Day 1 Arrival Xian
Day 2 Terracotta Warriors Museum, City Wall, Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter
09:00-12:00: Your guide will explain every detail of this museum, its history and other interesting facts. You will be fed with tons of knowledge. Being the most significant excavation of the 20th century, the Terracotta Army is a must-see sight for people coming to Xian. You will not only admire the craftsmanship of the different statues and ancient weapons in the three pits, but you will also learn about the motivation and significance of why this mausoleum was so grandly built.
12:30 - 13:30: Savour the most authentic local lunch (lunch is for your own account). Xian is one of the famous food cities in China. For lunch, you will be faced with a variety of choices such as a Chinese Hamburger, Baozi (steamed stuffed bun), Spicy soup, Tofu Jelly, Deep - fried dough sticks, Pita Bread Soaked in Mutton Soup, Biang Biang Noodles, Guokui, to name but a few.
14:20 - 15:30 :Heading back to the city center, you will climb on the Ancient City Wall. As the most completely preserved city wall in China, the Xian Ancient City Wall has survived over 600 years. It served as a part of the defence system to protect against attack from other countries. The wall is built in a rectangular shape, connected by four big solid gates. There are three ways to explore this grand city wall. The easiest way is to take a golf cart (for your own account), which is comfortable but not very rewarding. You may also take a bike (for your own account), which may be a little bumpy. The last way is to walk slowly and feel the history.
15:40-16:20: Visit the Bell Tower. Built in 1380, the Bell Tower is a brick and timber structure used to announce the time. Before the Bell Tower moved, there was a copper bell in the tower named the "Jingyun Bell". Its sound could be heard over several kilometers. No matter whether regarded by the shape, the sound, or the engraving technology, the bell reflects the highest craftsmanship of the metallurgy of the Tang Dynasty. After the Jinglong Bell moved with the Bell Tower, the Jingyun Bell was preserved in the Beilin museum of Xi'an. The big iron Jinglong Bell in the Bell Tower was made in the Ming Dynasty and weighs 2,500 kilograms. It has measured time for the city for more than 400 years.
16:20-17:00: Stroll in Muslim Quarter. It’s pretty obvious from the name that this is where many Muslim people reside. It is comprised of several commercial streets that are crowded with people all year round. There are stands and booths alongside the street, mingled with shops and stores, which made the streets extremely busy. The most common transportation form is the Tuk-tuk, a small and flexible vehicle that can transport 3-4 people at most. Many people come here for the authentic local food. We suggest you have a try.
17:00: Finish your day tour and return to your hotel.
Day 3 Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Hanyangling Museum, Xian North - Chengdu by high-speed train (D1943, 16:16- 2
09:00: Meet your Xian guide and set off for the day tour. It’s suggested that you pack all your luggage and bring it with you for the day trip.
09:20- 11:30: Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This is a Tang Dynasty Buddhist temple dating back 1,300 years, also named Da Ci’en Temple. The Tang Dynasty's famous monk - Xuan Zang was here working on the translation of the Buddhist Scriptures that he brought back from India. He was responsible for the spread of Buddhism. You will get to learn historical facts and enjoy interesting stories here. You will also enjoy the Fountain Show, in the biggest fountain square in Asia. At night, this place together with the Datang City nearby is decorated with a variety of lights and many local people like to visit then.
11:30 - 12:30: Enjoy lunch in a nice local restaurant before your afternoon trip (lunch is for your own account).
13:10 - 14:50: Visit the Hanyangling Museum, also called Jingdi’s Tomb.This is a burial site for Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wangzhi. This tomb could be dated back 2,100 years. It is the only underground museum in China. Emperor Jingdi was a great Emperor back then. Much influenced by the concept of Wuwei (non-interference), he reformed the national tax, engaged in diplomacy with neighboring countries, and changed the punishment of criminals. People admired him.
In his mausoleum, you will hardly find anything martial like in Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum, just some day-to-day artefacts and terracotta figurines ranging from servants to cavalry. These figures were originally decorated with colors and clothes, but all have faded with time.
15:20: Transfer to the Xian North Railway Station for the high-speed train to Chengdu. Your Chengdu driver will be ready at the Chengdu East Train Station at 20:33. You will be dropped off at your Chengdu hotel.
Day 4 Panda Breeding Center, Wuhou Memorial Temple, Jinli Street
09:00: Greeted by your Chengdu guide, you will set out to explore this amazing city.
09:30 - 12:00: Visit the Panda Breeding Center. Visiting the Pandas (a “National Treasure of China”) is a must-see activity when visiting Chengdu. Situated on the Futou Mountain 10 km away from the city center, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a huge replica of a natural habitat created for the preservation and breeding of pandas to prevent their extinction. Founded in 1987, the Chengdu Panda Base has rescued many wild pandas and helped over 100 other kinds of wild animals survive, including the red panda, the white stork, the white swan, the black swan, the mandarin duck, the Grus nigricollis . Besides the rare animals, the base is also abundant in rare-bred plants. You will enjoy observing the pandas’ behaviour.
12:00 - 13:00: Find a local restaurant to enjoy authentic Sichuan cuisine (lunch is for your own account). We all know that Sichuan cuisine is world famous, now it’s time to try the real dishes.
13:30 - 15:00: Visit the Wuhou Memorial Temple. As the “Shrine of the Three Kingdoms”, the Wuhou Memorial Temple is mainly composed of three sightseeing parts, the Cultural Relics Area, the Garden and Jinli Street. In the Cultural Relics Area, visitors can appreciate Du Fu’s couplets (a great poet in the Tang Dynasty), exquisite carvings, sophisticated stone inscriptions, calligraphy works and paintings, as well as the rooms Zhuge Liang lived in and statues of famous people in Three Kingdoms Period.
15:20- 16:30: Stroll along the old Jinli street. It is said that Jinli was one of the oldest and most commercially-featured streets in the Western Shu Kingdom. It was famous nationwide in the Qin and Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms Period. As part of Wuhou Street, Jinli street incorporated the cultural legacies of the Qin and Han Dynasties and Three Kingdoms Period, enriched itself with old folk customs of the western Sichuan people and then absorbed elements of the Ming and Qing Dynasties’ style. It’s a great opportunity for you to learn about the old Sichuan people’s way of life by enjoying a cup of tea in the tea house, watching some Sichuan Opera in the theater, tasting traditional snacks and appreciating some beautiful art works.
17:00: Return to your Chengdu hotel.
Day 5 Giant Buddha, Huanglongxi Ancient Town
07:30: Be prepared for an early start to visit the Giant Buddha.
09:30 - 11:00: Visit the Giant Buddha in Leshan city. It’s located at the river outlet of the Min River, Qingyi River and Dadu River, over 160km north of Chengdu city. Built on a cliff on the Xixia Peak of the Lingyun Mountain, the Giant Buddha is the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world with a height of 71 meters. There are two ways to admire this giant Buddha. The ordinary way is to enter the site and come down to the foot of the Buddha. The other way is to take a cruise and observe it from a distance, which provides better views.
11:00 - 12:00: Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant nearby the Giant Buddha (for your own account).
13:30 - 15:30: Visit the Huanglongxi Ancient Town. Named after Huanglong River that runs through it, the Huanglongxi Ancient Town has a history of 1,700 years. Most of its buildings date back to the Qing Dynasty and feature cobbled streets, wooden buildings, tranquil tea houses, tall old trees and temples. Coming here will make anybody calm and peaceful and that is why it attracts many producers to shoot movies here.
16:30: Transfer back to your Chengdu hotel.
Day 6 Departure Chengdu
Reviews
