2014 FOCUS ON TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 1 Ottawa - Air Direct Air Canada flight from Ottawa via Vancouver to Beijing In flight Oct 15 Beijing L/D Wed Day 2 Beijing Air/ Arrival in Beijing (around 14:45), Airport greeting. Meet with Local Guide and transferred to Hotel. On B/L/D Oct 16 Coach the Way tour around Cheungan Street and stop at the National Grand Theatre for Evening photos. Thurs Settle in Hotel Rest before dinner. After Dinner, it is a free evening or if you are not tired, enjoy the evening scenes of the famous Wangfujing walking Street & Donghuamen Evening Food Market Capital of China, Beijing is a world-class cultural and educational centre with a population of 21 million (2013), ranking it China's second largest city behind Shanghai. Beijing is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, and huge stone walls and gates, treasures that make it the most popular tourist city in China. Overnight in Beijing Day 3 Beijing Coach After early Breakfast, visit Tiananmen Square (the worlds’ largest inner city square) & Imperial B/L/D Oct 17 Palace (the world’s wooden structure building is the symbol of Beijing, also known as Fri or Imperial Palace Museum & the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world). The design and the layout of the 870 buildings in the palace represent the essence of traditional Chinese architecture. with a history of around 600 years. Then to Jingshan Park – Best site to take the bird-side views of Imperial Palace & surrounding area. Rickshaw ride through the old residential area and visit Nanluoguxiang南鑼古巷胡同“hutongs” area. Visiting a local family is a nice way to discover traditional Beijing life. Hutong refers to an ancient alleyway with siheyuan or ''4-sided courtyard house" on both sides. The Beijing hutongs are mazes of narrow alleyways linking old single-story traditional courtyard houses. Hutongs give a wonderful glimpse into the world of yesterday in Beijing. Then to Beijing Olympic Park with shooting of Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Media Centre…. And also including evening shooting at the 2nd largest LCD screen in the world at the Place Hall 世貿天階 before dinner Overnight in Beijing Day 4 Beijing Coach After early Breakfast visit Badaling Great Wall by Coach. Up the Badaling Great Wall (including B/L/D Oct 18 Cable Ride Up & Down Hill) See more Info at www.badaling.gov.cn Badaling is the site of the Sat best-preserved and most popular section of the Great Wall. 370 foreign leaders and VIPs have climbed the Badaling section. Great Wall was built to hold off tribal invaders from the north. Photo Stop at Ming Tomb (Changling Tomb) Way. In the front part of the imperial necropolises, there usually is a Sacred Way (or Divine Road) which means the road leading to heaven. Along the it, 24 Stone Statues of Animals as well as 12 Stone Statue of Persons, the Gate with Dragon and Phoenix patterns, Five-arch Bridge and Seven-arch Bridge are arranged from south to north. Drive back and visit the famous Qianmen Street (of 570 years of history) & 大棚欄購物街 Shopping area Photo Taking at the National Grand Theatre before dinner. Then enjoy the traditional Beijing Duck Dinner. Beijing roast duck is the epitome of Beijing cuisine and also one of the eight most popular Chinese dishes. The dish is mostly prized for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat. Evening enjoy the Beijing Opera Show”. Beijing Opera is regarded as Chinese cultural treasure. The make up, the face masks, the gorgeous costumes, the unique vocal style, and the demanding actions make Beijing opera a high-class performance entertainment. Beijing Opera blends acting, dancing and live music with acrobatics and kung-fu-style stage combat to create a breathtaking evening of drama Overnight in Beijing Day 5 Beijing to Coach After breakfast, visit the , a great masterpiece of Chinese architecture and B/L/D Oct 19 Hohhot Air landscape design) & the royal altar where the Ming and Qing emperors offered their sacrifice to the Sun heaven praying for peace and harvest. The area of the Temple of Heaven is more than twice that of the Forbidden City. If have time we will visit 798 Art Area before to Beijing airport Then fly to Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Inner Mongolia has peculiar natural scenery, a long history and brilliant culture. Arrive Hohhot. Visit Zhaojun Tomb (Tomb of Zhaojun commemorates a concubine of a Chinese emperor who went Mongolian to marry a chieftain and make peace between the Chinese and a horsemen tribe), Dazhao Temple (There are three famous treasures in Dazhao Temple, namely, the silver Buddha figure, the dragon carvings, and the wall paintings) and Muslim Bazzar street. After dinner, free evening, rest or enjoy the night in hotel, or just walk a few steps from the hotel and do some shopping or photo taking of the evening scenes on your own arrangement Overnight in Hohhot Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happened in coming months p. 1

2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 6 Huhhot to Coach After breakfast, bus to Xilamoren / Xilamuren Grassland. On the way if have time, visit a local school BLD Oct 20 Xilamoren/ and photo with Mongolian children. En route visit Puhui Temple Mon Xilamuren/ Xilamuren Steppe (80 kilometers north of Hohhot) located on a 5000-foot-high grassy plateau and Hilamuren is one of the first steppe areas to be set up for tourists, who stay in "yurt-hotel" Grassland Xilamuren is a beautiful place with thriving green grass (depends on the season that we’re going), abundant water and herds of sheep and cows. It is the first grassland opened to tourists to enjoy the wild grassland of Hohhot and the nomadic life of Mongolian people. Join some Local traditional & cultural activities including the welcome ceremony, horse racing, Mongolian wrestling, horse & camel riding, rodeo competitions, archery, … Here, you will visit a local folk residence - yurt, a kind of round-roofed tent made of felt. Taking Grassland Sunset Photos. Making short trips to Aobao. It time permitted we will have the Bon Fire Party Overnight in Xilamoren Grassland. Note: If Yurts are closed during this time, the group will have to stay in the hotel

Day 7 Xilamoren/ Coach Take early sunrise images of the Grassland before breakfast (Personal Choice) BLD Oct 21 Xilamuren After breakfast, from Hilamuren/Ordos(Erdos) drive to Resonant Sand Gorge in Kubiqi Tues Grassland - Desert. Photo stop at the Bridge. Resonant Tour the desert. Today we are going to experience a natural phenomenon: at the desert: Sliding Sand down from the 90 meter high and 45 degree sand hill, one can hear the sounds like automobile Georg in and aircraft engines, a phenomenon nobody can explain.. Pax could join sand surfing or ride Kubiqi camel on your own expense. If the seasonal Mongolian Wedding Ceremony Performance is not Desert – closed, we can pay to enjoy the ceremony which is good for photo-taking Baotou Resonant Sand Gorge back to Baoyou Overnight at Baotou Day 8 Baotou - Coach Has an early morning City Tour of Baotou before leaving to Hohhot and then to the 2nd B/L/D Oct 22 Hohhot – largest city of the province of . Tues Datong - After lunch, visit of which are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near Yungang the city of Datong. They are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and one of the three most Grottoes famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. The others are Longmen and Mogao Grotttoes. The Yungang Grottoes are divided into three zones: east, west and central and numbered from east to west. Caves 1 and 2 contain carved . Cave 3 is the largest in this group, although it contains only a seated Buddha flanked by two . Visit Jiulongbi.(Nine Dragon Screen) made of glazed tiles in the East Street of the city is the largest and earliest one of the three famous Nine-Dragon Screens in China (Note: the other two are respectively in Forbidden City and Beihai Park of Beijing) After dinner night tour of Datong downtown and evening shooting(personal choice) Overnight in Datong

Day 9 Datong – Coach On the way to Hanging Temple of Mt. Heng (Hengshan) with a morning City Tour of Datong. B/L/D Oct 23 Hanging Hanging Monastery built more than 1,500 years ago is an architectural wonder. This temple is Thurs Temple – notable for its location on a sheer precipice a cliff in the province of Shanxi. The monks who built Wooden this temple had three basic reasons: the 1st build a house of worship to show their determination. – The 2nd d reason is to avoid the terrible flood, besides the top of the mountain protects the temple of rain, snow & also decreases the damage from long time sunshine, & the 3rd is to promote unity among the Chinese people through a combination of the three major religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Then stop at Yingxin County to visit the Wooden Pagoda. The real name of the pagoda, is Buddha's Palace. Since it was built completely of timber, it has been known popularly as the Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County. Standing 67.31 meters high, it is the only extant large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings of the world, built in 1056 En route to Taiyuan and then transfer to Pingyao Check in the traditional courtyard hotel. Take rest before Dinner After dinner, take the beautiful evening photos of the Pingyao Ancient Town Overnight in Pingyao Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happened in coming months

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2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day10 Pingyo - Coach Early the early morning photo-taking of Pingyao. From the Ancient City Wall of Pingyao, where B/L/D Oct 24 Hukou you can have a panorama view of the layout of this town Fri Waterfalls After breakfast has an early morning City Tour of the special architectures of Pingyao Old Town: City Wall, Rishengchang Exchange/Bank, Ming-Qing Dynasties Street (Since the early 19th century, the Ancient Mingqing Street has served as the strategic gathering place for businessmen of Shanxi). Pingyao still retains its city layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, conforming to a typical Ba gua pattern. More than 300 sites in or near the city have ancient ruins. The streets and storefronts still largely retain their historical appearance. In the second half of the 19th century the banking community of Ping Yao dominated Chinese financial life so Pingyao was known as the Ancient Chinese Wall Street. The townscape of Ancient City of Ping Yao excellently reflects the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries. Visit Qiao Family Compound en route. The Qiao Family Compound is massive and castle-like, covering about two acres. It has been converted into a museum and has period furnishings distributed throughout. Visiting here is like looking through a window into the day-to-day life of upper class Chinese of centuries ago. Afternoon transfer to Hukou. en-route visit Wang’s Family Compound. It is a luxurious residence built during 1762-1811 & has been declares as a provincial protective cultural relic. It is not only an example of residential architecture, but also a museum of architectural art. On the way stop at some spots that we can see some cave dwellings (Yaodong). It is a particular form of earth shelter dwelling common in the in China's north At the arrival of Huhou Waterfalls (Kettle Spout Falls), meet with local guide & transfer to t the Hotel Take rest before dinner Enjoy a night views of the town Overnight in Hukou Waterfall

Day 11 Hukou Coach After breakfast, Visit Hukou Wterfall . The Yellow River is the mother river of China and Cradle of B/L/D Oct 25 Waterfall to civilization and the Hukou Waterfalls, a glistening pearl in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is Sat Xian – located in the Loess Plateau hinterlands at the intersection of Shanxi Province and Terra-Cotta Province. It is the only magnificent Yellow Waterfall in the world and the second biggest waterfall Warriors in China after . Hukou Waterfalls can be viewed either from Shaanxi side or Museum Shanxi. There are many wonders at Hukou Waterfalls, such as smoke from the river, boats on land, rainbows in the sunshine, and so on. Here, the water falls to the deep pond from a relatively high place, stirring the mist which rises high into the air like surging heavy smoke coming out of the river. Transfer to Xian, it is also called Chang'an (meaning the eternal city) in ancient times and is the capital of Shaanxi Province and the biggest city in the northwest of China Actually Xian is China's first historic capital, made primary city by the first emperor, Shi Huang. It is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese civilization in the Yellow River Basin area. As the eastern terminal of the and the site of the famous Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, the city has won a reputation all over the world *After lunch Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses Museum (an hr from City Centre), Eight World Wonder - No Xian travel is complete without visiting the . The Terracotta Warriors is a collection of terracotta figures showcasing the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a representative of funerary art in ancient China and these figures and horses were all buried with Qinshihuang, protecting the emperor after he died * Visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is renowned as the landmark of Xian, where the sutras and figurines of the Buddha brought to China from India by , a prestigious Buddhist translator and traveler in , are preserved. It is highly recommended to visit. * Watch the Fabulous Fountain Show in the Goose Pagoda Square. Dayan Pagoda Northern Square 大雁塔北广场 . It is next to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda The fountain show in the Goose Pagoda Square is regarded as the largest fountain complex (about 17 hectares) in Asia, which is highly favored by travelers domestic and abroad. The fountain show is available both on nights in weekday and on weekend * Enjoy an evening walking tour in Downtown Xian, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower area and the Muslim Street/Muslim Quarter It is the hub of the Muslim community as well as a Muslim food and souvenir market. Tang Dynasty Music. Dance Show at Tang Paradise Park is highly recommended * Enjoy the local specialty: Eat the savory Dumpling Banquette - is world-renowned. An American president spoke highly of it after enjoying it. The dumpling banquette is featured with differently-shaped dumplings, diversified stuffing and palatable taste, which would be a great feast to your taste bud Overnight in Xian Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happened in coming months p. 3

2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 12 Xian – Coach Enjoy the sunrise shooting. B/L/D Oct 26 Huashan After Breakfast, visit Xian City Wall. It is the best-preserved ancient city wall in China and also the Sun largest & most complete military facility in the world. Should travel around on the wall and have a panoramic view of the city. Nice to go on walk but if you can rent a bike Cycling in the City Wall even better: PS. If cycling is not your thing you can pay for a seat in a golf cart & be chauffeured instead Please also note that there is a Morning market along the ancient wall good for photo-taking By 10:30 am the latest, transfer to Huashan Mt. Hushan is famous for its lofty peaks and is one of China's five sacred mountains五岳 (the other four are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in ) Lunch at Hua Shan Town Then visit to North Peak of Huashan including a round Trip up & down by Cable Car from the east gate direct to the North Peak in only 7-8 minutes. This saves you some of physical effort at the beginning enabling you to view as much as possible of the scenery of the five main peaks North Peak (about 5,295 feet high) is the terminal of the cable car. The North Peak is also named Cloud Terrace Peak as precipitous cliffs surround the peak in all directions just like a flat terrace in the clouds. Yuntai Scenic area (also known as Cloud Terrace Peak) near the North Peak is the best place for viewing the other three peaks and Canglong Ling. We can enjoy an easy walk around this peak and enjoy some beautiful views at North Peak. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the Ear- Touching Cliff, which is the fourth precipitous path where visitors can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff. Almost halfway up the North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, creating a good rest spot. Upon arrival at the North Peak, you can walk to the Cableway Station in 3-5 min and take the cable car to descend. most important site on the North Peak is the Zhenwu Hall for God of North. Mt.Huashan is literally translated as Flower Mountain. Overnight in Huashan Day 13 Huashan - Coach Since we are not living at the Mt top we can do some morning photos a any where on your own. B/L/D Oct 27 After breakfast, transfer to Luoyang. Situated on the central plain of China, Luoyang is one of the Mon Longmen cradles of Chinese civilization, and is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Grottoes – Upon arrival, spent the morning visiting Longmen Grottoes (including round-trip Cable Car back to Shaolin entrance). Longmen Grottoes, Yungang Caves and are regarded as the three most Temole of famous treasure houses of stone inscriptions in China. Longmen Grottoes are located between Song Mt - Mount Xiang and Mount Longmen and face Yi River. Most of the arts are the works of the Northern Zhangzhou Dynasty and the flourishing age of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Lots of historical materials concerning art, music, religion, calligraphy, medicine, costume and architecture are kept in Longmen Grottoes. The scenery measures 1,000 metres (about 1,094 yards) from north to south where there are over 2,300 holes and niches, 2,800 , 40 dagobas, 1,300 caves and 100,000 statues. There are nine major figures of various facial appearances and temperaments in the temple that were built in accordance with the Buddhist rite and their relationships by the artists. The most impressive figure is the statue of Buddha sitting cross-legged on the eight- square lotus throne. Vairocana means illuminating all things in the sutra. The Buddha has a well- filled figure, a sacred and kindly expression and an elegant smile. After lunch, Transfer to Shaolin Temple of Song Mt (including round-trip Cable Car back to entrance). The afternoon tour (about 2.5 – 3 hrs) takes you to Shaolin Temple. Situated in Songshan Mountain, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the west of City. Shaolin Temple is reputed to be 'the Number One Temple under Heaven’. It is the most reputable and longest standing temple in China. The Temple is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu that has become the treasure of Chinese martial arts. Tour around the main scenic spots in the Temple: the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, the Sutra Depository, Hall of Thousands of Buddha, the Pagoda Forest. Dharma Cave and the Martial Art Training Center. Visitors may follow the virtual guide about the Shaolin Temple. The Pagoda Forest is a graveyard for Buddhist dignitaries through the ages. On average, the pagodas are less than 15 meters (about 49 feet) high. The layer and the shape of a pagoda depend on many factors, such as one's Buddhist status, attainment and prestige during his lifetime. The Pagoda Forest here is the largest of China's pagoda complexes. After we enjoy a specular Shaolin Kungfu Show demonstrated by the Shaolin Monks Transfer to - It is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China. The city lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River, and is one of the Eight Great Ancient Capitals of China Overnight in Zhengzhou Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happened in coming months p. 4 2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 14 Zhengzhou Coach After breakfast have a morning city tour of Zhengzhou, then fly to Guilin, meet the Guide. B/L/D Oct 28 – Guilin Air Visit The Reed Flute Cave, a landmark & tourist attraction in Guilin. It is a natural limestone cave Tues Coach with multicolored lighting & has been one of Guilin’s most interesting attractions over 1200 yrs. After Lunch, visit The Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water Then drive to Yaoshan (including round-trip cable ride) for taking Sunset photos of the whole Guilin City. It is the highest hill 903.3 M high in Guilin. Enjoy the Sunset photo taking with the bird's eye view of the Guilin City at Yaoshan You can try the toboggan slide there, which is stimulating and interesting, was imported from WIGAND Toboggan Co. Germany. It is 100m long with 18 turns to Guilin City for Dinner After dinner, enjoy an evening with a cruise in the water system of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes Scenic Spots. That is referring to the landscape located around the city which includes Li River (the part within the city), Taohua (Peach Blossom) River, Mulong Lake, Guihu Lake, Ronghu Lake and Shanhu Lake Overnight in Guilin Day 15 Guilin to Coach After breakfast take Morning City Tour of Guilin. Then, take a 2 hour-drive to Longsheng/Longji B/L/D Oct 29 Lonsheng Terraced Rice Fields. The Longji Terraces (Dragon's Backbone) are built into the steep mountain Wed Terrace range named "The Dragon's Backbone" and look like ribbons with the rice terraces resembled the dragon's scales as they wind from the foot to the top of the mountain. This construction makes the best use of the scarce arable land and water resources in the mountain area. The top four scenic sites of Jinkeng Rice Terraces are: Seven Star Accompanying the Moon, Xishan Shaoyue(No 1 Viewpoint), Thousand-Layer Rice Terraces ( No 2 Viewpoint)and Golden Buddha Summit (No 3 Viewpoint). Once you reach the summit, you will be awarded with spellbinding panoramic view. When autumn comes, the fields are covered in gold. .Good for photo-taking Pingan Zhuang Village Visit: Longsheng is a minority autonomous region county gathering with more than 4 ethnic groups- Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong, and 60% of the populations are minorities. The traditional wooden houses of both Zhuang & Yao Minority Villages with architectural features of the ethnic minority villages are very special. Zhuang and Yao minority villages dot this area and feature traditional unique architecture where no nails are used in construction. For over hundreds of years, the wooden houses still maintains the traditional three storied wood buildings with hemp railings. Built largely from timber, the houses are typically rectangular and three stories high, with a high-foot railing style construction. The domestic animals live in the first level and the villagers live in the 2nd level & the top floor is for storage of food and other items. The adorable village is stacked up in layers along the hillside. The Zhuang people in Pingan Village still retain their ethnic features of costume and living customs. Men wear short gowns made of hand-loomed cloth; and women wear white shirts, black pants, and brightly colored cloth on their heads. . For more than 600 years, the residents live as they did in old times. The farming village has about 80 Zhuang ethnic households. If possible a home visit will be arranged). When visiting a local family, guests usually are entertained with the zhutongfan (baked bamboo rice) and home-made sweet rice wine. Young Zhuang ladies wear white skirts and black trousers; old ladies wear blue or black clothes, with brightly colored, embroidered headdresses Huangluo Yao Village Visit. The village is on the other side of Longji Terraces mountain where lives Red Yao people. It is the only village of Yao minority in Longji scenic area. Long hair of Red Yao women is a local tradition. In the village, we have a chance to see the combing hair performance by the Yao women. All the women in this village can only cut their hair at 16 - 18years old, symbolizing the fact she is an adult who can look for a lover. Different hairstyles represent different statues: Girls' hair set is wrapped by a coif on which has special signs while married women's tray-like hair set is some flat. The secret of the hair protection is zymolytic rice-washing water, which the Yao women use to wash their hair. It was listed in the Guinness World Records as the "World's First Long Hair Village". Yao women have 3 bunches of hair on their head: The first bunch is the natural hair growing on their head. The second bunch is the hair which was cut off when they were 18 years old. The third bunch of hair comes from the hair which falls out when they comb their hair daily. They called Red Yaos because of their red clothing. The traditional suit of the women is of bright colors. They also decorate their shirts with decorations made out of silver. Before dinner, free to take the beautiful Sunset images on the summit of Rice Terraces. You can watch sunset in Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon, Thousand-Layer Rice Terraces and Golden Buddha Summit. Overnight in Longji Pingan Zhuang Village Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happen in coming months p. 5 2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 16 Lonsheng Coach Sunrise Photo-Taking at Longsheng : You can watch sunrise in the of Jinkeng Rice Terraces B/L/D Oct 30 Terrace – Air (金坑梯田) with the best photograph site: Pingan Village’s Seven Stars around the Moon Guilin-Li (平安七星伴月) and Dazhai Village’s Xishan Shaoyue Scenic Site (大寨西山韶乐) River Stay in Tiantou Village. It borders Xishan Shaoyue (No 1 Viewpoint) on the left, Thousand-Layer Rice Cruise- Terraces ( No 2 Viewpoint) on the right, Seven Star Accompanying the Moon at the foot and overlooks Yanghou- Golden Buddha Summit (No 3 Viewpoint) in walking distance Xingping Since Jinkeng are surrounded by hills elevated at 1600m on three sides, you can watch the sunrise only 30 minutes after day breaks. If you live in Tiantou Village, get up early and you can watch sunrise at any place. If you do not want to get out, you can see sunset within hotels. Except for Xishan Shaoyue.. 9:30 am Drive back to Guilin (about 1-2 hrs) for Lunch Then drive to the Bamboo River Dock 竹江码头(Zhujiang Dock) or the Millstone Hill Dock for the impressionable Li River Cruise along the iLi River, twisting and turning through lush Chinese landscape that will have you 'snap happy' with the camera for the majority of the sight- seeing tour! We are going through the most charming scenery of Li River including: Wangfu Rock (Yearning-for- Husband's-Return Rock), Crown Cave, Half-Side Ferry, Yangdi Village, Mural Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, and Xingping Town, then to Yangshou. En route to Crown Cave (Guanyan). Stop and visit this wonderland of various stalactite, stone pillars and rock formations in the cave. Since it is open to tourists in 1995, illuminating lights, sound control tour guide system and escalators are equipped in the scenic area and sightseeing cars and boats enable visitors to tour inside the cave. The government plan to build this site as an all-round tourist area including cave visiting, country sightseeing and ethnic minority exploration. It is estimated to become an important excursion site along the river. Then continue the Cruise to Yangdi, then past Xingping and disembark in Yangshou. Walk around Yanshou especially the west Street The stunning scenery along the Li River is punctuated by rice paddies, villages and local famers working or taking a break of their toil. The reflections of the bamboo forests, local fisherman's on bamboo rafts, the shaped limestone peaks in the river make picture perfect postcards. If time permitted, visit the Lotua Peak ***We will like to have the Balloon Ride before dinner as we want to take bird-side view Photos of Li River at sunset time (optional -自費) If we have Balloon Ride, cancel to go to Mt Xingping, a very beautiful Fishing Village is 50-minutes drive from Yangshuo The stunning scenery along the river is punctuated by rice paddies, villages and local famers working or taking a break of their toil. The reflections of the bamboo forests, local fisherman's on bamboo rafts, the shaped limestone peaks in the river make picture perfect postcards. Overnight at Xingping Day 17 Xingping – Coach Early morning climb of the Mt Xianggongshan for the sunrise images of Li River (Personal Vhoice). B/L/D Oct 31 Yangshou After breakfast, Photo-taking at the Xingpingold Fishing Village and then take boat ride to see the Fri Mural Hill. Traveling downriver along Li River, about 0.5 km (0.3 mile) from Mural Hill you will see Yellow Cloth Shoal. A large cream-colored flagstone lies under the water, looking like a piece of new yellow cloth extended on the riverbed. This is how this shoal got its name. it is where peaks are steep and water surface is wide and calm (about 1.5 hr) Drive back to Yangshou Town for lunch After lunch, visit the The Big Banyan Tree The banyan tree is about 1400 years old. It is the oldest banyan in the world experiencing more than thousand years wind and rain and is considered as a divine tree by local people. It is said that the tree planted in Jin Dynasty. Beside the ancient big tree, waters runs slowly in the Jinbao River, reflecting beautiful scenes of both banks. Then take a short, pleasant drive to the Moon Hill, a great limestone peak with a naturally created moon-shaped cavern passing through just below its summit. The landscape is stunning around the Moon Hill area The skyline is lined with peaks of almost equal height – resembling a jumble of giant rock traffic-cones pointing skyward Enjoy a ride on a Bamboo Raft on the Yu Long River (Yulonghe River) Before dinner, explore Yangshou Town, especially the West Street After Dinner, see the special Performance Impression Liusanjie Show (Fee included) It is a spectacular show based on the life of the famous folk heroine Liu Sanjie. The creation of renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, it is set on a 2km stretch of the Li River and uses the incredible natural scenery along with a cast of hundreds to tell a classic tale of love, intrigue and tragedy. The music, lights, dancing and natural beauty of the backdrop ensure you will not be disappointed Overnight in Yangshou Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happen in coming months p. 5 2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 18 Yangshou – Coach Morning Photo-taking of Yangshou scenic area & After breakfast drive back to Guilin. B/L/D Nov 1 Guilin - Air After lunch visit Daxu Ancient Town and the old town Jingjiang Wangfu 靖江王府王城景區 Sat Coac In the later afternoon drive to the Solitary Beauty Peak. It has the particularity of being one of the most famous and highest peak standing in the middle of Guilin city. Rising abruptly in the middle of Guilin city, the Solitary Beauty Peak is the fame of the people living next to it for thousands of years. Compared to a "pillar under southern heaven", this high and magnificent peak is a marvel for the eye as the sight offered is one barely seen anywhere else in the world. It is one of the best site for taking the sunset bird-side view of the whole Guilin City Back downtown for dinner Free evening after dinner. Take rest at Hotel or walk around the surrounding area of the hotel, or go to visit the Zheng Yang Pedestrian Street (Walking Street) Zhang Yang Pedestrian Street locates in downtown Guilin paralleled the Zhong Shan Road. The main entrance to Zheng Yang Pedestrian Street is opposite to the entrance of the ancient princes' palace. This walking street is Guilin's most hip and popular shopping district that consists of many fashion boutiques, bars, nightclubs, high-end hair salons, and restaurants. No vehicles are allowed to enter the streets. It is the best place in Guilin to find fashion clothing and places to hang out. It is where to see and be seen in Guilin. Overnight in Guilin Day 19 Guilin - Air/ After breakfast, transfer to Guilin Airport and fly to Hiakou B/L/D Nov 2 Coach Upon arrival, greeting from the local guide at the Haikou Airport. On the way to Haikou City, Sun visit the Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark (Chinese: 雷琼世界地质公园), also known as Haikou Scenic-Shishan Volcano Cluster, Leiqiong Global Geopark, Haikou Crater Park, and Crater Park is a national park located approximately 15 km west of Haikou, Hainan, China. It is named for a crater, one of many extinct volcanoes on the island. The park has a total area of 118 square kilometres. It contains the two towns Shishan Town and Yongxing Town, and more than 40 Quaternary volcanoes. Part of the area is called Mount Maanling (Saddle) Crater Scenic Area. This area consists of the two major volcanoes Mount Fengliung (furnace) and Mount Baoziling. Together they appear as a saddle, hence the name. Adjacent to these, there are another two volcanoes, one of which is called Mount Yanjinglin. Lava cones, debris cones and mixed cones as well as broad, low- Maar craters can be seen everywhere. Judging from the quantity, variety and completeness, Leiqiong World Geopark ranks as the most representative quaternary volcanic belts in China and a natural monument masterpiece of quaternary basaltic volcanology. The year 2006 saw it listed as the world geopark by UNESCO It usually takes 2-3 hours for you to tour this site. Drive back to Haikou City for lunch, tour around the downtown going through the Haikou City tour past the Century Bridge Stop for Photo taking. Haikou Century Bridge (海口世紀大橋) is a cable-stayed bridge in Haikou city, the capital of Hainan province. The bridge was built to link the main part of Haikou city to , a district separated from Hainan Island by the . Haikou Century Bridge crosses at the mouth of the river approximately 50 metres west of Haikou New Port. Then visit the Qilou Old Street 海口騎樓老街 Good for Phot-taking. Qilou Old Street features a stylish fusion of European and Asian architecture, as well as Indian and Arabic influences. Qilou, or Chinese arcade houses form the city's most exotic landscapes, and they can principally be found on Bo'ai Street, Zhongshan Street, Xinhua North Street, Deshengsha Street and Jiefang Street. With its origins dating back around 2,000 years to ancient Greece, arcade architecture was introduced to Haikou by overseas Chinese merchants from 1820-1840. Standing between two and four stories in height, a Qilou has its ground floor set back halfway into the building so that it can be used as a storefront to take shelter from rain and sunlight. The upper floors serve as the living quarters, and extend over the pavement supported by columns. The exquisite carvings and decorations on the handrails, door frames and window frames are in the Baroque style. In total, there are more than 200 Qilou buildings in the street, including 39 by Zhongshan Street. The oldest building, Sipai Building, dates back some 600 years to the Southern Song Dynasty. Historically, the street has housed consulates, churches post offices, banks and chambers of commerce belonging to 13 different countries. Today, it remains Haikou's business center whilst also giving visitors a taste of traditional Haikou life. Transfer to Hotel. Take a rest before Dinner You can take the sunset bird-side views of the Haikou City from your hotel room Overnight in Haikou Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happen in coming months p. 6

2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 20 Haikou - Coach This morning visit the Permanent Venue of the . As the permanent venue of Nov 3 Boao Forum for Asia, political leaders, industrial and commercial giants, experts and scholars from all Mon Asian countries, gather around to the research the development of the Asian economy every year. More than 260 leaders from all over the world have ever been in Boao, attending the BFA Annual Conference every year. It is located on Dongyu Island near the mouth of to the South China Sea which is the best protected river mouth in the world. Boao, the water town, is located to the east of city, Hainan island, emerges at the meeting points of three famous rivers (Wanquan, Jiuqu, and Longgun), characterized by rivers, lakes, sea, sandy beach, mountains, hot springs, etc. It is also famous because of the Asia Forum every year. Before that, Boao was a small, quiet village, where the people living there depended on fishing and hunting. Boao is 1 and a half hours driving from Haikou Meilan Airport, and 2 hours from Sanya. It integrates modern buildings, an intelligence conference system, a challenging golf course, attractive scenery and impressive legends. Then to visit the Jade Belt Beach (include cruise). It is at the junction where the 3 rivers Wanqua, Jiuwu and Longgun flow into the South China Sea. This narrow long golden jade belt beach separate the river and the sea forming the natural landscape, listed in the Guiness record of the world. It’s a perfect combination of natural After Lunch Drive to Sanya in the south of Hainan Island. Upon arrival in Sanya, Visit the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone海南南山文化旅游区(include electric car). It is located on the Nanshan Mountain, about 40 kilometers away from Sanya. The Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone consists of three specially themed gardens.: The Nanshan Buddhist Culture Park serves as a window into China and is rich in philosophy and profound meaning, which often arouses in visitors a sense of enlightenment and morality. The main structures in the park include the Nanshan Temple, Guanyin Cultural Garden, Tianzhu Saint Vestige, the Scenic Garden for Buddhism, Shifangtalin, Guigen Garden, the Communication Center for Buddhist Culture, a dining and shopping street and so on. The Felicity and Longevity Culture Park is a garden with a collection of the essence of , and has the aim to create an atmosphere of peace, harmony and happiness. With its blue sky and sea, sunshine and sands, forest and reef architecture, the Nanshan Custom Park effectively presents a natural landscape on the coastline of the South Sea, and the culture and customs of the Li and Miao nationalities. Things and places for tourists to visit are the Custom Garden for Li and Miao Nationalities, the Fairyland of Legend, the Memorial House for Huang Daopo, Ocean Park, Underwater World and the Paradise for Birds and Flowers. The 3.8-meter-high Golden Jade Guanyin Statue, utilizing more than 100 kilograms of gold, is made of four parts: the golden body, the bright leaf, the Qianye lotus and a base made of red sandalwood. There are also 120 carats of South African diamonds embedded on it in traditional Chinese handicraft, as well as other countless jewels such as red and blue stones, emeralds, coral, pearls and green jade – all weighing more than 100 kilograms. The golden body was welded in a hand-mould process with 200 golden slices of average thickness of 1.2 mm. This process produces different colors and tactile sensations, thanks to the different handicrafts. The 108m high Buddha Guanyin statue on the sea is the No. 1 of the world , also be interpreted as The Edge of the Sky and The End of the Sea, means the remotest corner of the earth, is undoubtedly Sanya's most famous scenic spot and the highlight for almost every visitors. Not only for the spectacular beaches and expansive ocean view, but its outstanding title and rich history, for its title is a set phrase in Chinese that brings profound poetic allusions with. Located about 20 km west of Sanya City, the cape is a perfect harmonization of nature's palette, with bleached white sands, turquoise seas, deep blue skies and lush green hills. Rising over the beach is an ancient rock formation inscribed with Chinese characters meaning "The Edge of the Sky" written by Chengzhe, the chief magistrate of Yazhou Prefecture in the . Another inscription nearby reads "The End of the Sea". Now people regard these two stones as symbols of eternal and faithful love. Because of this beautiful and romantic story many young lovers choose this place for their wedding ceremony. If have tome will like to go to Luhuitou Peak, a beautiful hilltop park for sunset photo-taking and overlooking the undulating panorama panoramic view of Sanya City, the scenery is spectacular. After dinner free activities Free evenng Overnight in Sanya

Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happen in coming months p. 7

2014 FOCUS ON CHINA TOUR

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]@yahoo.ca Telephone: (613) 234-9513 or Cell: (613) 276-6203 2 Day 21 Sanya to Coach / Morning Sanya City Tour, the visit Sea tourist area before heading for the Sanya Airport. B/L/D Nov 4 Air/ 大東海旅遊區 East China Sea tourist area is a crescent-shaped bay, the vast sea crystal clear as a (HK) Coach mirror. Here seasons like spring, plumbing sand flat, winter temperature in 18 ℃ -22. Tour the East China Sea, bathed in warm sunshine, comfortable ride, the troubles of life and numerous affairs, all have been washed clean. Then drive to Sanya Airport and Take a Flight to Hongkong. Upon Arrival, Greeting from the Guide at Hong Kong Airport and then transfer to Hotel Hong Kong (meaning "fragrant harbour" in Chinese) is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, along with Macau. Comprising more than 260 islands, the territory is located on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta facing the South China Sea. Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system based on English common law, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organizations and events. Currrency Exchange - Hong Kong has its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar. if you want to exchange more than $100 US, you should consider visiting one of the banks for better rates, instead of dealing with the front desk of the hotel. Remember to take the bank's service fee into account when comparing exchange rates. Please avoid currency exchange services at the airports if possible. Hong Kong is a tourist-friendly city with a convenient and efficient public transit system. English is widely spoken in HK Enjoy the later half-day Tour of Visiting the HK Central Financial area - The heart of Hong Kong's business district, Central is home to the regional headquarters of many multinational financial services corporations. Consulates general & consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is the government of Hong Kong. The area, with its proximity to , has served as the centre of trade & financial activities from the earliest days of the British colonial era in 1841, and continues to flourish and serve as the administrative centre after the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997 Around 4;30 pm, Take a Ferry back to Tsimshatsui for dinner. Back to Tsimshatsui for dinner around 5:30, then walk to Sky 100 Address: 100/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong From 7:00 to 9:00 pm visit Sky 100 Hong Kong with a 360-degree Indoor Observation Deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre for spectacular views of Hong Kong including Admission Fee. 天際100) is The deck offers views of Hong Kong Island, full view of the and—weather permitting—the ridges that gave Kowloon its name and Tai Mo Shan in the background. Your sky-high experience is a special moment to cherish for a lifetime You can read more at www.sky100.com.hk Sky 100 is Hong Kong’s newest attraction and the newest addition to the city’s crowded skyline, ICC or the International Commerce Centre Tower. As the tallest building in Hong Kong –making it the fourth tallest in the world. Sky100 (traditional Chinese: There is a café serving local snacks and refreshments as well as a restaurant serving international cuisines on the 101st floor Back to hotel Overnight in HK Day 22 Hong Kong Coach/ 1-day HK Island Tour including Stanley, Aberdeen Repulse Bay & the Victoria Peak Stop at the B/L/D Nov 5 top of Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is also known as Mount Austin The peak offers views of the Tues spectacular HK Harbour, over Central, Victoria Harbour, Lamma Island and the surrounding islands. Have a Lunch Peak Top Then take the Peak Tram down and take the ferry back to Tsimshatsui Free time in the afternoon. Dinner at Tsinshatsui. Then stroll along the Tsimshatsui Waterfront from the Colonial Era Clock Tower Find a best location to enjoy with photo-taking of the beautiful sunset views of HK Harbour and enjoy the Symphony of Light of the Victoria Harbour with Firewok show Free night Overnight in Hong Kong Day 23 Hong Kong - Coach/ After breakfast, enjoy the last minute shopping or photo-taking. (your personal choice) B/L Nov 6 Ottawa Air Leaving the hotel at 11.30 am to Airport. Dinner Wed Taking Air Canada 3:20 pm flight back to Ottawa. End of the Tour. Bon Voyage!! in flight

Please note: We reserve the right to adjust the itinerary in case uncontrollable factors happen in coming months p. 8