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Bridging Cultures, Lives and Hearts
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Bird's Nest" National Stadium, main venue for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
At the Forbidden City
Tianjin Youth Art Troupe Performance
Tianjin Zhang's Folk Art
Young singer
Bike Ride on Xi'an City Wall
Tea Ceremony
Kite flying
Beijing Zhongguancun School
Kindergarten Kids
Friendship Ambassador Delegation to China
You are cordially invited to join this special program sponsored by the Chinese Cultural Exchange and the China’s People’s Friendship Association (CPAFFC), a major Chinese non-governmental organization. Established in 1954, CPAFFC has played an important role in promoting friendly relations between China and the rest of the world. CPAFFC has hosted many guests, including former U.S. President George Bush, former US Secretary of State Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. and Senator John Edwards. This will be a unique opportunity to learn about Chinese rich cultural heritage by visiting important cultural landmarks and talking to citizens...
Highlights:
Official Bell Ringing Ceremony at CPAFFC headquarters.
Official welcoming banquet reception
Cultural exchange with Chinese students
Visit social welfare institute
Visit to Tianjin Children's Art Troupe
Specially arranged Children’s performance
Visit Beijing Olympic Venues
Go backstage at the Beijing Opera to meet dancers before a performance
Dance and calligraphy lessons at Children’s Palace
Making dumplings with local families
Kite flying at Tian An Men Square
Tour of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors
Boat Cruise at the Summer Palace
Biking on Xi’an City Wall
Cities:
Beijing, Tianjin and Xi’an
With optional trip extension to Chengdu (Giant Panda Reserve and Emei Mountain) or an orphanage visit which will be arranged at the end of the trip.
Notes:
· This program is recommended for children 9 years of age, and older.
· Activities include visits to many areas not open to tourists, and participation is by invitation only.
· Size of group is limited. Registration is on first come, first serve basis.
· Price does not include international airfare, passport and visa fees. Optional trip extension, orphanage visit, transportation to/from orphanage, gratuities to guides, driver, hotel personal and airport taxes.
Tour Cost:
(Children over 12 are considered as adults)
1 adult (single room)
$2595 + $620 =
1 adult & 1 child $2595 + $1960 =
1 adult & 2 children w. one roll-away bed $2595 + 1960 x 2 =
2 adults & 1 child (w. one roll-away bed) $2595 x 2 + $1960 =
2 adults & 2 children (w. one roll-away bed) $2595 x 2 + $1960 x 2 =
Tour Dates:
August 21 - 30, 2009
Links of interest:
CPAFFC Awards Mary Eisenhower Title of Friendship Ambassador
A Ninety-Year-Old American Lady Eunice Moe Brock ——I Am a Happy Ambassador of Friendship Between the American and Chinese People
Detailed Itinerary
Delegates will leave the United States for Beijing and cross the international date line. In-flight meals will be provided.
Arrive Beijing International Airport and be transferred to the magnificent, centrally-located Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel with its stunning views of the Forbidden City. You will stay at this hotel for five nights. Following hotel check-in and an opportunity to rest, delegates will have the option to take part in a cultural introduction to Beijing. Included will be a walking tour of the Wangfujing Pedestrian Shopping area and night Food Market. Delegates will stroll along the famous Changan Avenue like a local citizen and enjoy Beijing’s beautiful evening scenery.
(Wang Fu Jing is an ancient name meaning “Well of the Princes' Palaces”)
Tian’anmen Square, the largest public square in the world and the heart of modern China, is one of the best places to fly a kite! Each child will be given a kite, shaped like a butterfly, dragon, or phoenix. Next, we will visit the Forbidden City, a 259-acre city-within-a-city complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens — the largest and most complete ancient imperial palace in the world. After lunch, tour the 15th century Temple of Heaven where the Emperors made offerings for the harvest and where local people today practice daily exercise. Later we will tour CPAFFC’s headquarters, the location of the former Italian Embassy, to begin our official Bell Ringing Ceremony. Evening formal required at the welcoming banquet reception at the CPAFFC’s Banquet Hall. (B.L.D.)
In the morning, visit the breath-taking Yiheyuan - Imperial Summer Palace. Its resplendently ornate temples, pavilions and corridors, set amidst a graceful landscape along Kunming Lake, epitomize the Northern Chinese Garden. We will stop by at Beijing Cloisonné Factory, learn the process and making of cloisonné, Beijing’s most traditional handicraft art. Evening at leisure. (B.L.)
Day 5 Beijing
A full-day excursion takes you 40 miles north of Beijing to the Great Wall, one of most remarkable human achievements, extending over 3,000 miles. A walk along a section of this enormous wall is a not-to-be-missed experience. According to a famous Chinese saying, “Not a real hero until one reaches the Great Wall.” Later, we will visit Beijing Olympic Venues and Beijing Gymnastic team. This evening we will attend a Dai ethnic dinner party and enjoy a famous acrobatic show. (B.L.D.)
Day 6 Beijing
Shop the Silk Market today for your best bargains, followed by a "back alley" Hutong tour of Chinese life at its most traditional where you'll obtain a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lifestyles of the local people. Visit CCAA, China Center for Adoption Affairs in the afternoon to get a glimpse of how paperwork is being processed by each office. If time permits, we will arrange a visit to a Chinese tailor who specializes in designing clothes combining Western and traditional Chinese styles. (B.L.)
Day 7 Tianjin
Breakfast at hotel followed by a 1 ½ hr bus trip to Tianjin, China’s third largest city and an independent municipality and a major commercial and the biggest port in north China. Tianjin is also the home of quyi (a set of Chinese folk art forms, which include ballad singing, storytelling, comic dialogues, clapper talks, and cross talks). Folk arts and crafts such as Yangliuqing New Year pictures, painted clay figurines, kites and carpets have enjoyed a strong reputation both at home and abroad. Upon arrival, we will visit Tian Jing Children’s Welfare Institute, Tianjin Culture Street and attend a specially arranged performance by Tianjing Hua Xia Children’s Art Troupe. Overnight in Tianjin. (B.L.)
Day 8 Tianjin/Xian
Morning at leisure for your family to get to know Tianjin better. You may want to join the morning exercise group outside of our hotel. We will head to the airport around noon and fly to Xi’an, capital of Shanxi province. Xi’an, formerly called “Chang An” (Everlasting Peace), was the capital of China for 11 dynasties and is one of the world’s largest and grandest cities. It is here that you’ll experience a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the extraordinary 2,300 year-old Terra Cotta Warriors of China’s first emperor, Qinshihuang. The warriors still stand on the actual site where peasants discovered them in 1974! Upon arrival, we will check in at the elegant and classic Xian Garden Hotel, which captures the spirit of the Tang Dynasty. Standing beside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, this hotel features a spacious garden, museum, and theater restaurant, bringing you closer to the heart of ancient China. In 1997, the hotel won the Architectural Gold Medal of Chinese Symbol Hotel in 1997. (B.)
Day 9 Xi’an
Today’s excursion takes you to the ancient the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. This newly built square features a statue of Tangseng, the master of the Monkey King in the famous Chinese story “Journey to the West.” In the afternoon visit the Xi’an Children’s Palace, where kids can learn Chinese calligraphy and folk dance. This evening you will be treated to a private dumpling-making and noodle-throwing lesson by the local expert chefs. Afterwards, we will enjoy the famed Tang Dynasty Theatre Show. (B.L.D.)
Day 10 Xi’an
Emperor Qinshihuangdi chose Xi'an for his capital in the third century BC. This war-mongering tyrant, the first to unite the disparate kingdoms of ancient China, is famous for for his Terracotta Warriors. This morning we will view the 13,000 molded soldiers, officers, horses and wagons which form a small part of his famed underground army. Then we will visit Shanxi Fuxiao Elementary School, sister school with Parkway Elementary School in Greenwich, CT. A bike ride along the South Gate of the City Wall will give you an impressive view of the most complete ancient city wall in China. Our farewell dinner will be Shanxi local cuisine. (B.L.D)
Today, there are only about 1,000 giant pandas surviving in the wilds of Sichuan Province. As the emblem of the WWF, these popular animals are recognized as one of the Three Treasures of China. We have organized a special extension tour for animal lovers which includes a visit to the Panda Conservation Centre in Chengdu. In southeast Sichuan province stands Emei (9730 feet), one of China's four holy Buddhist mountains. Its isolation, great natural beauty, living fossil plants and 30 temples all make it a prime destination. At Leshan, on the plain below, sits a Tang dynasty sculpture (618-907) of immense proportions: Maitreya (the Future Buddha), 71 metres tall, carved into a red-stone cliff.
Arrive in Chengdu and transfer to hotel. Chengdu is the capital of China's most populous province, Sichuan. Pleasantly laid out with broad streets lined by brown and white stucco traditional two-storied houses with balconies of carved wood, this dynamic and colorful city has famously extrovert population. The tour will include a visit to the cottage of Du Fu, the Great Tang poet and the Shrine of Zhu Geliang, the renowned military strategist and statesman during Three Kingdoms period and River View Pavilion. The highlight of the tour will be the visit to the Panda Conservation Centre where you will learn about the successful Panda breading program and get to see and hug these mysterious and charming animals.
Travel to Leshan by car. In Leshan, you will see the spectacular rock-hewn Great Buddha carved out over 90 years in Tang Dynasty. Surrounded by magnificent countryside, the view overlooks the mighty Yangtze. Continue to Mount Emei and overnight. (B,L)
Climb the mountain at a leisurely pace and visit the Wan Nian Temple, home to historical relics. (B,L)
Take a cable car to the Golden Summit and see another magnificent temple in the midst of stunning landscape. Return by car to Chengdu. (B.L)
Transfer for your onward flight. (B)
Orphanage Visit – please complete the orphanage visit request form.
Book your trip!
For more information, contact:
Chinese Cultural Exchange & China Homeland Tours P.O. Box 271333 West Hartford, CT 06127 Toll-free: 1-866-666-6520 (860) 523-9797 E-mail: info@MingsChina.com
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