8 Days Folklore Tour in East China

Day 1 Arrival Shanghai

Upon arrival in Shanghai, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide from Absolute China Tours. Transferred to your hotel for relaxation or explore the hotel’s neighbourhood on your own.

Accommodation: Golden River-view Shanghai Hotel or similar

Day 2 Shanghai – Nanjing by train D410 (B/L)

After having a sumptuous breakfast in your hotel, you will be picked up and transferred to the railway station. Take train D410 to Nanjing(leaves at 08:58am, arrives at 11:11am). Upon arrival in Nanjing, meet your local guide and begin your tour in Nanjing with a visit to the Ming Dynasty Palace. The first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang recruited 200,000 laborers, soldiers and civilians to build it in 1366 and it was finished in 1367. The palace had been the living and ruling place for the royal family for only fifty-four years. In 1421 the capital was moved to Beijing. After lunch visit Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Sun Yat-sen is the great pioneer of Chinese democratic revolution. He died in 1925 and his burial ground was built here. Afterwards have a free time along the Qinhuai River and Confucius Temple. The area has many shops, restaurants and teahouses which make it a good place to relax for a couple of hours .You could taste Nanjing's delicious snacks there if you like.

Accommodation: Nanjing Hotel or similar

 

Day 3 Nanjing-Zhenjiang by train D429 (B/L)

After breakfast check out of your hotel. This morning you will view the Yangtze River Bridge which is the pride of modern Nanjing for it's the first bridge in China completely designed and constructed by Chinese. Then pay a visit to Nanjing Museum where many valuable bronze vessels, jades, ceramics and calligraphic works are on display.
Transferred to the railway station and take train D429 to Zhenjiang (leaves at 13:07, arrives at 13:36). Upon arrival in Zhenjiang meet your local guide. Have lunch in a local Chinese restaurant. This afternoon your first stop is Jingshan Temple which was originally built 1500 years ago during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The temple got its high popularity partly because of a famous Chinese legendary story of “The White Snake”.
Highlights of your Zhenjiang tour also include the Former Residence of Pearl Buck, who won Pulizer Prize in 1932 and Nobel Prize in 1938 for her novel The Good Earth. Pearl Buck, known as Sai Zhenzhu in Chinese, was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia but grew up in Zhenjiang because of her missionary parents. She considered Chinese as her native language and Zhenjiang her hometown. Her awarded novels were all based on her life in China.

Accommodation: Zhenjiang International Hotel or similar

Day 4 Zhenjiang-Nantong-Wuxi by Bus (B/L)

This morning you will take a scenic drive to Nantong (approx one and a half hour). Nantong, not known to the Westerners. However, it boasts the first museum Nantong Museum in China and the first and only one specialized museum Nantong Textile Museum in China. Nantong is the birthplace of China’s earliest ancestor of textile industry – Grandma Huangdaopo..
Lunch is served in a local Chinese restaurant. In the afternoon you depart Zhenjiang for Wuxi by road (approx one and a half hour). Upon arrival in Wuxi, meet your local guide and transferred to the Three Kingdom Theme Park by the Taihu Lake. It is also the film and TV program-making base of CCTV(China Central Television).

Accommodation: Jinjiang Hotel or similar

Day 5 Wuxi-Suzhou by train D471 (B/L)

Highlights of this morning include Xihui Park and Wuxi Clay Figurine Museum. Xihui Park is located between Mount Hui and Mount Xi. There are several famous springs on the Mount Hui including "the second spring on Earth". After that have a short visit to Wuxi Clay Figurine Museum to enjoy the lovely clay images. Clay Figure, or to be exact, Huishan Clay Figure, is one of the most popular art form in China. The typical image is " Da A Fu", a smiling little boy holding a fish or a peach which means fortune, happiness and wealth.
After lunch take train D471 to Suzhou (leaves at 13:52, arrives at 14:11). At Suzhou railway station, your local guide will greet you and show you around the historic city. This afternoon you will visit the Humble Administrators’s Garden. Built in 1509, the garden is plain, simple and elegant, well reflecting the Ming dynasty architectural style.

Accommodation: Riverside Hotel or similar

Day 6 Suzhou-Hang Zhou by train K469 (B/L)

After having breakfast in your hotel, check out of your hotel and continue exploring the charming city.
The first stop is the old part of Suzhou, Pingjiang District. You will see tradional houses are well preserved and combined with the modernization in great harmony.. Then visit Suzhou Silk and Brocade Museum as Suzhou is widely known as the home of fine silk. After lunch transferred to the railway station. Take train K469 to Hangzhou(leaves at 13:35, arrives at 19:55am). Upon arrival in Hangzhou, meet your local guide and transferred to your hotel.

Accommodation: Lily Hotel or similar.

Day 7 Hanghzou-Shanghai by train D680 (B/L)

Begin your tour with a short boat ride on the picturesque West Lake. Then visit Meijiawu Tea Plantation as Hangzhou boasts the finest green tea in China. Learn how tea trees are planted, tea leaves are picked and processed, why tea is good to health and what is the Chinese tea culture. After that drive to a local residential community. Meet local people, learn to cook Chinese food and have lunch with a local family.
In the afternoon pay a visit to Lingyin Temple, It is also known as "Temple of the Soul's Retreat” for the setting has a quiet and beautiful grandeur that encourages a feeling of peace and contemplation. In front of the temple is the mini-mountain Peak Flying From Afar which is dotted with vivid rock carvings of Buddha images. Before leaving Hangzhou, enjoy a leisurely stroll at Qinghefang Historic Block which was once a center of commerce during the Southern Song dynasty when Hangzhou was made the capital city. Today it has been restored to its former glory and is full of art hawkers, candy sculptors, pillow shops, caricaturists, old-fashioned movie players, storytellers…etc. It is also a really great snack street.
17:15 Picked up and transferred to the railway station. Take train D680 to Shanghai (leaves at 18:18, arrives at 19:36). Upon arrival in Shanghai, our guide will meet you and transfer you to the hotel.

Accommodation: Golden River-view Hotel Shanghai or similar.

Day 8 Depart Shanghai (B)

Check out of your hotel after breakfast and find your own way to the airport or contact us to plan an extensional tour. 
 

Note of this tour: Price for groups(10 persons and more) and children on request.