Tour Dates: Shanghai Sept 29 - Oct 02, 2016 + Beijing Extension Oct 02 - 05, 2016
Thursday September 29, 2016
Disembark the Celebrity Millennium at Shanghai’s Baoyang International cruise terminal where you will be greeted by your guide at the pier. Your guided tour will take you to the top of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower where you can enjoy an aerial view of the city followed by a visit to the History and Wax Museum located on the ground floor. Walk along the beautiful Riverside Boulevard and appreciate the view of the BUND—China’s Wall Street where you will get a sense of just how vibrant and glamorous Shanghai can be!
After your lunch, you will be transferred by coach to the 5-Star Shaghai Jin Jiang Hotel. Sign up for an optional tailor fitting, and enjoy some free time in the afternoon to explore. Have dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy an Acrobatic Show in the evening.
Friday September 30, 2016
Enjoy a grand buffet breakfast at the hotel before you head out for the day. Visit a local famous Silk factory,
Shanghai Museum, and French Concession district. Lunch is at your leisure, as well as the afternoon to do as you please. An optional massage (must pre-book) is an excellent way to spend the afternoon. Splurge a little and pamper yourself! The coach will pick you up at Concession and drop off for Dinner on your own.
* Did you know . . . Sericulture or silk production has a long and colorful history unknown to most people. For more than two thousand years the Chinese kept the secret of silk altogether to themselves. It was the most zealously guarded secret in history. Chinese legend gives the title Goddess of Silk to Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih, wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor, who was said to have ruled China in about 3000 BC. She is credited with the introduction of silkworm rearing and the invention of the loom. There are many indigenous varieties of wild silk moths found in a number of different countries. The key to understanding the great mystery and magic of silk, and China's domination of its production and promotion, lies with one species: the blind, flightless moth, Bombyx mori. It lays 500 or more eggs in four to six days and dies soon after. The eggs are like pinpoints – one hundred of them weigh only one gram. From one ounce of eggs come about 30,000 worms which eat a ton of mulberry leaves and produce twelve pounds of raw silk. Producing silk is a lengthy process and demands constant close attention. To produce high quality silk, there are two conditions which need to be fulfilled – preventing the moth from hatching out and perfecting the diet on which the silkworms should feed. Chinese developed secret ways for both.

Sept 29 - Oct 05, 2016 Destination for discovery tour: Shanghai & Beijing
Saturday October 01, 2016
After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a day of adventure, new sights and sounds, and a taste of Asian culture like never before! You will spend the morning at the Jade Buddha Temple and the Urban Planning Exhibition Center which is themed on
“City, Citizens, Environment, and Development”, the Center displays the past, present and future of Shanghai by traditional and modern displaying means. It is regarded as the “Window of the City” where people can know about Shanghai. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center not only shows the latest information of urban development, but also shows Shanghai citizens’ cultural and artistic cultivation. All that intellectual touring would make anyone hungry (or ‘ hangry’) so enjoy a fantastic Dim Sum Lunch at Green Wave
Restaurant with the group. After having your fill of ‘Chinese-style tapas’ spend the afternoon visiting the serene Yu Yuan Garden, the Old Quarters of Shanghai, including the Temple Bazaar, Old City, and relax in a traditional Tea House. Finally, enjoy a farewell dinner at Jade Garden restaurant in the evening.
Sunday October 02, 2016
Enjoy your final breakfast buffet at the hotel and spend some free time in the morning picking up those last minute souvenirs and trinkets for friends and family. Transfer to Longyang Station and board the Maglev - the world’s fastest train to the airport.
** OR - Join us for the Beijing Extension Tour also transferring from Longyang Station, Shanghai to Beijing.
▸ Money belts with neck and waist strap are recommended against pick-pockets
▸ Dukoral or another stomach stabilizer if you plan to enjoy street food
▸ Wear comfortable shoes while sightseeing for both comfort and protection
▸ Toilet tissue is rarely found in public restrooms in China. Carry your own supplies.
▸ Handkerchief - Dry your hands after the restroom or cover your face in pollution.
▸ Lost? Need Help? - Find a high school student — Those under 25 years old are most likely to speak both standard Mandarin and English.
Head Straight to the Source
While you might find the same traditional crafts and goods in every Chinese city (fans, brushes, dolls), each originates from one or more regions. Go there, and you’ll find the best quality. In Xi’an, the ancient street of Shuyuanmen is a good place to pick up calligraphy brushes from art-equipment stalls. Or, if you’re in search of hand-painted decorative fans, it’s worth the three-hour trip from Guilin along the Li River to the small village of
Fuli, where you’ll find Fan Street.
Know When to Fake It
Sometimes it’s best not to buy the real thing. Beijing’s massive Panjiayuan flea market is chockablock with ceramics, furniture, beads, curios, and collectibles, many of them affordable, attractive—and fake. Except for the jewelry, there are very few real antiques, but that doesn’t make the experience of wandering the aisles any less enjoyable.
Get Off the Beaten Track
Often, the best finds really are worth the search: Tianjin, 80 miles southeast of Beijing, is where you’ll come across the warehouse of antique Chinese furniture expert C. L. Ma, with both restored and un-restored pieces, as well as quality reproductions.
Bargain at the Right Times
Bargaining is expected in markets and tourist areas, though not in shopping malls or high
-end boutiques. Patience and a sense of humor are key. Offer 25 to 50 percent of the opening price, and don’t worry about going too low, as a vendor will never sell at a loss.
At a shop like Spin, in Shanghai, a stylish, contemporary warehouse space with pareddown simple ceramics, prices will be fixed.
Talk to Those in the Know
There’s nothing better than first-hand information from an expert. Chris Buckley, author of
Tibetan Furniture, can trace the history of the hand-woven carpets and centuries-old textiles in his new Torana Carpets gallery in the Shunyi district of Beijing.
Please note bargaining is widely expected and accepted as part of the sales process.

Sept 29 - Oct 05, 2016 Destination for discovery tour: Shanghai & Beijing
Suggested Activities
TCM—Experience Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated in ancient China and has evolved over thousands of years. TCM practitioners use herbal medicines and various mind and body practices, such as
and
, to treat or prevent health problems. In the United States, people use
TCM primarily as a
. This fact sheet provides a general overview of TCM and suggests sources for additional information.
Authentic Chinese Tea Ceremony - How To . . .
Chinese tea ceremony was born as a result of the respect for nature and need for peace which the religious ceremonies involved. The philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have blended together giving birth to the magical Chinese tea ceremony. The traditional tea ceremonies were described as “he” which translates as “peace”,
“jing” which translates as “quiet, “yi” which means “enjoyment” and “zhen” meaning “truth”.
As the time passed, Chinese people started to appreciate tea’s enjoyment and social value, besides its medicinal purposes. Tea ceremonies went from being only religious manifestations to becoming social, cultural and traditional events in different celebrations to honor the royal family or to mark different important events in people’s lives.
# 1 Attitude means everything. Chinese people believe that one’s state of mind or attitude can be passed really easily to the others. That is why before actually performing the tea ceremony one needs to relax first, think about positive aspects of life and be at peace with himself or herself and with the entire Universe. The entire tea ceremony needs to be done in a calm and relaxed manner to truly create a peaceful and unique Chinese tea ceremony.
#2 Tea selection is highly important. An oolong tea variety is usually being used for the traditional tea ceremony and sometimes, more rarely, pu-erh can also be used. For the Gongfu tea ceremony green tea is usually avoided. But that isn’t all.
The tea variety must be carefully selected in advance taking into account both physical and spiritual characteristics. Physical characteristics refer to fragrance, taste and shape while the spiritual ones refer to the tea’s history, name and origin.
#3 Water selection needs special attention.
A perfect tea needs to be prepared with the perfect water. The best quality tea leaves prepared with inappropriate water give a bad taste to the tea. For the traditional Chinese tea ceremony only the purest and cleanest water is used to ensure not only a perfect tasting beverage, but also a tribute of respect and admiration to mother nature.
#4 Necessary tools.
You cannot prepare the perfect tea without the right tools.
For the tea ceremony the perfect teaware is needed to ensure the right brewing and the magical atmosphere of the entire ceremony. The items must be both practical and aesthetical, the perfect ying-yang combination. The mandatory tools are a Yixing teapot or a porcelain teapot, a tea pitcher or chahai, a brewing tray, a teaspoon, usually three small cups and a tea strainer.
#5 Don’t forget the ambiance . A peaceful and calm ceremony needs a comfortable, quiet and clean room. Chinese usually use artwork and beautiful items to enhance the overall atmosphere and to make their guests feel relaxed and fully enjoy the entire ritual.
#6 The technique needs to be perfect.
The perfect tea and atmosphere aren’t perfect without a technique to match them. The manner of serving should be relaxed and graceful reflected mostly through hand movements, facial expressions and the traditional ceremonial clothing.

Sept 29 - Oct 05, 2016
Destination for discovery tour: Shanghai & Beijing
- Shanghai Cuisine, also known as Hu Cai, includes two styles - Benbang Cuisine and
Haipai Cuisine. Benbang Cuisine, literally meaning 'local cuisine', is the traditional family style cuisine that appeared in
Shanghai over 100 years ago. Using fresh fish, chicken, pork and various vegetables as the main ingredients, it always has a great flavor and a bright color derived from the oil and soybean sauce. Benbang Cuisine and Haipai Cuisine have many things in common: First, they make great use of fresh meat, chicken, vegetables and especially various marine ingredients such as fish, shrimps and crabs. Secondly, they have a great number of signature dishes made from various seasonal ingredients. Thirdly, a wide range of cooking techniques have been adopted and include steaming, braising, stewing, stir-frying, quick-frying, deep-frying, boiling, marinating, smoking and roasting. Fourthly, very spicy food hardly ever forms part of Shanghai Cuisine. Most of the dishes taste fresh, clear, mellow, sweet or subtly spicy. In recent years, Shanghai Cuisine has been greatly influenced by Cantonese Cuisine. Consequently the foods are now less oily and more delicate with the use of more high quality and expensive ingredients. People here have become more concerned about a healthy diet.
This means there is an upsurge in the trend towards the use of fresh ingredients.
Shanghai Hairy Crab: Shanghai maoxie
Address: 2F, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Lu (in the same building as El Willy), Shanghai, China
Tel: 021-54047705
Address: 375 Zhenning Rd, Changning, Shanghai, China
Tel: +86 21 5239 7878
Lü Bo Lang Restaurant
Shanghai-style food, Shanghai-style snacks, controversial shark's fin dishes and a crab feast.
Address: Inside Yuyuan Garden, 238 Fuyou Road, Huangpu District
Tel: 021-63280602
Shanghai Oriental Pearl Revolving Restaurant
Located on top of Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Oriental Pearl
Revolving Restaurant is considered to be the highest one in Asia, with its unique spectacle, outstanding cuisine and leisurely environment it is open to be a giant in Shanghai.
Address: Inside the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 1 Pudong Century Avenue, Pudong New District
Tel: 021-58791888
Bird on a stick
Shanghai drunken chicken Lion’s Head Meatballs Xiaolongbao - Shanghai Dumplings

Tour Dates: Shanghai Sept 29 - Oct 02, 2016 + Beijing Extension Oct 02 - 05, 2016
Highlights of the Beijing extension include, but are not limited to Mutianyu Great Wall, Tian An Men Square, Hutong Tour by pedicab and Summer Palace with a spectacular cruise on Kunming Lake with views of Longevity Hill. Prepare to be wowed!
Sunday October 02, 2016
Continue your journey to Beijing. Transfer in style and high speed on the train from Shanghai to Beijing. Enjoy lunch on board as you speed to Beijing at 300 km / hr, and enjoy noteworthy moments on the train. A guide will meet you for transfers to the five star
Beijing New Otani Chang Fu Gong Hotel for check in around 4—5 pm. Freshen up and meet in the lobby to enjoy an included dinner with your fellow travel companions at a local restaurant.
Monday October 03, 2016
Enjoy a grand buffet breakfast at the hotel before you head out for an excursion to Mutianyu Great Wall with some of the most breathtaking scenery you will see on this strip. If you’re worried about hiking up the Great Wall—don't be! Cable car tickets are included for an easy ascent.
* Did you know . . . The Great Wall is the only man-made structure visible from the moon stretching across China for about 4,000 miles. As early as the Qin
Dynasty (221-207BC) when building the Great Wall, glutinous rice flour was used in making the binding material to bind the bricks. The sections of the
Great Wall that we most associate with The Great Wall of China were built by the Ming Dynasty. This was the last part of the wall that was built and has been made with brick and features many tall watch-towers. The Great Wall of China has been called the longest cemetery on earth. Over a million people died building the wall and archaeologists have found human remains buried under parts of the wall. Don’t be afraid! But do take the time to appreciate the dedication of craftsmen who literally put all their effort into this project. Despite its imposing presence and stony structure The Great Wall of China is threatened with erosion. The Northwestern sections are deteriorating so quickly, they are estimated to disappear within 20 years. In addition, during the
Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), many bricks of the Great Wall were taken away to use in building homes, farms or reservoirs. Otherwise many sections of the Great Wall would be preserved much better than what they are like today. The Great Wall is such a diverse and unique structure that it can do anything from being so wide in certain sections a car could drive over it, to hosting a Fendi fashion show in 2007.

Sept 29 - Oct 05, 2016 Destination for discovery tour: Shanghai & Beijing
Monday October 03, 2016 - Continued
Next, we take a quick stop of lunch at Rendeju Restaurant, where you will also experience the art of a Chinese
Jade Carving workshop. Stock up on these traditional green beauties for yourself or as souvenirs. On the way back you’ll get to see the magnificent Beijing Olympic Stadiums including the world famous Bird Nest & Water
Cube. Later, enjoy a Hutong tour by Pedi-cab through the ancient residential areas and see how the locals live.
Dinner with the group is included at a local restaurant and not one you will want to miss!
Tuesday October 04,2016
Enjoy the breakfast buffet at the hotel before heading out the Tian An Men Square, the largest city center square in the world. You will also visit the Forbidden City where 24 Chinese emperors ruled China from and The movie “The Last Emperor” was filmed. Lunch with the group is included at a local restaurant. Finish off the day with a visit to the beautiful Summer Palace where you will cruise on Kunming Lake and view Longevity Hill. Finish off the day with a farewell dinner at Quanjude Peking Duck restaurant in the.
Sunday October 05,2016
Enjoy your final breakfast buffet at the hotel and spend some free time in the morning picking up those last minute souvenirs and trinkets for friends and family. Transfer seamlessly to the airport and board your flight back home.
1. Antiques - Beijing has a long and rich history. Antiques can be bought at Beijing Curio City, Liulichang and Panjiayuan Market.
2. Porcelain - China, another word for porcelain, indicates that China has achieved great achievement in porcelain making. There are dinner services, figurines and reproductions of antique vases, teapots and the like.
3. Cloisonne - Cloisonne is a decorative technique for metalwork, especially brass, whereby colored enamel is baked between raised ridges of the metal.
4. Silk - If you want to buy some gifts for your family and friends, the soft smooth silk is definitely the best choice.
5. Jade - Jade is regarded by the Chinese as a stone descended from heaven. They value its hard, cool texture and translucent colors. It is extremely difficult to carve but China’s craftsmen create incredibly intricate ornaments and jewelry from jade.
6. Painting & Calligraphy - Painting and calligraphy works are found in hundreds of stores. They vary in age, quality and price with the finest being true works of art. The brushes, ink slabs, ink and paper that were the scholars traditional tools can be found in most antique shops. One of the best sources is the China Book Store.
7. Lacquerware - Chinese lacquer ware refers to household utensils, handicrafts and artworks coated with lacquer in ancient China.
It is an ingenious invention and a pearl of Chinese artworks. Lacquer ware boasts a long history which can be dated back to the remote ages in China.
8. Beijing Roast Duck - Peking Duck is perhaps the most famous dish of Beijing. People come to Beijing will have a taste of it. Peking Duck is traditionally served with Mandarin pancakes, and green onions for brushing on the hoi sin sauce.
9. Chinese Tea - The history of Chinese Tea dates back to several thousand years ago. Chinese people usually drink tea after meals.
10. Chinese Traditional Medicine - Believe it or not, Chinese Traditional Medicine has cured countless diseases during China’s history. TCM’s view of the body places little emphasis on anatomical structures, but is mainly concerned with the identification of functional entities (which regulate digestion, breathing, aging etc.)