12 Days China Culture Tour: Kong Fu of Shaolin Temple & Home of Confucius

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 »  Beijing start off

• Upon arrival, your guide greets you and escorts you to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

Day 2 »  Beijing

• After breakfast, visit Tian'anmen Square, the largest square of its kind in the world.
• Then visit the Forbidden City, also known as Palace Museum, to awe an emperor's life.
• Then head to the Temple of Heaven which is the place for imperial rituals and worship.
• In the evening, enjoy the famous Roast Duck feast which looks brilliantly dark red, shining with oil and with crisp skin and tender meat. Because of its appearance, few people could resist the temptation of it.

Attractions

• Forbidden City Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe ...
• Temple of Heaven On leaving the Forbidden City, follow in the footsteps of emperors, court ministers and eunuchs and head south to the magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven. Although the bi-ann ...
• Tian'anmen Square At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size ...

Day 3 »  Beijing

• Have an excursion of Great Wall at Mutianyu section by cable car. With vegetation, green pines and cypresses covering 90 percent of the area, the sceneries here are beautiful all the year round.
• Proceed to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved Chinese imperial garden. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the enchanting Lake Kunminghu.

Attractions

• Great Wall at Mutianyu Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, Great Wall at Mutianyu is also famous for the breath-takingly beautiful scenery. Woods cover over ninety-six percen ...
• Summer Palace With its handsome buildings, pretty scenery and tumultuous history, the Summer Palace is a wonderful place to explore. The most leisurely way to escape the crowd is to take a strol ...

Day 4 »  Beijing - Qufu

• This morning, we enjoy trip back to the Hutong area by rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys and passages. A visit to a local family is included then a walk over the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) to hear the explanation about the different thresholds that mark the entry to the courtyard houses.
• Then in the afternoon, we head to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved Chinese imperial garden. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the enchanting Lake Kunminghu.
• We finally take a soft sleeper train to Qufu or Yanzhou.

Attractions

• Courtyard Houses of Beijing Courtyard houses of Beijing, at the highest level and most typical specimen of its kind, boast a long history of more than 2,000 years. They are cordial and quiet, with a strong fl ...
• Hutong in Beijing People say that the real culture of Beijing is the 'culture of the Hutong' and the 'culture of the courtyard'. How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding Hutongs that attract ...
• Summer Palace With its handsome buildings, pretty scenery and tumultuous history, the Summer Palace is a wonderful place to explore. The most leisurely way to escape the crowd is to take a strol ...

Day 5 »  Arrive in Qufu

• Arrive in Qufu in the morning. Qufu is legendary to the Chinese as the birthplace of Confucius, the ancient sage and teacher whose impact continues to influence Chinese education, politics and thought.
• First see the Confucius Temple and the Kong Family Mansion, where the Sage and some 70 generations of his descendents once lived. A 20 minute walk away is the Confucius Cemetery (Confucian family graveyard), a forest cemetery where Confucius and many of his deceased clan members rest.

Attractions

• Confucius Temple Located at the hometown of Confucius, Qufu, Shandong Province, the Confucius Temple has been the holy place for offering sacrifices to Confucius over the last 2,500 years. ...
• Kong Family Mansion Right next to the Confucian Temple, the Confucian Family Mansion was the residence of Confucius' descendants and also the residence just next to the imperial palace in scale. Cover ...

Day 6 »  Qufu - Taishan - Jinan

• Drive to Taishan from Qufu. Mount Taishan (Taishan) has long been known as the Emperor of Mountains and it is the most significant of the five Taoist mountains in China.
• Take a cable car to the top of the mountain and behold a breathtaking panoramic view. Dai Temple (Dai Miao) at the foot of the mountain is a very important place where emperors would perform their sacrificial ceremonies in honor of the mountain.
• Later take an air-conditioned coach to Jinan.

Attractions

• Mt. Taishan As the leader of the "Five Sacred Mountains," Mt. Taishan is located in Shandong Province. It is famous for majesty and breathtaking wonders. Moreover, with its abundant cultural t ...

Day 7 »  Jinan - Zhengzhou

• After breakfast, go to Lake Daminghu, one of the biggest natural lakes in Jinan. With weeping willows, scattered flowers and trees all over the banks, Lake Daminghu has been full of lotuses ever since ancient times.
• Baotu Spring comes first among Jinan's 72 springs and is know as "the first spring under heaven."
• Take a soft sleeper train to Zhengzhou.

Attractions

• Baotu Spring Baotu Spring, the symbol of Jinan, is known not only as the first of the 72 springs in Jinan but as the "First Spring under Heaven". With its earliest account in "Spring and Autumn ...
• Lake Daminghu Listed as one of the three must-see spots in Jinan, Lake Daminghu (also known as the Lake of Great Light), is a natural lake formed from many springs. Characteristically unique is ...

Day 8 »  Zhengzhou - Dengfeng

• We take about an hour drive from the hotel in Zhenzhou to Dengfeng City.
• Enjoy a full day in the Shaolin Temple, its perfect scenery makes it an ideal place for practicing the Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin monks have been practicing Kung Fu for over 1,500 years. Stroll around the Forest and pay a visit to the Changzhu Yard, it is the prime building of the Shaolin Temple.
• Lastly, enjoy the incredible Kung Fu show, which displays the essence of China's martial arts. The fighting monks show off their unbeatable prowess and skills. The grand demonstration of their Shaolin Kung Fu undoubtedly will shock you.

Attractions

• Shaolin Temple All Martial Arts of this world were created under the sun of Shaolin. Shaolin Kung Fu is as vast and complex as the universe.Come here, be a Kungfu master and achieve your childhoo ...

Day 9 »  Dengfeng - Luoyang

• Drive to Luoyang.
• Visit the Longmen Grottoes. Along with the Mogao Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient grottoe sites in China. Lots of historical materials concerning art, music, religion, calligraphy, medicine, costume and architecture are kept in Longmen Grottoes.
• Then head north to the famous White Horse Temple. White Horse Temple was built during the Han Dynasty when Buddhism began to spread in China.

Attractions

• Longmen Grottoes Exhibiting the pinnacle of development of Chinese grotto art, the Longmen Grottoes are magnificent work with incredible historical value. Without coming here in person, it is hard ...
• White Horse Temple As China's first Buddhist temple, the White Horse Temple has been regarded as the "cradle of China's Buddhism." The temple boasts great antique architecture which has remained inta ...

Day 10 »  Luoyang - Xi'an

• Take a soft-seat train to Xi'an. After your arrival at Xi'an, be transferred to your hotel. Xi'an, as one of the oldest cities, was the national capital for over 1,000 years and was the start point of ancient Silk Road.
• Then enjoy a tour to the symbol of Xi'an - the Bell Tower.
• Later visit the Great Mosque, one of the most important Islamic mosques in China, which is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. When in Xi'an, do as the locals and try the famous Xi'an snack of Pancake in Mutton Soup (Yangrou Paomo).

Attractions

• Bell Tower Known as the symbol of Xi'an, the Bell Tower is a classical building with carved beams and painted rafters. It houses a bell which was originally used to strike time every morning ...
• Great Mosque Considered to be one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China, the Great Mosque is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. ...

Day 11 »  Xi'an

• Today's attractions feature Terracotta Warriors and Horses, one of World Cultural Heritages. The lifelike warriors of First Emperor Qin Shihuang will sure lead you back to the ancient warring times.
• The second stop is Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the most famous buddhist pagodas in China, which was built in the Tang Dynasty to collect Buddhist scriptures.
• Then visit the Xi'an City Wall, an extension of the old Tang Dynasty structure. It's the best preserved ruins of city walls in China.
• Enjoy the imperial dumpling banquet while watching the Tang Dancing Show.

Attractions

• Big Wild Goose Pagoda As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor G ...
• Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show take roots from the historical records and folk legends about the Tang Dynasty and shows to the audience the court life and social costumes of mor ...
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses A terracotta army guarding , the tomb of Qin Shihuang, which lures travelers from all over the world. In a quest for immortality and eternal power, China's first emperor chose to h ...
• Xi'an City Wall As a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xi'an, the Xi'an City Wall is the best-preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defense system in China. ...

Day 12 »  Xi'an - Beijing

• Begin with a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum before going to the airport for departure to Beijing. The museum is the epitome of Shaanxi's glamorous imperial past.
• Then transfer to the airport for departure to Beijing.
• End of service.

Attractions

• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum Be considered as an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. Shaanxi Provincial History Museum is situated in the southern suburb of Xian City, northwest of the Big Wi ...