Stylish and Spicy China

Day 1 Beijing

On your arrival in Beijing, you will be met and escorted to your hotel. A brief orientation for the later China trip will be delivered.
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Day 2 Beijing

Make an early visit to the Temple of Heaven where you can join in the Chinese locals to learn Taichi so as to inject you more energy and get more ready for your coming Beijing exploration! Make a brief stop at the Tiananmen Square before entering the Forbidden City. Try your hand at drawing the Beijing Opera Masks with the guide of an experienced master. Time permitting, you can visit the shopping street to release your shopping desire and show your bargain talent. Go over your mask drawing knowledge when you watch the Beijing Opera.
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Day 3 Beijing

Drive to the Great Wall at Mutianyu -- the less-crowed and easily-accessible section and enjoy an overlooking view from the cable car (Round trip). Pay a visit to the nearby village and savor a tasty farmhouse meal appreciate the unrestored section of Great Wall in a distance. If interested, you can climb to experience this pristine Great Wall section. Visit the 2008 Olympic stadiums- Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and Water Cube (National Aquatics Center). Then feast on the crisp Peking duck.
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Day 4 Beijing - Xi'an

Visit a local flower and pet market-Guanyuan Market (or visit Panjiayuan Market at weekend - a market to test your good eye for the good old stuffs). Visit fast-vanishing Hutong by rickshaw,chat with the residents, and make dumplings with them to glimpse into the ordinary life of beijingners, and a private museum in the hutong trip will unveil you the past lifestyle of the beijingners. Fly to Xi'an. An optional visit to the Giant Music Fountain near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is recommended if you want to make the most of the brief time in Xi'an.
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Day 5 Xi'an

The trip to the Banpo Museum reveals the ancestors'life that had exisited long before the Terracotta Warriors. Appreciate the Terracotta Warriors and watch a short film of discovering them will be unveiled in the museum. Tour the Shaanxi History Museum to learn about the history of Xi'an as a capital of ten dynasties. Then we go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Fulfill your stomach with the dumpling banquet which is also another good chance for you to challenge and enhance you chopstick skill when handling the escaping dumplings.
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Day 6 Xi'an – Chengdu

Ride the enviromental-friendly bike along the broad City Wall. The Great Mosque, located in Muslim Quarter, along with Gao's Courtyard will provide you tranquil oasis to shelter from the tumultuous bazaar. Enjoy the combination of art and folk music - "shadow puppet" play in the courtyard. Say goodbye to Xi'an and fly to Chengdu.
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Day 7 Chengdu

Make your memorable visit to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to view many pandas in large enclosures and leisurely life of those black-and-white plump fur balls. Go to the Wenshu Temple. Instantly wake your taste buds by the spicy Sichuan cuisines in your lunch. Sip tea in an open-air teahouse to peruse the marrow of Chengdu people's life. The rest is free for you to explore. Enjoy Sichuan opera face changing in the evening.
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Day 8 Chengdu - Shanghai

Fly to Shanghai. Go to new Shanghai landmark -- the World Financial Center to have an all-embracing view of Shanghai. Travel to the Shanghai Museum. Visit the tranquil Longhua Temple and try the vegetarian dishes that trick your taste buds to believe that they are made out of meat. Visit the Temple of the Town Gods. For restoring energy for the following tour, indulge yourself in the dizzying variety of Shanghai specialties and snacks in the temple bazaar. Visit Yuyuan Garden, a garden full of exquisiteness for your detailed eye! A stunning and incredible acrobatic show will end today's trip.
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Day 9 Shanghai

Be a Shanghainese in a host family visiting the local markets and having a look at the original material of the cuisines you will cook under the guidance of your host family and bargaining with the vendors or learning the Chinese bargaining way. Engage yourself in the local community activities. The rest of the day is free for you to explore.
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Day 10 Farewell Shanghai

Take the maglev train (the fastest train in the world) to go to your departing plane at lightning speed!
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