Arrive in Beijing in the morning

Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, a silk gift shop en route.

The Tian’anmen Square is the world’s largest and renowned public square where many historical events once took place.

The Forbidden City (UNESCO) is the imperial place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled for nearly 500 years (1420-1911). Experience the architectural splendor of the palaces, ceremonial courtyards, and private quarters.

The Temple of Heaven (UNESCO), where ancient Chinese emperors made sacrifices to Heaven and prayed for bountiful harvests, demonstrates the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.

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Summer Palace, Hutong Tour, Lama Temple, and a jade stone workshop en route.

The Summer Palace (UNESCO) is the largest imperial garden in the world. Emperors of successive dynasties created a summer retreat of Chinese gardens and pavilions, around the tranquil waters of Kunming Lake.

Take a Hutong Tour to explore the oldest part of the city and gain insight into the traditional lifestyle and customs.

The Lama Temple has a reputation of the largest and best-preserved Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Beijing. The building and artwork of the lama Temple is a combination of Han and Tibetan styles.

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Beijing WTown (autumn), Simatai Great Wall (night)

Gubei Water Town is located at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall 150 kilometres outside of Beijing (a three-hour journey by car). At the town, you can see traditional Chinese architecture, stay in accommodation overnight built in the local style, enjoy the gorgeous scenery of red leaves especially in autumn, learn about traditional handicrafts and watch street acrobatics, drone shows and light shows. Optional activities include Tie-dyeing, Liquor-making, Kate-making, Lantern-making, etc.

The Great Wall at Simatai (UNESCO World Heritage Site, national 4A-level tourist attraction) is the only section of the Great Wall that retains its Ming Dynasty appearance. Built among steep mountains, the wall here offers precipitous drops and stupendous views. Climbing the Great Wall at night, you can really feel its historical atmosphere, see the beautiful lights of the whole Water town.

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Hotel-airport transfer at Beijing airport.

In the morning, transfer to the airport, then fly to Dali.

Arrival in Dali. Meet your guide and driver at the train station and transfer to the hotel.

Standing against the Cangshan Mountains in the west and adjoining the Erhai Lake in the east, embraced by undulating hills around, Dali was the capital of Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom as early as 1,300 years ago, it is home to Bai minority.

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After breakfast visit the Three Pagodas (battery car incl.), then stroll in Dali Old Town (battery car excl.) and experience making “Jiama” (a folk form of woodcut print) (it’s print not engrave).

Standing in the way of a tripod on the outskirts of the old town, the Three Pagodas were constructed in about 850 and 1050 following the model of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an. For centuries, they are considered landmarks of the region.

The Dali Old Town of weathered gray granite stands at 2,100 meters on a long, narrow rice plain between the Cangshan Mountains and the Erhai Lake, a natural configuration that seems specially designed for a good, bountiful life. Format of the old town is like a chessboard with four gates guarding in the directions of east, south, west and north, a design that was adopted by most towns in ancient China.

Jiama is a type of folk print that tells hundreds of myths and legends and folktales. Unlike prints from other regions, Bai Jiama has bold lines and a rather clumsy style. Many of the images of gods and monsters come from the imagination and life experience of local villagers and craftsmen.

In the morning, visit Cangshan Mountain (round trip Gantong cable car incl.), after that drive to Fengyangyi village and experience traditional hand-made Tie-Dye Cloth (50cm*50cm handkerchief).

Cangshan Mountains range over 42 kilometers with 19 peaks averaging over 3500 meters and 18 streams. 

The Jade Belt Path, totalling 16.2 kilometers, was paved at an elevation of 2600 meters and crosses 6 peaks and 5 streams of the Mountains. It offers an ideal trail for one day soft trekking from the Malong Peak (or Gantong Temple) to the Zhonghe Peak (Zhonghe Temple) or vice versa. On the way, you may inhale pine-scented fresh air of the mountains and take an excellent bird-eye view of the old town and the Erhai Lake.

Fengyangyi is an ancient village on the historic Tea-Horse Road. It is part of the Dali section of the Tea-Horse Road between Yunnan and Tibet, and one of the official roads of the Nan Zhao capital Taihe City and Yangzhuomei City. These ancient houses are one of the most ethnically distinctive buildings of the Bai nationality in Dali. Fengyangyi Village originated in the Han Dynasty and took shape during the Nanzhao Dali Kingdom period. Fengyangyi is an ancient village on the historic Tea-Horse Road. The length of the Tea-Horse Road passing through the village is 1,900 meters.

As early as more than a thousand years ago, the Bai ancestors knew how to “dye and tie patterns to show off”. Especially during the Tang Dynasty, tie-dyeing had become a folk fashion in the Bai area, and tie-dyed products had also become tributes presented to the emperor. The raw materials for tie-dyeing are pure white cloth or cotton and linen blended white cloth. The dye is made from natural plants such as indigo, indigo roots, and wormwood, which grow on the Cangshan Mountain, and is made into a blue indigo solution by liming. The designed pattern is printed on the white cloth and then tied with flowers.

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After breakfast, drive about 40 minutes to Xizhou with your guide and visit the Morning Market and take the Horse-carriage.After that visit Er’hai Ecological Corridor and ride bike along the lake. 

In 23 kilometers north of Dali, Xizhou village has a more mixed population and cosmopolitan background. It grew and flourished in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) along with the fortunes of Dali’s renowned tea merchants that traded to Tibet. 

Each morning, villagers in Bai dresses gather in a small market to buy and sell their produce and daily wares.

The Erhai Lake, named for its ear-like shape, lies in a geological fault between parallel mountain ranges. Erhai Lake, 41 kilometers long and 3 to 9 kilometers wide, is part of the Mekong River system. 

The Er’hai Lake located at the eastern foot of the Cangshan Mountain, is a fault basin. It is the second largest plateau freshwater lake with the reputation of “Plateau Pearl”. It is a famous scenic spot, as well as Dali’s main source of drinking water. Now, the ecological corridor along Erhai Lake attracts tourists from all over the world. The 129-kilometer corridor safeguards the environment of Erhai Lake while providing ecological dividends to locals who protect it.

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After breakfast, drive to Lijiang with your guide. Upon arrival in Lijiang, meet your local guide you will visit Lijiang Ancient Town and Sifang Jie (Square Street), after that, visit Black Dragon Park, then watch the performance of the Naxi ancient music (Optional Itinerary).

The Old Town of Lijiang is a national historical and cultural city, also known as the “Old Town of Dayan”, and has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The square in the center of the ancient city is Sifang Street, which features small bridges and flowing water. It is centered on an open-air market, with streets and alleys branching out in four directions, hence the name Sifang Street. The streets in the ancient city are as dense as a spider's web, radiating in all directions from Sifang Street. There is a flowing water sluice gate at the highest point of the central square. Every time the gate is closed on cleaning day, the clear water in the river overflows, and all the shops on Sifang Street come out together to wash the street, so Sifang Street has remained spotless for hundreds of years.

Black Dragon Pool Park is commonly known as the Dragon King Temple, it is also called Yinquan Park. It is located at the northern end of the old town of Lijiang at the foot of Elephant Mountain. Multiple springs bubble up from under the ancient chestnut trees at the foot of Elephant Mountain, day and night, forming a pool with an area of nearly 40,000 square meters. The spring water is as clear as jade, with white flowers of Ottelia acuminata blooming on the surface and fish swimming underneath. The banks of the pool are full of lush flowers, trees and plants, with pavilions and towers dotted among them, creating a beautiful scene. Hei Long Tan Park is also the location of the Dongba Culture Research Institute. 

Lijiang Naxi ancient music is a precious cultural heritage shared by people all over the world. It is a living fossil of human civilization and has extremely important value in the field of music research in China and even the world. It not only has a unique position in the history of cultural development in China and the world, but it will also continue to play an irreplaceable role in the future development of national culture.

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In the moring drive to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, take the cable car to the Spruce Meadow （round trip+battery car） , then visit Blue Moon Valley(battery car incl.) and watch the Impression of Lijiang Show (nomal seat) (Optional Itinerary). In the afternoon will drive to visit a Naxi family in Yuhu village and experience traditional Naxi life,which is includes:

1. Introduction to Naxi customs and architectural style and Feng Shui

2. Experience ethnic dress and take photos

3. Experience grinding beans in a stone mortar and making tofu

4. Visit the Naxi Family Museum

5. Eat traditional Naxi candied fruit

6. Experience making Dongba paper

7. Learn to write Dongba characters on your own.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain towers in Lijiang northwest of the Jinsha River, the main peak elevation of 5,596 metres above sea level, the top of the mountain year-round snow, 12 peaks and ridges side by side, stretching 35 kilometres, like the Jade Dragon lying horizontally. 

Blue Moon Valley is also known as Jade Lake, Blue Moon Lake, and Listening Lake. The lake shore here is surrounded by lush vegetation and backed by snowy peaks in the distance. The lake is transparent blue, in the almost solid blue, a little green dotted between. In the centre of the lake look around, white clouds, floating in the mountains, reflected in the lake, such as a dream, such as shadow, suspected to be a fairyland.

Impression Lijiang is a magnificent outdoor singing and dancing performance demonstrating the traditions and lifestyle of the local ethnic people. It is created by the famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

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After breakfast, leave Lijiang this morning with your Shangri-La guide. 

The drive takes about 2 hours to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. You can see the First Bend of the Yangtze River (photo stop) on the way with the breathtaking scenery. A sudden V-shaped bend has been formed here by the flowing Yangtze River, hence the name. After arriving at Tiger Leaping Gorge, you will experience a 1.5-hour Trekking tour between Halfway Gesthouse and Tina's Gesthouse (local vehicle to Halfway Gesthouse). In the lafternoon, you will arrive in Shangri-La and discover Dukezong Ancient Town, check in your hotel.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest canyons in China. The canyon is 16 kilometers long, with the main peak of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the south bank reaching an altitude of 5,596 meters and the Zhongdian Snow Mountain on the north bank reaching an altitude of 5,396 meters. The upper entrance to the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level, while the lower entrance is 1,630 meters above sea level. The difference in altitude between the mountains on both sides and the river surface is 2,500-3,000 meters, and the steep valley slopes are spectacular. The river flows through the gorge, dropping over seven steep steps with a total drop of 170 meters. The water is turbulent, and the sound can be heard for miles.

The ancient city of Dokuzong is the best-preserved and largest Tibetan residential complex in China, and it was the hub of the Tea Horse Road. Zhongdian, or Jiantang, is said to be the fiefdom of three sons of the Tibetan king, together with Litang and Batang in Sichuan. Historically, Zhongdian has been the political, military, economic and cultural center of Tibetan area in Yunnan. For thousands of years, there have been both the smoke of the military struggle, but also the clamor of the “tea and horse market”. Here is the snowy Tibetan and Yunnan ethnic cultural exchanges window, the bridge of Sino-Tibetan friendship, Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan “triangle” ties, and there is the world's largest bible.

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Visit Pudacuo National Park (Shudu Lake, Bita Lake eco-bus incl.  Boat excl.)  in the morning. And then, visit a Tibetan family where the Tibetan builds their houses by wood with big sitting room and Buddhism Hall, try the home-made buttered tea and yak cheese. After that,drive back to Shangri-la experience drawing a thangka (on paper).

Pudacuo National Park is the first national park established by the Chinese government. It consists of two parts, namely, the Bita Sea Nature Reserve, a wetland of international importance, and the Lake Geedu Scenic Area in the Haba Area of the World Natural Heritage of the “Three Rivers and Flowing Streams”, which is a photographer's paradise with varied sceneries in all seasons of the year.In Tibetan, Pudacuo means “ Bita Sea ”, which means that all beings can reach the other shore of happiness and enter the unknown paradise, which is said to be the holy land of the soul and the paradise of dreams. Pudacuo National Park,it is an important component of the World Natural Heritage scenic area, and the first national park established by the Chinese government.

Thangka is a unique form of painting art in Tibetan culture. It has distinctive national characteristics, strong religious colors and unique artistic style, depicting the sacred world of Buddha with bright colors; the pigments are traditionally all gold, silver, pearl, agate, coral, turquoise, malachite, vermillion and other precious mineral stones and saffron, rhubarb, indigo and other plants as pigments to show its sacredness. These natural raw materials ensure that the painting of the thangka remains colorful, bright and dazzling, although after hundreds of years, it is still colorful and bright. Therefore, it is regarded as the treasures of Chinese national painting art, known as the “encyclopedia” of the Tibetan people, and is also a precious intangible cultural heritage of the Chinese folk art.

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Driver to visit Nixi Village to experience making Nixi black pottery in the Morning. After that, drive to visit GandenSongzanlin Monastery (eco-bus incl.) Then transfer to the airport/train station.

Nixi is a Tibetan village in Shangri-La County, home to the national intangible cultural heritage of Nixi pottery.

The pottery-making techniques have been transmitted from generation to generation here for more than 3,000 years. This was the only way to cross the ancient tea-horse road. The caravans coming from the south and heading north not only transported tea, but also carried local pottery to all directions.

Songtsam Forest Monastery, also known as the naturalization of the temple, is located in Shangri-La 5 kilometers north of the Buddha Ping Mountain, is the fifth Dalai in 1679 A.D. and the Qing Emperor Kangxi Edicts “thirteen forests” one. It is not only the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan, or the yellow center of Sichuan and Yunnan, known as the “small Potala Palace”. The temple is built on the mountain, the shape is like an ancient fortress, set the Tibetan modeling art of the great, there is a “Tibetan art museum” of the name.

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Driver to visit Nixi Village to experience making Nixi black pottery in the Morning. After that, drive to visit Ganden Songzanlin Monastery (eco-bus incl.) Then transfer to the Shangri-la (Zhongdian) airport.

Arrival in Beijing.

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Take Hainan Airlines flight to Oslo. End this fantastic China trip.

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