Pre-Workshop Tour Option 1

  Beijing-Xian-Guilin (including Yangshuo)-Shanghai

Day 1: Thursday, October 16, 2008

Leave the USA for Beijing (If you are departing from other countries, please be sure to arrive in Beijing on October 17). 

Day 2:  Friday, October 17, Beijing 

Arrive in Beijing in the evening. Transfer to hotel.  

Day 3: Saturday, October 18, Beijing

In the morning, visit Tiananmen Square, the largest square in the world, where you will find Tiananmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace), the Museum of Chinese History, the Museum of Chinese Revolution, the Great Hall of People (the "Capitol Hill in China"). In the center of the square sits Mao Tsetong Memorial Hall.  After Tiananmen Square, we will walk to the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties for over 500 years). Visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors prayed.   

Day 4: Sunday, October 19, Beijing 

A whole day excursion to the Great Wall of China, Underground Tombs of Ming Dynasty Emperors and their Empresses (13 emperors were buried there), and the Sacred Way lined with large stone statues.  "Peking" duck banquet dinner in the evening.   

Day 5:  Monday, October 20, Beijing

Summer Palace in the morning (including a short cruise on the Kunming Lake inside the Summer Place) and free time for shopping and other things you want to explore on your own in the afternoon.

Day 6: Tuesday, October 21, Beijing to Xian 

Fly to Xian in the morning. We will be welcomed by people dressed in ancient costumes at the City Gate, a quite entertaining ceremony. Xian has the best preserved city gates and walls in China. You can ride a bike or drive a golf cart on the top of the city walls. We will then visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, a significant historic site for Buddhism, where Buddhist scriptures were first interpreted and translated into Chinese by a highest ranked monk in the Tang Dynasty (about 700 AC). We will also visit the Tang Dynasty Art Museum next to the Wild Goose Pagoda. We will have a Chinese Dumpling Banquet Dinner and a variety of  dumplings will be served to our delight. 

Day 7: Wednesday, October 22, Xian

A one-day trip to the Terracotta Warriors (220 B.C.) Museum, where we see hundreds of Terracotta Warriors at the original archeological site. On our way to the museum, we will stop at a workshop to see how those warriors were made.  We will enjoy the “Tang-Dynasty Palace Music and Dances” in the evening, the best “Broadway Show” in China.

Day 8:  Thursday, October 23, Xian to Guilin

Fly from Xian to Guilin in the morning and visit the Reed Flute Cave in the afternoon. This cave is 720 feet deep and 1500 feet long. Inside the cave, there are a lot of colorful and imposing stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars, stone curtains, and stone flowers, unique views you can only find in Guilin. After dinner, you can explore the night markets in downtown Guilin on your own.

Day 9:  Friday, October 24, Guilin to Yangshuo

A six-hour Li River cruise. The views along the river are beyond imagination. Lunch will be served on the boat. Our cruise will end at Yangshuo, a very unique ancient town, where we stay for two nights.

Day 10: Saturday, October 25, Yangshuo

Breakfast only and the rest of the day is free.  This is a perfect day to explore the rural town, get in touch with local people, and try their local cuisine on your own. There are many optional tours you can take, such as bamboo rafting (a pretty large raft that can seat ten people), visiting old villages, and a great evening show by over 500 performers in a natural setting, or simply hiking around with great views of rural Guilin.  Our local guide will be available to assist us with the plan for the free day. The West Street is the busiest street offering a great variety of local stores, cafes, and restaurants.  You could spend an afternoon or an evening strolling along the street.

Day 11: Sunday, October 26, Guilin to Shanghai

Drive from Yangshuo to Guilin and then fly to Shanghai. Transportation will be provided for tour members to get to the workshop site from the airport when you arrive in Shanghai.   

To sign up for this tour, please email as soon as possible the following information to  cw@fibersphere.net:  

• Full name (as it appears in your passport)
• Date of birth
• Contact information (mailing address, email, and phone number)
• Passport number
• Citizenship
• Occupation

You can also submit the above information on our  Registration Form.