10 Days Tibet Discovery Muslim Tour

Our professional Muslim expert tour guide will pick you up at Beijing capital international airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax during the remainder of the afternoon and evening to recover from the jet lag.
Accommodations

We will start to explore Beijing from the largest city square in the world; the impressive Tian'anmen Square. From there we will enter the "Imperial Palace" known as the Forbidden City to explore its many fascinating halls and pavilions. After lunch and prayer at Niujie Mosque we will visit the Temple of Heaven, the place where the Emperors worshipped the Heaven for good harvests. Today’s shopping stops are the Muslim Supermarket and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine of Tongrentang.

Today is the highlight of our China tour, the climbing of the Great Wall of China. In 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. Construction of the great wall continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the worlds largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. In the afternoon we will visit the Ming Tomb Sacred Way where we will learn the ancient Chinese Fengshui Theory. On the way to the Great Wall, we will make a stop at Bona jade carving factory where we will learn the ancient art of jade carving skills.

In the morning we will visit the largest garden in the world, the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. After afternoon prayers at Madian Mosque we will tour Beijing’s Old Hutong Alley by rickshaw.

Fly to Lhasa in the morning. Upon arrival at this 1200 feet elevated city, we will be transferred to hotel for rest and adjust our body to high elevation (Lhasa is 3700 meters above sea level). We may feel the effects of high altitude therefore it is strongly recommended that you take an afternoon nap for 2-3 hours.

We will visit the 1300-year-old Jokhang Monastery in the morning where we will follow local Tibetans for a Kora of Jokhang Monastery, walk around the Barkor Bazaar. Jokhang Monastery, constructed by King Songtsen Gampo in the year AD647 is the most famous Buddhist monastery in Lhasa. This monastery has remained the centre of Buddhist pilgrimage for centuries, and over a period of last several centuries, the monastery complex continue to be expanded and now covers an area of around 25,000 sq. meters. After lunch we will visit the Hebalin Mosque and its nearby Muslim community; later we will visit a Tibetan family.

In the morning we will visit the highest palace in the world, the Potala Palace. Built on the red hill in the center of Lhasa, the Potala Palace boasts more than 1000 rooms including the Red Palace where Dalai Lama once lived. We will visit Sera Monastery in the afternoon. Founded in 1419, at its height, Sera monastery was residence to more than 5,000 monks and five monastic colleges, although much less active now, with only several hundred monks currently in residence. One of the most interesting times to visit the monastery is in the afternoon when monks, after finishing their morning classes, can be seen debating in the courtyard. They emphasize their debate points with heavy foot stomping and loud claps of the hands. This highly animated debating method is part of the time-honored monastic educational system.

We will take the morning flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival in Shanghai, we will also visit the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Xintiandi, which is a newly developed recreation area in Shanghai with old styled buildings. Later we will visit the third tallest TV tower in the world; the Oriental Pearl Tower. We will also stroll along the Bund and Nanjing Road to appreciate early 19th century European Style architectures.

After breakfast at hotel we will visit the Yuyuan Garden, which is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty. The highlight of the day is shopping at the Chenghuangmiao Market, a great place to test your bargaining skills. Being the center of silk production of China, a visit to local silk factory can not be missed. After lunch and prayer at Xiantaoyuan Mosque, we will be free at leisure in the afternoon.

After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our homeward flight.