Thank you again for all of your hard work (& overtime). We had a great time. Overall, your package provided tremendous coverage of the most important sights across all the cities we visited, including Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai. Highlights: We were especially pleased with the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. All of these were truly remarkable, and a 'must see' for anyone venturing into these cities. The Great Wall is indescribable and awe-inspiring. The Summer Palace was a beautiful site, yet the fog hid a lot. The painted corridor (longest in the world) was amazing, with painstaking detail in the artwork. The Forbidden City was a masterpiece.

Lunches & Dinners were very nice, with a good balance of different, regional cuisine. Too much food for two!

Xi'an was our favorite. The Bell & Drum Towers in the heart of town, along with our visit to the (Large) Wild Goose Pagoda was memorable. The Stone Steles museum marked a time in history that we feel guilty about our own ignorance. The old district & the Wall surrounding the district, was 'Great' in its own right. Obviously, the highlight was the Terra-cotta Warriors, which we can only say that words do not do this sight justice. One must visit to understand the magnitude of this world treasure.

Again, our guide Wan, was a treasure as well. She spoke English very well, and we felt she was truly interested in a cultural exchange. I found this surprising, as the guides deal with so many tourists everyday. She deserves a raise!
Shanghai was amazing, largely due to the amount of growth in such a short timeframe. The quality of buildings and sights were astounding. The Yu Yuan Garden was spectacular, and makes one very envious of those who enjoyed this on a daily basis. It's unfortunate it was not completed before the Emperor's Parent's passing. The Children's Palace is something that China should be very proud of. The U.S. and other countries can learn a lot from programs such as this. The kids were a delight, and you could see the sparkle of light in there eyes. They loved what they were doing, and are off to a great start in helping make this world a better place. The Shanghai Museum was a wonder, and we could have easily spent all day there. We successfully negotiated an additional hour or so, but missed a large part of the 1st floor (the Bronze Age). Recommend Tourists begin on this floor, and work their way up.

Visiting Beijing during the 50th Anniversary was a 'mixed blessing'. The city was decorated in all of its glory, yet travel in car was very difficult. I would not recommend travel during this time. We spent the majority of time on our second (last) day in the car, rather than seeing the sights. We did not get to see Tian a men (spelling?) Square due to being stuck in the car for almost 3 hours!

• Client's Information: Donald A. Jackson , United States

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