Treasures of China: Itinerary

May 11, 2009

Depart the United States for Beijing.

May 12, 2009 Beijing

Upon arrival in Beijing, we are met by a cruise line host, who will escort you to our hotel.

May 13, 2009: Beijing

This morning visit the enormous Tiananmen Square, which can accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Then, tour Beijing’s Forbidden City. Nearly 800 buildings and 9,999 rooms make up this amazing site. As you walk its grounds, marvel at the elegant palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens within its walls.

After lunch in a local restaurant, you visit the Summer Palace, a 700-acre complex of gardens and elegant buildings. Its Chinese name means Garden of Nurtured Harmony, and it was frequented by the Imperial Court to escape the bustle of Beijing. Walk its landscaped grounds, considered among the finest Chinese architectural gardens. This evening, enjoy a traditional Peking duck dinner. Then, you are treated to a performance of the Peking Opera, a fascinating cultural experience.

May 14, 2009: Beijing

After breakfast, travel to the Badaling Hills to see one of the most impressive and best-preserved sections of the fabled Great Wall of China. Walk along its winding pathways and marvel at the excellent views. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the Sacred Way, a tree-lined avenue guarded by massive sculptures of elephants, lions and camels. Tonight, taste some local specialties at dinner. (B, L, D)

May 15, 2009: Beijing & Xian

Today tour Old Beijing’s hutongs (narrow alleys) via rickshaw.† Discover the sights and sounds of traditional Chinese life. Visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration of this ancient art.

After lunch, fly to Xian, key city of the Tang Dynasty. Xian reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty rule when it was the capital of the Middle Kingdom. During this time, the city’s position as the geographical beginning of China’s fabled Silk Road established it as one of the world’s biggest and richest cities. From 618 to 907, the Tang Dynasty presided over one of China’s most glorious cultural periods, spreading its influence throughout Asia and into Europe and Africa.

Tonight, experience its grandeur as you dine surrounded by the historic song and dance of this colorful era. (B, L, D)

May 16, 2009: Xian & Chingqing

After breakfast, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. See the more than 6,000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors, archers and infantrymen that were buried with him, from the walkways that provide a bird’s-eye view. Each man and horse is molded with his own distinct features.

After lunch fly to Chongqing, gateway to the Yangtze. Perched on steep hills at the confluence of the Yangtze and its major tributary, the Jialing River, Chongqing is the gateway for Yangtze River cruises. This proud mountain city was the capital of China during World War II when the American Volunteer Air Group, the "Flying Tigers," was based here.

You are welcomed aboard the Viking Century Sky with a Western meal, and your ship sails this evening. (B, L, D)

May 17, 2009: Shibaozhai

This morning, you visit Shibaozhai Temple, a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 and perched high above the Yangtze. Climb up to the top for breathtaking views of the river below. Return to your ship and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

May 18, 2009" Three Gorges and Lesser Three Gorges

For the next 150 miles, you travel the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze as it forces its way through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges. During breakfast, cruise through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Then, board a smaller boat for an excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges. Sail through these remarkable canyons flanked by towering cliffs. Along the way you see ancient sites including the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Enjoy lunch at a scenic stop overlooking the gorges. After, return to your ship and sail through Wu (Witches) Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery. Dinner is served aboard. (B, L, D)

May 19, 2009: Three Gorges Dam

This morning, you disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. You learn all about this immense engineering masterpiece—first conceived by Sun Yat-Sen in 1919—and how it will affect the Chinese people and the Yangtze.

Sandouping village is the site of the monumental Three Gorges Dam project, the most ambitious engineering project of its kind. Here you will learn about the immense construction project and its effects on the people and landscapes of China. This hydroelectric project is planned for completion in late 2009 when the river will rise to a final 575 feet above sea level, displacing 1.25 million people, submerging 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,352 villages and flooding the narrow gorges of the Yangtze’s tributaries, creating a lake behind the dam and smoothing out the shoals and rapids in the river.

China’s new dam promises to yield the equivalent power of 15 nuclear plants as well as control the centuries-old problem of devastating Yangtze floods. While the dam has changed certain aspects of this experience, the gorges remain an impressive natural phenomenon.

Then, you return to your ship and traverse the 5-stage locks of the Three Gorges Dam. Lunch and dinner are served aboard while you cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

May 20, 2009: Three Gorges and Yueyang

This morning, cruise through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. Then arrive in Yueyang, where you visit an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises in this rural village. You will be warmly greeted by the children and enjoy a performance. Return to your ship for meals and scenic cruising. (B, L, D)

May 21, 2009: Wuhan and Shanghai

After breakfast, disembark in Wuhan. Visit the Wuhan Museum. Then, fly to Shanghai, China’s largest city and one of the world’s most important ports. Here, you can see the modern metropolis of the financial district juxtaposed with the other sections of the city. Depending on the time of our arrival in Shanghai, we will make a detour this day or the next to take a ride on the Maglev Train that operates between the airport and the city center. Our 2006 group went out to take a trial run on this train, which reaches speeds in excess of 260 miles per hour. This Check in to your hotel. (B, L, D)

May 22, 2009: Shanghai

This morning, tour Old Shanghai and travel along the Bund, the city’s elegant riverfront promenade. After lunch in a local restaurant, tour a silk carpet workshop for demonstrations of this ancient art form. Then visit the Shanghai Museum, featuring displays of ceramics, bronzes and paintings. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and a Chinese acrobatic show. (B, L, D)

May 23, 2009: Shanghai

Hotel check out. Passengers will be taken to the airport for return flights to the United States or for the extension to Guilin and Hong Kong (offered by Viking River, see below) or on to Kyoto Japan, which will be coordinated and escorted by me.

Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008