Beijing, Hohhot , Erdos, Yinchuan, Lanzhou, Xiahe, 

Wed 15-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing
Accommodation: Beijing Sihe Courtyard Hotel ****
--Beijing Sihe Courtyard Hotel ****
Tel: 010-51693555
Fax: *01065260925
Address: No.5.Dengcao Hu Tong.Dongsi Southstreet.Dongcheng District
http://www.sihehotel.com/index.htm

Thu 16-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Beijing
Accommodation: Beijing Sihe Courtyard Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Olympic Stadium(Bird Nest）, National Aquatics Centre, Mutianyu Cable Car(round trip)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Olympic Stadium(Bird Nest）: Glimpses of some of the Olympic venues, such as the 'Birds Nest' track and field stadium and the 'Bubble' building (swimming).You can see them from outside and take some pictures.
--National Aquatics Centre: The National Aquatics Centre is still only able to be viewed from outside, however it does this view does give an overview of this cubiform aqua-blue structure. Shining in the sunlight, the centre is especially beautiful under the blue sky. Be sure to take some pictures.
--Mutianyu Cable Car(round trip): It is a challenging climb up to the Mutianyu Great Wall for it is much steeper than Badaling section. Here you have the option of taking the Cable car to the highest point or down to the foot in a few minutes instead of climbing more than 1,400 steps, while you can also have a bird view of the wall.

Fri 17-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Beijing to Hohhot to Erdos, Air China CA1138 Dep 10:50AM - Arr 11:50AM
Accommodation: Erduos Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing), Airport Transfer (Hohhot ), Airport Transfer (Hohhot ), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Erdos), Xiangshawan/Resonant Sand Bay
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Xiangshawan/Resonant Sand Bay: Shaxiangwan Tourist Area is featured by its amazing desert landscape and the whispering sand dunes. Besides, there are also the sand lake and the oasis, etc. The sand dunes stretch as far as the eye can see and form a magnificent landscape.Recently scholars proposed scientific principles to explore its cause of formation. However, no substantial progress was achieved.
--Erduos Hotel ****
Tel: 0477-8385588
Fax: 0477-8385789
Address: Yijinhuo Road West Street, Dongsheng District, Erdos

Sat 18-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Erdos to Hohhot
Accommodation: Erduos Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Genghis Khan Mausoleum
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Genghis Khan Mausoleum: It is located within Yijinhuoluo County of Ordos, 180 Km away south from Baotou.Magnificent scale and the grand design can never be forgotten.

Sun 19-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Hohhot
Accommodation: Mongolian Yurt
Today's Activities: Huitengxile grassland, Plain pasturing area, One Hour Horse Riding on the plain
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner
--Huitengxile grassland: Located 135 kilometers east of Hohhot, and 80 kilometers from the city of Jining, Huitengxile grassland is more than 1,800 meters above sea level with the meaning of 'a cold plateau' in Mongolian. The grassland is dotted with more than 90 natural lakes, and some erect cliffs and pure, cascading spring are distributed here. Every May through September, Huitengxile becomes the sea of flowers. Tourists can enjoy their stay here riding on horseback, archery, watching wrestling, visiting local herdsmen's family and joining in singing and dancing in the open air. For more, they can also sample the tasty local flavors and snacks like milk tea, finger mutton, roast lamb, buckwheat flour, mutton hot pot, cheese, cooked mutton, etc.
--Mongolian Yurt

Mon 20-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Hohhot to Yinchuan, China Southern Airlines CZ6345 Dep 6:40PM - Arr 7:40PM
Accommodation: YinChuan Taiyangsheng Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Hohhot ), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Yinchuan), Dazhao Lamasery, Zhaojun's Tomb, The Inner Mongolia Museum
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Dazhao Lamasery: Situated in Dazhao-qian Street, Yuquan District, Hohhot, the Dazhao Lamasery was built by Alatan Khan--chief of Tumd Mongolian Tribe in the 7th year of Wanli Age of the Ming Dynasty. It is the oldest and best known of all lamaseries of Geluk Tibetan Buddhism as well as the biggest and most complete wooden structure ever built in Hohhot which is still retaining its former grandeur today. The Lamasery boasts a large collection of religious and cultural relics, among which the silver statue of Buddha, dragon sculpture and frescos are the most cherished treasures.
--Zhaojun's Tomb: Zhaojun Tomb is located near Hei He River, 95km from Hohhot. It is also called Green Tomb because the grasses on the top of the tomb are always green. This Tomb was built for a beautiful Han imperial concubine, Wang Zhaojun. The Han emperor married her to a Hun chieftain to assure a peaceful relationship between the two tribes. Good views of the countryside can be seen from the top of the tomb.
--The Inner Mongolia Museum: The Inner Mongolia Museum is a regional-level museum focused on collecting artifacts relating to ethnic history especially the northern tribes called Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qidan, Mongolians and others. It holds 44,000 objects among which quite a few are rare treasures seldom seen in China. Besides this, the museum is renowned for its extensive collection of massive dinosaurs, mastodons, and many other kinds of fossilized remains from the Mesozoic period that have attracted global attention.
--YinChuan Taiyangsheng Hotel ****
Tel: 951-7868888
http://www.nxapollo.com/main/index.html

Tue 21-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Yinchuan
Accommodation: YinChuan Taiyangsheng Hotel ****
Today's Activities: The Mausoleums of Western Xian, Helanshan Rock Carvings, Suyukou National Forest Park, Guizhong Pass
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--The Mausoleums of Western Xian: The Mausoleum of the Western Xia royal families in the rocky plain contains 9 tombs for emperors and over 70 tombs for their servers who were buried alive with their masters. The neat layout of the mausoleum complex was considered a reflection of the prosperity of the capital of their kingdom. The 9 earth mounds are over 20 meters high and are renowned as 'China's pyramid'
--Helanshan Rock Carvings: Tens of thousands of carvings have been found in the rocks of Helanshan Mountain and in the wild rocky plains surrounding it. In the Helanshan Mountain pass alone, over 4,000 depictions have been discovered including 726 facet carvings, about 1300 animal scripts and approximately 1600 pictographic scripts. Those scripts are of great historical and tourist value, and are treasured by both the Chinese government and the World Heritage Organization.
--Suyukou National Forest Park: The refreshing ambience in the Suyukou National Forest Park, a combination of natural landscape and historical sites, presents a welcome contrast to the stressful and suffocating atmosphere of most of the modern cities. On the surface, a forest of luxuriant pines and spruces tower above mist-clad ravines and thundering waterfalls. Legends and romantic stories about the place add a cultural touch.
--Guizhong Pass: Guizhong Pass is a great place to enjoy an exhilarating stroll under the lush vegetation, amidst gently-flowing streams and among picturesque temples. The discerning Western Xia Emperors were the first to find this place ideal for their summer vacations, and as a result an extensive palace complex was built here. The pass then witnessed an explosion of temples, pavilions and parks built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and many of those structures remain today. A mosque at the south end is considered very divine by the local Muslim population, who congregate there to worship during Muslim holy occasions.

Wed 22-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Yinchuan to Lanzhou, Train No. K43A Dep 7:00AM - Arr 3:15PM
Accommodation: YinChuan Taiyangsheng Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Hotel to Train station Transfer (Yinchuan), Train station to Hotel Transfer (Lanzhou)
Meals: Breakfast

Thu 23-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Lanzhou to Xiahe
Accommodation: Xiahe Labuleng Hotel **
Today's Activities: , Songke Grassland
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--
--Songke Grassland: Songke Grassland is located in southwest of Xiahe. Being a natural pasture of Tibetan nomadic peoples, Songke Grassland is famous for its superb grassland scenery. As you ride on horse you can listen to the pastoral song, and feast your eye on the beautiful flowers and blue sky.
--Xiahe Labuleng Hotel **
Tel: 0941-7121328
Address: Zhoulai Villige Xiahe Country, Gansu.

Fri 24-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Xiahe to Lanzhou to Dunhuang, China Eastern Airline MU2416 Dep 8:25PM - Arr 10:05PM
Accommodation: The Sun Village Hotel *****
Today's Activities: Airport Transfer (Lanzhou), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Dunhuang)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--The Sun Village Hotel *****
Tel: 0937-8868689
Address: 1, Jichang Zhong Road, Dunhuang

Sat 25-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Dunhuang
Accommodation: The Sun Village Hotel *****
Today's Activities: Echoing-Sand Mountain, Mogao Grottoes, Riding on a Camel
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Echoing-Sand Mountain: The lake and the Sounding Sand Dune which can make sounds when the wind passes are located in the place where the sand and the oasis meet.
--Mogao Grottoes : Constructed over a millennium, from the 4th to the 14th centuries, the caves hold the world's richest treasure house of Buddhist sutras, murals and sculptures. It is not allowed to take photos.
--Riding on a Camel: Riding on a camel and traveling along the desert, you can not only enjoy the beutiful scenery of setting sun in the desert, but also have a real experience of traveling along the Silk Road.Further more, you will have a chance to see the five-color sand on the Echoing-Sand Mountain.

Sun 26-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Dunhuang
Accommodation: The Sun Village Hotel *****
Today's Activities: Yangguan Museum, Yumenguan Pass, Yadan Landform Park/The Evil City, Dunhuang Folk Museum
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
--Yangguan Museum: Yangguan Museum: a new museum that has been recently built, this contains artifacts of the era beautifully displayed
--Yumenguan Pass: Once as one of the west gates out of the country of the Han Dynasty (206 B. C. -220 A. D.), it is quite ruined by the shifting sands but still shows the ever splendor.
Yumeng Town: The site of China’s first oil field
--Yadan Landform Park/The Evil City: The Evil City:It locates the south to the Wubao town in Hami and 20kms far from Wubao while 100kms far from Hami city. The Evil city is famous for its night sound and vivid rocks in various shapes those look like animals or other world famous attractions in the world.
--Dunhuang Folk Museum:

Mon 27-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Dunhuang to Beijing, Air China CA1288 Dep 11:40AM - Arr 2:40PM
Accommodation: Beijing Sihe Courtyard Hotel ****
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Dunhuang), Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

Tue 28-Oct-08

Place & Transport: Depart Beijing, Flight No. TBA (Your arrangements)
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Beijing)
Meals: Breakfast

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