How to book a tour
Ancient towns in northern China
Tour code: SWCD072
Duration: 14 days
Route: Beijing, Datong, Wutaishan, Pingyao, Taiyuan, Jinan, Weifang, Yantai, Shanghai
Attractions: Yungang Grottoes, The Nine-Dragon Screen, the Huayan Temple, Mount Wutai, Hanging Monastery, Wood Pagoda in Yingxian Country, Pingyao, Qiao's Grand Courtyard, Shuanglin Temple, Jin Ancestral Temple, Tianlongshan Pogodas, Chunyang Palace, Mount Taishan, Weihsien Internment Camp site, Kite Museum, Chefoo School
Itinerary:
Day 1
Beijing / Datong
Transfer via: by overnight train for soft sleeper K615 (15:10-21:06)
Program: Take a taxi to Beijing Railway Station. Take train to Datong. Your train ticket will be delivered to your hotel one day prior. Upon arrival in the railway station, pickup by our English speaking tour guide and drive to hotel.
Accommodations: Garden Grand Hotel, Datong (4 star)
Day 2 (B,L)
Datong
Program: the Yungang Grottoes, The Nine-Dragon Screen, the Huayan Temple.
The Yungang Grottoes: With their 252 caves and 51,000 statues, the grottoes represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Five Caves created by Tan Yao, with their strict unity of layout and design, constitute a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.
The Nine-Dragon Screen: It was built in 1392 to conceal the palace of a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) prince.
The Huayan Temple: Named after the Huayan sect of Buddhism, was established in the 11th Century and was one of the eight most important temples in the Tang Dynasty.
Accommodations: Garden Grand Hotel, Datong (4 star)
Day 3 (B,L)
Datong / Wutaishan
Transfer via: by van
Program: Hanging Monastery, Wood Pagoda in Yingxian Country (Yingxian Muta), Mountain Wutai.
Hanging Monastery：It was originally built in the Northern Wei (about 500 A.D) Dynasty on cliff. It is a masterpiece of Chinese architectural art and one of the eighteen wonderful scenes of the Northern Mountain.
The wood Pagoda: It is one of the oldest and largest wooden structures in the world without a single nail used. The 97-metre high pagoda was built in 11th century.
Mountain Wutai: It is China's most sacred Buddhist Mountian. The area's biggest attractions are the numerous Buddhist temples.
Accommodations: Hua Hui Hotel, Wutaishan (4 star)
Day 4 (B,L)
Wutaishan
Program: Mt. Wutaishan and Temples Group on Wutaishan, Other temples in Taihuai Town.
Accommodations: Hua Hui Hotel, Wutaishan (4 star)
Day 5 (B,L)
Wutaishan / Pingyao
Transfer via: by van
Program: Foguang Temple, Nanchan Temple, Drive to Pinyao directly, via Taiyuan.
Accommodations: De Ju Yuan Folk Style Guesthouse, Pingyao
Day 6 (B,L)
Pingyao
Program: Pingyao ancient town.
Pingyao ancient town: In the middle of Shanxi Province, it is the best-preserved among the four ancient towns in China. It is the assembly place of folk houses in north China where rows upon rows of buildings in the Ming and Qing Dynasties stand in well-preserved conditions.
Accommodations: De Ju Yuan Folk Style Guesthouse, Pingyao
Day 7 (B,L)
Pingyao / Taiyuan
Transfer via: by van
Program: the Qiao's Grand Courtyard, the Shuanglin Temple.
Qiao's Grand Courtyard: Built in 1755, this well-preserved and exquisite structure used to be the residence of Qiao Zhiyong, who was a famous businessman during the Qing Dynasty.
The Shuanglin Temple: Standing for more than 1500 years, the temple is famous for more than 2,000 painted sculptures of precious value, representing Ming and Qing Dynasties' best. They are reputed as a "treasure reserve of the oriental painted sculptures".
Accommodations: Yuyuan Hotel, Taiyuan (4 star)
Day 8 (B,L)
Taiyuan
Program: Jin Ancestral Temple, Tianlongshan Pogodas, Chunyang Palace.
The Jin Ancestral Temple: It was originally started in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 532 AD) to commemorate the memory of Shu Yu (Zhou Wu), the founder of the state of Jin.
The Tianlongshan Grottoes: Cliff carvings that began in the 6th century and continued over the next 400 years.
Chunyang Palace: It was built to commemorate the Taoist priest Lu Chunyang of the Tang dynasty. Now it forms part of the Shanxi Museum.
Accommodations: Yuyuan Hotel, Taiyuan (4 star)
Day 9 (B,L)
Taiyuan / Jinan
Transfer via: by train
Program: Free time in the morning, Transfer to airport for your flight to Jinan. Upon arrival at the airport, pickup by our English speaking tour guide and drive to hotel. Leisure on your own at the rest of the day.
Accommodations: Yizheng Hotel (4 star)
Day 10 (B,L)
Jinan / Taian / Jinan
Transfer via: by van by van
Program: After breakfast, drive to Tai'An to visit Mt. Taishan. Mount Taishan, South Heaven Gate, Heaven Street, Bixia Temple, Yuhuang Summit.
Take cable car up tp South Heaven Gate, then starting our visiting. After tour, take cable car down the mountain and drive back to Jinan.
Mount Taishan is a mountain of historical and cultural significance. The tallest peak is Jade Emperor Peak, which is commonly reported as 1545 metres (5069 ft) tall, but is described by the Chinese government as 1532.7 metres (5028.5 ft).
Mount Taishan is one of the "Five Sacred Mountains". It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. The temples on its slopes have been a destination for pilgrims for 3,000 years.
Accommodations: Yizheng Hotel (4 star)
Day 11 (B,L)
Jinan / Weifang
Transfer via: by van
Program: After breakfast, drive to Weifang city, Weihsien Internment Camp site, Kite Museum.
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, known as international Kite city. Kite-flying is a traditional custom among the people in Weifang in spring time. The outstanding kite handicraft skills and the special atmosphere in Weifang is quite suitable for flying kites, making Weifang Kites more and more popular in China and abroad.
The Weihsien Internment Camp was a Japanese operated Civilian Assembly Center in Weihsien (present-day Weifang), Shandong, China. This compound was an Internment camp created during World War II because of the actions and problems being pursued during that time. The Japanese grouped allied civilians living in Northern China into this camp. These allied civilians included British, American, and Australian people. These people situated in this camp were there for nearly two and a half years until the Americans liberated on August 12, 1945.
Accommodations: International Financial Hotel (4 star)
Day 12 (B,L)
Weifang / Yantai
Transfer via: by van
Program: After breakfast, drive to Yantai. Chefoo School site, Zhangyu Wine Culture Museum.
The Chefoo School was a Christian boarding school established by the China Inland Mission - under James Hudson Taylor- at Chefoo (Yantai), in Shandong province in northern China, in 1880. Its purpose was to provide an education for the children of foreign missionaries and the foreign business and diplomatic communities in China.
Accommodations: Bihai Hotel (4 star)
Day 13 (B,L)
Yantai
Program: After breakfast, drive to Penglai, visit the Penglai Pavillion, Water City, the antique boat exhibition. Drive back to Yantai after the tour.
Accommodations: Bihai Hotel (4 star)
Day 14 (B,L)
Yantai / Shanghai
Transfer via: by air
Program: Transfer to airport for your flight to Shanghai.