There are few places in the world that have experienced the pace of change that China has endured over the last thirty years. Travel by the bullet train through the heart of Shanxi Province to the ancient financial centre of Pingyao, with its traditional courtyards and preserved city wall, before turning back the clock 2000 years to discover the roots of the Chinese nation in the city of Xi’an. Continue south to Yellow Mountain, with its steep ascents and precipitous gullies made famous by poets and painters alike. Visit the West Lake of Hangzhou, an ancient capital which was known for its beauty as far back as the Southern Song when Marco Polo is said to have visited. The journey concludes in a world of glistening modernity and traditional lane houses. Shanghai has risen from a walled fishing town to an economic powerhouse and the face of modern China.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Enjoy a breathtaking five-hour walk away from the crowds to view one of the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall as it spirals in unrestored splendour through jagged mountain peaks.
- Go back 600 years to a world dominated by beautifully carved courtyard houses, tucked inside a maze of narrow alleyways. These Anhui villages were designed in accordance with traditional Confucian principals to emphasise the harmony of man and nature.
- Visit the famed Longjing (Dragon Well) tea plantations in Hangzhou, where neat rows of tea bushes, the "green queen" cling to mountain slops high in the clouds and down to majestic bamboo forests beyond. Longjing green tea has been grown around the West Lake for over 1200 years.
- Explore the dramatic scenery of Huangshan, a land of breathtaking granite peaks, twisted pines, and shifting seas of clouds made famous by centuries of Chinese artists and poets. Scenic trails, ancient stone steps, and spectacular viewpoints reveal a landscape of sublime natural beauty.
- Optional extension for three days exploring Guilin’s countryside on foot. This is a landscape of dreamlike beauty, karst peaks mirrored in tranquil rivers, whispering bamboo groves. Learn more of the Yao people and their culture steeped in tradition.
ITINERARY
The full itinerary can be found on the Distant Horizons website.
