Ancient Capitals and Scenic Wonders

23 Days
(Hong Kong--Kunming--Dali--Lijiang--Guilin--Yangshuo--Xi'an--Beijing)

This extended version of the "China Panorama" tour is a perfect choice for the traveler with more time and the desire to see a larger selection of China's diverse landscapes and peoples. After a brief stop in Hong Kong, the tour spends a week in Yunnan Province, a part of China still little known to Americans. Yunnan, in China's far southwest, boasts a rugged and stunningly beautiful landscape of towering snow-capped mountains and verdant valleys. Three of Asia's great rivers, the Yangtze, the Mekong and the Salween, carve deep gorges through the uplands of the province. In broad highland valleys, sparkling lakes are set like jewels beneath jagged peaks. Blue skies and abundant sunshine make Yunnan one of the most photogenic parts of China.

Visitors will find the cultural landscape equally intriguing. Bordered by Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Tibet, Yunnan is a crossroads and melting-pot of peoples. Twenty-four of China's fifty-six minority nationalities call the province home, and their colorful costumes and unique architecture enliven the villages and towns. Temples and mountaintop grottoes reveal cultural influences from India and Thailand, while teeming open-air markets display wares ranging from the tropical fruits of lowland Southeast Asia to sheep and goats raised on sub-alpine Tibetan meadows. Ingredients such as corn, potatoes, red chili peppers and fried root give Yunnan cooking a taste unlike that of any other part of China.

Kunming, the burgeoning capital of Yunnan, is the first stop, offering remarkable views of the placid waters of Lake Dian from the cliff-hanging temples of the Western Hills. From Kunming, the tour moves on to increasingly remote destinations for an adventurous look at the scenic and cultural diversity of the province. In Dali, a beautifully preserved small city located between the Cangshan Mountains and Lake Erhai, explore the quiet back streets and lakeside villages to discover the solid stone houses of the Bai people. A local family may even invite you onto their fishing boat for a cruise on the lake! Penetrate deep into the ancient Old Town of Lijiang, the home of the Naxi people, to find a courtyard theatre in which elderly musicians bring to life the vanished styles of imperial Chinese court music. Hike to a meadow on the flanks of the stunning Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and trek into the Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the powerful upper Yangtze River carves a narrow passage between two towering peaks, to find thrilling views of looming granite cliffs and thundering rapids.

From Lijiang, the tour returns by air to Kunming and then continues to Guilin to follow the itinerary of the "China Panorama" tour.

Day 1 (Saturday):	Depart from the United States.
Day 2 (Sunday):	Arrive in Hong Kong in the evening.
Day 3 (Monday):	Fly from Hong Kong to Kunming, Yunnan Province (morning); balance of the day for a city tour of Kunming.
Day 4 (Tuesday):	Fly from Kunming to Dali (morning); balance of day sightseeing in Dali Old Town.
Day 5 (Wednesday):	Sightseeing in and around Dali, including the fishing villages of Lake Erhai.
Day 6 (Thursday):	Drive from Dali to Lijiang, with a side trip to the Shibaoshan Grottoes.
Days 7-9 (Friday-Saturday-Sunday):	Sightseeing in and around Lijiang, including an excursion to Tiger Leaping Gorge and the First Bend of the Yangtze River at Shigu, a visit to the mountain meadow at Yunshanping and tours of the Yufansi Lama Temple and Baisha Village with the ancient Dongba wall paintings; also hear a performance of the Naxi ancient music orchestra.
Day 10 (Monday):	Fly from Lijiang to Kunming (morning); visit the Western Hills and the Dragon Gate (afternoon).
Day 11 (Tuesday):	Fly from Kunming to Guilin.
Day 12 (Wednesday):	Sightseeing by foot and bicycle in and around Guilin, including the riverfront parks and older neighborhoods.
Day 13 (Thursday):	Boat cruise on the Li River through the stunning karst landscape; stop along the way to visit an underground cavern; arrive in the small city of Yangshuo in the afternoon and have the balance of the day to explore the town.
Days 14-15 (Friday-Saturday):	Sightseeing in and around Yangshuo, including a bicycle ride on country lanes and paths to the Moon Hill Village for lunch at a farmer's house, and a river trip to the town of Fuli.
Day 16 (Sunday):	Drive from Yangshuo to Guilin (morning); fly from Guilin to Xi'an (afternoon).
Days 17-18 (Monday-Tuesday):	Sightseeing in and around Xi'an, including a full-day visit to the terra cotta army, and a city tour including the Moslem Quarter, the Great Mosque, and the ancient city walls.
Day 19 (Wednesday):	Fly from Xi'an to Beijing (morning); balance of day for sightseeing in Beijing.
Days 20-22 (Thursday-Friday-Saturday):	Sightseeing in and around Beijing, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, ancient hutongs and night food markets.
Day 23 (Sunday):	Depart from Beijing and fly to the United States, arriving home the same day.

C.S.T. Number 2034611-40

| Ethnic Borderlands of Yunnan Province | Journey to the Roof of the World |
| Tribal Villages of the Guangxi Uplands | China Panorama |
| Ancient Capitals and Scenic Wonders |

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