DATE: 1 – 8 August 2016

Adult: HKD$ 14,900 + Airfare (10 – 24 persons)
Age Under 12: HKD$ 12,900 + Airfare (10 – 24 persons)
Registration deadline: 1 June 2016

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 01 Hong Kong – Xi’an (Dinner only)

Reference Flight KA946 (12:05/14:40)

Once we arrive in Xi’an we will meet up with our tour guide then head to lunch. Afterwards, we will go visit The City Wall; it’s the most complete surviving city wall in China, as well as being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Then we will have free time to do some shopping on the famous Muslim Street, regarded by foreigners as a tourist scenic spot. As the starting point of the Silk Road over a thousand years ago, this is where Persian and Arabic merchants came to trade. Truly unique and rich in various cultures, it incorporates city gates from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), gate tower clusters from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a City God Taoist Temple and a Grand Mosque, this location is immersed with over 1000 years of history that dramatically contrast each other. Dinner will be at the famous dumpling restaurant “Defachang”, afterwards we will check into our hotel for the night.

 

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 02 Xi’an – Lanzhou – Wuwei

After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport and head for Lanzhou, after meeting the tour guide at the airport we will take a private bus to Wuwei to visit the Leitai Tombs of Han Dynasty. We will also see the town’s single most famous bronze sculpture, the Han-dynasty “Galloping Horse Overtaking Flying Swallow” (Flying Horse of Wuwei), which was unearthed in 1969. After dinner, we will check into our hotel.

 

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 03  Wuwei – Zhangye  

After breakfast, we will go to visit The West Xia Museum, east of the West Xia Imperial Tombs in Yinchuan, the first museum in China to display the history of the Western Xia Dynasty. The museum contains paintings, artifacts, pictures and frescoes displaying the rise and fall of the Empire. Amongst the precious articles in the museum are West Xia Stele, Muyuan Pagoda and several wooden screen paintings of Western Xia, all of which are regarded as national treasures. Then we will head towards Zhangye to visit The Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, also known as Zhangye Danxia (Landform) Geopark, which is located near the city of Zhangye in China’s northwestern Gansu province. It covers an area of 510 square kilometers (200 sq mi). Formerly a provincial park and scenic area, it became a national geopark in November 2011. Known for its colorful rock formations, it has been voted by Chinese media outlets as one of the most beautiful landforms in China. After dinner, we will check into our hotel.

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 04 Zhangye-Liuyuan-Dunhuang

D2701 (1140/1450)

After breakfast, we shall transfer to the train station for Liuyuan, then take a private bus to Dunhuang. There we will take a camel ride along the Echoing-Sand Dune in order to reach the Crescent Lake, a lake in the middle of the desert. As the sun is about to set, the vast desert, the limpid lake and the leisured camels altogether constitutes a harmonious and unforgettable picture. If you are interested, you may also try sand-sliding or sand-boarding there.

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 05  Dunhuang- Liuyuan-Turpan

High speed train D2701 (1518-1916)

After breakfast we will take a private bus to go visit the Mogao Caves, also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. This is one of the three most important and famous Buddhist sculptural sites of China. A Library Cave was discovered with manuscripts that are invaluable to scholars of Buddhism, including the famous Lotus and Diamond Sutras, along with some of the largest collections of manuscripts now kept in Beijing, London, Paris and Berlin. The caves also contains some of the most exquisite examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of over a thousand years, which acted as visual aids to meditation as well as teaching illiterate people in the past the stories and precious teachings of the Buddha. All the art, manuscripts, architecture and sculptures combined provides a valuable insight to early Buddhism in China. After enjoying the caves, we will have lunch, then transfer to a train-station for Turpan. In the evening we shall enjoy Whole Roasted Lamb followed by checking into our hotel.

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 06  Turpan-Urumqi

After arriving in Turpan, we shall have breakfast then go to visit the Flaming Mountain, The Flaming Mountain is very popular thanks to the novel The Journey to the West by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer Wu Cheng’en, most well known for the mischievous and powerful Monkey King. Surface temperatures on Flaming Mountain can reach over an unbearable 70°C. With the scorching sun directly overhead, the red rocks glow and the surrounding air shimmers in the heat, assembling raging flames all around, hence the name Flaming Mountains. Temperatures in the summer can reach up to 47.8°C, so sun-block and plenty of water are a must during our visit.

Afterwards we will go visit the Emin Minaret, one of the finest buildings on the entire Silk Road, followed by a visit to the Grape Valley – famous for growing all kinds of fruits such as melons, peaches, pears and of course, grapes. During the peak season of July and August, the valley is covered with bunches of grapes. This area produces the famous seedless white grape and the Manaizi a.k.a. mares nipple grape. A park with patios as well as outdoor tables in the valley, visitors can relax and leisurely eat grapes and other fruits. Under the twisted vines there are many stalls selling kebabs, steaming noodles and dried raisins. In addition, the Uygur people’s singing and dancing show is performed everyday. After lunch, we will visit the Jiaohe Ruins, an ancient city situated to the west of Turpan on the Silk Road. With a history of 2,300 years, the Jiaohe Ruins is the largest, oldest and well-preserved earthen city in the world, situated on a plateau on top of a 30m+ cliff between two rivers. Jiaohe was the capital of the former Gushi Kingdom, first built in 60 BC to the west of Turpan city. From 1961 onwards, the Ancient City of Jiaohe became under State protection as a Key Cultural Relics Unit. Be sure to bring plenty of water, as we will walk on dry, barren land for several kilometers. We will then proceed to visit the Karez Water System, a unique water system which is still in good operable service in the Xinjiang region. This functioning historical water system provides the local people and animals with drinking water as well as preventing the Aiding Lake, located in the lowest point of the Turpan basin from drying up and becoming a desert, making it a unique and important asset for local fauna, economy, and zoological value. Afterwards we will take a bus to Urumqi.

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 07  Urumqi-Xi’an

After breakfast, we will go to visit the “Heavenly Lake” (includes electric car and boat), nestled in the middle of Bogda Peak, 110 km (68 miles) east of Urumqi. With a surface area of 4.9 square kilometers (1.89 square miles), this beautiful crescent-shaped water body is named the Pearl of Heavenly Mountain (Tianshan Mountain). The lake gets its water from melted Alpine snow, giving it its crystal clear appearance. In the summer, this place is an ideal resort to escape the summer heat. Boat rides on the lake provide a spectacular view of the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, highlighted with verdant pastures and colorful wild flowers. Heavenly Lake is a relic from the Quaternary Period Glacier and with its surrounding geological relics, offers geologists and science enthusiasts plenty of exploration opportunities. Afterwards we will go visit the Urumqi International Bazaar. This International Bazaar covers an area over 1,000,000 square meters including the main bazaar (398,888 square meters), a banquet hall (6,100 square meters), the delicacy square (8,000 square meters) and an open-air performance plaza (3000 square meters). In the midst of all these establishments is Xinjiang’s first sightseeing tower with a height of 80 meters as well as an Islamic mosque. The Islamic architecture seen in the structures and surrounding general area represents the preponderant religion and the influence of ethnic culture from the western region. The Bazaar is often referred to as a “city within a city”, showcasing the two drastically different cultures existing in perfect harmony. After dinner we will take a plane to Xi’an.

 

Royal Academy of Mandarin and Chinese CultureDay 08  Xi’an-Hongkong  (Breakfast & Lunch only)

(BL) KA947 (1545/1840)

After breakfast, we will go to visit the most well known Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum and the Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Emperor Qin Shihuang’s (259-210 B.C.) is considered by many to be the greatest warlord and tyrant. He acquired the Qin throne at the age of 13, and by age 22 took the helm of the state. By 221 B.C., he had annexed the six rival principalities of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao and Wei, and established the first feudal empire in Chinese history. Due to all the years of warfare and enemies created, he believed all the lives he has taken will be waiting for him to take revenge in the afterlife. Out of fear, he ordered the massive Terra-Cotta army to be created and buried with him in order to protect him from his enemies in the afterlife. After this world-renowned site, we will have lunch, then transfer to the airport for Hong Kong, drawing an end to this trip that is culturally diverse, historically rich and laden with breath-taking views.

This quotation includes:

  1. Entrance fees
  2. Meals indicated in the schedule
  3. Hotels（Includes Breakfast)
  4. Service Charge & Government Taxes
  5. English Speaking tour guide services
  6. Private deluxe coach bus (33 Seats)
  7. High speed train: Zhangye to Liuyuan, and Liuyuan to Turpan (2nd class)

The quotation excludes (报价不含) :

– Domestic and International air-tickets.

Domestic:

  • Xi’an-Lanzhou  
  • Urumqi-Xi’an

International:

  • Hong Kong – Xi’an
  • Xi’an – Hong Kong

– Excess baggage charges

– Tour guide and driver’s tips (RMB 450 per day * 8 days)

Remarks:

  1. Limited shopping opportunities
  2. Water is provided for all guests
  3. Single Supplement Room: RMB 1030 per person (Mar 24 – 31 2016) RMB 1500 per person (Aug 1- 8)
  4. Hotel names (酒店名)：
  • Days Hotel & Suite Xinxing Xian — 西安新兴戴斯大酒店
  • Ruiyi International Hotel — 武威瑞一宾馆
  • Rongtai Hotel — 张掖荣泰宾馆
  • Fuguo Hotel — 敦煌富国酒店
  • Turpan Sun Holiday Hotel — 吐鲁番太阳假日酒店
  • Yin du Hotel — 乌鲁木齐银都大酒店