Best Selected Historical & World Culture

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Beijing, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport to Hotel Transfer (Beijing)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Beijing
Today's Activities: Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Hall of Clocks and Watches
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch

- Tiananmen Square: The world's largest city square and enduring symbol of China's national pride, surrounded by many imposing buildings including the Heavenly Gate (entry to the Forbidden City), Museums, government buildings and Chairman Mao's Mausoleum.
- The Forbidden City: The Imperial Palace, home to 24 Emperors between 1420 and 1911. Great squares, halls and gates contrast with the intricate networks of side halls, gardens, courtyards and quarters for those who lived in this 'city within a city'. The exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, are also absolutely fascinating. Expect to spend at least 2-3 hours, wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- Hall of Clocks and Watches: It sits in the northeast of the Forbidden City, there are more than 200 clocks and watches belonged to the 18 century on display. Mostly made in Switzerland, England, France, the U.S and Japan, those clocks and watches have been working over 200 years, but they are still working quite well. They are stylish, sophisticated best represents the technical standard at that time. Some Chinese made timepieces are on display as well.

Day 3

Place & Transport: Beijing to Overnight train, Train No. K611 (Beijing West Railway Station - Taiyuan Railway Station) Dep 22:27 - Arr 07:50
Today's Activities: Hotel to Train station Transfer (Beijing), Great Wall at Mutianyu, Mutianyu Cable Car(round trip)
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Chinese Dinner at Roasted Duck at Qianmen Quanjude

- Great Wall at Mutianyu: This less-crowded section of the Great Wall is a about 1.5-2 hours' drive from downtown Beijing. A cable car takes you to a good section (avoiding a very steep climb), where you can walk along the wall, through the watch towers and enjoy superb views as it snakes across the hills and mountains. You can return by cable car, walk down or walk along the wall for about an hour to descend by chairlift. Wear good walking shoes and protection from the weather.
- 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.
- Roasted Duck at Qianmen Quanjude: In the evening, enjoy the Peking Roasted Duck which is renowned as the most delicious food of Beijing.
Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant(Old Duck)
As the nickname implies, this is one of the oldest restaurants in the capital, dating back to 1864, and they serve great Peking duck.

Day 4

Place & Transport: Overnight train to Taiyuan to Pingyao
Today's Activities: Train station Transfer (Taiyuan), Jinci Temple, Shuanglin Temple
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch, Breakfast

- Jinci Temple: Lies in the Xuanweng foothill, which is 25 kilometers from the southwest of Taiyuan city, it is the temple of Jin Emperor in ancient times; it is initially built during the northern Wei Dynasty (386-535) for memorizing the second son Jiyu of Zhouwu Emperor. Jinci Temple is one of the national key cultural relic reserves, enjoys the reputation of "Little South of the Yangtze River".
- Shuanglin Temple: It is located in Qiaotou village, six miles southwest of the Ancient City of Pingyao.“A real, unique treasure!”