My wife and I took a trip to China through Gate 1 Travel. The trip was an inclusive trip that included lodging, a full itinerary, international airfare and domestic flights. The airfare was on Air China, which we had never flown before. Air China was a surprisingly decent series of flights, to include the domestic legs.
A Gate 1 representative met us at the airport and escorted us to a waiting mini-bus that took us to our hotel. We were among a small group that arrived around the same time. Other members of our tour group arrived at different times on different flights. It was nice to have someone else take care of our luggage and all the other small travel details like transportation from the airport. We were taken to our hotel, which was the King Talent Hotel in Beijing. It was a nice base of operations for the Beijing leg of our tour.
We spent a few days in Beijing taking in the sights. Our first stop on the tour was a Jade factory. We were given a brief history about the importance of jade in Chinese culture before browsing the massive selection of jade carvings, some life size. Many of the jade pieces were prohibitively expensive, but there were some small items that were affordable. We left with a very small token of our visit.
After visiting the Jade Factory, we headed to the outskirts of Beijing to walk along the Great Wall of China. We visited at a location called Juyong Pass. It was not very crowded during our visit, allowing for plenty of opportunities for photos without people obstructing the view. It was very overcast from smog during our visit, but we were able to get some decent photos in spite of it.
Following our morning excursion on the Great Wall, we headed to the nearby tombs of thirteen Ming Dynasty emperors. The Ming Tombs are laid out in a massive complex that will offer plenty of extra cardio after a morning wall excursion. We walked along the main corridor of statuary before visiting two of the tombs. It was an interesting outing, but we were ready to put our feet up after a day of walking and climbing.
After getting some rest (and a hearty breakfast at our hotel), we headed toward Tienanmen Square to visit the historic plaza and the adjacent Forbidden City. The plaza was massive, with government buildings on all sides. There were several statues on the plaza as well as uniformed and secret police. We were advised to hold our tongues while walking on the square. The Forbidden City seemed like an endless complex of buildings. Luckily, we had a guide to explain to us what the buildings were once used for and to fill in the rich history of this seat of government.
We spent most of the morning at the Forbidden City before heading to the Beijing Zoo to visit the giant pandas. The massive panda hall was amazing to see. While I would have liked to see the panda research center in Chengdu, this panda fix did the trick. We also visited the nearby animal exhibits before heading to lunch.
Our busy morning at the Forbidden City and the Beijing Zoo was followed by a relaxing stroll at the Summer Palace. The gardens, walkways and serene lake at the Summer Palace were a bit of contrast to the crush of people we saw at the Forbidden City. We had a leisurely stroll after taking in a history lesson of the Summer Palace from our guide. We didn't have time to go out on the Dragon Boats, which may have been nice. But we got plenty of exercise at a slightly slower pace.
We started the next morning with a performance at the Drum Tower. The Drum Tower sits at one end of a plaza, with a bell tower at the other end. We only visited the drums, which offered an impressive demonstration by a team of drummers on massive drums situated in the tower. The performance was well worth the steep climb up the tower stairs.
The Drum Tower performance was followed by a special cultural interaction. We had a tour of a local hutong that included a visit to the private home of a resident. This was followed by a ride through the hutong on rickshaws. Spending some time with Uncle Wang was one of the highlights of the trip. He was very open, sharing his experiences growing up and working in Beijing. He is a retired machinist. The trip through the hutong on rickshaws was a nice way to finish off the morning. Or should I say "relaxing" way to finish out the morning. After two days of heavy cardio and a morning climb up the tower stairs, the rickshaws were a nice reprieve.
With our time in Beijing coming to a close, we had an opportunity to take dinner on our own before heading out the next morning for our Yangtze River cruise. I wanted to try pulled noodles while in Beijing. Our tour guide (unknowingly) sent us on an amazing adventure to experience some local flavor. It was yet another opportunity for a unique and intimate cultural interaction. I detailed these events in my Adventures at a Chinese Noodle Shop.
We once again boarded an Air China flight destined for Yichang. The short flight was followed by a bus ride to our boat. We arrived in the evening. Our boat was called the Lianna and was operated by Victoria Cruises. We settled in to our cabin, which included a private balcony to watch the Yangtze River from the comforts of our own cabin. It was a campy, comfortable, enjoyable and relaxing part of the trip.
The first of our shore excursions was a visit to the famous Three Gorges Dam. The massive project was built as a power generator, but also displaced a million residents. The dam has a visitors center at a high point that offers great views of the locks and ships. However, the weather was not very cooperative during our visit to the dam. Our visibility was limited, making the photos we took a bit unclear.
Our second shore excursion was at a place called Goddess Stream. We were taken to smaller boats, where we navigated a narrow gorge leading upstream to a cobbled together dock made of plastic barrels. At the dock, we were treated to the local music and dance culture of the native Tujia People. They shared stories about their culture and the area before heading back to our boat to continue our trip on the Yangtze River.
Our final shore excursion was to the Shiboazhai Pagoda. This pagoda was built into the side of a cliff to allow local residents easier access to the temple above. The amazing structure was built without the use of nails. The narrow passage to the top felt far more secure than the ropes and anchors that locals once used.
After disembarking our cruise, we were once again headed to the airport, this time in Chongching, for the last leg of our journey in Shanghai. But first, we stopped at an ancient market called Ciqikou Village. We had several hours to experience the sights and smells of the market. It appeared to be as much a mecca for foodies as a place for tourists to find a variety of gifts. There was plenty to see and lots of food to sample. We could definitely have spent more time here.
Upon arrival in Shanghai, we were escorted to our final hotel, the Rendezvous Merry Hotel. The hotel was not centrally located, but the location was fine for us. For touring, we were picked up by bus. Locally, there were restaurants, ATMs, convenience stores and pharmacies just a short walk away. Our room was clean and comfortable. Most importantly, the food was exceptional.
After settling in to our hotel, the bus brought us to a tourist area where we were given a couple of hours to shop and eat at our own leisure. We opted to try a soup dumpling restaurant called Din Tai Fung that was highly rated. The restaurant was comfortable, the service medium and the food good, but pricey. I preferred the soup dumplings from Yang's Dumplings that we visited later in our trip. The dumplings were cheaper and delicious.
Din Tai Fung
Yang's Dumplings
We started the next morning out with a brisk walk on the Bund Promenade. It was a chilly morning, which dampened the experience a bit. But the view of Shanghai from the Bund was excellent. We took some nice photos of the modern city across the water as well as the older, eclectic architecture along the promenade. There were plenty of vendors serving refreshments or selling gifts. Luckily, we didn't linger too long at the Bund. It can be done in under two hours.
Our visit to the Bund was followed by a trip to Yuyuan Market and Yuyuan Garden. We visited the tourist shops, which offered just about anything a tourist could want. The specialty item in Shanghai being silk. The gardens have an interesting history that included nearly bankrupting the family who first built it. The massive garden was serene, offering a peaceful alternative to the bustling market that adjoins it.
Yuyuan Market
Yuyuan Garden
After lunch on our own at the market, we boarded the bus to visit a silk factory. The factory tours on these pre fixe trips can seem hokey. While there is an obvious kickback for visiting these shops, I have never experienced any pressure to buy anything. The kickbacks keep the prices low and you buy whatever you want. And you usually visit places that tourists seek out anyway. In this case, we saw expensive silk rugs being created, silk artwork and even a silk shop with everything from duvets to scarves. We did buy some art during the silk tour, but it was something we always buy. And the price was right.
We finished our trip to China with a visit to the Shanghai Acrobats. The Shanghai Acrobats are world renowned. They do performances that have been honed (and updated) over the decades. They showcase the skills of strength, balance, grace, leaping, precision, and more. It was a truly fun and amazing act to watch. And an excellent way to wrap up a phenomenal tour that brought us to many parts of China with a bit of flavor of each infused into our itinerary.
The links in this post all lead to previous (more detailed) posts I have made about our trip to China. The photos in this post are all my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission. I hope you enjoyed reading about this trip. If you are looking for an inclusive trip to China, you can message me on Discord or Chat and I can provide additional details about the group we use for our travel itineraries.