from this part of the
world. Then see the masterpiece of Ming architecture,
Temple of Heaven,
where the Ming and Qing emperors prayed to heaven for a good harvest. Lunch.
Then see one of China's most breathtaking temples, the historic
Tibetan Lama Temple,
a working monastery that contains one of the world's largest Buddha statues, all
in gold leaf. Enjoy a
Pedicab Tour
that gives you a chance to rest your feet after the walking of the local
streets, stores, and people. Dinner is one of Beiing's specialities: the
memorable
Peking Duck
banquet.
Day 6, Sunday ~ Xi'an
Buffet Breakfast. This morning's flight brings you to
Xi'an,
one of China's ancient capitals, the center of the Silk Road trade in China, and
for centuries a major destination for Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish merchants,
traders, and settlers. After you arrive, walk through Xi'an's delightful
Town Square
for people watching or photographing, and view the historic
Drum and Bell Towers.
Just off the main square, visit the ancient
Muslim District
of Xi'an, one of the most historic in China. The streets and market of Xi'an's
Muslim District appears today as it has for centuries.
Xi'an's Great Mosque
is a fantastic complex with its gates, courtyards, stelae, and temple halls --
all of traditional Chinese architectural design. Accomodation at the
five-star Kempinski Hotel Or Similar.
To walk this area is to step back in time more than a millennium. In the
evening, enjoy a colorful
Tang Dynasty Show and Traditional Dumpling (Won Ton) Banquet.
Day 7, Monday
Buffet Breakfast. A tour highlight, the
Terra-Cotta Warriors Exhibition,
is the 8th Wonder of the World, dating from the reign of China's First Emperor
more than 2,200 years ago. Marvel at the artistry at the
Warrior Duplication Factory,
one of China's finest. After a Buddhist vegan lunch,
visit a local village to see homes carved right into the caves
as many of the people here have lived for centuries. As time allows, visit a
local herb markets
for a view of exotic local herbs, spices, and foods. In the evening, enjoy a
local dinner.
Day 8, Tuesday
This morning, tour the
Ming Dynasty City Wall
of Xi'an and, if you're ambitious, climb to the top for a
view of the walled city.
Afterward see the beautifully-restored
Large Wild Goose Pagoda
— one of the most revered temples of Buddhism.
After lunch, you'll transfer
to the airport for your 3-hour flight to
Guilin,
bringing you to one of China's most strikingly beautiful southern landscapes,
the images of which one often sees in China's most representative painting,
poetry, and literature. This mystical mythic landscape has inspired artists,
musicians, and philsoophers throughout China's history. The karst formations
here are unique in all the world. Enjoy dinner and a free evening.
Day 9, Wednesday - Guilin
Buffet breakfast. As you drive through the area, you'll stop to see some of the
most beautiful spots. At
Elephant Hill Park
-- one of Guilin's most famous landmarks -- you'll view an impressive
natural arch
and walk the park grounds or
ride a bamboo raft
for a closer view of the arch and the cave that jut out into the water. Then
visit
Seven Star Park
with its modern Chinese gardens. Visit the
Panda House
at this park to see the pandas play.
Reed Flute Cave
contains striking formations in a mystical setting of rice paddies and colorful
local villages. Accomodation at
Guilin Lijiang Waterfall Hotel (5-star Hotel) or similar
Day 10, Thursday
Buffet
breakfast. Take a morning ride to Yangshuo,
where your guide will take you bamboo rafting on
Yulong River and also take you to her
home outside beautiful Yangshuo in Moon
Village, a location of fabled beauty. Enjoy a meal with the family
and visit the charming town of Yangshuo
to shop among all manner of vendors, walk the cobbled streets and
browse the food markets, seeing the colorful daily lives of the people and their
homes. Return to your hotel and dinner.
Day 11, Friday - Shanghai
Following breakfast, catch a morning flight to
Shanghai.
You are taking a leap in time from China's most ancient capitol to its most
modern municipality and port. This amazing community was a refuge to some 30,000
Jews during the Holocaust years. After you arrive, visit
Old City Shanghai
to sightsee, shop, and tour the magnificent beauty of one of China's most
elegant historic gardens,
Yu Mandarin Garden.
Return to your hotel by late afternoon to prepare for Shabbat. Enjoy the evening
on your own or be driven to the
Jewish Centre of Shanghai
to attend
Kabbalat Shabbat and Dinner
with Shanghai's Chabad and Jewish community. Accomodation at the
five-star Shanghai Peace Hotel or similar.
Day 12, Saturday
Breakfast. Visit the former home of Shanghai's Jewish community, the
Hongkou Ghetto
and nearby, the former
Ohel-Moishe Synagogue.
See the
Memorial to Stateless Refugees
within the ghetto and visit
Ohel Rachel Synagogue,
also built by the Sassoon family. Drive through the
French Concession,
where many of Shanghai's fine Jewish estates were once located. Within the
French Concession, visit the
Arts and Crafts Institute,
a historic home and former estate of one of Shanghai's officials. See some of
the local crafts designed and created here. Then visit the
Sir Elie Kadoorie Mansion (the Marble Mansion),
today a
Children's Palace,
to watch gifted children dance, sing, and play traditional Chinese instruments.
In the evening, enjoy a
Night Cruise of the Huangpu River
with a glorious view from the water of the Shanghai harbor and the Bund lit up
like a fairyland.
Day 13, Sunday
After breakfast, walk along the
Nanjing Pedestrian Walk
to
People's Park and People's Square,
and to the
Shanghai Grand Theatre.
Visit the spectacular
Shanghai Museum
-- one of the world's foremost -- amidst the beautiful city center surroundings.
Don't miss the bookstore, which is filled with writings and gifts of Chinese
crafts, culture, and history. Visit
Shanghai Xintiandi,
the first development in the
Taipingqiao Redevelopment Project,
a complex of retail, entertainment, cultural, recreational, commercial and
residential facilities in restored
"Shikumen" houses
- a special old form of building
architecture only found in Shanghai - as well as state-of-the-art new buildings
catering to both residents and visitors. Xintiandi has won the national
Innovation China 2001 - Architecture Award. The amazing Shikumen houses and
alleys were reconstructed from old design drawings. In the middle of the 19th
century, the uprising of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom forced a large number of
residents from Shanghai and its neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to
take refuge in the city's foreign concessions. To meet the needs of the rapidly
increasing population, Shikumen houses were built in the foreign concessions on
an unprecedented scale. A typical Shikumen house is built along narrow alleys
(or "long-tangs") and features a stone gate framing a black wooden front door
that leads into a small enclosed courtyard. This unique architectural setting
provided residents with a feeling of security in a turbulent era, and as most of
them were developed by foreign companies, Shikumen houses gradually became a
symbol of East meeting West in Shanghai. After lunch, visit the nearby
Jade Buddha Temple,
a working monastery and one of the only temples to survive China's Cultural
Revolution without damage (hear the legend from your guide). See its lovely jade
Buddha and many gilded Buddhas of all shapes, sizes and expressions. Hear what
these images represent and why they were carved. Following dinner,
walk along the The Bund,
Shanghai's old financial district,
a spectacular miles-long waterfront park along the harbor, one of Shanghai's
liveliest areas and one of its most interesting and beautiful at night.
Day 14, Monday
Breakfast.
Today, take the underground
Huangpu River Tourist Tunnel
to Shanghai's newest financial district, Pudong, and walk along
Pudong Bundside Avenue
to see the harbor and the buildings on this eastern side of the Huangpu River.
Visit
Oriental Pearl Tower Park
to see the tallest tower in the world and its surroundings and take a ride to
the
top of the Oriental Pearl Tower
in the heart of Pudong, for a bird's-eye view of Shanghai. Enjoy local meals and
see the newly-opened (2002)
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
(one of the largest aquariums in Asia) and the beautiful landscapes of
Lujiazui Green Park
and the
Lujiazui Economic and Trade Area.
After dinner, enjoy a free evening.
Day 15, Tuesday
Transfer to airport for flight to USA. Arrive home the same day, thanks to the
time change
PRICE (2011)
Domestic Airfare, airport tax, fuel surcharge.
Hotel accommodation in indicated hotels or similar depending on availability
Yulong River rafting
Daily Buffet Breakfast in the hotel
Chinese lunch or dinner in local restaurants ( Standard, Vegetarian or
Buddhist Vegan style )
Chabad Kosher Shabbat dinner in Beijing (or if preferred, Kehillat Beijing,
Shabbat vegetarian/fish dinner, non-kosher)
Chabad kosher dinner in Shanghai
Transportation by air-conditioned bus/van/car
English speaking tour guide
Government tax
Great Wall Certificate
Entrance fees
Special performances ( depending on weather and availability )
Excluding:
International flights
Travel Insurance
Visa fee
Tips
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